Changes in blood enzyme activities in ewes with ketosis

Ketosis (pregnancy toxaemia) in dairy ewes is one of the commonest metabolic diseases with substantial health and economic effects for modern sheep husbandry. The investigation was performed on 136 ewes, 106 from the dairy breed Lacaune and 30 – from the meat breed Mouton Charollais. Blood samples were obtained from all animals for determination of ?-hydroxybutyrate (????), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT, U/l), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT, U/l), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, U/l), alkaline phosphatase (A?, U/l), creatine kinase (CK, U/l) and ?-glutamyltransferase (GGT, U/l). The ewes were divided in three groups depending on their physiological condition, namely: pregnant – from prepartum days 15 to 0; recently lambed – from postpartum days 0 to 15 and lactating – from postpartum days 30 to 45. Target ewes from the three groups were classified as healthy (control, C), affected with subclinical ketosis (SCK) and clinical ketosis (CK). The first group (pregnant; prepartum days 15–0) comprised: control ewes (BHBA < 0.8 mmol/L, n=14); SCK ewes (BHBA from 0.8 to 1.6 mmol/l, n=8) and CK ewes (BHBA >1.6 mmol/l, n=23). The recently lambed group (between postpartum days 0-15) consisted of control group (BHBA < 0.8 mmol/L, n=8); SCK ewes (BHBA 0.8–1.6 mmol/l, n=10); CK ewes (BHBA >1.6 mmol/l, n=12). The lactating ewes between postpartum days 30 and 45 were subdivided into healthy controls (BHBA < 0.8 mmol/L, n=8); SCK (BHBA 0.8–1.6 mmol/l, n=11) and CK (BHBA >1.6 mmol/l, n=12). Mouton Charollais ewes were identically categorised. Blood ???? concentrations were increased in Lacaune sheep from the first, second and third groups affected by SCK vs control levels, as well as in animals with CK from all groups vs both controls and SCK. None of Mouton Charollais ewes had blood BHBA levels > 0.8 mmol/L. The activities of ASAT, ALAT, LDH, AP and GGT were increased in Lacaune ewes with subclinical ketosis from the first, second and third groups vs controls. Creatine kinase (CK) activities in all groups of ewes with subclinical and clinical ketosis varied insignificantly close to normal values. In meat-type Mouton Charollais ewes, there were no statistically significant changes in blood ASAT, ALAT, LDH, ?P, CK and GGT activities.