Metabolic and endocrine characteristics of pregnancy toxemia in the ferret

A. Prohaczik, M. Kulcsar and Gy. Huszenicza
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A. Prohaczik: Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent Istvan University, Budapest, Hungary
M. Kulcsar: Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent Istvan University, Budapest, Hungary
Gy. Huszenicza: Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent Istvan University, Budapest, Hungary

Veterinární medicína, 2009, vol. 54, issue 2, 75-80

Abstract: Metabolic and endocrine characteristics of pregnancy toxemia are well documented in small ruminants, but less known in other species. The objective of this study was to measure plasma levels of certain metabolites and metabolic hormones related to the energetic status in blood from sick and healthy, non-pregnant (control) ferrets. Blood was collected from moribund, hypothermic, late pregnant females suffering from pregnancy toxemia (n = 4) and from healthy female ferrets (n = 14) to measure glucose, ketone (βOH-butyrate, BHB), insulin, thyroxine (T4) and 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations. In contrast to healthy animals, hypoglycemia, hyperketonemia, hypoinsulinemia and decreased T4 and T3 levels were detected in females with pregnancy toxemia and necropsy showed excessive hepatic lipidosis. In summary, it can be concluded that pregnancy toxemia caused by a negative energy balance in ferrets resembles the late-gestational hyperketonemia of twin-pregnant ewes, and moreover that similar endocrine changes may occur.

Keywords: gestational ketosis; insulin; thyroxine (T4); 3; 3'; 5-triiodo-thyronine (T3) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlvet:v:54:y:2009:i:2:id:19-2009-vetmed

DOI: 10.17221/19/2009-VETMED

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