Serum enzyme changes in lambs with experimentally induced acute muscular dystrophy
Tollersrud, S.
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 12(3): 365-374
1971
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-605X PMID: 5156232 Document Number: 41319
Five lambs, aged 10 days, were weaned and fed a ration deficient in alpha-tocopherol. The five twins to the experimental animals served as controls. Mean serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase were considerably and progressively elevated in the experimental groups after 2 and 3 weeks. Since no proportional increase of the cathodic LDH isoenzymes was observed in the serum of the experimental lambs, the previous suggestion of a relative heat stability test as a diagnostic aid in this disease seemed invalid. Clinical signs of muscular dystrophy were not pronounced. After three weeks, two experimental lambs died suddenly and the remainder were killed. Hyaline degeneration of skeletal muscles, and myocardial changes were recorded.