STUDIES ON RELEVANT METABOLISM PARAMETERS IN BLOOD-PLASMA OF HIGHLY PREGNANT AND NONPREGNANT EWES

From 38 healthy ewes (20 nonpregnant, 18 pregnant) of different flocks and two races (Blackhead Mutton and Merino sheep) concentrations of g lucose, ketones, triglycerides, cholesterine and urea in blood plasma were determined to prove if there were any differences between pregnan t ewes in the last nine days before parturition and nonpregnant ones. In nonpregnant ewes plasma values of glucose were significantly higher than those of clinical inapparent pregnant ones with twins in the las t four days before parturition. Blood values of beta-hydroxybutyrate a nd cholesterine, partly of triglycerides too, were significantly highe r in late pregnant ewes with one or two fetuses. In contrast, concentr ations of alpha-ketoglutarate and urea showed no significant differenc es between both groups, pregnant and nonpregnant ewes. The determinati on of blood plasma concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate, triglycerid e and cholesterine, as well as glucose in the case of twin-pregnancy, can provide an important information to estimate the animal's state of metabolism in late pregnancy.