SELENIUM STATUS AND SERUM BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN HALOTHANE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PIGS

The aim of the work was to study whether the elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) and aldolase (ALD) observed in halothane positive (stress susceptible) pigs might be caused by selenium deficiency. Eight- to nine-week-old pigs from three farms with different natural dietary selenium supply (resulting in means of serum Se-concentrations in stock ''A'': 99 +/- 18 mug/l, stock ''B'': 146 +/- 41 mug/l, stock ''C'': 188 +/- 46 mug/1) were investigated. Pigs were treated by halothane test and the activities of serum creatine kinase (CK), aldolase (ALD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) were determined. Elevated serum CK activities were found only in halothane positive pigs, independently of selenium status. Elevated CK- and ALD-activities were measured also in pigs with high (211 +/- 29 mug/l) and relatively low (102 +/- 15 mug/l) serum Se-level. Within the same stock no connection had been found between serum Se-concentration and the activities of CK and ALD. ''Normal'' CK and ALD activities were observed even at low (but above the physiological limit) serum Se-level in Hal- groups. On the other hand especially high CK activity was measured in pigs having low or medium Se-level (e. g. pig Nr 1817 CK: 2598 U/l, Se: 159 mug/l; Nr 1846 CK: 2510 U/l, Se: 104 mug/l). Levels of serum Se-concentration did nor show connection with stress susceptibility but strong correlation (r = 0.90-0.98) was found with GSHPx activity.