Abstract
The aim of this study was to estimate changes in selected biochemical indicators during nutritional muscular dystrophy of calves and to use electrocardiography technique in early diagnosis of this disease. The study was performed on 24 Holstein-Friesian calves of both sexes, divided into two groups. The first one was experimental group of 12 calves with symptoms of nutritional muscular dystrophy and the second one was control group of 12 clinically healthy calves administered a single i.m. injection of vitamin E + selenium preparation on the second day after birth. Blood samples were collected from all animals 3 × at 7-day intervals, starting on day 5. Blood serum was subjected to biochemical analyses to determine Se and vitamin E concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activity levels. The activity of glutathione peroxidase was determined in whole blood samples. Electrocardiographic assessment was performed on day 19 in all calves. In the group of calves with symptoms of nutritional muscular dystrophy, serum Se and vitamin E concentrations were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) lower than in control, the same was true for the activity of glutathione peroxidase (P ≤ 0.01). The changes were accompanied by an increase (P ≤ 0.01) in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. The electrocardiograms of experimental animals revealed elevated heart rate, accelerated sinus rhythm, increased P wave amplitude, shorter PR, QT and ST interval, narrower QRS complex, shorter T wave duration and insignificantly increased T wave amplitude; these results were indicative of arrhythmia which is observed at early stages of cardiomyopathy. This study is the first one in which electrocardiography technique was used to diagnose nutritional muscular dystrophy in calves.
Highlights
Selenium is a bio-element that plays a very important role in higher organisms
Activity of AST was measured by the kinetic method using NADH and Tris buffer (Alpha Diagnostics, Poland), creatine kinase (CK) activity was measured by the kinetic method using NADH (Alpha Diagnostics, Poland), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was measured by the kinetic method using NAD+ and Tris buffer (Analco, Poland)
Disease symptoms were not observed in the experimental group of calves in the first days of their life
Summary
Selenium is a bio-element that plays a very important role in higher organisms. Selenium is nutritionally related to vitamin E and sulphur amino acids. Selenium and vitamin E deficiencies may lead to nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD), known as white muscle disease. There are three main forms of nutritional muscular dystrophy: peracute, acute and subacute. The peracute form of the disease affects mainly the heart muscle of newborn calves. It is accompanied by arrhythmia, increased heart rate, weaker pulse, acute dyspnoea at rest, blue coloring of the mucosa and great breathing difficulty. In its acute form, the disease affects skeletal and intercostal muscles, the diaphragm and the heart. In calves the subacute form of nutritional muscular dystrophy is most frequently encountered. The aim of this study was to determine changes in selected biochemical markers and ECG indicators in the clinical form of nutritional muscular dystrophy in calves
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