Six different plasma enzymes in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and their usefulness in pathological diagnosis

1. Activities of creatine phosphokinase, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, fructose diphosphate aldolase and cholinesterase were measured in plasma of bald eagles.

2. There were no sex differences in the plasma enzyme activities.

3. An acute dieldrin dosage (10 mg/kg) of a female bald eagle resulted in 400% increases in activities of plasma creatine phosphokinase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and 250% increases in activities of lactate dehydrogenase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase.

4. At 11 days post-dosage all but one of the plasma enzyme activities had returned to normal; glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activity remained 100% above pre-dosage values.

5. Plasma enzyme assays constitute a non-destrcutive procedure that can be used in valuable wildlife species to screen for the presence and prevalence of environmental contaminants.