HEPATIC-METABOLISM IN EWES LOADED BY FLY-ASH FROM THE ZINC AND COPPERWORKS

As part of laboratory diagnostics of experimental zinc intoxication fr om a source of industrial fumes from the zinc and copper works, hepati c metabolism was studied in 12 ewes determining serum activities of as partate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gammaglutamyl tran speptidase, creatine phosphokinase, concentrations of total bilirubin, total proteins, albumin, total immunoglobulins, triglycerides, total lipids and cholesterol. The fly ash uptake amounted to 31.99 g, which represented 6 158.07 mg Zn, and 93.41 mg Zn from feed per head/day. Th e first animal died of zinc intoxication on experimental day 42, the l ast on experimental day 58. Blood samples for analytical purposes were taken from all animals before the first administration of fly ash, th en on experimental days 8, 15, 23, 37, 44 and 58. The activity of aspa rtate aminotransferase increased by more than 100% at the end of the e xperiment in experimental ewes in comparison with the initial values. The activities of alanine aminotransferase and gammaglutamyl transpept idase in experimental animals did not show any significant relations t o the test fly ash. The highest activity of creatine phosphokinase in experimental ewes was observed at the end of experiment, and it was st atistically higher in comparison with the control (P < 0.05). Signific antly higher concentrations of total bilirubin in blood serum of exper imental ewes in comparison with the control were determined on days 8, 23 (P < 0.05), 37 (P < 0.001), 44 and 58 (P < 0.01). Disorders of the proteosynthetic activity of hepatocytes reflected differences in the content of serum albumin between the experimental and control group fr om day 8 to day 58 at the significance level P < 0.01 and P < 0.001. T he differences in the concentrations of serum proteins, immunoglobulin s, triglycerides, total lipids and cholesterol between the experimenta l and control ewes were not explicitly related to applications of zinc fly ash, and the recorded values were within the physiological range in both groups of animals. The experimental results showed that the di sorders of hepatic metabolism in ewes during zinc intoxication from a source of fly ash from the zinc and copper works were most significant ly reflected by the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and concent rations of total bilirubin and albumin. The increase in creatine phosp hatase activity in experimental ewes indicated injuries to muscular an d nerve tissues.