EFFECTS OF HANDLING STRESS ON PLASMA ENZYMES IN HARP SEALS, Phoca groenlandica

Three harp seal pups, Phoca groenlandica, were captured on the ice of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and subjected to 3 h of transportation and handling stress. The activities of creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT), aldolase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and leucine aminopeptidase were determined in serial blood samples collected for 4 d following the stress episode. Marked elevation of plasma CK activity was observed 3 h after capture. Values returned to normal in 12 h in two seals, and by 24 h in the third. Slight elevations in AspAT were also noted; the remaining enzymes were unaffected. Plasma CK is recommended as a sensitive indicator of handling stress in seals.