[Dynamics of clinico-biochemical changes in sheep during magnesite loading]. / Dynamika klinicko-biochemických zmien u oviec pocas magnezitovej zátaze.

Clinical pattern and dynamics of some biochemical indicators were observed in six four-year lambing ewes of the Improved Wallachian breed in the course of 32-day administration of magnesite fly ash. A daily dose of the tested fly ash with the content of 305,000 mg/kg magnesium amounted to 500 mg/kg live weight of sheep. The intake of concentrate mixture with magnesium content in the test sheep decreased by a third between the 12th and 20th day, by another half between the 20th and 26th day and the intake was minimum to nil during the last seven days of the trial. The decrease in the intake of concentrate mixture was accompanied by increased water consumption and by gradual inappetence for hay. Shaped droppings started to change their consistency to slurry consistency from the 12th day of observation. Thinner to watery consistency of excrements appeared in all sheep between the 15th and 20th day and diarrheas persisted in all animals until the end of the trial. The indicators of hematological profile did not show an undoubted relationship to the administration of tested magnesium, and the variations in the particular indicators observed during the trial were within the physiological range. Serum enzymes showed a significant increase against the starting values only in the concentration of alanine aminotransferase on day 20 and day 26 (p < 0.05 and/or p < 0.001). An increase in the proteosynthetic activity of hepatocytes signalled a statistically significant increase in total proteins (p < 0.05), total immunoglobulins (p < 0.05) and an insignificant increase in albumin content. Out of the analyzed mineral elements, magnesium content showed the most significant relationship to administration of industrial pollutants as its significant increase in blood serum, urine and droppings was observable since day 20 (p < 0.05, p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). The dynamics of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron, copper, zinc, molybdenum, arsenic and cadmium concentrations showed different patterns in the blood serum, droppings and urine of sheep in the course of magnesite fly ash feeding, and the evaluation of interactions with magnesium requires further studies.

[Clinical and metabolic response in goats with iodopenia after administration of potassium iodide]. / Klinická a metabolická odozva kôz jódopéniou na aplikáciu jodidu draselného.

A clinical picture and dynamics of metabolic indicators were examined in 40 goats suffering from iodopenia; the examinations took place in the course of potassium iodide application. Crystalline kalium iodatum was administered to all animals in barley groats at a dose of 0.5 g per animal/day within three weeks; then a three-week withdrawal followed and the treatment was repeated within the same time period. The thyroid gland consistency started to change at the end of the 3rd week of treatment when the tough elastic to tough thyroid became the soft one. The goiter started to disappear gradually from the 8th week of experiment and the physiological state of this organ was normal in most animals in the 11th week. Among the biochemical indicators, the most sensitive response to treatment was recorded in iodine and thyroxine concentrations in blood serum since their significant increase in comparison with the values before potassium iodide application was obvious on day 14 of treatment (P < 0.01). Return of total lipids and cholesterol content to the physiological limits occurred within two weeks while in glucose it was in the 7th week of treatment. A significant increase in serum immunoglobulins was recorded from day 14 to the end of experiment (P < 0.01). Among the minerals analyzed, positive responses in blood serum to potassium iodide intake were determined in the concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, copper and zinc. Application of potassium iodide to affected goats had positive effects on the dynamics of leukocytes from the end of the 2nd week (P < 0.01), of erythrocytes from the 7th week (P < 0.01), of hemoglobin and hematocrit value at the end of experiment (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, resp.).

Accumulation of trace elements in sheep and the effects upon qualitative and quantitative ovarian changes.

The distribution of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mo, Se, As, Cd and Pb was determined in the organs of sheep that died of Cu intoxication from a Cu plants emissions. Simultaneously, quantitative and qualitative changes in the ovaries were evaluated. In sheep that died of copper intoxication, the highest Cu levels were in the liver (1797 +/- 946.1 mg/kg dry matter) and the kidneys (425.5 +/- 426.4 mg/kg dry matter). The liver and kidneys accumulated Zn, whereas Fe was primarily accumulated by spleen and kidneys. Selenium was mainly in the ovaries and uterus (7.72 +/- 4.88 and 5.30 +/- 5.33 mg/kg dry matter respectively). The ovaries and the uterus were the organs that accumulated As, Cd and Pb, respectively. Histological changes in the number of ovarian follicles and the increased occurrence of primary atretic follicles indicated alterations in the membrane structures and organelles of oocytes and in the follicular cells of the stratum granulosum.

