Hepatic marker enzymes, biochemical parameters and pathological effects in lambs experimentally infected with Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea).

Hepatic enzymes and biochemical parameter values were analysed in the sera of 32 lambs: 12 infected with 1,000 Dicrocoelium dendriticum metacercariae, 12 with 3,000 and eight controls. Blood samples were collected at intervals of 30 days from day 0 post-infection (p.i.). Half the lambs in each group were slaughtered on days 60 and 180 p.i, respectively. A histopathological and ultrastructural study was carried out on the liver, gall bladder and hepatic lymph nodes of all animals. A minute increase was detected in the bilirubin (7%) and albumin (3%) values in the infected lambs (with 30-2,063 worms) in comparison with those of the controls. The hepatic enzyme values did increase, above all aspartate aminotransferase (19%) and alanine aminotransferase (22%), mainly in the lambs tested with 3,000 metacercariae (38% and 48%, respectively). The increase was significant 60 days p.i. The severity of the lesions was closely associated with the parasite burden.