Schmidt Debra A, Barbiers Robyn B, Ellersieck Mark R, Ball Ray L, Koutsos Elizabeth A, Griffin Mark E, Grobler Douw, Citino Scott B, Bush Mitchell
Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2011 Mar;42(1):33-9. doi: 10.1638/2009-0218.1.
Serum chemistry analyses were compared between captive and free-ranging giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) in an attempt to better understand some of the medical issues seen with captive giraffes. Illnesses, including peracute mortality, energy malnutrition, pancreatic disease, urolithiasis, hoof disease, and severe intestinal parasitism, may be related to zoo nutrition and management issues. Serum samples were collected from 20 captive giraffes at 10 United States institutions. Thirteen of the captive animal samples were collected from animals trained for blood collection; seven were banked samples obtained from a previous serum collection. These samples were compared with serum samples collected from 24 free-ranging giraffes in South Africa. Differences between captive and free-ranging giraffes, males and females, and adults and subadults were analyzed by using a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial and Fisher's least significant difference for mean separation; when necessary variables were ranked and analyzed via analysis of variance. Potassium and bilirubin concentrations and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were different between captive and free-ranging giraffes, but all fell within normal bovid reference ranges. The average glucose concentration was significantly elevated in free-ranging giraffes (161 mg/dl) compared with captive giraffes (113 mg/dl). All giraffes in this study had glucose concentrations higher than bovine (42-75 mg/ dl) and caprine (48-76 mg/dl) reference ranges. Differences were also seen in lipase, chloride, and magnesium though these findings are likely not clinically significant. There were no differences detected between sexes. Adults had higher concentrations of potassium, total protein, globulins, and chloride and higher gamma glutamyltransferase activities, whereas subadults had higher concentrations of phosphorus. Within the captive group, nonimmobilized animals had higher concentrations of total protein and globulins. Captive giraffe diets need further investigation to determine if the differences seen in this study, especially glucose and bilirubin concentrations and ALT activities, may result in some health problems often seen in captive giraffes.
为了更好地了解圈养长颈鹿出现的一些医学问题，对圈养和野生长颈鹿（长颈鹿属）的血清化学分析进行了比较。包括急性死亡、能量营养不良、胰腺疾病、尿石症、蹄病和严重肠道寄生虫病在内的疾病，可能与动物园的营养和管理问题有关。从美国10家机构的20只圈养长颈鹿身上采集了血清样本。其中13份圈养动物样本是从经过采血训练的动物身上采集的；7份是之前血清采集时保存的样本。这些样本与从南非24只野生长颈鹿身上采集的血清样本进行了比较。通过2×2×2析因分析和Fisher最小显著差法分析圈养和野生长颈鹿、雄性和雌性以及成年和亚成年长颈鹿之间的差异，以进行均值分离；必要时对变量进行排序，并通过方差分析进行分析。圈养和野生长颈鹿的钾、胆红素浓度以及丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）活性存在差异，但均在正常牛科动物参考范围内。与圈养长颈鹿（113毫克/分升）相比，野生长颈鹿的平均葡萄糖浓度显著升高（161毫克/分升）。本研究中的所有长颈鹿的葡萄糖浓度均高于牛（42 - 75毫克/分升）和山羊（48 - 76毫克/分升）的参考范围。脂肪酶、氯和镁也存在差异，不过这些发现可能在临床上并无显著意义。未检测到性别之间的差异。成年长颈鹿的钾、总蛋白、球蛋白和氯浓度较高，γ-谷氨酰转移酶活性也较高，而亚成年长颈鹿的磷浓度较高。在圈养组中，未固定的动物总蛋白和球蛋白浓度较高。圈养长颈鹿的饮食需要进一步研究，以确定本研究中观察到的差异，尤其是葡萄糖、胆红素浓度和ALT活性，是否可能导致圈养长颈鹿常见的一些健康问题。
