Characterisation of clotting factors, anticoagulant protein activities and viscoelastic analysis in healthy donkeys.

The focus of this research article is the characterization of haemostatic parameters in healthy donkeys and comparing these findings to existing data about horses. The study has found that there are differences between donkeys and horses in some blood clotting conditions and proteins, and in how blood clot forms and behaves, even stating that donkeys’ system works quicker than that in horses.

Research Methodology

• The experiment was a cross-sectional study involving a total of 80 healthy Andalusian and crossbred donkeys and 40 healthy Andulasian crossbred horses.
• From each of the subjects, clotting factors (V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII), as well as anti-thrombotic proteins such as Antithrombin III, Protein C, and Protein S, were measured. These measurements relied on assays which the researchers built based on human deficient plasmas.
• Additionally, thromboelastography – a means of testing the efficiency of blood coagulation – was used on 34 of the donkeys using a machine designed to analyze coagulation and platelet functions.

Key Findings

• The study found that donkeys had a faster Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time – the time taken for a clot to form, and higher activities of Factor VII, IX, and XI.
• Horses had higher activities of Factor X and XII.
• Additionally, the anti-thrombotic proteins Antithrombin III, Protein C, and Protein S, had higher activity levels in the donkeys compared to the horses.
• The donkeys also had a faster clot formation rate and the time taken to reach the peak of the process was less than the reported values in horses.

Conclusions

• The results indicate that there are clear differences between the haemostatic systems in donkeys and horses. This suggests there may be a need for species-specific treatments and care approaches based on haemostatic behavior.
• As a limitation of this study, the authors noted that some tests were unavailable, preventing a comprehensive evaluation of the haemostatic pathways in donkeys. They also couldn’t account for certain fibrinolytic parameters like plasmin and plasminogen in donkeys, which might have an impact on the results.