The Blood of Sheep : Composition and Function

The purpose of this monograph is to bring together in one volume some of the more recent knowledge of the cellular and biochemical constit­ uents of sheep's blood. Limitations of the space available have precluded a complete discus­ sion, but a number of good reviews have been published within the last few years on certain specific aspects and these have been referred to in the extensive bibliography. There is inevitably some overlap in the material discussed arising from duplication of interest and from the close association of the subject matter. The authors were asked to discuss normal values and the changes brought about in these by physiological stresses, particularly those imposed by pregnancy, age, lactation, and changing nutrition. In some cases, where it was considered suJtable, the response to certain pathological conditions have also been discussed. It is hoped that the monograph will be of value to those using sheep in comparative research into veterinary and human medicine as well as to students of ruminant physiology. Wellington/New Zealand, April 1975 M. H. BLUNT Table of Contents Distribution and Dynamics of Body Fluids in Sheep W.V. MACFARLANE. With 1 Figure .................................. . Introduction .................................................... .

Distribution and Dynamics of Body Fluids in Sheep.- A. Energy, Water, Salt Relations.- I. Water.- II. Water Compartments.- 1. Total Body Water.- 2. Extracellular Volume.- Extracellular Volume in Sheep.- 3. Plasma Protein Space.- 4. Blood Volume.- a) Blood Volume and the Spleen.- b) Blood Volume in the Feto-Placental Unit.- B. Dynamics of Fluid Spaces.- I. Adult Fluid Spaces.- II. Total Body Water and Water Turnover.- C. Factors Modulating Body Composition and Water Turnover.- I. Genetics and Breed.- II. Seasonal Pasture.- III. Age and Fluid Distribution.- IV. Impact of Environment on Extracellular Components.- 1. Latitude.- 2. Effects of Blood Intake.- 3. Nutrition.- 4. Pregnancy.- 5. Lactation.- 6. Adaptation.- 7. Salt Pastures.- 8. Removal of Insulation.- 9. Starvation.- 10. Dehydration.- D. Summary.- References.- Cellular Elements of Ovine Blood.- A. Embryonic Development.- B. Fetus.- C. Birth to Maturity.- D. Adult Values.- I. Bone Marrow.- II. Peripheral Blood.- 1. Erythrocyte.- a) Erythrocyte Values.- b) Some Properties of Ovine Red Cells.- c) Genetic Control of Erythrocyte Numbers.- d) Production of Erythrocytes.- ?) Hormonal Control.- ?) Nutritional Requirements.- ?) Environmental Factors.- e) Lifespan and Destruction.- 2. Leukozyte Values.- 3. Platelets and Blood Coagulation.- References.- Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism.- A. Composition of Plasma of Fed Adult Sheep.- I. Carbohydrate, Polyols and Water-Soluble Acids.- II. Lipids.- III. Long-Chain Fatty Acids.- IV. Enzymes in Plasma.- B. Cellular Elements in the Adult Sheep.- I. Carbohydrate.- Metabolism.- II. Lipids.- III. Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA).- IV. Factors Affecting Erythrocyte Composition.- C. Factors Affecting Plasma Composition.- I. Fasting.- II. Dietary Change.- III. Pregnancy.- IV. Lactation.- V. Other Factors.- 1. Seasonal Variation.- 2. Reproductive Cycle.- 3. Hormones.- 4. Stress.- 5. Concentration of Plasma Metabolites at Different Sites.- VI. Changes Related to the Age of the Animal.- 1. Fetus.- 2. The Young Lamb.- References.- Mineral Metabolism.- A. Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium.- I. Normal Metabolism of Calcium.- 1. Distribution in the Blood.- 2. Factors Affecting the Concentration of Calcium in Serum and Plasma.- a) Effect of Age.- b) Effect of Pregnancy, Parturition and Lactation.- c) Effect of Genotype.- d) Effect of Diet and Feeding.- e) Effect of Stress.- f) Effect of Sampling Site.- 3. Kinetics.- 4. Homeostasis.- II. Normal Metabolism of Phosphorus.- 1. Distribution in the Blood.- 2. Factors Affecting the Concentration of Inorganic Phosphorus in Blood, Serum and Plasma.- a) Effect of Age.- b) Effect of Pregnancy, Parturition and Lactation.- c) Effect of Genotype.- d) Effect of Diet and Feeding.- e) Effect of Stress.- f) Effect of Sampling Site.- 3. Kinetics.- 4. Homeostasis.- III. Normal Metabolism of Magnesium.- 1. Distribution in the Blood.- 2. Factors Affecting the Concentration of Magnesium in Serum and Plasma.- a) Effect of Age.- b) Effect of Pregnancy, Parturition and Lactation.- c) Effect of Genotype.- d) Effect of Diet and Feeding.- e) Effect of Stress.- f) Effect of Sampling Site.- 3. Kinetics.- 4. Homeostasis.- IV. Disturbances of Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium Metabolism.- 1. Lambs.- 2. Pregnant Ewes.- 3. Lactating Ewes.- 4. Other.- B. Trace Elements.- I. Cobalt.- II. Copper.- 1. Distribution in the Blood.- 2. Factors Influencing the Concentration of Copper in the Blood, Serum and Plasma.- a) Effect of Age.- b) Effect of Pregnancy, Parturition and Lactation.- c) Effect of Genotype.- d) Effect of Diet and Feeding.- e) Effect of Stress.- f) Effect of Irradiation.