Twenty calves were infected with 1000 metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica, the activities of 10 enzymes in plasma or serum were assayed and concentrations in serum of proteins, urea and bilirubin were determined. These values were compared with control data obtained from 14 uninfected calves. Aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, ornithine carbamoyl transferase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities increased in infected calves. Total serum protein increased, albumin decreased, globulin increased and the albumin/globulin ratio was decreased in infected calves. Plasma alanine aminotransferase, leucine aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and cholinesterase activities and serum concentration of urea and bilirubin were unaffected. It was concluded that glutamate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase were the most sensitive indicators of liver cell damage in fascioliasis.
The reliability of erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity as an indicator of selenium status in livestock is discussed. Based on this measurement, a survey is described of the biological selenium status of sheep on each of 329 farms in Britain. Results showed that 47 per cent of these farms were probably unable to provide grazing livestock with sufficient selenium to maintain blood levels greater than 0.075 microgram per ml. Increased selenium deficiency from the increasing use of home grown feeds as a major constituent of livestock rations may be causally related to the increase of white muscle disease and other selenium responsive diseases in Britain.
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