Evaluation of electrophoretograms in healthy and injured loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta

Few data are available about changes in the levels of serum proteins in marine turtles. These changes can be related to various conditions including physiology (sex, season, egg laying) and pathology (trauma, neoplasia, parasitic and infectious disease). The aim of this study is to obtain information on serum protein values in one species of marine turtle, the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta. Serum proteins in samples of 40 subadult healthy specimens of Caretta caretta were separated by electrophoresis. In addition, protein electrophoresis was carried out from 11 clinical cases of traumatic, infectious and parasitic diseases affecting other subadults of this species. Several conclusions can be made from the examination of electrophoretograms performed. In healthy turtles, serum proteins are distributed in three mean peaks: one of these peaks corresponds to alpha1 globulin, one to alpha2 globulin and the last to beta-gamma fraction protein. In healthy turtles the pre-albumin and the albumin fractions are not easy to observe.The albumin fraction increased in cases of observed pathology and also in diseased patients under intensive fluid therapy. Considering the total area of migration it is possible to observe that in healthy turtles, the area corresponding to alpha1 protein is 5,7%, the area corresponding to alpha 2 protein is 32.7%, the area corresponding to beta protein is 33.6% and the area corresponding to gamma protein is 26.6%. Alterations in albumin, beta globulin and gamma globulin migrating area were observed in injured turtles. Although further studies are needed electrophoresis can be a useful diagnostic tool.