Blood glutathione peroxidase activity in horses in relation to muscular dystrophy and selenium nutrition.
Abstract: The activity of glutathione peroxidase, a selenium containing enzyme, was measured in the blood of horses to determine its usefulness as an indicator of selenium status. In 15 horses the enzyme activity was positively related to the blood selenium concentration (P less than .001, r-0.98) over the range of enzyme activities of 8.2 to 140 units (mumoles NADP-oxidised/min/gHb) and selenium concentrations of 0.24 to 2.74 mumol/l. In a group of 8 horses which 2 foals had died with lesions of muscular dystrophy the enzyme activity increased from a mean of 11.8 units before treatment with selenium to 34.5 units after 2 intravenous injections of sodium selenite given one month apart. Another group of 8 horses grazing paddocks adjacent to this affected group did not receive any selenium treatment and had a mean enzyme activity of 11.9 units. Blood glutathione peroxidase activity was measured in 50 pasture-fed horses and 180 stall-fed horses. The range of activities found (7 to 158 units) indicated that selenium intake in horses varied widely between localities. All pasture-fed horses grazing areas where muscular dystrophy had occurred in foals had low activities (less than 20 units). In stall-fed horses the enzyme activity was influenced by selenium treatment, and horses which had been treated usually had higher activities than horses in the same stable with no history of selenium treatment. It was concluded that blood glutathione peroxidase is a suitable indicator of selenium status in horses.
Publication Date: 1978-02-01 PubMed ID: 655982DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1978.tb00343.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research paper revolves around studying the activity of an enzyme known as ‘glutathione peroxidase’ in different groups of horses to determine its relation with selenium nutrition and muscular dystrophy in foals.
Glutathione peroxidase and selenium concentration
- The researchers measured the glutathione peroxidase activity in blood samples taken from 15 horses.
- They found that the activity of the studied enzyme was positively related to the blood selenium concentration, over a range of enzyme activities and selenium concentrations.
- This highlights that as the levels of selenium in the horse’s blood increases, so does the activity of glutathione peroxidase enzyme.
Connection with Muscular Dystrophy
- The research also examined a group of 8 horses, out of which 2 foals had died from muscular dystrophy.
- These horses were treated with selenium and their glutathione peroxidase activity increased significantly after treatment.
- This suggests that there might be a connection between a deficiency of selenium, low enzyme activity, and the incidence of muscular dystrophy in foals.
Pasture-fed versus Stall-fed Horses
- Further studies were conducted on a total of 230 horses, out of which 50 were pasture-fed and 180 were stall-fed.
- It was observed that the selenium intake and thus enzyme activity varied largely based on locality.
- All the pasture-fed horses that were grazing in areas where muscular dystrophy had occurred in foals had lower enzyme activities.
- In case of stall-fed horses, the activity of the enzyme was affected by selenium treatment. Horses that were treated with selenium usually had higher enzyme activities.
Conclusion
- The researchers concluded that the activity of blood glutathione peroxidase can be used as a reliable indicator of selenium status in horses.
- They hinted at a likely connection between selenium deficiency, low enzyme activity, and the onset of muscular dystrophy in foals.
Cite This Article
APA
Caple IW, Edwards SJ, Forsyth WM, Whiteley P, Selth RH, Fulton LJ.
(1978).
Blood glutathione peroxidase activity in horses in relation to muscular dystrophy and selenium nutrition.
Aust Vet J, 54(2), 57-60.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1978.tb00343.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Glutathione Peroxidase / blood
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / enzymology
- Horses
- Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / blood
- Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / drug therapy
- Muscular Dystrophy, Animal / enzymology
- Peroxidases / blood
- Selenium / metabolism
- Selenium / therapeutic use
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Blanchflower WJ, Rice DA, Davidson WB. Blood glutathione peroxidase : A method for measurement and the influence of storage, cyanide, and Drabkin's reagent on enzyme activity. Biol Trace Elem Res 1986 Dec;11(1):89-100.
- Landsverk T. Peyer's patches and the follicle-associated epithelium in diarrheic calves. Pathomorphology, morphometry and acid phosphatase histochemistry. Acta Vet Scand 1981;22(3-4):459-71.
- Hussein KS, Jones BE. Effects of selenium administration on erythrocyte and blood plasma glutathione peroxidase activity in goats. Acta Vet Scand 1982;23(4):559-64.
- Baird JD, Arroyo LG, Lumsden JH. Whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity in Standardbred broodmares supplemented with vitamin E and selenium. Can J Vet Res 2026 Jan;90(1):25-29.
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