title: Cardiac biomarker changes in camels (Camelus dromedarius) secondary to road transportation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about cardiac biomarkers in camels despite their extensive use as draft animals. This study was designed to establish reference ranges for the cardiac biomarkers cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and creatine kinase myocardial b fraction (CK-MB) in healthy camels and to investigate their changes in response to road transportation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five healthy camels transported for a 5 h round-trip journey.
  
  
  METHODS
  None of the camels had evidence of cardiac abnormalities on cardiac auscultation, echocardiography or electrocardiography. Three blood samples were obtained from each camel: 24 h before transportation (T0), within 2 h after unloading (T1) and 24 h after transportation (T2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean cTnI concentration in the camels was 0.032 ± 0.023 ng/mL. All the camels had resting cTnI concentrations of <0.08 ng/mL. At T1, the cTnI concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in all 25 camels compared to values at T0. The CK-MB concentration in the camels was 0.19 ± 0.05 ng/mL. All the camels had resting CK-MB concentrations of <0.33 ng/mL. At T1, the CK-MB concentration was higher in 3/25 camels compared to values at both T0 and T2. Concerning the hematobiochemical variables, significant increases were detected at T1 in total white blood cells, total protein, globulin, magnesium and phosphorus. Cardiac troponin I, CK-MB and all the hematobiochemical parameters had returned to their pre-transport values at T2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  5 h road transportation might have transient adverse effects on the cardiac muscle of healthy camels.
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Tharwat
authors: Fahd
authors: F
authors: Al-Sobayil
authors: Sébastien
authors: S
authors: Buczinski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002162:Camelus / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D014186:Transportation; D019210:Troponin I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019210:Troponin I