[The horses of Giara: variation of the thyroid activity and certain blood parameters between winter and summer].

This research explores the seasonal changes in thyroid activity and some blood parameters in Giara horses, finding that the levels of several of these parameters vary significantly between summer and winter.

Research Objective

The objective of the study was to investigate how the changes in the environmental temperature between winter and summer impact the thyroid activity and certain blood parameters of Giara horses. This is particularly important as these variations could influence the physiological state and overall health of the animals.

Methodology

• The study was conducted on a group of six Giara horses, comprising of three males and three females.
• Observations were made weekly over the course of a winter and a summer, measuring environmental temperatures and corresponding thyroid activity and blood parameters.

Findings

• Out of the several blood parameters that were examined, T3, total lipids, triglycerides, urea nitrogen, creatinine, total protein, albumin, beta, and gamma globulin showed significant variations between winter and summer.
• Most of these, excluding triglycerides, urea nitrogen and total protein, were found to correlate with the environmental temperature.
• On the other hand, the parameters T4, glucose, uric acid, and alpha globulin exhibited no noticeable seasonal difference, and did not correlate with the temperature.
• Interestingly, seasonal alterations in thyroid activity seemingly affected only the T3, with no discernible effect on T4.
• The study also suggests that the transport of blood lipids was linked mainly to the beta globulin and, to a lesser degree, the albumin. The alpha globulin, however, appeared to be unaffected.

Conclusion

The research concludes that seasonal climate changes between winter and summer significantly affect certain blood parameters and thyroid activity in Giara horses. Understanding these variations can potentially play a critical role in monitoring and improving the wellbeing of these horses. It also underscores the need for further research to fully understand how different seasons influence the physiological state of such animals.