الفهرس 
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Abstract
This study was carried out at the Animal Experimental Farm, Animal and Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University.
The aim of this investigation was to study the effects of road transport with and without fasting on some physiological, haematological and biochemical parameters in buffalo calves. The utilization of fluid treatment (electrolytes) to reduce or alleviate the adverse effects of transportation stress was also investigated.
Fifteen mixed sexes buffalo calves were divided equally to three groups according to there body weights were used in the present study. Calves ranged in body weight from 126 to 163.5 kg (group A), from 176 to 252 kg (group B), and from 275 to 368 kg (group C).
All groups were subjected to the following three treatments:
1) Transportation after ad libitum feed and free water.
2) Transportation after fasting for 16 h.
3) Transportation after ad libitum feed and free water and drenched two liters electrolyte solution (sodium chloride 8.6 g, Potassium chloride 0.3 g and Calcium chloride 2H2O 0.33 g), then transported.
All Animals were water and feed deprived prior to departure till taking the last measurement four hours after arrival. The transported group was trucked for 3 h (approximately 250 km at 60-80 km/hour) before being unloaded and sampled. The ambient temperature during the journey and while taking the measurements was around 28 to 34 °C. The journey commenced at 7:00 am. At the day of transport, the measurements were taken just before loading the animals (Time 1), immediately after uploading (Time 2), two hours after arrival (Time 3), and four hours after arrival (Time 4).
Twenty seven physiological, haematological and biochemical parameters were studied:
1- Percentage of body weight loss 15- Urea
2- Respiration rate 16- Creatinine
3- Pulse rate 17- Total bilirubin
4- Rectal temperature 18- Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase
5- Red blood corpuscles 19- Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase
6- Hemoglobin 20- Alkaline phosphatase
7- Packed cell volume 21-serum glucose
8- Platelets count 22- Creatine kinase,
9- White blood corpuscles 23-serum Cholesterol
10- Lymphocytes 24- Lactate dehydrogenase
11- Granulocyte 25- Sodium
12-serum thromboplastin component 26- Potassium
13- Total protein 27- Magnesium
14- Albumin
The results obtained are summarized in the following:
1- Insignificant differences between the three animal groups in most of the studied parameters except creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).
2- Seven parameters namely, creatinine, total bilirubin, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase (CK) and cholesterol, showed no significant differences between the three treatments, indicating that transportation had no effects on these parameters.
3- Transportation induced decrement in four parameters: packed cell volume, lymphocytes, potassium and magnesium.
4- Transportation induced increment in fourteen parameters: percentage of body weight loss, rectal temperature, red blood corpuscles, hemoglobin, platelets count, white blood corpuscles, granulocyte, plasma thromboplastin component, total protein, albumin, urea, plasma glucose, lactate dehydrogenase and sodium.
5- Transportation induced increment followed by decrement in two parameters: respiration rate and pulse rate.
6- Transportation stress prompted live body weight loss in fed ad libitum, fasting and electrolyte fluids drenched and transported groups. Fed ad libitum buffaloes were more affected than, fasting buffaloes, while transported and fed electrolyte fluids supplementation was less affected by transportation stress. Indicating that receiving the electrolyte fluids supplementation treatment had ameliorated the detrimental effects of transport stress.
7- Transport caused rise in rectal temperature and increasing in respiration rate and pulse rate in treated buffaloes. Meanwhile, transported and drenched electrolyte fluids buffaloes were less affected by transportation stress. Increasing rectal temperature and pulse rate may be due to substational adrenal cortex responses during handling and transport.
8- Transport stress caused reduction in packed cell volume, lymphocytes, potassium and magnesium. Fasted buffalo showed rise in packed cell volume, while transported and drenched electrolyte fluids buffaloes showed no change in packed cell volume and increase in both potassium and magnesium levels.
9- Transported buffalo exhibited increased RBC count, hemoglobin, platelets, total protein, urea, and lactate dehydrogenase. Transported and drenched electrolyte fluids buffaloes showed no changes in these parameters indicating that this treatment had prevented the detrimental effects of transport stress on these parameters. Fasted buffalo also exhibited on changes in urea and lactate dehydrogenase.
10- Albumin concentration showed rise as a response to transportation, but both fasted and electrolyte fluids supplemented buffaloes showed decreased levels. Sodium concentration did not affected by transportation in both fasted an fed ad libitum animals. While electrolyte fluids drenched ones exhibited significant increase in plasma sodium concentration.
11- In addition, significant increase in plasma glucose concentration due to transportation stress. The increment in plasma glucose concentration was grater in transported and fasted buffaloes than fed ad libitum ones, while electrolyte fluids drenched buffaloes exhibited immediate increase then rapidly returned to the normal level.