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Hepatic marker enzymes, biochemical parameters and pathological effects in lambs experimentally infected with Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea)

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank M.P. del Pozo, C. Espiniella and M.L. Carcedo of the Estación Agrícola Experimental (CSIC) in León (Spain) for their technical assistance. We also thank P. Díez, L. Pérez and H. Fidalgo for taking care of and handling the animals. Moreover, we wish to express our gratitude to Dr. J. González-Gallego, Department of Physiology, University of León (León, Spain) for his advice during the study development. This study was supported by the Spanish CICYT (Projects nos. AGF92-0588 and AGL2001-1290). The experiments carried out with lambs in this study comply with current Spanish law on animal experimentation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Estación Agrícola Experimental, Apdo. 788, 24080 , León, Spain

    M. Y. Manga-González, R. Campo & C. González-Lanza

  2. Departamento de Patología Animal (Histología y Anatomía Patológica), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 , León, Spain

    M. C. Ferreras, V. Pérez & J. F. García-Marín

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  1. M. Y. Manga-González
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  2. M. C. Ferreras
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  3. R. Campo
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  4. C. González-Lanza
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  5. V. Pérez
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  6. J. F. García-Marín
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Correspondence to M. Y. Manga-González.

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Manga-González, M.Y., Ferreras, M.C., Campo, R. et al. Hepatic marker enzymes, biochemical parameters and pathological effects in lambs experimentally infected with Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea). Parasitol Res 93, 344–355 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1128-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-004-1128-2

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