The significance of phosphatase estimations in the adult fowl

Abstract

KAY [1930] showed that in certain bone diseases in man the plasma-phosphatase activity is considerably higher than normal. This served as an impetus for investigation into the activity of the enzyme in plasma and tissues under different conditions in man and experimental animals. The literature has been reviewed by Kay [1932] and by Robison [1932], and it is unnecessary to go into it in great detail here. Briefly, it may be said that in healthy young animals the activity of the plasma-phosphatase is higher than it is in the adult, but with the completion of rapid bone formation the value drops to the adult level. This is well illustrated by the observations of Stearns and Warweg [1933] with children. During the healing of rickets or other bone diseases the initially high plasma-enzyme activity tends to return to the normal for animals of that age and class. Abnormally high values may be observed in jaundice [Roberts, 1933] and possibly also after the ingestion of a high carbohydrate meal [Bodansky, 1934]. When proper precautions are taken it would seem that estimation of the plasmaphosphatase activity may serve in many mammals as a somewhat earlier indication of faulty Ca and P metabolism than do serum-Ca or inorganic P determinations, although high phosphatase values cannot be considered specific for any one disease. Clinically, estimations of tissue-phosphatase activity have a more limited value. Bone-phosphatase activity is high in rickets: it is diminished under prophylactic, and still more under excessive, treatment with vitamin D. Hypervitaminosis D also results in a decrease in the activity of the kidney-phosphatase. It has been shown that the tissue-phosphatase of fowls reacts in a manner similar to that of mammals [Hall and King, 1930-31; King and Hall, 1931]. Within the species, the individual variation of the plasma-phosphatase activity of normal adult mammals is not great [Kay, 1930; Auchinachie and Emslie, 1933]. From the values reported by Common [1934] it would appear that the normal range is wide in adult fowls. From the three values he gives for cockerels one might consider the range in these birds to be narrow, but the laying pullets vary from 6*9 to 27-7 Bodansky [1933] units, or approximately 0'23-0*92 Kay [1930] units'. These birds were considered to be strictly normal White Wyandotte pullets (personal communication) and the question naturally arises as to whether estimations of the plasma-(or serum-) phosphatase activity wiRl give any indication of faulty Ca and P metabolism in fowls, or whether there is normally such variation that phosphatase estimations have only a limited significance at the present time. 'Assuming one Kay unit to be equivalent to approximately 30 Bodansky units.

Phosphatase and Inorganic Phosphorus in the Plasma and Whole Blood of the Fowl

“…Similar comparisons for birds at 16 months of age, however, show no significant difference between plasma and whole blood, in fact, plasma phosphatase values were often slightly lower than those of whole blood. This tendency in the younger birds for the plasma to have a higher phosphatase value than whole blood is interesting in view of the work of Auchinachie and Emslie (1934) who found no significant difference when comparisons were made of the phosphatase activity of oxalated blood plasma, "native" plasma, and serum. These porkers, however, did not include whole blood in their studies.…”

“…In view of the wide normal range of plasma phosphatase in adult birds reported by Common (1934Common ( ,1936 and Auchinachie and Emslie (1934), it would appear that any study designed to determine the fac- tors responsible for these variations would be a valuable and necessary preliminary to subsequent vitamin and mineral metabolism studies. In this paper data on phosphorus and phosphatase levels of the plasma and whole blood of male and female birds at 5 and 16 months of age are presented.…”

“…Administration of vitamin D concentrate did not reduce the range of serum phosphatase in laying birds. Auchinachie and Emslie (1934) have raised the question as to whether estimations of plasma-(or serum-) phosphatase activity will give any indication of faulty calcium and phosphorus metabolism in fowls, or whether there is normally such variation that phosphatase estimations have only a limited significance. When pullets were fed different amounts of vitamin D, there was no significant change in blood inorganic phosphorus, and serum values showed the normal range for mature hens.…”

Alkaline Phosphatase in the Reproductive System of the Hen

“…Auchinachie & Emslie (1934) and Gutowska et al (1943) found somewhat higher levels of phosphatase in the small white ovules (immature white follicles) and the ovary than in the oviduct, but only a trace of the enzyme in the large ova. However, a high phosphatase level is present in the follicle membrane of large ova (Abe, Kaneko, Otsuka 8c Hosoda, 1962).…”

“…Alkaline phosphatase has been shown to be present in all regions of the oviduct by various workers (Auchinachie & Emslie, 1934;Gutowska, Park-hurst, Parrot & Verbürg, 1943;Sanz & Lorenzo, 1950;Brown & Badman, 1962), although at rather low levels. Auchinachie & Emslie (1934) and Gutowska et al (1943) found somewhat higher levels of phosphatase in the small white ovules (immature white follicles) and the ovary than in the oviduct, but only a trace of the enzyme in the large ova.…”