infection of sheep with strongyloides papillosus: the effect of intensity of parasitic infection as well as therapy with albendazole on certain biochemical parameters in the blood of sheep

The objective of this work was to investigate certain biochemical parameters in the blood of sheep in conditions of different intensity of parasitic infection with Strongyloides papillosus, and also after the therapy with albendazole. The research was carried out on the sheep of Wurtemberg breed (n = 30) in which there was determined low, medium and high intensity of parasitic infection with S. papillosus. The control group (n = 10) consisted of the sheep that were negative to the presence of the parasitic infection. The degree and type of changes were monitored by determining the concentration of glucose, total protein, albumin, Albumin/Globulin ratio, AST, urea, total bilirubin, calcium, phosphorus, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) total activity and isoenzyme distribution LDH1-5. On the basis of the obtained results it was concluded, through isoenzyme distribution of lactate dehydrogenase, that parasitic infection with S. papillosus can cause damage to the liver, heart muscle and lungs, while after the therapy with albendazole, the most affected organ is the liver. The concentration of glucose, total protein and albumin linearly decreased with the increase of intensity of the parasitic infection (p < 0,05), and after the therapy with albendazole, a drop in concentration of these parameters was at a statistically significantly higher level (p< 0,01). AST activity as well as the concentration of urea and total bilirubin grew linearly along with the intensity of the parasitic infection (p < 0,05). After the therapy with ABZ, AST activity and concentration of total bilirubin were at a statistically significantly higher level (p < 0,001), while urea concentration kept the same level as in the case of the parasitic infection. The values of calcium concentration (p > 0,05) as well as phosphorus (p < 0,05) linearly decreased with the parasitic infection intensity growth. Trend towards the decline of the concentration of these macroelements continues even after the therapy with albendazole (p < 0,001). Considering our previous research in the field of oxidative stress, a phenomenon that is fundamentally related to the changes determined in this work, we strongly recommend that besides antihelmintics, preparations with antioxidative properties should be used in antiparasitic protocols as well.