BIOCHEMICAL-STUDIES IN EXPERIMENTAL ASPERGILLOSIS IN GOATS - TISSUE-LIPIDS, PLASMA-LIPIDS, TOTAL PROTEIN AND TOTAL IMMUNOGLOBULIN

Biochemical changes in tissue and plasma lipids, plasma total protein and total immunoglobulin were studied in 25 goats during experimental aspergillosis. They were inoculated with 5 ml spores of Aspergillus fu migatus intravenously (i/v, 7 goats), intratracheally (i/t, 10 goats) and intramammarily (i/m, 8 lactating goats). Six control goats (2 in e ach group) were similarly inoculated with 5 ml sterile phosphate buffe red saline (PBS. pH 7.4) in their respective routes. Generalised along with pulmonary aspergillosis, pulmonary aspergillosis and mycotic mas titis in the right udder halves only developed in i/v, i/t and i/m gro ups respectively. All goats of i/v group died between 1 and 11 days po st-inoculation (DPI) and 2 goats each were killed at different interva ls in i/t and i/m groups. There was gradual and moderate decrease of t otal lipid, total phospholipids, total cholesterol and total free fatt y acids and increase of total glycerides in the lungs, kidneys, liver, heart and brain of i/v group. Similar but lesser decrease of lipid co mponents were observed in the lungs of i/t group and in the udder of i /m group. The other tissues of i/t and i/m groups did not show much va riation in lipid constituents. There was mild but insignificant decrea se of total lipids and its constituents in the plasma of 3 groups of g oats. Total plasma protein in all the 3 groups showed negligible chang es during the days of the experiment. Total immunoglobulin in the plas ma of goats increased gradually and significantly on the 6 DPI in i/v group and on 23 and 30 DPI in i/t group and showed no significant chan ges in the i/m group.