Untersuchungen zum Fettstoffwechsel des Südlichen See-Elefanten (Mirounga leonina L.) in der Antarktis

• Main Author: Ramdohr, S.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2000
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica; Antarktis*; Elephant Seal; Elephant Seals; King George Island; Mirounga leonina; Polar Research; Southern Elephant Seal; Southern Elephant Seals; Weddell Seals
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/3487/; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.14072

Summary:In the present work certain parameters of the lipid metabolism of the Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) are investigated using biochemical and electrophoretical methods and electronmicroscopy. Further it will be discussed whether the results indicate that the lipid metabolism has been adapted specifically to the polar environment. Earlier investi-gations on Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) showed that in this species, choles-terol levels were comparatively high (400-1000 mg/dl), while levels of triacylglycerides were comparatively low (30-90mg/dl), despite high dietary fat intake. However, no evi-dence of arteriosclerotic degeneration was detected in the arteries of Weddell seals and one elephant seal studied. In humans, however, a number of epidemiological studies have indi-cated a strong correlation between disorders in the lipid metabolism and coronary disease. Therefore, a number of laboratory methods have been established for routine and specia-lised diagnostics in human medicine. In the present study a number of these methods were used for investigations on Southern elephant seals and discussed.Field studies were carried out during two expeditions in 1995/96 and 1996/97 to the German-Argentinian Dallmann field laboratory on King George Island, Antarctica. For blood sampling, adult seals were either immobilised with ketamin or a ketamine/xylazine combination. Juvenile seals were not immobilised. Three different methods of drug ad-ministration were used, depending on field conditions. Three of 79 immobilisations were terminated using yohimbine.Laboratory analyses were carried out in the field laboratory, in the Klinikum Groß-hadern (LMU München), and in the Anatomische Anstalt, Lehrstuhl II (LMU München).In total, 182 blood samples were obtained from 40 seals, from 4 different animal groups: lactating cows, sucking pups, weaned pups, and adult seals during the annual moult. Each of the following parameters were analysed regularly in the 4 animal groups (value profiles):1) ...