The 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6'-methylresorufin) ester (DGGR) lipase assay in cats and dogs is not specific for pancreatic lipase.

Background: The measurement of pancreatic lipase is important for the diagnosis of feline and canine pancreatitis. Recent studies have claimed that lipase assays using the 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6'-methylresorufin) ester (DGGR) as a substrate are more specific for measuring pancreatic lipase than traditional lipase assays. However, the analytical specificity of this assay for pancreatic lipase has not been demonstrated.

Objectives: We aimed to determine whether hepatic and/or lipoprotein lipases can interfere with the DGGR-based assay results in cats and dogs. We, therefore, compared plasma lipase activities measured using DGGR-based and pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) assays before and after administering heparin, known to cause the release of hepatic and lipoprotein lipases, in cats and dogs.

Methods: Heparin was administered in six cats and six dogs. Blood was collected at baseline and 10, 20, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after heparin administration. Lipase activity was measured using a DGGR-based assay, and PLI concentrations were measured using the Spec fPL and cPL assays for cats and dogs, respectively.

Results: Plasma lipase activities, as measured using the DGGR-based assay, increased significantly 10 minutes after heparin administration in both cats (P = .003) and dogs (P = .006) and returned to baseline by 120 minutes. In contrast, PLI concentrations showed no significant changes after heparin administration.

Conclusions: DGGR is not only hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase but also by hepatic lipase, lipoprotein lipase, or both, in cats and dogs. Since these extrapancreatic lipases are also naturally present in cats and dogs, they could contribute to the lack of analytical specificity for the DGGR-based assays.