Abstract

Plasma separator tubes (PST) are a variant of lithium heparin blood tubes containing a polymer gel which, when centrifuged, creates a physical barrier between plasma and blood cells. This study aimed to determine if the use of plasma separator tubes impacts plasma biochemistry data in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) at time of collection and after 24 h of contact time with the separator gel post-centrifugation at refrigerator temperature. A single blood sample was collected from 37 rehabilitating green sea turtles at Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center, Melbourne, Florida and divided into one lithium heparin tube (LHT) and two PST. After centrifugation, plasma was immediately transferred from the LHT and one PST into tubes without additive. The plasma was left in contact with the separator gel in the second PST. After 24 h of refrigeration, all three plasma aliquots were analyzed for the following: sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glucose, uric acid, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, creatinine kinase, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase. No statistically significant differences were found for any biochemistry analytes between LHT, PST, and PST with 24 h of plasma-gel contact. The use of PST does not impact routine biochemistry analytes in green sea turtles, and analytes appear stable in plasma when refrigerated for up to 24 h post-centrifugation when using PST.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Steward Medical Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Florida for performing all the sample analyses, as well as the Sea Turtle Healing Center volunteers that perform daily husbandry care for the turtles.

*Presenting author
+Student presenter