The role of Vitamin A in different physiological functions among different species is well known (De Luca, 1978; Wolf, 1984). However, its role in reproduction in general and in embryo production and viability in particular needs further investigation especially in laboratory animals. Very limited work can be found in this regard (NRC, 1978; Chew and Archer, 1983; Kormann a n d Schlachter, 1984; Pusztai et al., 1989; Kormann et al., 1988), which deals with the requirements, dose and effects of Vitamin A o n reproduction performance, neonatal survival and growth of some laboratory species. Our work was directed toward the effect of Vitamin A on female outbred mice receiving commercial diet and injected with an extra NRC recommended dose of Vitamin A o n the number and quality of embryos produced. A total of 804, 7-8 week old outbred female NMRI (Lati, Godollo) mice were used in this study during winter and early spring. Animals were housed in a ventillated room of 24OC, 50% relative humidity and provided with 14 h light daily. Water and food was provided ad libitum. The animals were divided randomly into treated (400) mice or control (404) mice. Treated animals were injected intraperitoneally with 250 I.U. of Vitamin A (A vitamin olajos injekci6, Egis, Budapest), dissolved in 0.1 ml of paraffin or sunflower oil, twice within 1 0 days (NRC, 1978). Control groups were injected with the vehicle only. Animals assigned for superovulation were injected with 7.5 I.U. of PMSG (Folligon, Intervet) followed by 7.5 I.U. of HCG (Choriogonin, KGY, Budapest) 48 h later. Normal induction of ovulation was conducted with 1 I.U. of PMSG followed by 1 I.U. of HCG 48 h later. Each female was placed together with a proven fertile male from the same strain and mating was confirmed next morning by the presence of vaginal plug (designated day 1 ) . Zygotes, morulae a n d blastocysts were flushed on days 1 , 3 und 4 respectively from the oviducts and the uterine horns using sterile drops of Dulbecco's PBS (Phylaxia, Budapest) and 34 ga. needles (provided by Prof. D.G. Whittingham. Surrey, U.K.). Basically, the method described by Hogan et al., (1986) was followed in zygote, embryo recovery and evaluation using a disecting microscope. Blood samples were collected from treated and control animals. Blood samples were centrifuged and kept in a deep-freezer of -2OOC till assay for Vitamin A according t o the fluorometric method (Blaskovits et al., 1980) was conducted. The ovulation rate in tht. treated group was more than 9 % higher than those in the control group under no-ma1 ovulation rate or under superovulation. Number of U.S.
Background: Hematological and biochemical values are widely used in veterinary clinics for disease prognosis, nutritional and therapeutic monitoring, as well as in understanding the disease process in farm animals, including equines. Aim: This study aims to assess the alterations in hematological and biochemical parameters in pure Arabian horses infested with internal parasites. Methods: Samples of feces and blood were collected from 20 adult mares. Fecal samples were proceeded by flotation test. The blood samples were analyzed for hematological and biochemical parameters to determine their means ± standard error (M ± SE). We compared the M ± SE with the reference values cited. Results: Infestation percentage was as (%) Parascaris equorum 3 (15%) and 17 (85%) mixed infestation, Strongylus species with P. equorum . The hematology of our Arabian horses shows a little variation of values compared to normal reference values, in hemoglobin level (g/dl), packed cell volume (%), red blood cell count (10 6 /μl), and white blood cells count (10 3 /μl), mean corpuscular volume (fl), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (pg) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (g/dl). In addition, their serum biochemistry showed blood glucose (mg/dl), urea (mg/dl), creatinine (mg/dl), albumin (g/dl), sodium, potassium, and chloride (mEq/l) within normal reference values. Conclusion: Our study did not show variation in hematology or chemical values compared to the normal values. We attributed this a result of the quantity and quality of nutrition given to the horses, which compensate for the damage caused by these parasites, so this study may provide useful diagnostic indices for Arabian horses.
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