Va. Lance et al., Hyperlipidemia and reproductive failure in captive-reared alligators: vitamin E, vitamin A, plasma lipids, fatty acids, and steroid hormones, COMP BIOC B, 128(2), 2001, pp. 285-294
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Biochemistry & Biophysics
Journal title
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Blood samples were collected from 26 captive-reared alligators (25 females;
one male) and 12 (seven females and five males) wild 'nuisance' alligators
collected by wildlife personnel in south Louisiana in May 1995. The captiv
e alligators, hatched from artificially incubated eggs in 1972-1973, had re
ceived vitamin E supplements during the 3 weeks before the blood sample was
collected. Each sample was analyzed for vitamin E (alpha -tocopherol), vit
amin A (retinol) total lipid, triacylglycerol, phospholipid, cholesterol, c
holesteryl ester, free fatty acids, steroid hormones and a standard clinica
l blood panel. The fatty acid composition of the plasma lipid fraction was
also analyzed. Results indicated that 18 of the captive females and three o
f the seven wild females were undergoing vitellogenesis, i.e. had elevated
plasma estradiol and elevated plasma calcium. Vitellogenic females had high
er vitamin E than non-vitellogenic females (77.4 mug/ml vs. 28.6 mug/ml in
captive females, 24.0 mug/ml vs. 21 mug/ml in wild females). Plasma retinol
was similar in all groups, ranging from 0.5 to 1.4 mug/ml and close to val
ues reported in birds. All lipid fractions. with the exception of cholester
yl ester, were higher in captive alligators than in wild alligators. There
were also significant differences in the fatty acid composition of wild and
captive alligators. Plasma eicosapentaenoic and docasahexaenoic acid were
higher in wild than in captive alligators, whereas linoleic was higher in c
aptive than in wild. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.