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Veterinary clinical pathology2021; 50(4); 551-554; doi: 10.1111/vcp.13027

Effect of exercise on serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin concentration in racehorses.

Abstract: Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) is a marker of renal injury, and its concentrations are affected by inflammation. Therefore, it could serve as a useful biomarker of disease or fitness in high-level competition. However, it has not yet been determined if sNGAL concentrations are affected by exercise. The aim of this study was to determine whether concentrations of equine sNGAL were affected by 1000 m galloping as the form of exercise used in the study. Pre- and post-gallop sNGAL, serum amyloid A, and creatinine concentrations were evaluated in 14 healthy Thoroughbred racehorses. The results showed that short, high-intensity exercise did not significantly affect sNGAL concentrations in healthy horses (P = .42), and no significant difference was found in either creatinine or serum amyloid A before and after galloping (P > .05). Therefore, it was determined that sNGAL was not influenced by the type of exercise used in the study and could have the potential to be used as a routine laboratory screening tool in horses even after strenuous exercise. Future research should clarify its use in a larger population and a broader range of equine sport disciplines, including endurance-related exercise.
© 2021 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.
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Publication Date: 2021-11-14 PubMed ID: 34779025DOI: 10.1111/vcp.13027Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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.

The research paper focuses on the evaluation of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) levels in racehorses before and after a 1000 meter gallop. The findings demonstrate that the high-intensity exercise did not significantly impact the sNGAL concentrations in healthy horses, suggesting its potential as a routine biomarker for disease or fitness, even in situations of strenuous exercise.

Objectives of the Study

  • The study focused on evaluating sNGAL, a marker associated with renal injury and inflammation, in Thoroughbred racehorses.
  • The impact of exercise, specifically a 1000 meter gallop, on the sNGAL concentrations in healthy horses was to be determined.
  • The overarching goal was to ascertain if sNGAL could serve as a potentially reliable biomarker unaffected by strenuous exercise.

Research Methodology

  • The study involved the monitoring and analysis of sNGAL concentrations in 14 healthy Thoroughbred racehorses.
  • Each horse was subjected to a 1000 meter gallop, and their individual sNGAL, serum amyloid A, and creatinine concentrations were evaluated both before and after the exercise.

Main Findings

  • Post-exercise sNGAL levels in the healthy horses did not exhibit any significant change, indicating sNGAL concentrations were largely unaffected by the high-intensity exercise (P = .42).
  • Additionally, the levels of creatinine and serum amyloid A also remained stable before and after the 1000 meter gallop in the tested horses (P > .05).
  • These findings firmly establish that the type of exercise used in this study did not influence the sNGAL concentrations in the horses.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The results suggest that sNGAL has the potential to be employed as a regular laboratory screening tool. Its utility remains unaffected even after bouts of strenuous exercise.
  • However, for broad applicability, future research needs to probe into the usage of sNGAL as a biomarker in a larger horse population and across a wider range of equine sports disciplines, including the endurance-related ones.

Cite This Article

APA
Flick M, Vinther AML, Jacobsen S, Berg LC, Gimeno M, Verwilghen D, Howden W, Averay K, van Galen G. (2021). Effect of exercise on serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin concentration in racehorses. Vet Clin Pathol, 50(4), 551-554. https://doi.org/10.1111/vcp.13027

Publication

Veterinary clinical pathology
ISSN: 1939-165X
NlmUniqueID: 9880575
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 50
Issue: 4
Pages: 551-554

Researcher Affiliations

Flick, Marnie
  • Camden Equine Centre, University Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Vinther, Anne M L
  • BioPorto Diagnostics, Hellerup, Denmark.
Jacobsen, Stine
  • Medicine and Surgery, Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark.
Berg, Lise C
  • Medicine and Surgery, Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark.
Gimeno, Marina
  • Camden Equine Centre, University Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Verwilghen, Denis
  • Camden Equine Centre, University Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Howden, Wade
  • Camden Equine Centre, University Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Averay, Kate
  • Camden Equine Centre, University Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
van Galen, Gaby
  • Camden Equine Centre, University Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / veterinary
  • Acute-Phase Proteins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • Creatinine
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horses
  • Lipocalin-2

References

This article includes 15 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Galen GV, Olsen E, Siwinska N. Biomarkers of Kidney Disease in Horses: A Review of the Current Literature. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 5;12(19).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12192678pubmed: 36230418google scholar: lookup
  2. Eskandari G, Ahmadi Sheikhsarmast S, Ghasemi S, Mohri M. Establishing Reference Values for Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) in Turkmen Horses: Effects of Gender, Age, Pregnancy and Physical Activity. Vet Med Sci 2026 Jan;12(1):e70755.
    doi: 10.1002/vms3.70755pubmed: 41456952google scholar: lookup
  3. Su Y, Ren W, Ma S, Meng J, Yao X, Zeng Y, Li Z, Li L, Wang R, Wang J. Comparative analysis of blood whole transcriptome profiles in Yili horses pre- and post-5000-meter racing. Front Genet 2025;16:1651628.
    doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1651628pubmed: 40949872google scholar: lookup
  4. Wang J, Ren W, Li Z, Ma S, Li L, Wang R, Zeng Y, Meng J, Yao X. Blood-Based Whole-Genome Methylation Analysis of Yili Horses Pre- and Post-Racing. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 24;15(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15030326pubmed: 39943096google scholar: lookup
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