Clinical and biochemical analysis of blood is used as an additional tool when assessing the health of animals and blood parameters may respond to the animal’s physiological state (Milner et al. 2003). According to the results of in vivo diagnosis of tuberculosis (the allergic method) and brucellosis (serological methods) of reindeer in the examined herd, no positively reacting animals were recorded, which indicates the well-being of the herd.
The results of the statistical analysis of reindeer blood parameters, examined in the summer period (August), are presented in Tables 2–3. Notably, in the examined animals, the total number of erythrocytes in the blood and the hematocrit volume were at the lower limit, while the proportion of lymphocytes in the white blood cell differential and the total number of platelets were at the upper limit of the values, obtained by some other researchers (Table 2) (Brysgalov 2017; Dieterich and Morton 1990). At the same time, the total number of platelets in younger males and females went beyond the upper limit of these indices, described in articles (Brysgalov 2017; Dieterich and Morton 1990).
Blood biochemical parameters of the examined deer were generally comparable with the published results of previous studies (Brysgalov 2017; Dieterich and Morton 1990; Miller et al. 2013). At the same time, attention is to be paid to the protein and mineral-electrolyte metabolism indices. Our result on the protein content in the reindeer blood serum of all sex and age groups agrees with Miller's results but was slightly lower or at the lower limit of the values reported by other researchers (Brysgalov 2017; Dieterich and Morton 1990; Johnson et al. 2010). The most likely reason for this difference is differences in diet and collection season (Miller et al. 2013). Indicators of mineral and electrolyte metabolism serve as important parameters for assessing the physiological state and health of animals (Meyer and Harvey 2007). In the examined deer of all groups, the content of potassium in the blood serum corresponded to the values, described early (Table 3). However, the content of serum sodium in animals of all sex and age groups was somewhat lower than the values, given for reindeer by other authors (Dieterich and Morton 1990; Miller et al. 2013). Notably, in this study the sodium content in the serum was below 110 mmol/L in about 30% of the examined deer (29 animals out of 97). Ratio distortion of base electrolytes in the blood serum can lead to water-electrolyte imbalance. In terms of calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the examined animals, it is necessary to pay attention to the content of serum phosphorus, the level of which in all sex and age groups was at the upper limit of the values by other research (Brysgalov 2017; Dieterich and Morton 1990; Miller et al. 2013).
Table 2
Parameters of peripheral blood and differential leucocyte count (M ± SE) for the reindeer in different groups.
Groups
|
WBC, 109/L
|
Lymphocytes, %
|
Band neutrophils, %
|
Segmented neutrophils, %
|
Eosinophils, %
|
Basophils, %
|
Monocytes, %
|
RBC, 1012/L
|
Hb, g/L
|
Ht, %
|
MCV, fL
|
MCH, pg
|
MCHC, g/L
|
PLT, 109/L
|
MPV, fL
|
RDW, %
|
cows
|
8.6 ± 1.0
|
49.5 ± 4.6
|
1.4 ± 0.7
|
41.8 ± 4.5
|
4.5 ± 1.5
|
1.7 ± 0.4
|
1.2 ± 0.6
|
8.2 ± 0.6
|
117.3 ± 8.9
|
36.0 ± 2.9
|
43.0 ± 1.1ac
|
14.9 ± 0.4a
|
342.4 ± 5.9
