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Summary:In order to test the hypothesis that donkeys, housed in different management systems, present minimal variations in the concentration of various blood values, an experiment was carried out to evaluate blood values in Northeastern donkeys at maintenance, of both sexes, in different management systems. Sixty-two Northeastern donkeys were used, of both sexes, adults, healthy and housed in three management systems: Limoeiro (LIM), Natal (NAT) and Mirandiba/Salgueiro (MS), three different regions in the Northeast of Brazil. Body condition score, red blood cell count, haemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCHC, leukocytes, lymphocyte, other white cells, RDW-CV, RDW-SD, platelets, MPV, total plasma protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, uric acid, glutamine, glutamate, triglycerides, total cholesterol, nonesterified fatty acids, AST, ALT, AP, CK, GGT, Ca, P, Cl, Fe, Na, K and Se were evaluated. Results were submitted to ANOVA with two factors (sex and rearing site) and to Tukey test, considering p<0.05. Results showed no difference in body score (p>0.05) and, in blood biomarkers, it was observed that RDW-CV and MPV were higher in females (p<0.05). In G-MS, red blood cells, Hb, HT and lymphocytes were lower than in G-LIM and G-NAT (p<0.05). In G-LIM, MCV and RDW-SD were lower (p<0.05). In relation to metabolic biomarkers, high concentrations of UA, TRIG, TC, NEFA, Ca and P (p<0.05) were observed in females. Higher concentrations of UA, TRIG, TC, P and Cl were detected in G-LIM (p<0.05), and G-NAT had the highest values for URE, GLU and CK (p<0.05). Results indicated that, even when kept under different management systems, donkeys may present some haematological and blood chemistry values with similar concentrations, and the few differences found may not present clinical significance for the evaluation of these animals. It was concluded that donkeys may present significant variations in different blood and metabolic parameters, when they are of different sexes and/or housed in different management systems. The red series, electrolytes and trace elements were not very sensitive to identify variations related to gender and/or rearing site groups. However, the count of lymphocytes, the combination of MVC with RDWs, CK, as well as concentrations of NEFA and triglycerides, can be used to better understand the adaptations of different management conditions or breeding systems, since they can be modified by the evaluated conditions, contributing to a better understanding of the state of health or disease of the animals of that species.

Determinação da percentagem de gordura corporal (PG) pode contribuir para avaliar práticas de manejo nutricional e de treinamento. O objetivo do trabalho foi determinar a PG em equinos em condições tropicais. Froram analisados 121 cavalos, agrupados em: reprodução (subgrupos: jovens, éguas vazias, égua gestação I e II, égua lactação I e II e garanhão) e atletas (subgrupos: vaquejada e marcha). A PG foi avaliada a partir da camada de gordura pela ultrassonografia. Os resultados foram submetidos a ANOVA e o método de Tukey para animais de reprodução e o teste T para atletas. Demonstrou-se variação na PG no grupo reprodução, sendo que os jovens (~10,4%) apresentaram menor PG que o garanhão (~16,6%), égua vazia (~14,0%) e égua gestante I (~14,8%) e II (~15,5%) (p<0,05). Fêmeas lactantes obtiveram PG semelhante aos animais jovens. Também observou-se que animais que competem em vaquejada (~10,8%) possuem menor PG do que os de marcha (~14,7%) (p<0,05). A determinação da PG é importante para a compreensão das adaptações metabólicas durante as diferentes fases produtivas e/ou de treinamentos em condições tropicais de estabulação e criação, podendo ser importante para o estabelecimento de práticas de manejo adequadas nos grupos estudados.

Exercise is an important stressor and is correlated with cytokine production in several tissues. There is little information about changes in interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1b in four-beat gaited horses during a typical aerobic exercise challenge. The objective of this research was to characterise changes in plasma IL-6, IL-1b, cortisol and other blood biomarkers in four-beat gaited horses after a marcha simulation test. We subjected 12 fit horses (approximately 5 years old and 390 kg) to the marcha simulation test (MST) (i.e. a 10 min warm-up, 30 min at marcha and 15 min cool down). Blood samples were collected before the MST, immediately after the MST and 15 and 120 min after the MST (i.e. recovery). Results were analysed with One Way Repeated Measures ANOVA and a Tukey tests with P≤0.05 and Pearson correlation test. The highest value of plasma IL-6 was observed immediately after MST (6.85 pg/ml) (P≥0.05). IL-1 and cortisol did not change (P≥0.05). However, creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase, nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA), glycerol, total cholesterol and glucose were elevated immediately after the MST and at 15 min after the MST (P≤0.05). No change was observed in alanine aminotransferase and triglycerides (P>0.05). Medium correlation was observed between NEFA and glycerol (R=0.64) and glycerol and triglycerides (R=0.50). In conclusion, an increase in IL-6 immediately that occurred after marcha simulation test was associated with elevated concentrations of several energetic metabolites (NEFA, glycerol and glucose). This metabolic adaption may contributed to the horses’ performance during their typical aerobic exercise and was not associated with significant elevation in IL-1b, CK, and cortisol in healthy trained four-beat gaited horses.

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