Serum biochemistry panels in African buffalo: Defining reference intervals and assessing variability across season, age and sex

Couch, Claire E.; Movius, Morgan A.; Jolles, Anna E.; Gorman, M. Elena; Rigas, Johanna D.; Beechler, Brianna R.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0176830

Cited by 25 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Serum biochemical parameters are indicative of the physiological status of an animal [44]. Feeding SRU did not affect any of the serum biochemical parameters, except for serum urea nitrogen (SUN), that was tended to increase in 50% (P = 0.071) and 75% (P = 0.087) replacement groups (Table 4).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…NA–Not Applicable; C 1 : SBM Vs 25% SRU; C 2 : SBM Vs 50% SRU; C 3 : SBM Vs 75% SRU. 1 Degradable N Intake = RDP Intake ÷ 6.25. 2 Urinary N (g/d) = 0.013 × BW × SUN (mg/dL) [44]. 3 Manure N = Faecal N + Urinary N. 4 Apparently digested N (apDN) = N intake–Faecal N. 5 Apparently metabolized N (apMN) = apDN–Urinary N. 6 SUN = Serum Urea/2.14. 7 Calculated by estimating moisture content of ingested feedstuff. 8 Metabolic water = (Dig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of eco-sustainability vis-à-vis zoo-technical attributes of soybean meal (SBM) replacement with varying levels of coated urea in Nellore sheep (Ovis aries)

et al. 2019

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The contemporary environmental-stewardship programmes primarily aimed at curbing the global warming potential by adopting a multidisciplinary approach. Manipulating the feeding strategies has great potential in reducing the environmental footprints of livestock production. This study intends to assess the effect of soybean meal (SBM) replacement with varying levels of coated urea (SRU) on both zoo-technical (nutrient digestibility, heat increment, and physio-biochemical parameters) and environmental attributes. The coated urea was used to replace the SBM at 0, 25, 50, and 75 percent levels. Eight adult rams (43.02 ± 0.76) maintained in a conventional shed were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design. Not all the physiological parameters viz. rectal temperature, pulse rate, and respiratory rate were affected ( P >0.05)f by varying levels of SRU incorporation. The SRU fed animals had higher ( P <0.05) crude protein digestibility compared to SBM fed animals; however, the replacements did not affect the nutrient digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, NFC, NDF ap , ADF, and hemicellulose components. The SRU did not affect various biochemical parameters such as serum glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, creatinine, ALT, AST, Ca, P and T3, and T4 levels; however, post-prandial serum urea N (SUN) values showed a diurnal quadratic pattern ( P <0.05) with a dose-dependent relationship. Further, the SBM replacements had no effect on the calcium excretion, while the SRU incorporation decreased the faecal phosphorous content, thereby abating the eutrophication phenomenon. Although the SBM replacements did not affect in vivo water variables and faecal solid fractions, they managed to decrease the land and virtual water requirement along with global warming potential (GWP) of the entire trial. The GWP-perceptual map unveils the fact that replacement of conventional feed ingredients with NPN compounds aids in eco-friendly livestock production. Further, the conjectural analysis of the carbon footprint methodology revealed that agricultural by-products consideration could cause a huge increase in the GWP share of feed consumed, thus compelling the importance of research pertaining to feed production perspective as equal as ruminal methane amelioration.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of eco-sustainability vis-à-vis zoo-technical attributes of soybean meal (SBM) replacement with varying levels of coated urea in Nellore sheep (Ovis aries)

et al. 2019

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“…Buffalo that evaded corral capture were darted individually from a helicopter. Sedation procedures are outlined in Couch et al ( 24 ). Animals were released from the capture corral within 1–5 days after captures.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Pathogen Exposure in African Buffalo Using Non-Specific Markers of Inflammation

Glidden

Beechler

Buss³

et al. 2018

Front. Immunol.

