Analysis of synovial fluid from clinically healthy Iranian fat-tailed sheep

Abstract  In this study synovial fluid from the radiocarpal joints of 100 clinically healthy Iranian sheep (Lori-Bakhtiari) were analyzed. Total nucleated cell count (TNCC) of the synovial fluid was 178.9±75 cells/l (mean±SD). Lymphocytes were the predominant cell type composing 48.34±17.2% of the cells found in the synovial fluid, whereas monocytes, macrophages and neutrophils composed 36.52±3.5%, 12.75±5.9% and 2.28±1.18% of the cells found in the synovial fluid, respectively. The glucose concentration of synovial fluid was 44.9±9 mg/dl. The concentration of total protein, albumin and globulin of the synovial fluid were 2.31±0.55, 1.49±0.38, 0.81±0.28 g/dl, respectively. The albumin to globulin ratio (A/G) was 2.02±0.61. Age and sex had no significant effects on TNCC, percentage of lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages and neutrophils, concentration of total protein, albumin, globulin, and A/G ratio of fluid from the radiocarpal joint. However, glucose concentration in radiocarpal fluid in sheep less than 1-year-old was significantly (P0.05) higher (48.27±1.4 mg/dl) than 1- to 2-years-old (42.1±1.4 mg/dl) and more than 2-years-old sheep (43.9±1.8 mg/dl). No significant differences were found between right and left limbs for any parameters evaluated in this study.