Evaluation of metabolic status of ewes infected with ketosis

Ketosis in ewes is one of the limiting factors for the development of sheep farming.  But the lack of knowledge about this disease is an obstacle in the development of effective treatments and reliable methods of prevention. This article presents the results of studying the peculiarities of the state of metabolism in the body of ewes of the Tsigai breed of the Black Sea type during ketosis. To do this, in the farms of the Crimea the identification of ewes infected with ketosis, which had been subjected to clinical and laboratory research methods, was carried out. It has been established that with this pathology there is an increase in the intensity of ketogenesis against the background of severe energy deficit.  This was manifested by a statistically significant increase in the concentration of the total amount of ketone bodies from 0.43±0.01 to 1.57±0.06 mol/l (p <0.001), which occurred mainly due to acetone and acetoacetic acid.  Their relative share in the total number of ketone bodies was 28.66%, while in healthy ones - 5.58%.  The blood glucose level was reduced by 28.6% compared with clinically healthy sheep.  The presence of a negative correlative relationship was revealed between the concentration of glucose and the level of ketone bodies - r = -0.64.  Besides, in ewes infected with ketosis, symptoms of hepatocyte damage were noted: an increase in the concentration of total serum protein, hypoalbuminemia, dysproteinaemia, an increase in the level of total bilirubin, total cholesterol, increased activity of AsAT, ALAT and GGTP. It proved the occurrence of the same polymorbid pathology (ketosis and hepatodystrophy) in the same animals. This was confirmed by the revealed positive correlative relationship between the concentration of ketone bodies and the activity of the enzymes under study: AsAT ‒ r = +0.57, ALAT ‒ r = +0.49, GGTP ‒ r = +0.55; and between the level of ketone bodies and total bilirubin ‒ r = +0.44.  It has been concluded that the progress of liver dystrophy aggravating the course of the pathological process should be taken into account when developing or improving methods for treating ketosis in pregnant ewes.

ketone bodies, acetone + acetoacetate, metabolism, AST, ALAT, ketogenesis, metabolic acidosis

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