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Cholinesterase Levels in Blood Plasma and Erythrocytes from Calves, Normal Delivering Cows and Cows Suffering from Parturient Paresis

Cholinesterashalten i blodplasma och erytrocyter hos kaluar, normala peripartala kor och kor med puerperal pares

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 24, pages 185–199 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

Plasma cholinesterase (pChE) levels and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (eAChE) levels were studied in 6 cows before, during and after parturition (Group I), their calves (Group II), 38 cows suffering from parturient paresis (Group III) and 14 newly delivered non-paretic cows (Group IV).

The mean of the pChE level in Group I was 1.5 μkat/1 ± 0.20 before parturition and decreased significantly (P ≦ 0.05) to 1.2 ukat/1 ± 0.16 after parturition. The eAChE level was before parturition ≅ 140 ukat/1 and decreased to ≅ 130 μkat/1 4–5 weeks after parturition.

At birth the pChE level was 12.8 ukat/1 ± 5.9 in Group II. After 4 weeks the level had decreased to 2.3 ukat/1 ±0.3. In the bull calves the pChE level started to increase when they were 6 weeks old and reached a level of 5.7 μkat/1 ± 0.6 before slaughter at 6 months of age. The heifers did not show this increase. They had a level of around 2 μkat/1 throughout the investigation. The eAChE level at birth was 119 μkat/1 and increased slowly to a level of 145 μkat/1 at 6 months. No differences between the sexes were found.

The cows suffering from parturient paresis had a pChE level of 1.80 μkat/1 ± 0.30 before treatment with calcium (Ca). The level decreased significantly (P ≦ 0.001) after Ca-infusion to a level of 1.67 ukat/1 ±0.29. Group IV had a pChE level of 1.65 μkat/1 ± 0.42 at parturition. Two to 4 months later the cows that had recovered from milk fever had a level of 1.61 μkat/1 ± 0.31 and the control cows 1.66 ukat/1 ± 0.48. No differences between the groups were found for the eAChE level.

The findings show that parturition influences the pChE level in cows and that sex influences the pChE level in calves between 6 weeks to at least 6 months of age. Furthermore the elevated pChE level found in the cows suffering from parturient paresis before Ca infusion may be a further sign of a disturbance in the cholinergic system with a special preference to the neuromuscular junctions.

Sammanfattning

Cholinesteraskoncentrationen i blodplasma (pChE) samt acetyl-cholinesteraskoncentrationen i röda blodkroppar (eAGhE) bestämdes hos 6 kor, före, under och efter kalvning (grupp I), hos deras kalvar (grupp II), hos 38 kalvningsförlamningskor (grupp III) samt hos 14 nykalvade kor som ej hade kalvningsförlamning (grupp IV).

Grupp I hade ett medelvärde av pChE på 1,5 μkat/l ± 0,20 före kalvning. Efter kalvningen sjönk pChE nivån signifikant (p ≦ 0.05) tili 1,2 μkat/1 ± 0,16. Medelvärdet av eAGhE var före kalvning ≅ 140 μkat/1 och sjönk tili ≅ 130 μkat/1 4–5 veckor efter kalvning.

Grupp II hade vid födelsen ett medelvärde av 12,8 μkat/1 ± 5,9 pChE. Efter 4 veckor hade pChE värdet sjunkit till 2,3 μkat/l ± 0,3. Vid 6 veckors åider började pChE nivån hos tjurkalvarna att stiga till 5,7 μkat/1 vid 6 månaders ålder, då de slaktades. Kvigkalvarna låg kvar på en nivå av omkring 2 μkat/1 hela undersökningstiden. Inga könsskillnader förelåg för eAChE-värdet, som vid födelsen var 119 μkat/1 för att sedan stiga till 145 μkat/1 vid 6 månaders ålder.

Grupp III hade före Ga-behandling ett medelvärde av pChE på 1,80 μkat/1 ±0,30. Detta värde sjönk signifikant (p ≦ 0.001) till 1,67 μkat/1 ± 0,29 efter behandlingen. Medelvärdet av pChE hos grupp IV låg på 1,65 μkat/1 ± 0,42 vid förlos&ningen. Två—4 månader efter kalvningen hade både grupp III och IV ett pChE värde på 1,61–1,66 μkat/1.

Inga skillnader i eAChE värdena konstaterades. Dessa höll sig omkring 125 μkat/l hela tiden.

De slutsatser man kan dra av denna undersökning är att förloss-ning, ålder och kön påverkar pGhE nivåerna i blodet hos kor och kalvar. Vi dare att de förhöjda värdena av pChE funna hos kor med kalvningsförlamning kan vara en indikation på en störning av den neuromuskulära transmissionen i det cholinerga nervsysteinet.

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  1. Department of Cattle and Sheep Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden

    Kristina Forslund, Camilla Björkman & Maivor Abrahamsson

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Forslund, K., Björkman, C. & Abrahamsson, M. Cholinesterase Levels in Blood Plasma and Erythrocytes from Calves, Normal Delivering Cows and Cows Suffering from Parturient Paresis. Acta Vet Scand 24, 185–199 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03546746

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147