Net urate reabsorption in the Dalmatian coach hound with a note on automated measurement of urate in species with low plasma urate.

A progressive reduction of renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate induced by the stepwise clamping of a Goldblatt clamp increases the urate over creatinine clearance ratio from 1.2 to 1.9 in normal urate-secreting Dalmatian dogs. These clearance data support the existence of a predominant postreabsorptive secretory flux of urate in the normal Dalmatian dog. In contrast, in Dalmatians loaded with pyrazinoic acid which suppresses urate secretion, net reabsorption of urate is unmasked and the urate over creatinine clearance ratio decreases with the progressive reduction in glomerular filtration rate (down to 0.44). It is concluded that the net reabsorption of urate measured by conventional clearance techniques after pharmacologic depression of the urate secretory flux probably reflects true urate reabsorption in the nephron of this species.