Abstract: Mapping-out baseline physiological muscle parameters with their metabolic blueprint across multiple archetype equine breeds, will contribute to better understanding their functionality, even across species. Aims: 1) to map out and compare the baseline fiber type composition, fiber type and mean fiber cross-sectional area (fCSA, mfCSA) and metabolic blueprint of three muscles in 3 different breeds 2) to study possible associations between differences in histomorphological parameters and baseline metabolism. Methods: Muscle biopsies [m. pectoralis (PM), m. vastus lateralis (VL) and m. semitendinosus (ST)] were harvested of 7 untrained Friesians, 12 Standardbred and 4 Warmblood mares. Untargeted metabolomics was performed on the VL and PM of Friesian and Warmblood horses and the VL of Standardbreds using UHPLC/MS/MS and GC/MS. Breed effect on fiber type percentage and fCSA and mfCSA was tested with Kruskal-Wallis. Breeds were compared with Wilcoxon rank-sum test, with Bonferroni correction. Spearman correlation explored the association between the metabolic blueprint and morphometric parameters. Results: The ST was least and the VL most discriminative across breeds. In Standardbreds, a significantly higher proportion of type IIA fibers was represented in PM and VL. Friesians showed a significantly higher representation of type IIX fibers in the PM. No significant differences in fCSA were present across breeds. A significantly larger mfCSA was seen in the VL of Standardbreds. Lipid and nucleotide super pathways were significantly more upregulated in Friesians, with increased activity of short and medium-chain acylcarnitines together with increased abundance of long chain and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Standardbreds showed highly active xenobiotic pathways and high activity of long and very long chain acylcarnitines. Amino acid metabolism was similar across breeds, with branched and aromatic amino acid sub-pathways being highly active in Friesians. Carbohydrate, amino acid and nucleotide super pathways and carnitine metabolism showed higher activity in Warmbloods compared to Standardbreds. Conclusion: Results show important metabolic differences between equine breeds for lipid, amino acid, nucleotide and carbohydrate metabolism and in that order. Mapping the metabolic profile together with morphometric parameters provides trainers, owners and researchers with crucial information to develop future strategies with respect to customized training and dietary regimens to reach full potential in optimal welfare.
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This research looks into understanding physiological muscle parameters and their metabolic blueprint across different horse breeds, which could help understand their functionality more accurately.
Study Objective
The study is aimed to map out baseline fiber type composition, fiber type and mean fiber cross-sectional area (fCSA, mfCSA) and metabolic blueprint of three different muscles in three different horse breeds.
Another objective is to study the association between differences in histomorphological parameters and baseline metabolism.
Methodology
Biopsies of three different muscles were taken from 7 untrained Friesian horses, 12 Standardbred horses, and 4 Warmblood mares.
The study used untargeted metabolomics with methods including Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry to examine metabolic blueprint.
Effects on fiber type percentage, fCSA, and mfCSA across breeds were analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis tests.
Breed differences were compared using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test with Bonferroni correction. Then, Spearman correlation was used to find the association between the metabolic blueprint and morphometric parameters.
Findings
The research found various muscle and metabolic differences across the breeds. The ST muscle was least discriminative and VL most discriminative across breeds.
Standardbreds had a higher proportion of type IIA fibers in their PM and VL muscles, while Friesians had more type IIX fibers in PM.
The fCSA didn’t show any significant differences across breeds, but a larger mfCSA was found in the VL of Standardbreds.
In metabolic terms, lipid and nucleotide pathways were more upregulated in Friesians. They showed increased short and medium-chain acylcarnitines, long-chain, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Standardbreds showed active xenobiotic pathways and high activity long and very long chain acylcarnitines.
Warmbloods showed higher activity in carbohydrate, amino acid and nucleotide super pathways, and carnitine metabolism compared to Standardbreds.
Implications
The findings show essential metabolic differences between horse breeds in lipid, amino acid, nucleotide, and carbohydrate metabolism.
This understanding could provide key details for trainers, owners, and researchers to develop individualized training and dietary regimens for optimal performance and welfare.
Cite This Article
APA
Vidal Moreno de Vega C, de Meeûs d'Argenteuil C, Boshuizen B, De Mare L, Gansemans Y, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Deforce D, Goethals K, De Spiegelaere W, Leybaert L, Verdegaal EJMM, Delesalle C.
(2024).
Baselining physiological parameters in three muscles across three equine breeds. What can we learn from the horse?
Front Physiol, 15, 1291151.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1291151
Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Research Group of Comparative Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
de Meeûs d'Argenteuil, Constance
Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Research Group of Comparative Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Boshuizen, Berit
Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Research Group of Comparative Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Research Group of Comparative Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Gansemans, Yannick
Department of Pharmaceutics, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Van Nieuwerburgh, Filip
Department of Pharmaceutics, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Deforce, Dieter
Department of Pharmaceutics, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Goethals, Klara
Biometrics Research Center, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
De Spiegelaere, Ward
Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Leybaert, Luc
Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Verdegaal, Elisabeth-Lidwien J M M
Thermoregulation Research Group, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia.
Delesalle, Cathérine
Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Research Group of Comparative Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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