title: Assessment of blood glutathione peroxidase activity in the dromedary camel.
abstract: Blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels in 709 normal dromedary camels (442 females and 267 males) were assessed in the Canary Islands. All animals were intensively reared, and three different nutritional systems were evaluated, depending on selenium content of the diet. Mean GSH-Px level in the total population was 288.5+/-157.2 IU x g(-1) Hb. Reference ranges were estimated and enzymatic activities below 51 IU x g(-1) Hb were considered inadequate. GSH-Px activities obtained in females (298.1+/-155.7 IU x g(-1) Hb) were significantly (P = 0.037) higher than in males (272.6+/-157.2 IU x g(-1) Hb). When age groups were compared, only males between 6 and 12 months old exhibited significantly lower mean GSH-Px (P = 0.006) than females. A high correlation (r = 0.88) between serum selenium concentration and blood GSH-Px activity was estimated, and the regression equation was y = 2.5101x + 42.423. Selenium content of the diet above 0.1 mg x kg(-1) DM seems to supply adequate selenium requirements for dromedaries under intensive husbandry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. corbera@vet.ulpgc.es
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Corbera
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montel
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Montoya
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002162:Camelus / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium