Hepatic marker enzymes, biochemical parameters and pathological effects in lambs experimentally infected with Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea).
Hepatic enzymes and biochemical parameter values were analysed in the sera of 32 lambs: 12 infected with 1,000 Dicrocoelium dendriticum metacercariae, 12 with 3,000 and eight controls. Blood samples were collected at intervals of 30 days from day 0 post-infection (p.i.). Half the lambs in each group were slaughtered on days 60 and 180 p.i, respectively. A histopathological and ultrastructural study was carried out on the liver, gall bladder and hepatic lymph nodes of all animals. A minute increase was detected in the bilirubin (7%) and albumin (3%) values in the infected lambs (with 30-2,063 worms) in comparison with those of the controls. The hepatic enzyme values did increase, above all aspartate aminotransferase (19%) and alanine aminotransferase (22%), mainly in the lambs tested with 3,000 metacercariae (38% and 48%, respectively). The increase was significant 60 days p.i. The severity of the lesions was closely associated with the parasite burden.
Manga-González
M Y
MY
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Estación Agrícola Experimental, Apdo. 788, 24080 León, Spain. y.manga@eae.csic.es
Ferreras
M C
MC
Campo
R
R
González-Lanza
C
C
Pérez
V
V
García-Marín
J F
JF
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D004011:Dicrocoeliasis / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004013:Dicrocoelium / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D012709:Serum Albumin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin