COMPARISON OF SOME PLASMA BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN TWO GENERATIONS OF AFRICAN GIANT RAT (CRICETOMYS GAMBIANUS, WATERHOUSE).

The plasma biochemical parameters of apparently normal young (immature) and adult African giant rats were investigated using routine plasma biochemical assay procedures. Sixteen giant rats made up of eight young immature (four males and four females) and eight adults (four males and four females) were used. These were significant (P< 0.05) age differences were found in the mean plasma values of potassium and inorganic phosphate (PO^-₄), significantly (P <0.01) higher plasma globulin (GLOB) and albumin - globulin (A:G) ratio in both the immature and adult giant rats. no significant (P > 0.05) age differences were observed between the immature and adult giant rats with regard to their plasma sodium, (NA⁺), chloride (Cl^-), bicarbonate (HC^-₃), calcium, (CA²⁺), total protein (T.P) and albumin (ALB). Whereas, these were significant (P < 0.05) age and sex differences in the mean values of plasma potassium (K) and globulin (GLOB) ( only between female and adult male. Similarly, there were significant (P < 0.05) age and sex differences in the mean values of plasma globulin and albumin-globulin (A:G) ratio between immature male and adult female. Furthermore a significantly higher (P < 0.01) age and sex differences were found in the plasma sodium (NA⁺) and inorganic phosphate (PO^-₄) of the immature male and adult female. Likewise, a significantly (P < 0.01) higher age difference was only observed in the plasma inorganic phosphate (PO^-₄) between the immature and adult females well as between immature and adult male giant rats. also, a significant (P < 0.05) age differences were evident in the mean values of plasma globulin (GLOB) and albumin-globulin ratio, and plasma potassium and globulin (GLOB) between immature and adult females, and between immature and adult males, respectively. For the two categories, there were no significant (P > 0.05) age and sex differences evident in mean values of other investigated plasma biochemical parameters. Nevertheless, other only plasma potassium had significant (P < 0.05 sex difference observed between the adult male and female giant rats and no evidence of such significant difference in the immature male and female giant rats.