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Use of Injectable Vitamin E and Selenium-Vitamin E Emulsion in Ewes and Suckling Lambs to Prevent Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University^,2, Blacksburg 24061

Abstract

Forty-eight Blackbelly x Dorset, 27 Finnish, 26 Finnish x Dorset, 28 Rambouillet and 8 Dorset Suffolk-sired lambs were used in this experiment. Three weeks before lambing, one-half of the ewes received a selenium emulsion (Se-E) containing .05 mg selenium and 3.7 IU of vitamin E/kg body weight (BW). A 2 x 3 x 2 factorial arrangement was used; lambs from either treated or nontreated ewes were randomly assigned irrespective of breed to one of six treatment combinations consisting of 0 or .025 mg/kg BW selenium (Se) injected at birth or two .025 mg/kg BW Se injections, one at birth and one 2 to 3 wk later, and two levels of injectable Vitamin E (E; 0 and 100 IU) given at birth. Both lambs and ewes were provided access to 75% concentrate diets supplemented with Se and E at recommended NRC levels. Plasma activity of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was highest at 1 d of age and exhibited decreases (P<.001) over time. In lambs, the E injection tended to decrease plasma activity of CPK. Plasma glutathione peroxidase activity was lowest at 1 d of age and increased over the course of the experiment but was unaffected by treatments (P<.05). Plasma tocopherol concentration decreased (P<.01) with time, with E therapy tending to increase tocopherol concentration. Differences in mean plasma tocopherol concentrations among breeds were also observed (P<.01). Selenium concentration increased over time and with the E injection (P<.01). An interaction between ewe and lamb Se-E treatments also was observed (P<.10), with nontreated lambs from nontreated ewes exhibiting lower Se concentrations than treated lambs from injected ewes. An increase in lamb plasma Se concentration was noted in response to Se-E treatments (P<.001). In the ewes, plasma tocopherol concentration was lower while Se concentration was higher at 18 d than at 1 d postpartum (P<.01 and P<.001, respectively). Milk Se concentration was lower at 18 d than at 1 d (P-C001) and was higher (P<.10) in Se-E-treated ewes.

¹ To whom reprint requests are to be sent.

² Dept. of Anim. Sci.