title: Hypocalcaemia and serum levels of inorganic phosphorus, magnesium parathyroid and calcitonin hormones in the last month of pregnancy in Awassi fat-tail ewes.
abstract: Serum levels of calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), parathyroid (PTH) and calcitonin (CT) hormones of fat-tail Awassi ewes were determined during the last month of pregnancy. The incidence of hypocalcaemia (HCE) was 13.4% of the obstetrical cases examined. Twenty-six (81.3%) of 32 ewes with HCE were 4 yr of age or older. Significant decreases (p less than 0.01) in serum Ca levels from normal values or controls (n = 6; 10.04 +/- 0.22% (w/w)) to pathological values (4.30 +/- 0.35% (w/w)) caused severe clinical manifestations in 75% of affected ewes. This HCE was accompanied by a significant increase in the PTH level (142.6 +/- 9.1 pmol/l in comparison to 99.7 +/- 9.3 pmol/l in controls, p less than 0.05) and significant decrease in serum CT level (98.2 +/- 7.6 pg/ml in comparison to 144.6 +/- 25.7 pg/ml in controls; p less than 0.05). Intravenous administration of Ca borogluconate yielded normal Ca levels which were accompanied by a decrease in serum PTH levels and an increase in CT levels to normal values.
authors.affiliation: Ben Gurion University of Negev, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shainkin-Kestenbaum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000662:veterinary; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000097:blood*; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010758:Phosphorus; D002116:Calcitonin; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium