Effects of meloxicam on plasma iohexol clearance as a marker of glomerular filtration rate in conscious healthy cats.

Objective: To investigate the effect of therapeutic dosages of meloxicam on the plasma clearance of iohexol in healthy, euvolemic, conscious cats fed a sodium-replete diet.
Animals: 6 healthy adult neutered male cats.
Procedures: For each treatment period in a masked, randomized, crossover study, cats were administered either no treatment or meloxicam. Iohexol clearance studies were performed before the treatment period began (baseline) and on the final day of the treatment period. Iohexol concentrations were determined by use of a high-performance liquid chromatography assay, and plasma iohexol clearance as a marker of glomerular filtration rate was calculated by use of a 1-compartment model.
Results: No significant treatment effect was detected. Mean +/- SE iohexol clearance for cats administered meloxicam (3.31 +/- 0.27 mL/min/kg) was not significantly different from mean baseline value for the meloxicam treatment period (3.07 +/- 0.32 mL/min/kg).
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: In this study, short-term meloxicam administration did not measurably alter the glomerular filtration rate as assessed via plasma clearance of iohexol. This suggests that renal prostaglandins in cats did not have a measurable effect on glomerular filtration rates in healthy, euvolemic, conscious states as determined on the basis of methods used in this study.