Effect Of Achatherum Inebrians/Neotyphodium Endophyte Symbiont On Small Tailed Han Sheep

Small tailed han sheep were fed by Neotyphodium endophyte-infected (E+) and endophyte-free (E-) drunken horse grass (Achnatherum inebrians), which grown in Yuzhong Experiment Station of Lanzhou University. The clinical symptom, physiological and biochemical effects of A. inebrians/Neotyphodium gansuense symbiont on small tailed han sheep (Ovis aries) were observed and measured. The main re-sults summarized as followings:1. Field growth experiment showed that Neotyphodium endophyte could significantly improve the vegetative growth of drunken horse grass, including stem height, tiller number, fresh weight, dry weight (P<0.01), and reproductive growth, including spikelets/inflorescence, seeds/inflorescence, spike length,1000-seed weight, actual seed yield(P<0.05).2. Feeding experiment showed that the small tailed han sheep appeared toxic reaction including absent-minded, blank stare, stumble along. The feed inkate, water intake and body weight of toxic sheep were decreased significantly (P<0.05). Rectal temperature and heart rate were significantly higher (P<0.05), but within normal range, heart rate returned to normal at the end of the experiment. Anatomy and tissue slide indicated that liver, lung, kidney and uterus were lesioned. The organ coefficient of liver, lung, kidney and brain were increased significantly (P<0.05), but uterus decreased significantly (P<0.05). The mortality rate was 20% at the end of experiment.3. Measuring blood biochemical indicators weekly found that urea nitrogen (BUN) was increased significantly (P<0.05) at fourth and fifth week, creatinine (CREA) and uric acid (UA) were decreased significantly (P<0.05) at first and fifth week. The total protein (TP) was decreased significantly (P<0.05) at fifth and sixth week; albumin (ALB), globulin (GLB) and albumin/globulin (A/G) were not significant change (P>0.05). The activity of alanine amiontransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotrans-ferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were increased significantly (P<0.05), but alkaline phosphatase (ALP) decreased significantly (P<0.05). It also found that the serum electrolyte of phosphorus, sodium, chloride and calcium had no significantly changed (P>0.05), but potassium in-creased significantly (P<0.05).4. Measuring of urine biochemical indicator weekly found that ketone body (KET) and occult blood (BLO) test were significantly positive (P<0.05); pH was significantly acidic (P<0.05); glucose (GLU), bilirubin (BIL), specific gravity (SG), urine protein (PRO), urobilinogen (URO), nitrite (NIT) and white blood cell (WBC) had no significantly changed (P>0.05).5. The recovery experiment of toxic sheep showed that feed intake, water intake, rectal temperature, heart rate, and alanine amiontransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), urea nitrogen (BUN), total protein (TP), ketone body (KET), occult blood (BLO) and pH almostly could return to normal levels in three weeks, but body weight, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phos-phatase (ALP) could not recover to normal levels in three weeks.