Reference Values on Serum Biochemical Parameters of Brazilian Donkey (Equus asinus) Breed

doi:10.1016/S0737-0806(03)01025-6

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Volume 23, Issue 8, August 2003, Pages 358-364

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0737-0806(03)01025-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

Summary

Seventeen serum biochemical variables were determined in 40 donkeys of the Brazilian breed (34 females and 6 males) aged from 3 to 19 years. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) (minimum–maximum) values, obtained by automated analysis, were as follows: glucose, 58.35 ± 10.40 (44.00–90.00) mg/dL; cholesterol, 88.41 ± 9.86 (73.58–124.26) mg/dL; serum protein, 6.82 ± 0.40 (6.00–7.52) g/dL; albumin, 3.13 ± 0.21 (2.65–3.69) g/dL; creatinine, 1.80 ± 0.14 (1.51–2.19) mg/dL; urea, 24.25 ± 5.37 (14.12–34.39) mg/dL; lactate, 20.10 ± 4.58 (12.99–33.47) mg/dL; aspartate aminotransferase (AST), 295.81 ± 62.79 (173.71–466.07) IU/L; creatine kinase (CK), 158.00 ± 76.94 (51.69–440.33) IU/L; γ-glutamil-transferase (GGT), 45.82 ± 13.34 (26.17–86.38) IU/L; lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), 576.02 ± 156.32 (213.53–1162.81) IU/L; alkaline phosphatase (AP), 345.36 ± 65.90 (227.25–490.16) IU/L; calcium (Ca), 8.54 ± 0.18 (8.19–8.90) mg/dL; phosphorus (P), 2.76 ± 0.38 (1.99–3.97) mg/dL; chloride (Cl), 106.05 ± 3.20 (99.00–112.00) mEq/L; sodium (Na), 121.50 ± 4.14 (116.00–132.00) mEq/L; and potassium (K), 3.70 ± 0.42 (2.80–4.40) mEq/L. Comparisons of biochemical ranges obtained for the Brazilian donkey breed with reference ranges for other donkey breeds suggested that most values were similar. Biochemical values determined in the present study serve as reference ranges for donkey populations and can be used for health control and diagnosis of diseases.

Introduction

Laboratory aids are used extensively in the diagnosis of diseases, in preventive medicine, and as management tools. Reference values of clinically healthy animals serve as a guide to the clinician in evaluating parameters. Little information is available on the physiology and metabolism of donkeys.¹ There have been studies of donkey blood biochemical values, but these studies did not cover all analytes of interest to us. Biochemical values obtained abroad may not be fully applicable to our conditions because they are influenced by breed and environmental and management differences.8, 9 Some variations also exist in results between laboratories using different reagents, methods, and instruments.8, 9 Sometimes, laboratory findings about donkeys are compared with reference values of horses, which may not be a valid comparison.3, 7 To our knowledge, references on biochemical serum of the Brazilian donkey breed do not yet exist. Published values for the Brazilian donkey breed are limited and refer only to hematologic values.¹⁰ For the reasons mentioned, the purpose of this study was to determine reference serum biochemical values for the Brazilian donkey breed population to form a basis for clinical interpretation.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

Forty adult donkeys of the Brazilian breed (34 females and 6 males), ranging between 3 and 19 years of age (mean ± SD: 8.4 ± 3.5 years), from the Estacao Experimental de Colina do Instituto de Zootecnia da Secretaria de Agricultura do Estado de Sao Paulo, and kept under similar feeding and management conditions, formed the material for the present study. All donkeys were apparently healthy, and they were handled carefully to reduce any possible effects of stress on the parameters analyzed.

Blood

Results

Reference ranges of 17 biochemical constituents of the blood of the Brazilian donkey breed determined in the present study are shown in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3. The distributions of most of the values were Gaussian (P > .10). Two analytes (Na and CK) seemed not to be normally distributed (P < .05). Comparisons of clinical biochemical ranges of the Brazilian donkey with other donkey breeds and populations are shown in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3.

Significant differences were obtained in the serum

Discussion

Variations between units have been shown in studies with biochemical analytes of donkey blood.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Although units must be stated according to the System International (SI) measurements, conversions between SI units to old units were necessary because most results of biochemical analytes reported in other donkey breeds and populations used the old units.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

The reference range values for serum glucose determined in the present study corresponded to the values described

Conclusion

Data in this study are the first reference in the Brazilian donkey breed and can enhance our understanding on biochemical parameters in this species; this will allow veterinarians to establish an appropriate interpretation of laboratory data, and these analytes can be used for controlling health status and diagnosis of diseases in donkeys.

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Clinical biochemical parameters of the endangered Catalonian donkey breed: normal values and the influence of sex, age, and management practices effect
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Citation Excerpt :
Another parameter pertinent to the evaluation of metabolic state that is confounded by large discrepancies in published RIs and divergent management practice is glucose. Intervals for glucose range from 96.77 ± 22.10 mg/dL (5.37 ± 1.23 mmol/L) reported in Albino donkeys47 down to 58.35 ± 10.40 mg/dL (3.24 ± 0.58 mmol/L) in Brazilian donkeys (n = 40),22 and even lower in Poitou donkeys (49.13 ± 3.17 mg/dL; 2.73 ± 0.18 mmol/L).1 The procedural details provided in these publications failed to provide a maximum timeframe between blood collection and serum separation; thus, an in vitro consumption of glucose as a preanalytical variable remains a consideration.22
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When the biochemical blood parameters were evaluated, only glucose, creatinine and cholesterol showed statistically significant changes, while all the other parameters remained almost constant along the whole pregnancy course, without statistically significant changes. Glucose serum levels (mean levels ranging between 62 and 112 mg/dl) were very similar to those reported for the Amiata jennies from 2 months before foaling [6], and also to the data reported for the Ragusano adult donkey [15], but a bit higher than the mean value reported for the Brazilian donkey [16]. In the present study a significant (p < 0.01) slight increase in blood glucose levels was observed from the 1st month (67 ± 8.91 mg/dl) to the 6th and half month of pregnancy (82 ± 5.52 mg/dl), without any further significant change.
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Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Abstract

Summary

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

References (17)

Clinical biochemical parameters of the endangered Catalonian donkey breed: normal values and the influence of sex, age, and management practices effect

Res Vet Sci

The laboratory as an aid to clinical diagnosis

Vet Clin North Am [Equine Pract]

Physiologic responses during an exhaustive driving test in donkeys: effect of conditioning

Appl Anim Behav Sci

Blood characteristics of the adult donkey

Zbl Vet Med A

Reference ranges and the influence of age and sex on hematologic and serum biochemical values in donkeys (Equus asinus)

Am J Vet Res

Costanti ematiche dell'asinello bianco dell'asinara

Boll Soc It Biol Sper

Comparative studies on biochemical indices in different breeds of equines

Indian Vet J

Cited by (42)

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Biochemical blood analysis along pregnancy in Martina Franca jennies

Observations of the Hematological, Hematochemical, and Electrophoretic Parameters in Lactating Donkeys (Equus asinus)

The kinetic properties of hexokinases in African trypanosomes of the subgenus Trypanozoon match the blood glucose levels of mammal hosts

Aspects of Clinical Relevance in Donkeys