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Detecting exposure to new or emerging pathogens is a critical challenge to protecting human, domestic animal, and wildlife health. Yet, current techniques to detect infections typically target known pathogens of humans or economically important animals. In the face of the current surge in infectious disease emergence, non-specific disease surveillance tools are urgently needed. Tracking common host immune responses indicative of recent infection may have potential as a non-specific diagnostic approach for disease surveillance. The challenge to immunologists is to identify the most promising markers, which ideally should be highly conserved across pathogens and host species, become upregulated rapidly and consistently in response to pathogen invasion, and remain elevated beyond clearance of infection. This study combined an infection experiment and a longitudinal observational study to evaluate the utility of non-specific markers of inflammation [NSMI; two acute phase proteins (haptoglobin and serum amyloid A), two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFNγ and TNF-α)] as indicators of pathogen exposure in a wild mammalian species, African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). Specifically, in the experimental study, we asked (1) How quickly do buffalo mount NSMI responses upon challenge with an endemic pathogen, foot-and-mouth disease virus; (2) for how long do NSMI remain elevated after viral clearance and; (3) how pronounced is the difference between peak NSMI concentration and baseline NSMI concentration? In the longitudinal study, we asked (4) Are elevated NSMI associated with recent exposure to a suite of bacterial and viral respiratory pathogens in a wild population? Among the four NSMI that we tested, haptoglobin showed the strongest potential as a surveillance marker in African buffalo: concentrations quickly and consistently reached high levels in response to experimental infection, remaining elevated for almost a month. Moreover, elevated haptoglobin was indicative of recent exposure to two respiratory pathogens assessed in the longitudinal study. We hope this work motivates studies investigating suites of NSMI as indicators for pathogen exposure in a broader range of both pathogen and host species, potentially transforming how we track disease burden in natural populations.

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“…Hematocrit, the volume percentage of red blood cells (the primary resource for adult schistosomes) in the blood, which is also correlated to body condition, was assessed by a hematology analyzer for whole blood on the day of capture[ 94 ]. Total plasma protein, a measure of animal nutritional status, was assessed using an Abaxis chemistry panel[ 95 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Total globulins (alpha, beta & gamma) were assessed using an Abaxis chemistry panel from samples stored at -20°C until the time of testing [ 95 ]. Time in storage did not affect the results ( S3 Text ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Host immunity, nutrition and coinfection alter longitudinal infection patterns of schistosomes in a free ranging African buffalo population

et al. 2017

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Schistosomes are trematode parasites of global importance, causing infections in millions of people, livestock, and wildlife. Most studies on schistosomiasis, involve human subjects; as such, there is a paucity of longitudinal studies investigating parasite dynamics in the absence of intervention. As a consequence, despite decades of research on schistosomiasis, our understanding of its ecology in natural host populations is centered around how environmental exposure and acquired immunity influence acquisition of parasites, while very little is known about the influence of host physiology, coinfection and clearance in the absence of drug treatment. We used a 4-year study in free-ranging African buffalo to investigate natural schistosome dynamics. We asked (i) what are the spatial and temporal patterns of schistosome infections; (ii) how do parasite burdens vary over time within individual hosts; and (iii) what host factors (immunological, physiological, co-infection) and environmental factors (season, location) explain patterns of schistosome acquisition and loss in buffalo? Schistosome infections were common among buffalo. Microgeographic structure explained some variation in parasite burdens among hosts, indicating transmission hotspots. Overall, parasite burdens ratcheted up over time; however, gains in schistosome abundance in the dry season were partially offset by losses in the wet season, with some hosts demonstrating complete clearance of infection. Variation among buffalo in schistosome loss was associated with immunologic and nutritional factors, as well as co-infection by the gastrointestinal helminth Cooperia fuelleborni. Our results demonstrate that schistosome infections are surprisingly dynamic in a free-living mammalian host population, and point to a role for host factors in driving variation in parasite clearance, but not parasite acquisition which is driven by seasonal changes and spatial habitat utilization. Our study illustrates the power of longitudinal studies for discovering mechanisms underlying parasite dynamics in individual animals and populations.

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Serum biochemistry panels in African buffalo: Defining reference intervals and assessing variability across season, age and sex

Cited by 25 publications

References 51 publications

Assessment of eco-sustainability vis-à-vis zoo-technical attributes of soybean meal (SBM) replacement with varying levels of coated urea in Nellore sheep (Ovis aries)

Assessment of eco-sustainability vis-à-vis zoo-technical attributes of soybean meal (SBM) replacement with varying levels of coated urea in Nellore sheep (Ovis aries)

Detection of Pathogen Exposure in African Buffalo Using Non-Specific Markers of Inflammation

Host immunity, nutrition and coinfection alter longitudinal infection patterns of schistosomes in a free ranging African buffalo population

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