Effects of Physical Stress on Serum Enzymes and Other Blood Constituents in Sheep

Abstract

In connection with transfer of sheep from the lowland near Oslo to mountain pastures at an altitude of 1,200 m above sea level, investigations were carried out in 37 animals to study the effect of physical stress on serum enzymes and other blood constituents. The sheep were adult ewes and lambs. About half of the animals had been accustomed to outdoor life on pasture for more than one month, while the others were moved directly from indoor feeding. Blood was collected before departure, after six hrs. of long-distance transportation by lorry, and after three hrs. of subsequent continuous herding on foot. The following blood components were determined: Aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT = GOT), alanine aminotransferase (A1AT = GPT), α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD), total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), LDH isoenzymes, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, blood sugar, total serum proteins, and haemoglobin.

In summary, it may be said that the lambs reacted with greater changes of the blood components than adult animals, and that untrained, indoor fed lambs were distinctly more sensitive than those taken from pasture. The “indoor” lambs showed a statistical significant increase from the initial values in AspAT, HBD, total LDH, the isoenzymes LDH₃ and LDH₄, and blood sugar. Significantly decreased values were recorded in Ga, P, Mg, and total serum protein. Some of these changes, as in Mg and P, were most pronounced after transportation, while elevations of serum enzyme levels continued to increase during the subsequent herding.

Based upon the shift in LDH isoenzyme distribution towards a more cathodically dominated pattern it is supposed that the main origin of increased serum enzyme activity was skeletal muscle.

Sammendrag

I forbindelse med fjellsending av sau fra Oslo-området til Iungsdalen i Hallingdal, 1200 m.o.h., er det utført blodanalyser på 37 dyr for å undersøke virkningen av fysisk stress på serumenzymer og andre blodkomponenter, Ca. halvparten av dyrene, både voksne og lam, hadde forut for fjellsendingen gått ute på beite i vel en måned, mens de øvrige ble sendt direkte fra innefóring. Blodprøver ble tatt før sending, etter seks timers lastebiltransport og etter en påfølgende tre timers sammenhengende driving.

Følgende blodbestanddeler ble bestemt: Aspartataminotransferase (AspAT = GOT), alaninaminotransferase (AlAT = GPT), α-hydroksybutyratdehydrogenase (HBD), total laktatdehydrogenase (LDH), LDH-isoenzymer, alkalisk fosfatase, kalsium, uorganisk fosfor, magnesium, blodsukker, total serumprotein og hemoglobin.

Summarisk kan en si at lammene reagerte med større forandringer i blodkomponentene enn voksne dyr, og at lam som var utrenete, reagerte sterkere enn de som var vant til uteliv på forhånd. Utrenete lam viste en statistisk signifikant økning fra utgangsverdiene i AspAT, HBD, total LDH, isoenzymeue LDH₃ og LDH₄ samt blodsukker. En signifikant nedgang ble funnet i Ca, P, Mg og totalprotein. Noen av disse forandringene, f. eks. Mg og P, var størst etter transporten, mens serumenzymnivået fortsatte å stige under den påfølgende driving.

Ut i fra den observerte forskyvning i fordelingen av LDH isoenzymer i serum mot et mer katodisk preget mønster, antar en at opprinnelsen til de forøkete serumenzymverdier hovedsakelig var skjelettmuskulatur.