|
501.9 ± 70.4
|
4.8 ± 0.2
|
16.1 ± 0.3
|
heifers
|
6.7 ± 0.8
|
53.9 ± 3.9
|
0.8 ± 0.2
|
40.0 ± 4.0
|
3.1 ± 0.5
|
1.4 ± 0.3
|
0.8 ± 0.3
|
9.2 ± 0.3
|
132.2 ± 7.9
|
38.1 ± 3.5
|
40.7 ± 0.9ac
|
14.2 ± 0.3a
|
351.8 ± 6.5
|
505.6 ± 39.2
|
5.3 ± 0.3
|
16.6 ± 0.5
|
cow calves
|
9.2 ± 1.3
|
48.4 ± 5.0
|
1.2 ± 0.3
|
47.0 ± 5.0
|
1.6 ± 0.5
|
1.1 ± 0.4
|
0.8 ± 0.3
|
9.6 ± 0.6
|
135.6 ± 8.1
|
39.5 ± 3.8
|
38.0 ± 3.2bc
|
15.1 ± 1.0a
|
337.9 ± 4.9
|
612.3 ± 68.3
|
9.8 ± 3.6
|
15.2 ± 0.3
|
bulls (castrated)
|
8.1 ± 1.4
|
56.5 ± 3.6
|
0.9 ± 0.3
|
34.3 ± 3.5
|
5.1 ± 1.6
|
1.8 ± 0.5
|
1.4 ± 0.8
|
8.6 ± 0.5
|
127.3 ± 7.7
|
40.3 ± 2.9
|
46.5 ± 1.1a
|
16.7 ± 1.3a
|
341.1 ± 7.3
|
585.2 ± 58.3
|
4.7 ± 0.2
|
16.5 ± 0.3
|
stud bucks
|
10.8 ± 1.1
|
54.8 ± 3.5
|
1.6 ± 0.5
|
36.0 ± 3.2
|
5.0 ± 0.7
|
1.8 ± 0.4
|
0.8 ± 0.2
|
8.3 ± 0.6
|
132.5 ± 6.8
|
40.0 ± 2.3
|
44.8 ± 1.2a
|
15.3 ± 0.4a
|
343.2 ± 6.8
|
523.0 ± 60.1
|
5.6 ± 0.2
|
16.4 ± 0.3
|
bull calves
|
9.0 ± 0.7
|
47.5 ± 2.9
|
1.7 ± 0.3
|
43.3 ± 2.7
|
4.3 ± 0.8
|
2.2 ± 0.4
|
1.0 ± 0.2
|
9.8 ± 0.3
|
136.1 ± 3.7
|
42.7 ± 1.1
|
42.2 ± 0.6ac
|
14.1 ± 0.2a
|
332.0 ± 4.9
|
570.0 ± 24.9
|
5.2 ± 0.1
|
15.8 ± 0.3
|
buck calves
|
8.9 ± 0.6
|
54.2 ± 4.9
|
1.0 ± 0.3
|
39.9 ± 5.1
|
3.4 ± 1.4
|
0.8 ± 0.6
|
0.6 ± 0.2
|
10.2 ± 0.3
|
147.7 ± 3.5
|
44.1 ± 1.4
|
41.2 ± 0.3ac
|
13.9 ± 0.3b
|
330.0 ± 10.6
|
644.0 ± 56.4
|
4.8 ± 0.1
|
15.9 ± 0.2
|
References
(Bryzgalov 2017; Dieterich and Morton 1990; Miller et al. 2013)
|
1–10
|
9–50
|
35–87
|
0–10
|
0.5-5
|
0–5
|
9–14
|
145–211
|
39–57
|
40–55
|
15.0-17.5
|
351–384
|
74–603
|
3.4–6.9
|
13.0-16.4
|
Values with the different letters in the same column differ statistically significant at p < 0.05. |
Table 3
Biochemical blood parameters (M ± SE) for the reindeer in different groups.
Groups
|
ALP, U/L
|
ALT, U/L
|
AMY, U/L
|
TBIL, mg/dL
|
BUN, mg/dL
|
CRE, mg/dL
|
GLU, mg/dL
|
Ca, mg/dL
|
Ph, mg/dL
|
Na*, mM/L
|
K, mM/L
|
TP, g/dL
|
ALB,
g/dL
|
GLOB, g/dL
|
cows
|
193.5±
26.2a
|
33.00±
3.83
|
42.69±
5.48
|
0.34±
0.02
|
17.62±
2.37
|
0.55±
0.08
|
105.54±
13.59
|
7.58±
0.75
|
5.46±
0.64
|
133.4±
4.7
|
4.64±
0.41
|
5.24±
0.68
|
2.82±
0.32
|
2.46±
0.49
|
heifers
|
165.9±
16.1a
|
32.00±
3.21
|
63.14±
8.62
|
0.34±
0.01
|
24.86±
2.21
|
0.66±
0.07
|
105.57±
9.70
|
7.65±
0.50
|
5.22±
0.39
|
127.8±
3.9
|
4.34±
0.26
|
5.36±
0.42
|
2.95±
0.29
|
2.40±
0.24
|
cow calves
|
347.6±
32.1b
|
34.17±
3.35
|
68.00±
9.07
|
0.38±
0.02
|
21.67±
1.99
|
0.73±
0.06
|
113.83±
7.97
|
9.63±
0.43
|
7.93±
0.62
|
133.8±
2.2
|
5.87±
0.17
|
5.91±
0.32
|
3.75±
0.24
|
2.19±
0.20
|
bulls (castrated)
|
154.7±
15.9a
|
30.55±
2.92
|
41.36±
5.99
|
0.36±
0.02
|
23.91±
2.48
|
0.68±
0.08
|
83.64±
7.52
|
7.84±
0.60
|
6.20±
0.56
|
127.9±
3.6
|
4.45±
0.28
|
6.44±
0.63
|
3.10±
0.34
|
3.35±
0.32
|
stud bucks
|
129.3±
13.5ad
|
28.31±
1.61
|
94.38±
28.26
|
0.37±
0.02
|
25.08±
2.36
|
0.68±
0.04
|
85.08±
7.73
|
7.22±
0.55
|
6.51±
0.77
|
131.5±
2.8
|
4.38±
0.39
|
5.62±
0.57
|
2.85±
0.29
|
2.75±
0.30
|
bull calves
|
174.9±
19.7a
|
29.52±
2.41
|
92.14±
19.01
|
0.34±
0.02
|
24.00±
2.32
|
0.62±
0.06
|
107.38±
14.24
|
7.59±
0.68
|
6.90±
1.34
|
130.6±
5.2
|
4.18±
0.41
|
5.15±
0.64
|
3.01±
0.31
|
2.44±
0.37
|
buck calves
|
261.8±
28.9ac
|
28.62±
3.15
|
52.23±
11.76
|
0.37±
0.03
|
19.15±
1.83
|
0.71±
0.06
|
120.08±
12.96
|
8.42±
0.83
|
6.53±
0.52
|
132.9±
4.3
|
5.09±
0.37
|
4.97±
0.62
|
3.04±
0.38
|
1.94±
0.27
|
