# Electrophoretic Profile of Urinary Proteins in Goats During the Peripartum Period

## TL;DR

This study examines changes in urinary proteins in goats around the time of giving birth, providing baseline data for future research.

## Contribution

The study presents the first electrophoretic profile of urinary proteins in goats during the peripartum period.

## Key findings

- Urinary protein bands were consistent across samples, with no significant differences in distribution over time.
- Temporal changes were observed in urine pH, protein-to-creatinine ratio, and creatinine concentration.
- Protein bands between 23 and 42 kDa were more frequent before delivery, suggesting immune-related variations.

## Abstract

Urine is a valuable diagnostic tool in goats due to its easy, non-invasive collection and stability. Proteins in urine play a key role in many health-related processes. Differences in urinary protein excretion of 10 pregnant Alpine goats before and after delivery were investigated. In detail, urine samples were collected about 22 days before delivery, 7 and 30 days after delivery. All goats remained healthy throughout the study, and urinalysis showed mostly normal findings. Dipstick tests were largely negative, except for frequent protein positivity and occasional red blood cells, ketones, or white blood cells, with no significant differences among the sampling times. Microscopic evaluation confirmed the absence of urinary tract inflammation or infection, while urine pH, specific gravity, creatinine concentration, and the urine protein-to-creatinine ratio showed some time-dependent changes. Electrophoresis revealed similar protein bands across samples, with no significant differences in their distribution among the three collection times. Overall, these findings provide an initial characterization of urinary changes in goats during the peripartum period, supporting future, more detailed investigations.

Background: Urinary proteins may reflect physiological changes occurring during the periparturient period, but reference data for goats are still lacking. This study investigated urinary protein patterns around parturition to help fill this gap and generate baseline information. Methods: Ten pregnant Alpine goats were sampled by spontaneous voiding 22 ± 3 days before delivery (T0), 7 days postpartum (T7), and 30 days postpartum (T30). Physical and chemical urine analyses were performed, and urinary proteins were separated using one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Statistical tests (Shapiro–Wilk, repeated-measures ANOVA, or Friedman) were applied to evaluate differences among time points. Results: Significant temporal changes were observed: urine pH decreased at T30, the urine protein-to-creatinine ratio increased at T7 and T30, and urinary creatinine concentration was highest at T0. Most samples showed common protein bands at approximately 80, 70, 62, 50, 37, 29, 25, 22, and below 13 kDa, with the 62, 50, and <13 kDa bands present in all samples. Bands between 18 and 64 kDa and above 60 kDa appeared only in some samples. Protein bands between 23 and 42 kDa were more frequent at T0, suggesting immune-related variations associated with pregnancy. Conclusions: This study provides the first description of urinary protein electrophoretic profiles in goats during the periparturient period and highlights measurable changes across time. These findings offer a starting point for developing future research and may contribute to establishing reference parameters for clinical and physiological monitoring in goats.