Successful pregnancy outcome in mares: the potential role of body conditional score, age and biochemical parameter’s adjustments

The objective of this research was to evaluate the changes in body condition score (BCS), age and the main biochemical parameters in pregnant Spanish Purebred mares. A total of 45 pregnant Spanish brood- mares has been studied, classified in three different groups: group A (n = 15), aging 14-18 years old and BCS lower than 4 of 10, group B (n = 15), with ages of 4 to 8 years and a BCS of 5-6/10, and group C (n = 15), aging between 6 and 11 years and a BCS of 8 of 10. Three pregnancy periods were considered: the 1st period, from the 1st to the 3rd, the 2nd from the 4th to the 6th, and the last period, from the 7th month of pregnancy to delivery. Blood samples were taken every month along the pregnancy. The following plasma biochemical parameters were measured: triglycerides, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, total, direct and indirect bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, total plasma pro- teins, albumin, glucose, urea and creatinine. Pregnancy in the Spanish broodmare induced hyperlipidemia with hypertriglyceridemia and increased plasma concentrations of total, direct and indirect bilirubin (P < .05 ). Older pregnant mares showed biochemical changes probably consistent with decreased organ functionality (P < .05 ). Obesity did not influence lipidic metabolism during pregnancy (P > .05 ).