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Factors Affecting Blood Clotting in Immature Sheep and Cattle
Br. vet.}. (1978 ), 134, 286
SHORT COMMUNlCATlON
FACTORS AFFECTING BLOOD CLOITING IN IMMATURE SHEEP AND CAITLE By C. F. NOCKELS,J. W . YOKEL, D . W. JACKSON AND V. B. SWANSON
Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, U.S .A.
SUMMARY
Blood clotting was significantly (P < 0·0 1) affected by sex and age in immature cattle and sheep. Vitamin K, administration did not improve clotting in bull calves less than one week old. INTRODUCTION
Matschiner & Willingham (I 974) have shown in rats that oestrogen stimulates blood clotting while it is reduced by testosterone. The objective of the present study was to determine if there was any influence of sex and age on blood clotting in immature sheep and cattle. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Blood samples were taken from the jugular veins of Hampshire lambs and Angus cattle" at various ages and from dairy calves of different breeds less than one week old for prothrombin time determination by the method of Quick (1940). At anyone sampling time, both sexes were receiving identical diets. Weaned animals were fed alfalfa or grazed grass pastures. Vitamin K" menadione sodium bisulphite, was supplemented in the milk of another group of eight dairy bull calves at 25 mg daily per calf for two days. Prothrombin time was determined on blood samples of these calves prior to and after administering the vitamin. Data were subjected to analysis of variance. RESULTS
Dairy bull calves less than one week old had significantly slower (P <0·0 1) clotting time than heifers of the same age (Table I). In an additional eight dairy bull calves, prothrombin time before vitamin K supplementation was 114 · 1± 7· 196 and 114 ·3 ± 4·696 of control after vitamin administration. Thirty-six-week-old Angus bull calves also had significantly slower (P
BLOOD CLOTIING IN SH EEP AND CATILE
287
TABLE! BLOOD CLOTTING OF CATTLE AS AFFECTED BY AGE AND SEX
Age (weelu) I" 36:1: 45 60
Prothrombin as % of control ± s.d. Heifers 99 ·2 ± 5 ·6 At( 7l 91 ·4±7 · IA (10) 92 · 1 ±3 · 2 A (10 ) 100 ·5± 5·8 A (10 )
Steers
Bulls 108 ·2±2· 7 B 101·7±8·3 B 97 · 7±3 ·6 A 102· 1±3·3 A
( 7) (10) (10) (10)
100·5± 1·8 A (6) 102 ·9±3·5 A (6)
" Dairy calves.
t Numbers in rows followed by different upper case letters are significantly different (P <0·0 I). Number of animals in brackets. :j: Angus cattle.
TABLE II BLOOD CLOTTIN G OF SHEEP AS AFFECTED BY AGE AND SEX
Age (weeks)
2 12 14 24
Prothrombin as % of control ± s.d. Ewes
91 ·8 ± 7·9 A"(l2) 104·3± 9·4 C (13) 100·9± 12 ·4 C (8) 82 · 7 ± 3· 7 B (9 )
Wethers
Rams 87·9±5 ·6AB 113 ·5±7 ·0D 106 ·3± 7 ·8CD 82·5 H·9 B
(15) (19) (10)
103·1 ± 9·3 CD (14)
(I I)
" Numbers followed by different uppercase letters are significantly different whether comparing different ages or between sexes (P <0·0 I). N umber of animals in brackets.
(P< 0·01 ) when the lambs were 12 and 14 weeks of age compared to their prothrombin time at two weeks of age. However, there was a significant improvement (P< 0·00 in
clotting time of both sexes when comparing their 24-week to 12 and 14-week prothrombin times (Table Ill. Twenty-four-week-old ewe lambs had significantly better blood clotting times than at two weeks of age. Wethers did not have any difference in prothrombin times relative to ewes and ram lambs at 14 weeks of age. DISCUSSION
One and 36-week-old bulls and 12 and 14-week-old rams had significantly slower blood clotting times than did heifers or ewes of the same age. This apparent early sex effect on clotting was lost as the animals approached maturity. Perhaps the male's blood clotting system adapts to testosterone, thus overcoming testosterone's deleter.ious effect before the animal reaches sexual maturity when greater levels of hormone are produced. Vitamin K did not hasten clotting in neonatal bull calves, which suggests that the vitamin was initially adequate in the calves, or testosterone was not inhibiting clotting via vitamin K's role in the clotting system, or an insufficient amount of the vitamin was given.
288
BRITISH VETERINARY JO URNAL , 134, 3 REFEREN CES
MATSCHINER,j. T. & WILLINGHAM, A. K . (1974 ). ]. Q UIC K, A.j. (1940). Am.]. din. Path. 10,222.
