Effect of Dehydration in the Presence and Absence of the Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Losartan on Blood Constituents in the Camel

• Aim: Dromedary camels are extremely well adapted to periods of water deprivation. The physiological mechanisms underlying this adaptation, however, are imperfectly understood. It is likely that the renin-angiotensin system plays an important role although few studies have addressed this possibility in the camel. Accordingly, the effects of long term dehydration alone and with angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, losartan, on whole blood and serum constituents were studied in camels.Methods:Twenty eight male camels 3-4 years old were studied while under shade during summer in the Gulf-region, where the ambient temperature was above 40 degree Celsius. The camels were divided into three groups: a control group(n=6) was allowed free access to feed and water, a dehydration group (n=16) was given food ad-lib during 20days of total water deprivation, and a dehydration plus losartan (losartan) group (n=6) which received losartan 5mg/Kg daily by intravenous injection during 20 days of dehydration.  Results: The body weight of the losartan group decreased by nearly 39.1% across dehydration whereas the reduction in body weight for the dehydration group was nearly 34.5% compared to controls. There was a significant increase in the packed cell volume (p<0.05) and leucocytes count (p<0.01) in the losartan group compared to controls. However, the mean corpuscular volume was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the dehydration group compared to controls. We observed major, statistically significant increases in serum urea (p<0.01) and creatinine (p<0.05) levels in the dehydration and losartan groups compared to controls. By the end of the period ofwater restriction, serum levels of gamma glutamyl transferase were significantly (p<0.01) lower in the losartan group compared to controls.Conclusion: The results of our experiment show that dehydration alone or in combination with Angiotensin II receptor blocker has major effects on the biochemical and hematological parameters of the camel blood.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Farmaceutiska vetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Pharmaceutical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Blood

camel

dehydration

losartan

and serum

Pharmaceutical Science

Farmaceutisk vetenskap

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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