Assessment of blood glutathione peroxidase activity in the dromedary camel

Abstract

-Blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels in 709 normal dromedary camels (442 females and 267 males) were assessed in the Canary Islands. All animals were intensively reared, and three different nutritional systems were evaluated, depending on selenium content of the diet. Mean GSH-Px level in the total population was 288.5 ± 157.2 IU⋅g -1 Hb. Reference ranges were estimated and enzymatic activities below 51 IU⋅g -1 Hb were considered inadequate. GSH-Px activities obtained in females (298.1 ± 155.7 IU⋅g -1 Hb) were significantly (P = 0.037) higher than in males (272.6 ± 157.2 IU⋅g -1 Hb). When age groups were compared, only males between 6 and 12 months old exhibited significantly lower mean GSH-Px (P = 0.006) than females. A high correlation (r = 0.88) between serum selenium concentration and blood GSH-Px activity was estimated, and the regression equation was y = 2.5101x + 42.423. Selenium content of the diet above 0.1 mg⋅kg -1 DM seems to supply adequate selenium requirements for dromedaries under intensive husbandry. dromedary / camel / nutritional myodegeneration / glutathione peroxidase / seleniumRésumé -Détermination des niveaux sanguins de glutathion péroxydase chez le dromadaire. Les niveaux de glutathion péroxydase (GSH-Px) dans le sang de 709 dromadaires sains (442 femelles et 267 mâles) ont été mesurés dans les Îles Canaries. Tous les animaux ont reçu un élevage intensif et trois systèmes de nutrition ont été évalués en fonction du contenu en sélenium de l'alimentation. L'activité moyenne de GSH-Px dans l'ensemble de la population a été évaluée à 288,5 ± 157,2 IU⋅g -1 Hb. Les intervalles de référence ont été estimés et les activités enzymatiques en dessous de 51 IU⋅g -1 Hb ont été considérées insuffisantes. Les activités GSH-Px obtenues chez les femelles (298,1 ± 155,7 IU⋅g -1 Hb) étaient significativement (P = 0,037) plus élevées que chez les mâles (272,6 ± 157,2 IU⋅g -1 Hb). Quand les groupes d'âge ont été comparés, seuls les mâles âgés de 6 à 12 mois montrèrent une valeur moyenne de GSH-Px significativement (P = 0,006) plus basse que les Vet. Res. 32 (2001) 185-191 185

The relationship between whole blood selenium (Se) concentration and the activity of the seleno-enzyme, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px, E.C.I.11.1.9) in camel (Camelus dromedarius)

“…Similar results were also reported by Corbera et al (2001). No explanation was found for these differences.…”

“…1 show a linear relationship (r ¼ 0:88; Po0:001) between whole blood GSH-Px activity and Se concentration. A high correlation (r ¼ 0:88) between serum selenium concentration and blood GSH-Px activity was obtained for camels reared under three different nutritional systems (Corbera et al, 2001). However, highly significant correlation (r ¼ 0:8120:96) between the activities of GSH-Px in either whole blood or erythrocytes and Se concentration had been demonstrated by many workers in sheep and cattle (Whanger et al, 1977;Anderson, 1978;Abdel Rahim, 1980;Harapin et al, 2000).…”

An Outbreak of Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy in Dromedary Camels

“…According to GSH-Px references values published for dromedaries (Corbera et al, 2001), the enzymatic activity was considered as deficient in neonates and marginal in the dams. The clinical signs observed in the affected animals are similar to those described from NMD in other ruminant species (Zust et al, 1996).…”