References (Bryzgalov 2017; Dieterich and Morton 1990; Miller et al. 2013)
|
100–483
|
8.2–77
|
12.8–76
|
0.06–0.39
|
29–41
|
1.67–2.59
|
16.4-269.1
|
6.38–14.83
|
4.53–5.61
|
137–153
|
2.60–5.94
|
5.20–8.32
|
3.93–5.04
|
-
|
Values with the different letters in the same column differ statistically significant at p < 0.05. * - sodium contents under 110 mM/L were discarded for calculating the mean and standard error. |
Concerning the age and sex characteristics of studied parameters, we observed no differences between males and females as well as between young and adult animals for most parameters. Although, in females under the age of two (female calves and heifers), the activity of serum amylase was slightly higher compared to females older than two years, which indicates a higher level of carbohydrate metabolism. In the blood serum of females under the age of one, an increased content of phosphorus was found, which indicates an intensive calcium-phosphorus metabolism. An indirect confirmation of this may be an increased (relative to the index of older females) activity of blood serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in these animals. Males under the age of one, as well as females, exhibited an increased activity of alkaline phosphatase in comparison with older animals (Table 3). This coincides with findings by Miller et al. (2013) that young males had more ALP values than older females of reindeer. High levels of phosphorus and ALP activities in blood can occur in young growing animals due to an intense bone formation (Meyer and Harvey 2007). The lowest content of serum globulins was found in males under the age of one (relative to the values in males of other age groups), which may indicate a decrease in their resistance to diseases. Moreover, in the group of males, a decrease in the content of serum glucose can be noted with age in bulls and studs (aged over three) – by 30% and 29% respectively, relative to the indicator of buck calves (age up to one year).
The absence of reference values of the studied parameters for different sex and age groups of reindeer makes it difficult to interpret the results. In general, the differences or features of the biochemical parameters in animals of the given herd of the Priuralsky district, found in this study, compared with the results by other studies, can be based on following reasons: breed characteristics, living conditions, seasonality, age characteristics, diseases, nutritional balance (Miller et al. 2013). A probable for the different content of protein and electrolytes in the blood of the examined deer is alimentary, associated with an unbalanced diet (excess or deficiency of certain minerals, hypovitaminosis of vitamin D, etc.). To correct possible disorders of protein and mineral metabolism in reindeer, it is necessary to carry out a more detailed study of blood biochemical parameters, that reflect these types of metabolism and their regulation. The studies also are to be supplemented with an analysis of the food supply. Although values described in this study were obtained by analysis of reindeer blood samples from one certain district and may be specific for one given month (August) we represent data that might be useful to establish baseline hematologic and biochemical reference ranges for domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus L. in the Russian north.