- 3. Kinetics and Homeostasis.- III. Fluorine.- IV. Iodine.- V. Iron.- VI. Lead.- VII. Selenium.- VIII. Silica.- IX. Zinc.- Hormones.- A. Pituitary Hormones.- I. Growth Hormone (GH).- II. Prolactin.- III. Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH).- IV. Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH).- V. Lipotrophic Hormone (LPH).- VI. Thyrotrophic Hormone (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, TSH).- VII. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH).- VIII. Luteinizing Hormone (LH).- IX. Oxytocin and Arginine Vasopressin.- B. Pancreatic Hormones.- I. Insulin.- II. Glucagon.- C. Thyroid Hormones.- Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine.- D. Gastro-Intestinal Hormones.- I. Gastrin.- II. Secretin.- III. Cholecystokinin (Pancreozymin).- IV. Enteroglucagon (Gut Glucagon).- V. Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP).- VI. Gastric Inhibitory Peptide (GIP).- VII. Motilin.- E. Adrenal Corticosteroid Hormones.- I. Cortisol and Corticosterone.- II. Aldosterone and Deoxycorticosterone.- F. Gonadal Hormones.- I. Oestrogens.- II. Phyto-Oestrogens.- III. Progesterone.- IV. Androgens.- V. Relaxin.- VI. Placental Lactogen.- VII. Prostaglandins.- VIII. Interrelation of Hormones during the Oestrous Cycle in the Sheep.- IX. Interrelations of Hormones during Pregnancy and Parturition.- G. Biogenic Amines.- I. Catecholamines.- II. Indoleamines.- III. Histamine.- H. Renin and Angiotensin.- I. Bradykinin.- J. Erythropoietin.- K. Calcitrophic Hormones.- I. Parathyroid Hormone (PTH).- II. Calcitonin.- L. Somatomedin.- References.- Genetic Markers in the Plasma and Red Blood Cells.- A. Plasma.- I. Albumin.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- II. Pre-Albumin.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- III. Transferrin.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- IV. Esterase.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- V. Alkaline Phosphatase.- General.- VI. Allotypes.- 1. General.- a) ?2-Macroglobulin.- b) ?-L ipopr ote in.- c) Immunoglobulin.- d) Other Allotypes.- 2. Frequencies.- B. Red Blood Cells.- I. Red-Cell (Blood-Group) Antigens.- 1. General.- 2. ‘Natural’ Blood-Group Systems.- a) R-O System.- b) Other ‘Naturally-Occurring’ Antibodies.- 3. ‘Immune’ Blood-Group System.- a) A System.- b) C System.- c) M System.- d) D System.- e) B System.- f) X-Z System.- 4. Other Serological Types.- 5. Blood Transfusion.- 6. Frequencies.- II. Haemoglobin.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- III. Carbonic Anhydrase.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- IV. ‘X’ Protein.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- V. Diaphorase.- General.- VI. Potassium Types.- 1. General.- 2. Effect of Anti-L on Active Potassium Transport in LK-Type Cells.- 3. Complement Lysis.- 4. Frequencies.- VII. Lysine and Ornithine.- General.- VIII. Reduced Glutathione.- 1. General.- 2. Frequencies.- References.- The Haemoglobins of Sheep.- A. Ontogeny.- I. Embryonic Haemoglobin.- II. Fetal Haemoglobin.- III. Haemoglobin C.- B. Haemoglobino in Hypoxia.- I. Kinetics of Hb-C Production.- 1. Anaemia.- 2. Altitude.- II. Cellular Changes Associated with Hb-C Production.- III. Hb-C in Other Species.- C. General Properties.- I. Electrophoresis.- II. Chromatography.- III. Antibody Formation.- IV. Acid Elution.- V. Solubility.- VI. Denaturation.- D. Primary Structures.- I. The ? Chains.- 1. Domestic Sheep.- 2. Other Caprini Species.- II. The ?C Chain.- 1. Domestic Sheep.- 2. Other Caprini Species.- III. The ? Chains.- IV. The ? Chains.- 1. Domestic Sheep.- 2. Goat.- 3. Aoudad.- E. Genetic Control and Synthesis.- I. Ontogeny.- II. Genetic Control.- III. Synthesis by Dormant Structural Genes.- 1. In vitro Studies.- 2. Hormonal Control.- 3. Role of Erythropoietin.- F. Functional Properties.- I. Oxygen Equilibria.- 1. Sheep.- 2. Goats.- 3. Other Caprini Species.- 4. Haemoglobin C.- 5. 2, 3-Diphosphoglycerate.- 6. Fetal Haemoglobin.- II. Cardiovascular Relationship.- References.- The Ovine Immune System.- A. Nomenclature of sleep Immunoglobulins.- B. General Properties of the Sheep Immunoglobulin Classes.- I. IgM.- II. IgG.- III. IgA.- IV. IgE.- V. IgD.- C. Origin of the Ovine Immunoglobulins.- D. The Ontogeny of the Ovine Humoral Responses.- E. The Phylogeny of the Ovine Immunoglobulins: Evolution of the Class-Defining Antigens.- F. Future Studies.- References.- Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Ovine Anaemias.- A. Parasitic Anaemias.- I. Helminthic.- 1. Trematodes.- a) Fascioliasis.- b) Schistosomiasis.- 2. Nematodes.- a) Haemonchosis.- b) Other Abomasal Parasites Causing Anaemia.- c) Parasites of the Small and Large Intestine.- II. Arthropod.- III. Protozoal.- a) Trypanosomiasis.- b) Babesiosis.- c) Anaplasmosis.- d) Eperythrozoonosis.- e) Theileriasis.- B. Bacterial Anaemias.- a) Clostridial.- b) Leptospiral.- C. Toxigenic Anaemias.- a) Copper.- b) Brassica.- c) Onion.- d) Bracken.- D. Mineral Deficiency Anaemias.- a) Copper.- b) Cobalt.- E. General Conclusions.- References.