Blood composition of the reindeer . II. Blood chemistry

• Published in: Rangifer
• Main Authors: Mauri Nieminen, Jouni Timisjärvi
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Septentrio Academic Publishing 1983
• Subjects: reindeer; blood composition; blood chemistry; Animal culture; SF1-1100; Northern Finland; Rangifer
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7557/2.3.1.464; https://doaj.org/article/1fc3a72260424381ac5ce0cf03932859

The blood chemical composition of 578 semi-domestic reindeer were investigated in respect to age, season, calving and nutrition in Northern Finland during 1973-79. The weight gain was maximally 400 g/day at an age of 4-8 weeks as also reflected by high serum thyroxine (T4), alkaline phosphatase (SAP), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and blood glucose values. Low SAP activity in winter indicated a cessation of growth. The pH of the venous blood was 7.35 and the clotting activity very high (21 sec, 100 %) in summer and autumn. 15 protein bands and 15 fatty acids were discernible in reindeer serum. The total serum protein was 58 g/1 in the 20-day-old calf and 87 g/1 in adult hind in the autumn, the difference being caused by changes in globulins. The neonatal fluctuation of immunoglobulins suggests that the calf acquires its passive immunity soon after birth by the intestinal absorption of proteins and that its endogenous synthesis of gamma globulins begins in the 4th week of life. The serum total lipids (2.9 g/1), triglycerides (0.29 mmol/1) and cholesterol (1.6 mmol/1) were low in newborn calves and reached their adult levels at the age of 5 months (average 5.1 g/1, 0.4 mmol/1, 2.7 mmol/1, respectively). The young calves had higher serum cholesterol, total and free fatty acid, myristic acid and palmitic acid, but lower stearic and oleic acid values than adult hinds. The reindeer calf liberates considerable amounts of catecholamines during the first days after birth, but the postpartum dopamine-B-hydroxylase activity was rather low. The means of blood glucose (3.4-4.6 mmol/1), total serum proteins (63 - 87 g/1), albumin (39 - 43 g/1), total globulins (23 - 44 g/1), urea (5.7-9 mmol/1), total lipids (2.7 - 5.2 g/1), triglycerides (0.17 - 0.33 mmol/1), total fatty acids (0.89 - 1.54 g/1), calcium (2.2 - 2.6 mmol/1), inorganic phosphorus (1.6 - 2.2 mmol/1), magnesium (0.8 - 1.2 mmol/1) and copper (6.7 - 18 |Jmol/l) of free-grazing adult hinds were highest in summer and autumn and decreased during winter. The lowest ...