[Evaluation of correlation between serum vitamin E status and the erythrocyte osmotic fragility in sheep]

ABSTRACT

Evaluation of serum vitamin E status and its correlation with erythrocyte osmotic fragility in sheep. Observational study. Sheep. Blood samples were collected from 223 clinically healthy sheep from different ages of Gezel and Makoei breeds. The animals were assigned into 3 age groups less than 1 year, 1 to 2 years and >2 years old. Serum vitamin E concentrations were determined using HPLC method. Osmotic fragility test [OFT] was carried out by preparing hypotonic saline solution. Mean corpuscular fragility [MCF] was assessed by OFT. Data was analyzed by SPSS, using one-way analysis of variance [Duncan's test]. Regression correlation analysis was used to estimate an appropriate equation. Mean and standard deviation of serum vitamin E in sheep less than 1 year, between 1-2 years and >2 years old were 20.78 +/- 1.46, 23.31 +/- 0.82 and 23.31 +/- 0.82 microg/ml and for MCF were 0.52 +/- 0.018, 0.47 +/- 0.018 and 0.49+/- 0.014 g/dl, respectively. Comparison of the means among three groups showed significant differences [P<0.001] for both vitamin E and MCF values. Regression correlation analysis showed that rising the age of the animals increased vitamin E Levels [r=0.64, P<0.001] and decreased MCF values [r=-0.70, P<0.001]. There was a negative correlation between vitamin E and MCF values [r=-0.91, P<0.001]. According to this finding, estimated regression equation for vitamin could be as Y= -48.24X + 46.20 [r2= 0.83, P<0.001]; Y = Vit.E [microg/ml], X = MCF [g/dl]. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that OFT [MCF] is a cheap and easy method for evaluation of vitamin E status in sheep