Abstract
This study aimed to determine the haematological and biochemical changes that occur in buffaloes with parturient haemoglobinuria (PHU). For this purpose, serum samples from 60 PHU- affected and 60 apparently healthy buffaloes were collected and analysed. Mean erythrocyte count (3.6 +/- 1.0 10(12)/l), haemoglobin concentration (5.8 +/- 1.4 g/dl), and haematocrit (16.9 +/- 2.8 %) of the PHU- affected buffaloes were lower (P < 0.001), while their erythrocyte sedimentation rate (104.1 +/- 36.2 mm/h) was higher (P < 0.001) in comparison to the healthy buffaloes. Neutrophils (43.0 +/- 4.5%), urea (49.7 +/- 7.8 mg/ dl) and creatinine (2.1 +/- 0.4 mg/ dl) concentrations were significantly higher in the PHU- affected buffaloes, while lymphocytes (48.7 +/- 2.9%) and erythrocytic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) (92.3 +/- 13.2 mU/10(9) TECs) were lower than in the healthy buffaloes. Serum phosphorus (1.9 +/- 0.6 mg/ dl) and copper (65.4 +/- 6.0 mu g/dl) were lower (P < 0.001), while molybdenum (171.5 +/- 56.7 mu g/dl) was higher in the PHU- affected buffaloes as compared to those values in the healthy buffaloes. It was concluded that PHU-affected buffaloes usually suffer from severe anaemia and hypophosphataemia, and erythrocytes with significantly reduced G6PD are prone to haemolysis, leading to haemoglobinuria in buffaloes.