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Acta veterinaria Scandinavica1974; 15(3); 325-339; doi: 10.1186/BF03547462

Acute rhabdomyolysis (“tying-up”) in standardbred horses. A morphological and biochemical study.

Abstract: LINDHOLM, A., H.-E. JOHANSSON & P. KJÆRSGAARD: Acute rhabdomyolysis (“tying-up”) in standardbred horses. A morphological and biochemical study. Acta vet. scand. 1974, 15, 325–339. — Morphological, biochemical and histochemical changes were studied in muscle needle biopsy specimens (gluteus medius) from 59 standardbred trotters with acute clinical symptoms of the “tying-up” disease. All horses had increased levels of serum enzymes SGOT and SCPK. The biopsy specimens were taken at various intervals after onset of clinical symptoms (1–4 hrs., 18–24 hrs. and 2–20 days). Ry light microscopy it was shown that the muscular alterations had a focal distribution and were of the hyalin degeneration type with insignificant inflammatory reaction and slight calcification. The ultrastructural changes apparently commenced with myofibrillar waving, mitochondrial and sarcotubular alterations and terminated with myofibrillar degeneration and necrosis with invasion of inflammatory cells. The inflammatory cells were ultrastructurally similar to monocytes and macrophages. The degenerative changes mainly comprised fast twitch (FT and FTH) fibres as histochemically evidenced by myofibrillar ATPase and alkaline phosphatase staining. Riopsies from diseased muscle 1–4 hrs. after the onset of “tyingup” contained a low muscle concentration of glycogen, ATP and CP and a high concentration of lactate and glucose. Hence it is suggested that the described muscular alterations may be caused by a deranged carbohydrate metabolism caused by a local hypoxia. It was found that the “tying-up” disease resembled idiopathic rhabdomyolysis in man and was thus designated “equine rhabdomyolysis”. histochemistry; horse; rhabdomyolysis; skeletal muscle; “tying-up”; ultrastructure. Akut rhabdomyolys (korsförlamning) hos travhästar. En morfologisk och biokemisk undersökning. Morfologiska, biokemiska och histokemiska metoder användes för att studera förändringarna i muskelbiopsier, uttagna från m. gluteus médius från 59 varmblodiga travhästar med akuta kliniska symtom på sk “tying-up”. Samtliga bästar hade förhöjda serumvärden av enzymerna SGOT och SCPK. Biopsierna togs vid olika tidpunkter efter de kliniska symtomens insättande (1–4 tim., 18–24 tim. respektive 2–20 dagar). Ljusmikroskopiskt (LM) visades att muskelförändringarna hade en härdformig utbredning och att de var av typen hyalin degeneration med viss inflammatorisk reaktion och liten tendens till förkalkning. De ultrastrukturella förändringarna manifesterades först sàsom en vågighet av myofibrillerna och med förändringar i mitokondrier samt det sarkotubulära systemet. Senare utvecklades myofibrillär degeneration och nekros med invandring av inflammatoriska celler. De inflammatoriska cellerna liknade ultrastrukturellt monocyter och makrofager. De degenerativa förändringarna uppträdde huvudsakligen i de snabba fibrerna (FT och FTH), vilket kunde visas histokemiskt med myofibrillär ATPas- och alkalisk fosfatas-färgning. Muskelbiopsier uttagna 1–4 tim. efter de akuta symtomens insättande hade låg koncentration av glykogen, ATP och GP medan en hög koncentration av laktat och glykos förelåg. Mot denna bakgrund anses att de iakttagna muskelförändringarna orsakats av en störd kolhydratmetabolism, som i sin tur kan ha orsakats av en lokal hypoxi. Då muskelförändringarna vid “tying-up” liknar dem vid idiopatisk rhabdomyolysis hos människa, föreslår författarna att namnet “equine rhabdomyolysis” fortsättningsvis används för denna sjukdom.
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Publication Date: 1974-01-01 PubMed ID: 4411856PubMed Central: PMC8407238DOI: 10.1186/BF03547462Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study examined the morphological and biochemical changes in the muscles of standardbred horses experiencing acute symptoms of “tying-up” disease, also known as equine rhabdomyolysis. The resulting data suggests that the muscle alterations seen in afflicted horses may be due to a disrupted carbohydrate metabolism caused by localized hypoxia.

Methods and study subjects

  • The study involved observing changes in muscle needle biopsy specimens from the gluteus medius muscle of 59 standardbred trotters showing acute clinical symptoms of “tying-up” disease.
  • The biopsies were conducted at various periods after the onset of clinical symptoms: 1–4 hrs., 18–24 hrs., and 2–20 days.
  • All horses included presented elevated levels of two serum enzymes, SGOT and SCPK, which are often found in higher concentrations in the bloodstream when muscle or liver damage occurs.

Observations and findings

  • The researchers found that muscle alterations exhibited a focal distribution and were identified as hyalin degeneration type with insignificant inflammatory reaction and slight calcification.
  • Microscopic observations indicated that the ultrastructural changes commenced with myofibrillar waving and alterations in the mitochondria and sarcotubules, evolving into myofibrillar degeneration and necrosis with the invasion of inflammatory cells.
  • The inflammatory cells were similar to monocytes and macrophages in their ultrastructure.
  • The observed degenerative changes predominantly affected fast twitch (FT and FTH) fibers, which was evidenced by myofibrillar ATPase and alkaline phosphatase staining.

Biochemical analysis

  • Biopsies from diseased muscle 1–4 hrs. after the onset of “tying-up” contained a low muscle concentration of glycogen, ATP and GP, contrasted with a high concentration of lactate and glucose.
  • The researchers suggested that the muscle alterations observed may be due to a deranged carbohydrate metabolism caused by local hypoxia (low oxygen).
  • The “tying-up” disease showed similarities to idiopathic rhabdomyolysis in humans, leading to the suggestion of the term “equine rhabdomyolysis” for this disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Lindholm A, Johansson HE, Kjaersgaard P. (1974). Acute rhabdomyolysis (“tying-up”) in standardbred horses. A morphological and biochemical study. Acta Vet Scand, 15(3), 325-339. https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547462

Publication

Acta veterinaria Scandinavica
ISSN: 0044-605X
NlmUniqueID: 0370400
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 3
Pages: 325-339

Researcher Affiliations

Lindholm, A
    Johansson, H E
      Kjaersgaard, P

        MeSH Terms

        • Acute Disease
        • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
        • Animals
        • Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
        • Biopsy, Needle / veterinary
        • Creatine Kinase / blood
        • Female
        • Gait
        • Glucose / metabolism
        • Glucosephosphates / metabolism
        • Horse Diseases / metabolism
        • Horse Diseases / pathology
        • Horses
        • Lactates / metabolism
        • Male
        • Methods
        • Microscopy, Electron
        • Muscles / metabolism
        • Muscles / pathology
        • Myoglobinuria / metabolism
        • Myoglobinuria / pathology
        • Myoglobinuria / veterinary
        • Phosphocreatine / metabolism
        • Time Factors

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        Citations

        This article has been cited 5 times.
        1. El-Deeb WM, El-Bahr SM. Investigation of selected biochemical indicators of Equine Rhabdomyolysis in Arabian horses: pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress markers. Vet Res Commun 2010 Dec;34(8):677-89.
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          pubmed: 7337914
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        5. Van Vleet JF, Ferrans VJ. Myocardial diseases of animals. Am J Pathol 1986 Jul;124(1):98-178.
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