Blood and seminal plasma enzyme values of Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus (Chordata: Osteichthyes)

Abstract

An important aspect in the management and protection of endangered species from extinction is the determination of normal physiological values, including the blood and seminal plasma properties. This study was undertaken to establish a reference range for six important blood and seminal plasma enzymes. Samples of 20 Acipenser persicus Borodin, 1897 (10 female and 10 male) were analyzed. The reference ranges for the total samples and also for each sex were determined. The activities of measured enzymes in blood and semen were: alkaline phosphatase (ALP, 363.2 ± 25.24 and 12.23 ± 3.66 IU/L), acid phosphatase (ACP, 4.98 ± 0.39 and 1.86 ± 0.71 IU/L), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, 1978.8 ± 176.5 and 472 ± 138.7 IU/L), creatine kinase (CK, 1149.6 ± 110 and 553.8 ± 119.9 IU/L), aspartate aminotransferase (AST, 51.12 ± 3.5 and 2.29 ± 1.34 IU/L) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT, 14.7 ± 0.89 and 6.9 ± 2.5 IU/L), respectively. There were significant differences between male and female fish in terms of LDH, CK and ALT activity (P < 0.05). To detect relationships among investigated parameters we used the Pearson correlation coefficient; no significant correlations were observed between these parameters in either blood or seminal plasma.