AN INVESTIGATION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND TOTAL SIALIC ACID LEVELS IN DOGS NATURALLY INFESTED WITH SARCOPTES CANIS.

This study was aimed at the determination of oxidative stress and total sialic acid (TSA) levels in dogs naturally infested with Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis. The study material comprised a total of 35 animals, including 25 infested dogs (15 females and 10 males) of different age, sex and breed, which were diagnosed with scabies upon being referred to the clinic of the Internal Medicine Department of Kafkas University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine with signs of pruritus and exanthema, and 10 healthy dogs (5 females and 5 males) also of different age, sex and breed, which were maintained for control purposes. The presence of oxidative stress was determined based on serum nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant capacity (TOC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAG) levels. These levels were measured as 24.97±4.09 nmol/ml, 18.16±2.21 μmol/L, 7.6±1.25 μmol H₂O₂ Equiv/L, and 6.57±1.16 mmol Trolox Equiv/L, respectively, in the infested dogs, and as 8.95±1.24 nmol/ml, 9.05±1.55 μmol/L, 8.25±1.26 μmol H₂O₂ Equiv/L, and 1.59±0.11 mmol Trolox Equiv/L, respectively, in the control group. Serum TSA levels ranged between 91.94±7.63 mg/dl in the infested dogs and 65.12±5.69 mg/dl in the healthy control dogs. The statistical comparison of these measurements showed that the MDA, NO, TAG, and TSA levels of the infested dogs were significantly higher than those of the healthy control subjects (p<0.001). The serum TOC levels of the infested and healthy dogs were found not to differ statistically (P>0.05). In result, when compared to the control group, the significantly higher serum MDA and NO levels of the dogs naturally infested with Sarcoptes sca-biei var. canis pointed out to an increase in oxidative stress, whilst the higher serum TSA levels of the infested dogs were indicative of cellular damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]