The effects of feeding emissions from a metal-producing plant upon the immune system of sheep.

The aim of our study was to asses the effects of feeding emissions of a plant producing metals from heavy metal-containing ore upon the humoral immunity in sheep. Three-year-old sheep of the Wallachian breed were included in an experiment and they were divided into two groups. The experimental group (5 animals) was administered emission-containing (prevailingly Cu and Zn) capsules for 3 weeks at a dose amounting to the twofold and during week four the threefold of the daily intake of sheep bred in the exposed area. The animals were subcutaneously immunized with ovalbumin (OVA, SIGMA A 5503) in 10% alhydrogel at a dose of 2 mg/100 kg l.w. In weekly intervals, blood samples were analyzed for specific antibody and total immunoglobulin levels. In both groups, OVA antibody formation was most pronounced in the 3rd and 5th weeks of observation. It was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the experimental animals than in the controls (1.021, 0.641 and 1.138 vs. 0.435, 0.265 and 0.673 in the 3rd, 4th and 5th weeks, respectively). In the experimental group, total immunoglobulin concentrations slightly increased from 33.5 U ZST (starting value) to 38.72 U ZST (final value). As to the total immunoglobulin levels, no significant differences were determined between the two groups. It can be seen from the results that short-term administration of emissions promotes increased specific OVA antibody formation and a slight increase in total immunoglobulin levels. At the same time the ELISA method was proved to be suitable for specific antibody detection as a part of humoral immunity assessment.

[Possibilities of eliminating the effect of magnesite fly ash in beef bulls]. / Moznosti eliminácie pôsobenia magnezitových úletov u výkrmových býkov.

The objective of the paper was to test efficiency of feed ration enriched with calcium, phosphorus salts and fat concentrate for elimination of negative impacts of magnesite light ashes in beef bulls kept in an exposure area of magnesite works. For this purpose, 24 animals received a feed mix fortified with dicalcium phosphate at a rate of 100 g per head/day for eight months (P1 group) and another group of 24 bulls were administered a feed mix with an addition of 8% corn fat concentrate (P2 group). The other 24 animals were control (control group K). The clinical picture involved the occurrence of mild to profuse diarrheas which were alternately characteristic of all animal species in the first two months of the trial. Feed intake of the investigated groups was equal. Supplementation of feed ration with dicalcium phosphate and corn concentrate increased the weight gains of experimental animals in comparison with control bulls, the increase being 13.2 and 24.5%, resp. In comparison with the control bulls, the intake of the above supplements did not basically influence the dynamics of hematological profile indicators in the experimental bulls (Figs. 1-4). As for the parameters of hepatic profile, in the 3rd month of testing AST activity was positively influenced in both experimental groups if compared with the control group (P < 0.01), Fig. 5, and at the end of observation ALT activity in P2 group (P < 0.01), Fig. 6. Bilirubinemia dynamics did not change in the investigated groups after administration of either supplement (Fig. 9). ALP activity maintained statistically insignificantly higher values in the control animals in the second half of the trial, which demonstrated impairment of mineral metabolism in this group (Fig. 8). Significant differences in IgC levels between the control and experimental groups were confirmed in the 3rd month of the trial (P < 0.01), Fig. 12. In comparison with the control animals, the effect of dietary dicalcium phosphate supplementation in the experimental group P1 and dietary fat extract supplementation in the P2 group was observed in Ca, P and Mg concentrations to a more significant extent in the examined organs as well as in blood serum (Tabs. I-V). Except in spleen, there was a trend of higher cumulation of Ca in all the examined organs of bulls receiving dicalcium phosphate supplement. Phosphorus cumulation showed the same dependence upon dicalcium phosphate intake in the examined organs. Mg deposition in all examined organs showed minimum differences between the experimental groups and control animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Clinical and biochemical aspects of loading heifers with magnesium flue dust]. / Klinicko-biochemické aspekty zátaze jalovíc magnezitovým úletom.

