Thyroid activities of non-pregnant, pregnant, post-Partum and newborn swamp buffaloes

Abstract

SUMMARYThe average serum T4(D) of nine non-pregnant buffaloes was 5·5 ± 1·4 μg/100 ml. It increased slightly to 6·2 ± 4·2 μg/100 ml in 37 6–7 month pregnant buffaloes. Nevertheless the difference was not significant. When the pregnancy reached 8–9 months, the T4(D) was 9·0 ± 3.8μg/100 ml which was significantly higher than that at 6–7 months (P < 0·01). At full term (9–10 months), T4(D) decreased to 3·6 ± 2–6 μg/100 ml which was significantly lower than that at 8–9 months (P <0·001).In 1 month post-partum buffaloes, the average T4(D) was 5·1 ± 3·4 μg/100 ml, while T4(D) of 1-month-old buffalo calves was very high, i.e. 13·6 ± 3·2 μg/100 ml.The total serum T3 (RIA) of late-pregnant buffaloes decreased markedly from that of 8–9 month pregnant (P< 0·001). At 1 month post-partum, T3 rose to 143·4 ± 33·0 μg/100 ml which was significantly higher than that at late pregnancy (P < 0·001). The mean serum T3(RIA) of 1-month-old buffalo calves was relatively high, i.e. 281·0 ± 106·2 μg/100 ml which was significantly higher than 143·4 ± 33·0 ng/100 ml of their darn buffaloes (P < 0·001) at the same period of time.The RT3U values of 6–7 (35·9 ± 4·2%) and 8–9 (34·7 ± 2·0%) month pregnant animals were highly significantly different from 31·1 ± 3·1 % of the full-term pregnancy (P < 0·001).