Quantitative determination of urea concentrations in cell culture medium.

Urea is the major nitrogenous end product of protein metabolism in mammals. Here, we describe a quantitative, sensitive method for urea determination using a modified Jung reagent. This assay is specific for urea and is unaffected by ammonia, a common interferent in tissue and cell cultures. We demonstrate that this convenient colorimetric microplate-based, room temperature assay can be applied to determine urea synthesis in cell culture.