The objective of the paper was to investigate clinical and laboratory findings in heifers subjected to magnesite flue dust stress. A 50-day experiment was conducted in clinical conditions on five two-year heifers of the Slovak and Red Pied breeds at the live weight of 331 to 420 kg. All animals received dietary Mg from the source of magnesite flue dust at a rate of 500 mg/kg live weight. The test flue dust came from dust separation from electrostatic filters and contained these main elements: Mg (88%), Ca (1.6%), K (0.36%), Na (0.26%), Fe (1.89%), Zn (0.0026%), Cu (0.000294%) and trace amount of P. The clinical health of the animals was evaluated daily. Samples of blood, urine and dung were taken before the first administration of flue dust, on days 12, 30 and 50 of the experiment. The counts of erythrocytes, leucocytes, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit value were determined in blood. Enzyme activities (AST, ALT, GMT), concentrations of total bilirubin, albumin, total proteins and total immunoglobulins were determined in blood serum. Contents of Mg, Ca, P, K, Na, Fe, Cu and Zn in blood serum, urine, dung and of the test pollutant were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry on a Perkin Elmer apparatus (model 306, 1100). Profuse diarrhea was a dominant clinical symptom in the animals which appeared in individual animals between 24th and 48th hour from the first intake of magnesite flue dust. Diarrhea lasted alternately in all heifers until day 50 of the experiment. As for the analyzed parameters of hematological profile during administration of the pollutant (Figs. 1-4), Hb and Hk (P < 0.01) increased significantly in the investigated animals on day 12 in comparison with the initial values. Out of the enzymes, AST and ALT activities showed most readily the feeding of magnesite flue dust (r = 0.99 and r = 0.92, resp.), Figs. 5 and 6. Correlation relationships between magnesite pollutant administration and bilirubinemia dynamics during the experiment indicated the correlation r = 0.53 (Fig. 8), r = 0.36 (Fig. 9) for total proteins, r = 0.75 (Fig. 10) for albumin and r = 0.93 (Fig. 11) for total immunoglobulins. In comparison with the initial values, Mg concentrations in blood serum and dung significantly increased from day 12 of experiment (P < 0.01 - Fig. 13) and in urine from day 30 (P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Dynamics of specific antibody formation in sheep after administration of industrial substrates from an aluminum plant]. / Dynamika tvorby specifických protilátok u oviec pocas príjmu priemyselného substrátu z hlinikárne.

Our observations aimed at determining the effects of supplementation with aluminium of plant emissions on specific ovalbumin antibody production in sheep by means of an ELISA method. Eleven Merino ewes aged 2.5 years were included in the experiment. The experimental group consisted of 6 animals. The daily intake of 0.75 g substrate per animal was administered after the morning feeding via a laryngeal tube. The amounts of essential and risk elements included in the substrate are given in Tab. I. All animals were subcutaneously immunized with ovalbumin (OVA, SIGMA A 5503) in 10% alhydrogel (Superhpos Ltd., Denmark) at a dose of 0.2 mg per 10 kg of live weight. The first immunization took place prior to the first gavage of emissions, the second one on day 21 of the experiment. Blood samples from the v. jugularis were collected from all animals, prior to the first immunization, in 6 weekly intervals and then in the 8th and 10th week of the experiment. A modified ELISA method (Strobel, 1983) was used to determine specific OVA antibodies in the sera. Throughout the observation period the increase of OVA antibody production appeared to be more significant in the experimental sheep. In the latter, increased specific antibody production could be detected as early as in the 1st week with maximum immunoglobulinaemia occurring in weeks 3 and 6 after OVA administration. As to specific antibody concentrations, significant differences between the experimental and the control ewes were recorded in weeks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the experiment (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)