Evaluation of serum lipids and lipoproteins and their correlations together, and with thyroid hormones in gray necked ostrich

Abstract

Summary To evaluate the concentrations of serum lipids and lipoproteins and their correlations together and with thyroid hormones in gray necked ostrich (Struthio camelus), the serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, total lipids, very low density lipoproteins (VLDL-cholesterol), low density lipoproteins (LDL-cholesterol) and high density lipoproteins (HDL-cholesterol) and their correlations with tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine hormones were measured in 50 clinically healthy gray necked ostriches (30 male and 20 female) which were divided into three age groups. The mean serum concentrations ± SE of cholesterol, triglyceride, total lipids, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol were 102.62 ± 30.23, 120.22 ± 54.25, 458.96 ± 106.37, 29.96 ± 6.737, 48.61 ± 23.11 and 24.04 ± 10.85 mgr/dL, respectively. Also, the mean serum concentrations ± SE of thyroxin and tri-iodothyronine hormones were 7.89 ± 1.52 µg/dL and 2.54 ± 1.31 ngr/mL, respectively. The mean serum concentration of the cholesterol, total lipids and T3 had a negative significant correlation and age (r = -0.340, P=0.016), (r = -0.335, P=0.017), (r = -0.282, P=0.047), and a marginally negative significant correlation was detected between HDL-cholesterol with age (r = -0.271, P=0.056). Serum thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine had no significant correlation with the lipids and lipoprotein concentrations (r = -0.115, P=0.083), (r = -0.187, P=0.070).