Technical Note
Some studies on nutritional muscular dystrophy in Qassim region in Saudi Arabia: Effect of administration of Vitamin E–selenium preparation to pregnant ewes on serum muscle-specific enzymes in their lambs

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Abstract

The prophylactic effect of parentral administration of a single dose of Vitamin E–selenium preparation given to pregnant ewes during the last third of pregnancy for protection against nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD) in their lambs was studied. Based on determination of serum muscle-specific enzymes in the lambs, it was found that administration of Vitamin E–selenium preparation to pregnant ewes from a flock with a known history of NMD was associated with a significant decrease in serum muscle-specific enzymes levels in their lambs when compared with those from non-treated dams in the same flock. It was also observed that serum muscle-specific enzyme levels in lambs from non-treated dams in the flock with a known history of NMD were significantly higher than those in lambs from non-treated dams in a flock with no history of NMD (control group). The serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level was significantly higher in lambs of treated dams as compared to lambs from the control group, but no significant differences were seen between the two groups of lambs for the other serum muscle-specific enzymes measured. No lambs from the treated group showed clinical signs of NMD up through the time of weaning. It is concluded that administration of Vitamin E–selenium preparation to pregnant ewes in a flock with a known history of NMD was effective in preventing NMD in their lambs.

Introduction

Nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD) is one of a number of livestock diseases associated with inadequate intake or utilization of Vitamin E and selenium. It is of economic importance in domestic ruminants, including cattle, sheep, and goats (Gallo-Torres, 1972, Hadlow, 1974, El-Neweehy, 1982, Radostitis et al., 1995). Its incidence in young ruminants may vary from 25–50% and even reach 100% if affected animals are subjected to environmental stresses such as being transported long distances. Mortality of diseased animals can be as high as 30% (Telford and Einarson, 1971). Control and prevention of the major diseases caused by selenium and/or Vitamin E deficiency can be achieved by several different methods. They include supplementation in the food or water supplies, individual parentral injection, or oral administration and pasture top-dressing (Macpherson and Chalmers, 1984, Radostitis et al., 1995, Kott et al., 1998).

Injection of Vitamin E–selenium preparation to pregnant ewes during the last third of pregnancy has been shown to improve lambing percentage and increase vitality and growth rate of new born lambs. Lambs born to ewes so treated have normal muscle-specific enzyme activity (Radostitis et al., 1995, Bickhardt et al., 1999). Large numbers of lambs are diagnosed in our clinic with NMD. This is presumably associated with the fact that the soils of Saudi Arabia are predominantly sandy and are low in many trace elements including selenium (Brian, 1980, Al-Omran and Shalaby, 1992). For these reasons, the present investigation was planned to study the effect of a single parentral administration of Vitamin E–selenium preparation to pregnant ewes on serum muscle-specific enzyme in their lambs as an indication of protection against NMD.

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Materials and methods

A total of 58 suckling native Najdi lambs belonging to two private sheep grazing flocks in different localities of Qassim region were used in the present study. One flock was known to have a history of NMD while the other flock had no history of cases of NMD. The lambs were grouped into three groups. Group 1 was comprised of 20 apparently healthy suckling lambs taken from the flock with no history of NMD (control group). Groups 2 and 3 were comprised of lambs derived from the flock with a known

Results

Table 1 shows that the levels of ALT, AST, LDH and CPK were significantly higher (P<0.001) in Najdi lambs of Group 2 when compared with both Groups 1 and 3. No significant difference was observed in various enzyme levels between Group 3 and Group 1 except for the level of CPK which was significantly higher in the Group 3 lambs. No single case of NMD was observed in Group 3 lambs of treated dams up to the time of weaning.

Discussion

Serum muscle-specific enzymes in normal Group 1 Najdi lambs from a flock with no history of NMD (control group) were within normal limits reported by Kiroloss et al., 1985, Radostitis et al., 1995 and El-Neweehy et al. (2000).

Serum muscle-specific enzymes levels were significantly higher in untreated Group 2 lambs as compared to lambs in Groups 1 and 3. These elevated enzyme levels indicate that they were either subclinically or preclinically affected with NMD (Kiroloss et al., 1985, Radostitis

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