Periodicum biologorum, Vol. 110 No. 1, 2008.
Original scientific paper
Changes in serum enzyme activity as an indicator of injuries in irradiated chickens
Petar Kraljević
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Miljenjko Šimpraga
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Saveta Miljanić
; Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Marinko Vilić
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Organic lesions and metabolic disorders of many organs, especially the liver, are followed by changes in some enzyme activities in blood plasma of domestic animals and poultry. It is also known that the liver in birds is equally affected by radiation as the intestine, bone-marrow and sex glands, which is different in mammals. In this paper an attempt was made to investigate the influence of gamma ray irradiation of the whole body of chickens upon activity of several enzymes (enzymatic profile) in blood plasma. Our aim was also to evaluate whether investigation of the enzymatic profile in blood plasma can help in the diagnosis of organic or functional liver damages caused by gamma ray in chickens.
Materials and Methods: The experiments were performed on hybrid chickens of heavy »Jata« breeds of both sexes. Chickens were irradiated by gamma ray in the dose of 7.23±0.95 Gy. Blood samples were taken from the wing vein on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 15 after irradiation. The activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alpha-hydroxy-butyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH) in blood plasma of irradiated chicken was determined spectrophotometrically by using Boehringer Mannheim GmbH optimized kits. At the end of the experiment all birds were sacrificed and the organs were pathomorphologically and histologically investigated.
Results: Throughout the experimental period, only GGT activity did not statistically significantly change. All other enzymes activity showed a decreasing tendency during the experiment; statistically significant decreases were recorded as follows: on the 1st day of the experiment – LAP and LDH activity; on the 3rd day – LAP activity; on the 5th day – ALT and LDH activity; on the 7th day – AST, LDHandHBDH activity, on the 9th day – LAP and HBDH activity, and on the 15th day – LAP activity.
Conclusion: The determination of a so-called enzyme profile in blood plasma which included measurement of AST, ALT, LAP, LDH and HBDH activities may serve as an additional test for functional liver damages in chickens caused by ionizing radiation before the appearance of clinical symptoms.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
29091
URI
Publication date:
29.2.2008.
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