ERYTHROCYTE AND LEUCOCYTE RESPONSES OF GOATS ADMINISTERED MELATONIN TO DIMINAZENE ACETURATE-INDUCED TOXICITY

Abstract

The experiment was performed with the aim of evaluating erythrocyte and leucocyte responses of goats administered with melatonin to diminazene aceturate-induced toxicity. Simple random sampling was used to assign 20 goats into four groups, comprising five (5) goats each. Group I goats served as untreated control, without melatonin supplementation; Group II melatonin (0.5 mg/kg per os); Group III pre-treated with melatonin for three days and administered with diminazene aceturate (7 mg/kg, deep i.m. once), and melatonin administration was continued for additional 10 consecutive days; Group IV goats were administered with diminazene aceturate alone. Two millilitres of blood were collected from the jugular
veins of each goat on days 1, 4, 7 and 10 post-diminazene aceturate administration for determination of erythrocyte and leucocyte counts using standard methods. The erythrocyte counts obtained on days 1 and 4 (6.76 ± 1.07 x 106/l and 6.68 ± 0.86 x 106/l, respectively) in melatonin-treated groups were the highest (P > 0.05). However, on days 7 and 10 post-administration of diminazene aceturate, the highest (P < 0.05) leucocyte counts (13.56 ± 1.06 x 109/l and 13.74 ± 1.80 x 109/l, respectively) were recorded in goats pretreated with melatonin and administered diminazene aceturate. The findings demonstrated that, diminazene aceturate intoxication did not exert significant effect on erythrocyte count, but it decreased leucocyte count in goats. Pre-treatment with melatonin reversed the toxicity by increasing the leucocyte count.