Metabolic Profile of Pre-Pregnancy, Pregnancy and Early Lactation in Multiple Lambing Sakız Ewes 1. Changes in Plasma Glucose, 3-Hydroxybutyrate and Cortisol Levels

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 57 - 61
• Main Authors: FIRAT, Aysen, OZPINAR, Aysel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel S. Karger AG 2002; Karger
• Subjects: 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid - blood; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - analysis; Diet - standards; Diet - veterinary; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormone metabolism and regulation; Hydrocortisone - blood; Lactation - metabolism; Original Paper; Pre-Eclampsia - blood; Pre-Eclampsia - etiology; Pre-Eclampsia - veterinary; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal - metabolism; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; Radioimmunoassay - methods; Radioimmunoassay - veterinary; Sheep - metabolism; Sheep - physiology; Vertebrates: reproduction; Lactation; Nutrition; Cortisol; Blood; Pregnancy toxemia; Feeding; Prevention; Vertebrata; Ewe; Mammalia; Energy requirement; Multiple pregnancy; Lambing; Animal; Cohort study; Sheep; Artiodactyla; Ungulata; Glycemia
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000057641

Twenty synchronized Sakiz ewes aged 3–4 years were used in the study. Blood samples were taken once in prepregnancy and at the 100th day of pregnancy. At the 120th day of pregnancy and on the 10th day of lactation, blood samples were collected every 2 h for 24 h from only 10 ewes. Plasma cortisol levels were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. Plasma glucose and 3-hydroxybutyrate levels were determined spectrophotometrically. Plasma cortisol level slightly increased at the 100th day of pregnancy, decreased during late pregnancy and continued to decrease during lactation. Plasma glucose and 3-hydroxybutyrate levels were not significantly different during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and the early lactation periods. In conclusion, the results showed that metabolic disorders such as pregnancy toxaemia did not occur in ewes fed a balanced ration sufficient in energy and protein levels even in a multiple lambing breed of ewes.