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Studies of Selenium Deficiency in the Wumeng Semi-Fine Wool Sheep

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Abstract

Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep are affected by a disease, characterized by emaciation, stiffness and trembling of the limbs, weakness and inability to stand, and sudden death. The objective of the study was to determine possible relationships between the disease and mineral deficiencies. Samples of wool, blood, and liver were collected from affected and healthy sheep. Samples of soil and forage were collected from affected and unaffected areas. The samples were used for hematological and biochemical analyses and mineral nutrient measurements. Results showed that selenium concentrations in forage and soil samples from affected areas were significantly lower than those from unaffected areas (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, selenium concentrations of wool, blood, and liver from the affected sheep were also significantly lower than those from the healthy sheep (P < 0.01). The mean concentration of hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) from the affected sheep were significantly lower than those from the healthy sheep (P < 0.01). Serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity in the affected sheep were significantly lower than those in the healthy sheep (P < 0.01). Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) values in the affected sheep were significantly higher than those in the healthy sheep (P < 0.01). Serum concentrations of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and triiodothyronine (TT3) in the affected sheep were significantly lower than those in the healthy sheep; serum concentrations of free tetraiodothyronine (FT4) and tetraiodothyronine (TT4) in the affected sheep were significantly higher than those in the healthy sheep (P < 0.01). But the administration of selenium and vitamin E by hypodermic injection prevented and cured the disease. The injection contains 0.1% and 5% of sodium selenite and vitamin E, respectively. A single dose is 6, 6, and 2 mL for mature ewe, mature ram, and lamb, respectively, repeated only once 15 days later. This study demonstrated that the disorder of Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep was mainly caused by the selenium deficiency in soil and forage.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Project of National Key Research and Development Program of China in 13th Five-year Plan (2016YFC0502601), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41671041), and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Southwest University of Science and Technology (17zx7146).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China

    Bin Huo, Ting Wu, Chunjie Song & Xiaoyun Shen

  2. State Engineering Technology Institute for Karst Desertification Control, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Xiaoyun Shen

  3. World Bank Poverty Alleviation Project Office in Guizhou, Southwest China, Guiyang, 550004, China

    Xiaoyun Shen

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  1. Bin Huo
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  2. Ting Wu
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  3. Chunjie Song
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Correspondence to Xiaoyun Shen.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics Statement

The Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep used in these studies were cared as per outlined in the Guide for the Care and Use of Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching Consortium (Federation of Animals Science Societies, 2010). Sample collections in animals were approved by Southwest University of Science and Technology in China, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Project A00556).

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Huo, B., Wu, T., Song, C. et al. Studies of Selenium Deficiency in the Wumeng Semi-Fine Wool Sheep. Biol Trace Elem Res 194, 152–158 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01751-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01751-1

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