Erythrocyte Arginase Activity and Plasma Nitric Oxide Level in Healthy Cows and Cows with Pyometra

This study was conducted to establish the erythrocyte arginase activity and plasma nitric oxide levels in healthy cows and cows with pyometra.The study material consisted of a total of 20 cows, aged between 4 and 8 years old and in various breeds, admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic, Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Fırat University. Half of the animals were diagnosed as clinically healthy, while the others were diagnosed with pyometra. Following the centrifugation of blood samples collected from V. Jugularis into heparin‐filled tubes, the plasma nitric oxide levels were measured. Arginase activity was measured in erythrocytes after washing up of the remaining portion 3 times with serum physiologic. The activity was measured spectrophotometrically with the Thiosemicarbazide‐Diacetyl Monoxime Urea (TDMU) method. Drabkin method was used to measure the haemoglobin amount, while enzymatic Griess method was used to measure the nitric oxide levels. As a result, it was found that; i) the erythrocyte arginase activities of healthy cows were markedly higher (P 0.001) than those cows with pyometra, ii) the nitric oxide levels of healthy cows were lower (P 0.01) in healthy cows, and iii) these parameters given could assist for diagnosis of pyometra.