Sk. Chugh et al., LOWERED ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF RED-BLOOD-CELLS IN POSTPARTURIENT HEMOGLOBINURIA OF BUFFALOS, Veterinary research communications, 22(6), 1998, pp. 385-388
The antioxidant status of the red blood cells of buffaloes (n = 20) su
ffering from post-parturient haemoglobinuria (PPH) was assessed by com
paring their tocopherol (vitamin E) and reduced glutathione contents w
ith those of red blood cells from apparently healthy buffaloes (n = 20
). The red cell tocopherol content of the diseased buffaloes (1.76 +/-
0.11 mu g/ml) was significantly (p < 0.01) lower than that of healthy
buffaloes (2.45 +/- 0.14 mu g/ml). This may be the first report compa
ring the concentration of tocopherol in the red blood cells of buffalo
es suffering from PPH and apparently healthy buffaloes. There was a dr
astic reduction in the reduced glutathione content in the red cells of
haemoglobinuric buffaloes (23.74 +/- 2.86 mg%) compared to the health
y control buffaloes (73.71 +/- 3.87 mg%). The diseased buffaloes also
exhibited severe hypophosphataemia. These findings suggest that an imp
aired or insufficient antioxidant potential of the red blood cells in
this disease in buffaloes is associated with the phosphorus deficiency
.