[Morphology and biochemistry of blood of various mustelids. 4. Determination of various metabolites in the arterial plasma of mink--principles of the preparation of standard values for laboratory diagnosis in farm mink (Mustela vison Schreber, 1777)].

An account is first given of latest knowledge on how to determine clinico-diagnostic applicability of certain metabolites in mink plasma and serum. Then, statistically treated results obtained from analysis of levels of total protein, albumin, creatinine, urea, total cholesterin, triglyceride, and total bilirubin are tabulated and discussed, with due consideration being given to sexual dimorphism, following determination of those values from arterial plasma of 118 male and 124 female minks, aged between six and seven months and kept under anaesthesia. The following preliminary findings are somewhat worth mentioning: (a) Total cholesterin concentrations in plasma of females were found to be higher than those recorded from the males tested. However, no sex-related differences were established for any of the other parameters. (b) Creatinine, urea, and total cholesterin followed simple normal distribution. However, plasma protein concentrations exhibited no Gaussian distribution until all individual data had been logarithmically transformed. (c) In a complementary model experiment, in which the above plasma data were determined from nine male ferrets, aged between six and seven months, evidence was produced to differentiated effects of neuroleptanalgesia on metabolite concentrations.