Biochemical profiles following flunixin meglumine administration in combination with hypertonic saline during endotoxic shock in buffalo calves

Abstract

Endotoxic shock was produced in 5 apparently healthy male buffalo calves aged between 4 month and 1 year by i/v infusion of Escherichia coil endotoxin @ 5 µg/kg  BW/h for 3 h. The animals were further observed for 7 days. A general hypoproteinemia was observed during endotoxin infusion along with significant hypoalbuminemia, hypoglycemia, hypofibrinogenemia, decrease in plasma globulin, creatinine while plasma blood urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium, and chloride showed nonsignificant alterations during endotoxin infusion for 3 h. All the endotoxemic buffalo calves were infused i/v hypertonic saline solution (7.2% NaCI acq.) @ 4 ml/kg BW in 6.5 min followed by flunixin meglumine @ 1.1 mg/kg BW as one time infusion and plasma proteins showed a significant decrease at 4 h but increased significantly on day 2 while albumin showed a declining trend throughtout the observation period with a signigicant fall at 4  h of start of endotoxin infusion. While plasma globulin decreased, plasma fibrin increased significantly on second and third day. Hypoglycemia continued from day 1-6 accompanied by a nonsignificant fall in BHU within normal range throughtout the 7 day observation period. The plasma creatinine increased significantly at 5 and 7 h of day 1 and on day 2 of observation. Plasma sodium and chloride did not alter significantly indicating that this treatment combination does not greatly affect the biochemical profiles during bovine endotoxemia.