title: Changes in some pregnancy biomarkers of Yankasa ewes experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi.
abstract: The study was designed to determine the effect of Trypanosoma evansi infection on some pregnancy biomarkers of Yankasa ewes (YE). Twenty pregnant YE were assigned into 3 groups (A, B and C) comprising 7 ewes each in groups A and B, while group C comprise 6 YE. Groups A and B were each inoculated with blood containing approximately 1.0 × 10(6) of T. evansi through the jugular vein on days 59 and 110 of pregnancy, representing second and third trimesters, respectively, while group C served as the uninfected control. Progesterone (P4) and pregnancy specific protein-B (PSPB) of YE in group A were significantly (p < 0.05) high at weeks 4 and 12 post infection (pi) respectively, while there was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in P4 and PSPB of YE in groups B. Estrone sulfate (E1S) significantly (p < 0.05) decrease for YE in group A at weeks 2 and 11 pi. However, it was not significantly (p > 0.05) different in group B. Cortisol concentration of YE in group A was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased at week 12 pi. Conversely, the cortisol concentration of YE in group B significantly (p < 0.05) increased at week 3 pi. There was no significant (p > 0.05) association among the pregnancy biomarkers of YE in groups A and B throughout the study, except between progesterone and cortisol in group B, which were significantly associated (r = 0.77, p < 0.05). It was therefore concluded that T. evansi infection affects pregnancy biomarkers more at mid pregnancy than at late pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Theriogenology and Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. Electronic address: adewale.adeyeye@udusok.edu.ng.
authors.forename: Adewale A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adeyeye
authors.affiliation: Department of Theriogenology and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Iyorhemba U
authors.initials: IU
authors.lastname: Ate
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Abah I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Lawal
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Sani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adamu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011374:Progesterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Obstetric disease; Pregnancy biomarker; Trypanosoma evansi; Yankasa ewe