Metabolic Changes in the Blood of Dromedary Camel at Early Post-partum

Abstract

Postpartum resumption of ovarian activity under environmental stressors is highly important for determining subsequent fertility in camel. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship of relevant biochemical and hormonal parameters in the blood serum with regard to ovarian resumption of dromedary camel at early post-partum. Blood samples were collected from female dromedary camel weekly during the postpartum period for 9 successive weeks. Serum and plasma samples were assayed for the following biochemical and hormonal constituents, glucose, cholesterol (CH), triglycerides (TG), total protein (TP), urea, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cortisol and triiodothyronine (T3). Glucose concentrations ranged between 92.6 and 96.2 mg/dL for the first 6 weeks postpartum, and increased to 106.8 mg/dL at week 7 postpartum (P < 0.01). The concentrations of CH followed almost the same manner during the first 7 weeks (ranged between 27.5 and 30.4 mg/dL) and increased to 38.2 mg/dL at week 8 postpartum (P < 0.01). Likewise, total protein concentrations decreased from 6.86 g/dL week2 to 6.45 g/dL at week 3 (P < 0.01) with no significant changes thereafter. Similarly, triglycerides decreased from 24.5 mg/dL at week 2 to 13.00 mg/dL at week 3 (P < 0.01) with no significant changes up to week 9. The concentrations of NEFA decreased significantly at week 3 postpartum (P < 0.01) and then maintained at low level throughout the study period. Similarly, cortisol and IGF-1 concentrations were the lowest at week 3 postpartum (5.7 µg/dL and 93.7 µg/mL for cortisol and IGF-1, respectively, P < 0.01) and then increased gradually with some little variations of IGF-1. However, the levels of urea followed a characteristic increasing and subsequently decreasing patterns while reached a plateau at weeks 8 and 9 postpartum. Similarly, the concentrations of T3 followed the same pattern and tended to increase at week 9 postpartum. Concentrations of LDH showed a significant decrease at weeks 4 to 6 postpartum and increased thereafter (P < 0.01). Throughout the study period, changes of glucose, cortisol, CH, TP, IGF-1, NEFA and LDH had a clear trend, i.e. decreasing at early postpartum period followed by increasing patterns thereafter. The results of the present study suggest that the typical metabolic patterns that are found in blood serum of dromedary camel at postpartum may be reflected in the follicular fluid and, therefore, may use as an indication of reproductive resumption.