Evaluation of serum homocysteine and nitric oxide concentrations compared with other biochemical parameters in sheep naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica

Abstract

This study aims to determine the changes in serum homocysteine (Hcy) and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in sheep naturally infected with F. hepatica. The animal material of the study consisted of a total of 50 sheep: 40 sheep with fascioliasis and 10 healthy sheep.The statistical analysis indicated that serum homocysteine concentrations, folate and vitamin B12 levels of the sheep infected with F. hepatica were higher than those of the control group (P<0.001 P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively), whereas the nitric oxide levels of the sheep infected with F. hepatica were significantly lower than those of healthy sheep (P<0.001). In conclusion, it is thought that vitamin B12 and folate are not used sufficiently for the conversion of homocysteine to methionine in the remethylation cycle due to the damage in the liver tissue of sheep naturally infected with F. hepatica. This results in the increase of homocysteine which in turn inhibits the formation of nitric oxide.