Implications of Breed, Sexual Dimorphism and Age on Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) levels in the Blood Serum of Sheep managed under Traditional Extensive System

Serum biochemical traits constitute important panels in the clinical diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of livestock diseases via the investigations of myriads of parameters influencing these biochemical references. Sixty clinically healthy animals of three extant breeds of Nigerian native sheep (20 Balami: 20 Yankassa and 20 Uda) were sampled to examine the roles of breed, age and sexual dimorphism on aspartate aminotransferase levels in the blood stream of tropically managed sheep. We present from our study that breed difference exerted no significance effect on serum aspartate aminotransferase levels of sheep considered but a numerically high levels were obtained in Yankassa (179.35±10.17 UI/dl) relative to the least serum AST levels obtained in Uda (157.68±7.16 IU/dl). Our findings revealed that sexual dimorphism had no marked influence on the serum AST levels examined but it was found that the AST levels in rams (176.09±8.52 IU/dl) were higher relative to the ewes (169.47±7.32 IU/dl). In the same trend, age had no evident influence on serum AST levels examined. Therefore, this study affirms that breed, age and sexual dimorphism do not provoke abnormally high levels of serum enzyme (AST) in the blood serum of sheep managed under tropical condition.