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Plasma protein electrophoresis has been proposed for use in reptile medicine to aid in the diagnosis of disease. Reference intervals of plasma proteins in loggerhead sea turtles have been established; however, studies evaluating the effect of storage conditions on plasma protein and protein fractions in this species are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of short-term storage conditions on total protein concentration and electrophoretic fractions of sea turtle plasma. Blood was collected from sea turtles, and plasma obtained after centrifugation was fractioned into five aliquots. One aliquot was analyzed within 3 h after collection, whereas the remaining aliquots were stored at either +4 °C or −20 °C for 2 or 7 days. Overall, there was a significant effect of storage temperature and duration on albumin, β-globulin, and A/G ratio (Friedman rank sum test P < 0.001) but not on total protein concentration. The results of the current study show that short-term storage conditions influence the electrophoretic pattern of plasma proteins and the A/G ratio in Caretta caretta. Therefore, in order to obtain plasma protein concentrations that can serve as reliable screening tests in veterinary diagnostic laboratories, practitioners should refrigerate plasma for no more than 2 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the relationship between blood gas profile and athletic performance after a specific training programme, six clinically healthy Italian saddle horses were used. Each animal was subjected to an adaptation period constituted by horse walker exercise, followed by a training programme for 3 months. In the last day of each month, all horses were subjected to a standardized exercise test (SET), consisting of 15 min of treadmill. On blood samples collected by means of a jugular venipuncture at rest, immediately after each SET and after 15 min, pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO), partial pressure of oxygen (pO), haematocrit (Hct), haemoglobin (Hb) and hydrogen carbonate ion (HCO) were assessed by means of a selective ion analyser. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance, followed by Bonferroni's test, showed a significant effect of training on pH, pO, pCO, Hct and Hb. No statistically significant differences were observed among SETs 1, 2 and 3. Our results showed that physiological alterations in blood gas profile due to training exercise are common in horses. These changes are useful to assess the current status of an athlete and the degree of training adaptability, providing an opportunity to modify the training schedule accordingly to achieve the desired performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authors assessed the influence of age and health status on packed cell volume (PCV), plasma total protein (TPP), and glucose concentrations of loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta, brought into a Mediterranean sea turtle rescue center in Sicily. These blood parameters should be considered as the minimum database to check the health status of sea turtles. PCV and TPP are together valuable indicators of blood loss, dehydration, or dilution from lymph or extravascular fluid during blood collection. Glucose levels are important to evaluate the blood energy balance. After clinical evaluation, 38 turtles were classified as clinically healthy and 27 as unhealthy. Depending on the size of the turtle, subjects were divided in three groups: juveniles, subadults, and adults. Analysis of variance in healthy subjects showed a significant effect of age for TPP and glucose levels. Values obtained for each age group of healthy sea turtles were compared with those from unhealthy subjects by Mann-Whitney U test. Differences in PCV and TPP but not in glucose concentrations were found between unhealthy and healthy subjects. Our results suggest that these blood parameters are useful to obtain preliminary information about the condition of C. caretta. TPP, in particular, can be used to assess health status of sea turtles while taking age differences into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal variations of the level of serum total proteins and their electrophoretic fractions in dairy cows, living in the Mediterranean area, were investigated. During different physiological phases, ten dairy cows were housed in a sheltered pen in Sicily (Italy). Throughout the experimental period, ambient temperature and relative humidity were continuously recorded with a data logger and temperature humidity index values were determined. Blood samples were collected every 30 days for 1 year (12 months). Total proteins were assessed by means of a spectrophotometer and electrophoresis was performed using a semiautomated AGE system. One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance ANOVA was applied to determine the effect of time (physiological phase) during the 12 months of monitoring and P values < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Using Cosinor rhythmometry, three rhythmic parameters were determined: mesor (mean level) with the confidence interval (CI) at the 95%, amplitude (half the range of oscillation) and acrophase ( Φ, time of peak) with the confidence interval (CI) at 95%. After the application of the Cosinor rhythmometry, α-, β- and γ- globulins showed a seasonal rhythmicity. In conclusion, these results shed light on the composition of serum proteins of cows during a 1-year study and allowed us to delineate a serum pattern during physiological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydrocortisone on adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation in horse. The study was carried out on 35 healthy horses of various breeds and gender. On all horses, citrated blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture to assess platelet aggregation. On all samples, platelet-rich and platelet-poor plasma were prepared by centrifugation and divided into two different aliquots. On the first aliquot, platelet aggregation was determined after platelet activating with 1 and 0.5 μM ADP (group A). On the last one, the effect of 20-min preincubation with hydrocortisone in ADP-induced aggregation was determined at final ADP concentrations of 1 and 0.5 μM (group B). By means of an aggregometer, the platelet response was quantitated as maximum degree of platelet aggregation and initial velocity of platelet aggregation. All data were analyzed using unpaired Student's t test. A P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The obtained results showed a statistically significant effect of hydrocortisone on both the maximum degree of platelet aggregation and the slope of platelet aggregation at the two final concentrations of ADP used. These results are compatible with the possibility that the vessel wall releases smooth muscle-relaxing prostaglandins when injured and that the inhibition of prostaglandin formation by hydrocortisone enhances hemostasis by allowing vasoconstriction to be maintained. Further investigations could be useful utilizing different concentrations of hydrocortisone in order to apply the knowledge of the effect of glucocorticoids on platelet aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]