European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

STUDIES ON PATHOGENESIS AND TREATMENT OF PREGNANCY TOXAEMIA IN SHEEP

Hassen A. H. Bennasir*, Abdul Qayoom Mir, Hamidullah Malik and Qurrat-Ul-Ain Maqbool

ABSTRACT

Pregnancy toxaemia was induced in 15 sheep by dietary restriction and insulin administration. A clinical syndrome simulating naturally occurring pregnancy toxaemia was produced. Listlessness, ataxia, grinding of teeth, apparent blindness, sternal and lateral recumbency and convulsions were the major clinical signs observed. Biochemically decrease in blood glucose and increase in blood ketone and free fatty acids was prominent. Various liver function tests viz. serum enzyme (AST, ALT, arginase) levels, serum bilirubin level, BSP clearance rate and propionate loading test indicated moderate to severe liver damage with decreased gluconeogenic capability of liver. Renal function tests namely BUN and serum creatinine levels showed moderate loss of kidney function. Glucose tolerance test revealed diabetes like changes in the glucose tolerance curve. This together with the changes in the pattern of blood glucose, ketone and free fatty acid levels was inferred to indicate impaired glucose utilization. Blood hormone profile exhibited a marked increase in cortisol and a marked decrease in insulin and glucagon levels. The histopathological examination revealed severe fatty changes with focal infiltration of lymphoid cells in liver, mild to severe nephritic changes in kidneys, fatty changes and hyperplasia in adrenals and congestion, leptomeningeal haemorrhages and neuronal degeneration in brain. Parenteral glucose therapy was unsuccessful with only 20 percent recovery rate while as oral glucose therapy following premedication with vasopressin was highly effective giving an 80 percent recovery rate against a 100 percent mortality rate in untreated animals.

Keywords: AST, ALT, arginase, leptomeningeal haemorrhages.