Erythrocyte glutathione concentrations in Nigerian Sahel goats

The erythrocyte glutathione (GSH) concentrations of 210 Nigerian Sahel goats were 2.4–175.2 (46.5±36.4) mg/100 ml RBC or 0.1–7.3 (1.9±1.4) mg/gHb. The frequency distribution of the blood and erythrocyte GSH values were positively skewed, but the packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations were normally distributed. The erythrocyte GSH values in mg/100 ml RBC and mg/gHb were strongly correlated. Majority of the goat population (74.8%) had low or `deficient' erythrocyte GSH concentrations (≤60 mg/100 ml RBC). Sixteen animals with very low erythrocyte GSH values of 2.4–9.8 (6.9±2.9) mg/100 ml RBC were not anaemic and the anaemic goats with PCV of 17.0±0.9% had GSH concentrations of 3.5–97.5 (45.0±42.8) mg/100 ml RBC. The erythrocyte GSH values were not correlated with PCV or Hb, and anaemia. The biochemical basis for the low erythrocyte GSH concentrations is yet to be determined.