Blood metabolites of one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) versus sheep during summer heat stress

BACKGROUND: Camel and sheep have high disperse and tolerancein tropical regions. But different results of harsh conditiontolerance ability of them have been reported. OBJECTIVES:The objective of this study was to determine the heat stress tolerancein camel and sheep by evaluating changes in blood serummetabolites and to report and compare the serum biochemicalprofile of sheep and camel during long heat stress of warmsummer. METHODS: In this experiment, blood metabolites ofcamel and sheep were taken and compared with each other infour consecutive months during warm months (high summer).RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the valuesof urea, glucose, total protein, albumin, phosphors, calcium,ALT, ALP, uric acid, cholesterol, triglyceride, total bilirubin,and LDH of sheep and camels. Overall urea, glucose, total protein,albumin, phosphors, and calcium values were significantlyhigher in camels compared to sheep (p<0.01). Oppositely,sheep had significant higher values for uric acid, cholesterol,triglyceride, total bilirubin, and LDH (p<0.01). However ASTand creatinine were not significantly different between sheepand camels. CONCLUSIONS: Sheep sensitivity to heat stresswas appeared in increasing in uric acid, cholesterol, triglyceride,total bilirubin, and LDH values compared to camel; so asit might be told sheep had more lipolysis-pattern during heatstress; their high blood LDH and total bilirubin were signs ofred blood cell rupture or liver damage; and significant higherblood uric acid value in sheep makes them susceptive to a kidneyproblem such as gout.

Keywords:

metabolite , heat stress , sheep , camel