Low alpha-tocopherol levels in livers of weaner sheep with nutritional myopathy

Outbreaks of ovine weaner nutritional myopathy occurring in the southwest of Western Australia outside the recognised selenium-responsive areas have been investigated. One hundred and five sheep died in 3 outbreaks following 5 months grazing cereal stubble paddocks. Liver selenium and glutathione peroxidase activities, measured as an index of biological availability of dietary selenium, indicated that the selenium status of the animals was probably adequate. A comparison fo liver selenium and alpha-tocopherol concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activity was made with both selenium supplemented sheep and sheep affected with selenium-responsive nutritional myopathy. In all cases investigated in this study liver alpha-tocopherol levels in affected animals were low and this may be important in the aetiology of this myopathy.