title: An association of faecal egg counts and prolactin concentrations in sera of periparturient Angora goats.
abstract: Faecal egg counts and serum prolactin concentrations in 13 pregnant and five non-pregnant Angora goats were monitored over a period of 20 weeks. The mean weekly egg counts of pregnant goats were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than those of non-pregnant goats. In pregnant goats the mean egg counts in the 6 week post-partum period were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than those of 6 weeks prepartum. The mean prolactin concentration of pregnant goats during the 6 week post-partum period was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than that of 6 weeks pre-partum. During the 6 to 3 weeks before parturition, the prolactin values generally remained low (below 100 ng ml-1). The rise in prolactin concentration started between 3 weeks and 1 week before parturition. Only in pregnant goats was there a positive linear regression between prolactin levels and faecal egg counts.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology; D006041:Goats; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010029:Ostertagiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D014253:Trichostrongylosis / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin