USE OF CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS ISOELECTRIC-FOCUSING FOR THE DETERMINATION OF BOVINE HEMOGLOBIN-VARIANTS

A capillary electrophoretic technique was developed to monitor pattern s of hemoglobin production in young calves subjected to multiple phleb otomies. The method is similar to one previously described for the det ermination of human hemoglobin variants in whole blood using isoelectr ic focusing. After a single collection of one-half the circulating blo od volume, there were obvious alterations in hemoglobin chain variants . HbA levels diminished as blood loss increased with minimum values co rresponding to maximum blood loss. HbF levels did not appear to be aff ected. Also visible during the regenerative process were atypical over lapping peaks preceding the normal hemoglobin peaks. At the conclusion of the 18-day study, most of the electropherograms had returned to in itial states. These changes were found to be a sensitive indicator of accelerated erythropoiesis in contrast to the standard technique of to tal hemoglobin determination by colorimetric means.