Impact of parity on carcase and metabolic markers associated with oxidative stress during uterine involution in periparturient goat.

This study aimed to verify the impact of parity on tissue mobilisation, metabolic response, oxi-dative stress and reproductive tract traits during the peripartum period. Nineteen goats withsingleton pregnancies were grouped into nine nulliparous (NU) and 10 multiparous (MU). Theanimals were followed from the fifth week before delivery to the fourth week after delivery.Does, kids and milk production were weighed; the loin muscle depth area, subcutaneous loin,kidney fat thicknesses, size of the uterus and haemodynamics of the uterine artery were meas-ured by ultrasound. Placenta was weighed and the cotyledons were counted and measured.Plasma was assayed for total protein, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, gamma-glu-tamyl transferase (GGT), glutamic-oxaloacetic acid transaminase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic acidtransaminase (GPT), glutathione peroxidase andb-hydroxybutyrate. MU showed a greater liveweight loss (þ8%) and longer period of body mass loss (þ12 days). Milk production was higherin MU and their kids were heavier at birth with greater weight gain. No differences in the effectof parity were found for uterine diameter and placental weight, while the NU goats had a largercotyledonary surface. Additionally, MU goats had higher levels of glucose, GPT, GGT, cholesterol,total protein and glutathione peroxidase. In MU females, there was a greater muscle massmobilisation throughout the peripartum period and a superior replacement of adipose tissueafter delivery (þ1.3 mm). Therefore, MU females appear to have better tissue mobilisation andproductive performance dynamics, although parity does not affect uterine involution in goats.