NutT. 104,660 .
(Accepted for publication 26 August 1977)
SHORT COMMUNlCATlON
FACTORS AFFECTING BLOOD CLOITING IN IMMATURE SHEEP AND CAITLE By C. F. NOCKELS,J. W . YOKEL, D . W. JACKSON AND V. B. SWANSON
Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, U.S .A.
SUMMARY
Blood clotting was significantly (P < 0·0 1) affected by sex and age in immature cattle and sheep. Vitamin K, administration did not improve clotting in bull calves less than one week old. INTRODUCTION
Matschiner & Willingham (I 974) have shown in rats that oestrogen stimulates blood clotting while it is reduced by testosterone. The objective of the present study was to determine if there was any influence of sex and age on blood clotting in immature sheep and cattle. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Blood samples were taken from the jugular veins of Hampshire lambs and Angus cattle" at various ages and from dairy calves of different breeds less than one week old for prothrombin time determination by the method of Quick (1940). At anyone sampling time, both sexes were receiving identical diets. Weaned animals were fed alfalfa or grazed grass pastures. Vitamin K" menadione sodium bisulphite, was supplemented in the milk of another group of eight dairy bull calves at 25 mg daily per calf for two days. Prothrombin time was determined on blood samples of these calves prior to and after administering the vitamin. Data were subjected to analysis of variance. RESULTS
Dairy bull calves less than one week old had significantly slower (P <0·0 1) clotting time than heifers of the same age (Table I). In an additional eight dairy bull calves, prothrombin time before vitamin K supplementation was 114 · 1± 7· 196 and 114 ·3 ± 4·696 of control after vitamin administration. Thirty-six-week-old Angus bull calves also had significantly slower (P
BLOOD CLOTIING IN SH EEP AND CATILE
287
TABLE! BLOOD CLOTTING OF CATTLE AS AFFECTED BY AGE AND SEX
Age (weelu) I" 36:1: 45 60
Prothrombin as % of control ± s.d. Heifers 99 ·2 ± 5 ·6 At( 7l 91 ·4±7 · IA (10) 92 · 1 ±3 · 2 A (10 ) 100 ·5± 5·8 A (10 )
Steers
Bulls 108 ·2±2· 7 B 101·7±8·3 B 97 · 7±3 ·6 A 102· 1±3·3 A
( 7) (10) (10) (10)
100·5± 1·8 A (6) 102 ·9±3·5 A (6)
" Dairy calves.
t Numbers in rows followed by different upper case letters are significantly different (P <0·0 I). Number of animals in brackets. :j: Angus cattle.
TABLE II BLOOD CLOTTIN G OF SHEEP AS AFFECTED BY AGE AND SEX
Age (weeks)
2 12 14 24
Prothrombin as % of control ± s.d. Ewes
91 ·8 ± 7·9 A"(l2) 104·3± 9·4 C (13) 100·9± 12 ·4 C (8) 82 · 7 ± 3· 7 B (9 )
Wethers
Rams 87·9±5 ·6AB 113 ·5±7 ·0D 106 ·3± 7 ·8CD 82·5 H·9 B
(15) (19) (10)
103·1 ± 9·3 CD (14)
(I I)
" Numbers followed by different uppercase letters are significantly different whether comparing different ages or between sexes (P <0·0 I). N umber of animals in brackets.
(P< 0·01 ) when the lambs were 12 and 14 weeks of age compared to their prothrombin time at two weeks of age. However, there was a significant improvement (P< 0·00 in
clotting time of both sexes when comparing their 24-week to 12 and 14-week prothrombin times (Table Ill. Twenty-four-week-old ewe lambs had significantly better blood clotting times than at two weeks of age. Wethers did not have any difference in prothrombin times relative to ewes and ram lambs at 14 weeks of age. DISCUSSION
One and 36-week-old bulls and 12 and 14-week-old rams had significantly slower blood clotting times than did heifers or ewes of the same age. This apparent early sex effect on clotting was lost as the animals approached maturity. Perhaps the male's blood clotting system adapts to testosterone, thus overcoming testosterone's deleter.ious effect before the animal reaches sexual maturity when greater levels of hormone are produced. Vitamin K did not hasten clotting in neonatal bull calves, which suggests that the vitamin was initially adequate in the calves, or testosterone was not inhibiting clotting via vitamin K's role in the clotting system, or an insufficient amount of the vitamin was given.
288
BRITISH VETERINARY JO URNAL , 134, 3 REFEREN CES
MATSCHINER,j. T. & WILLINGHAM, A. K . (1974 ). ]. Q UIC K, A.j. (1940). Am.]. din. Path. 10,222.
NutT. 104,660 .
(Accepted for publication 26 August 1977)