Author(s):
Dias, Isabel R. 
; Viegas, Carlos A. ; Azevedo, Jorge T. ; Costa, E. M. ; Lourenço, P. ; Rodrigues, A. ; Cabrita, A. S.
Date: 2008
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/14269
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Subject(s): Total and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase; Osteocalcin; Minerals; Serum
Description
Eighteen healthy skeletally mature (3 years old) ewes, with an average weight of 45 kg, of the
Portuguese Churra da Terra Quente breed were used to evaluate the normal values of total
and bone-specific isoform of alkaline phosphatase serum activities (ALP and BALP,
respectively) and serum osteocalcin (OC) and their correlation with the serum minerals –
calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and ionized calcium (Ca2þ). The sheep were
maintained under controlled environmental conditions (constant diurnal photoperiod cycle
and identical husbandry and feeding) for six weeks before the collection of the blood samples.
The measurement of the total ALP and serum minerals was performed with automated
biochemistry analysers using the BioMe´rieuxw kits, the serum electrolyte Ca2þ Diametrics
Medical, Incw specific cassettes and the BALP and OC METRATM kits from QUIDELw
Corporation. The mean+standard deviation values obtained were: total ALP 90.17+
85.72 U/L, BALP 15.0+5.44 U/L, ratio BALP/ total ALP 29.28+24.22, OC 13.02+
1.87 ng/mL, Ca 2.57+0.37 mmol/L, P 2.13+0.42 mmol/L, Mg 1.04+0.13 mmol/L, Ca2þ
1.29+0.04 mmol/L. Significant correlations were observed between the total ALP and
Ca (r ¼ 0.5939; P ¼ 0.05) and OC and Ca (r ¼ 0.5706; P ¼ 0.05). Reference to the serum values
of bone turnover parameters in sheep could be of great value in research and could provide
complementary non-invasive information on the bone healing process, particularly with
regard to obtaining an early prognosis of fracture healing.
