Concentration of some mineral elements in blood of nutrias (Myocastor coypus)

Concentration of mineral elements in blood of nutrias are not known (there are data about mineral elements on blood plasma or blood serum in literature) therefore it was the aim of this work to assess the level of some minerals (Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn and Cu) in blood of nutrias in dependence on genotype and sex. The experiment was performed on the Experimental Farm of Furbearing Animals at the Research Institute of Animal Production Nitra. Nutrias of five genotypes (standard, silver, white, Greenland and gold) at the age of eight months were included into the experiment. They were clinically healthy during the experiment. The blood was sampled by puncture of heart in halothane narcosis always in the morning before feeding. Concentration of mineral elements was determined by the method of atomic absorption spectral photometry in the apparatus Unicam 939 (fi Unicam, Cambridge, Great Britain). Basic statistical characteristics were calculated out of the measured values. Then the Pearson's correlation coefficients were estimated, they were compared between the sexes, and the average correlation were determined as mentioned by Donner and Rosner [red.2]. The effect of sex and genotype was evaluated by means of 2-way variance analysis crosswise. The blood of males contained more magnesium, sodium, iron, zinc and copper, and less calcium out of the studied mineral elements compared with the blood of females. The differences were significant (Zn) or highly significant (other minerals). Significant (Ca, Na, Cu) or highly significant (Mg, Fe) differences were found in the concentration of elements in the blood of nutrias also dependence on genotype. Out of the average correlation coefficients follow significant correlation: - for standard nutria: Ca/Mg, Na, Fe - Mg/Na, Fe - Na/Fe - Fe/Zn, Cu - Zn/Cu; - for silver nutria: Mg/Fe; - for Greenland nutria: Mg/Fe, Zn, Cu and Fe/Zn; - for gold nutria: Ca/Na and Na/Fe. The analysis of content of mineral elements in blood of nutrias pointed out the differences between genotypes and sexes, the interaction genotype and sex not reaching the level of statistical significance (except for the level of calcium, with which is this interaction significant).