EFFECT OF PROLONGED DRINKING SALINE WATER ON THE BLOOD PICTURE OF GROWING LAMBS

E., EL-HASSANEIN; A., EL-SHERIF

doi:10.21608/vmjg.1996.376548

EFFECT OF PROLONGED DRINKING SALINE WATER ON THE BLOOD PICTURE OF GROWING LAMBS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Dept. Animal and Poultry Physiol, Desert Res. Center, Mataryia, Cairo, Egypt.

10.21608/vmjg.1996.376548

Abstract

Twenty-four male Barki lambs, at an average 10.4 + 0.1 months of age and 26.0 + 0.8 kg. body weight, were equally divided into two groups: one of which was used as a control (fresh-water treated) group while the other one was used as a saline (13.1 g / TDS) treated group. Drinking saline water was prepared by daily dilution of sea water. (39.3 g / TDS). The experiment extended from December 1992 to September 1994 (21 months). Anticoagulated blood samples were collected pretreatment (zero-time), thereafter at monthly intervals for six months and every three months during the rest period of treatment.
The results reflected that successive growth of fresh-water treated lambs was accompanied by a
tendency of increasing in red blood cells (RBCs), segmented neutrophils (SN), eosinophils (EOS), basophils (BAS) and lymphocytes (LYM) counts. Packed cells volume (PCV) and hemoglobin concentration (HB) showed the same trend by advancing age. However, monocytes (Mon) counts showed a reverse trend where it tended to decline by advancing age.
Although saline-treated rams showed a hemodilution phase during the first six months of treatment, they could keep the concentration of HB relatively high due to its increased concentration within the cells. However, after six months of treatment, saline-treated rams showed higher rates of elevation in RBCs, PCV, HB, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) than the control corresponding values and this trend predominated during the rest period of treatment. This coincided with a marked reduction in the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of saline-treated rams than the control values
from 6th month of treatment up to the 21st month. The results might reflect a hemoconcentration phase, in addition to the noticeable shrinkage in the red cells, following the long-term saline treatment of rams.
Saline-treated rams showed a marked reduction in WBCs, SN, EOS, BAS and LYM as compared with that of the control values from the 6th month of treatment up to the 21st month. This coincided with a marked increase in band neutrophils (BN) and MON than the control values.

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