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Effectiveness of α‐tocopherol and selenium supplements in preventing lupinosis‐associated myopathy in sheep
Author(s) -
SMITH GM,
ALLEN JG
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1997.tb15707.x
Subject(s) - vitamin e , selenium , myopathy , vitamin , tocopherol , medicine , intramuscular injection , endocrinology , chemistry , antioxidant , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Objective To compare the effectiveness of combined selenium and α‐tocopherol acetate treatments in preventing lupinosis‐associated myopathy in sheep. Design Measurement of plasma muscle and liver enzymes, and histopathological examination of muscle and liver in the treatment groups. Procedure The treatments were: subcutaneous injections of selenomethionine and vitamin E (sc(SeM+E)) , an intraruminal selenium pellet and oral doses of vitamin E and intramuscular injections of selenomethionine combined with either oral doses of vitamin E (imSeM+orE) or intramuscular injections of vitamin E in an oily carrier. Another group received no supplements, while a control group was given selenium pellets on day 0 and fortnightly oral doses of vitamin E from day 0 to 72. To produce lupinosis‐associated myopathy, the sheep were fed a diet low in vitamin E and given repeated injections of a crude extract of Diaphorthe toxica. Groups sc(SeM+E) and imSeM+orE were stressed by dosing with protected polyunsaturated fatty acids from day 56 onwards. Results Lupinosis‐associated myopathy was induced in all unsupplemented sheep. In these sheep the storage of Se increased and that of vitamin E decreased. The subcutaneous treatment was highly effective in preventing lupinosis‐associated myopathy and also produced the highest vitamin E concentrations in plasma and liver. Supplemental vitamin E was more efficacious than supplemental Se. Concentrations of vitamin E in the livers of sheep given intramuscular vitamin E were higher than expected based on plasma concentrations. Oral doses of vitamin E proved the least effective method of increasing concentrations in liver. Lupinosis did not affect Se concentrations in liver or muscle. Conclusion The sc(SeM+E) treatment is highly effective in preventing lupinosis‐associated myopathy but needs to be further assessed when selenium and vitamin E are both limiting in the diet.