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Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: a vitamin E deficiency that may be familial.
Abstract: Two horse farms, on which there was a high incidence of proven and suspected equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), were studied. Symmetric ataxia and paresis, along with laryngeal adductor, cervicofacial, local cervical, and cutaneous trunci hyporeflexia, characterized the syndrome. Serum vitamin E concentration reflected a deficient state in affected and unaffected horses on both farms when compared with selected reference groups and with published values. A high incidence of the disease was evident in offspring of two particular sires on one farm. Vitamin E supplementation resulted in correction of the deficient state in most horses and was associated with a drastic reduction in the incidence of EDM on one farm from 40% to less than 10% the year following vitamin E supplementation. In addition, during the last year, the severity of signs in the few cases was dramatically reduced. This information substantiates the hypothesis that EDM is a vitamin E-responsive disorder of Equidae with a possible familial predisposition.
Publication Date: 1987-01-01 PubMed ID: 3506620DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1987.tb01985.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The abstract focuses on research conducted on two horse farms with notably high incidences of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), a disease that was found to be linked to vitamin E deficiency and potentially hereditary traits. Vitamin E supplementation significantly lessened the prevalence and severity of the disease.
Research Context and Objective
- The goal of this study was to investigate the unusually high occurrence of equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) on two horse farms and ascertain potential causes and solutions to the issue. EDM, a neurological disorder, was characterized by symptoms such as symmetric ataxia (lack of muscle control), paresis (weakness), and different types of hyporeflexia (below-normal reflexes).
Critical Findings
- The study discovered that all horses, regardless of whether they were affected by EDM, demonstrated vitamin E deficiency when their serum vitamin E levels were compared to a selected reference group and published data.
- The study observed that the disease appeared quite frequently in the offspring of two sires (male parents) on one of the farms. This pointed towards a potential hereditary predisposition towards EDM.
- A large part of the horses showed a return to the normal vitamin E levels upon supplementation, which was associated with a significant decrease in the prevalence of EDM on the farm — from 40% to less than 10% in the following year. The severity of symptoms also lessened greatly in the remaining cases in the last year of the research.
Conclusions
- The findings support the hypothesis that EDM is a vitamin E-responsive disorder within the horse family, with a possible familial predisposition. This implies that vitamin E deficiency could be a direct cause of EDM, and supplementation could serve as a successful intervention.
- Additionally, the pattern of disease occurrence in the offspring of certain sires hints at a genetic predisposition to the deficiency and consequently, the disease. Further studies could help in identifying the specific genetic factors that make horses susceptible to EDM.
Cite This Article
APA
Mayhew IG, Brown CM, Stowe HD, Trapp AL, Derksen FJ, Clement SF.
(1987).
Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: a vitamin E deficiency that may be familial.
J Vet Intern Med, 1(1), 45-50.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.1987.tb01985.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Ataxia / genetics
- Ataxia / veterinary
- Brain Diseases / drug therapy
- Brain Diseases / genetics
- Brain Diseases / veterinary
- Brain Stem / pathology
- Female
- Horse Diseases / genetics
- Horses
- Male
- Paralysis / genetics
- Paralysis / veterinary
- Reflex, Abnormal / genetics
- Reflex, Abnormal / veterinary
- Spinal Cord Diseases / drug therapy
- Spinal Cord Diseases / genetics
- Spinal Cord Diseases / veterinary
- Vitamin E / therapeutic use
- Vitamin E Deficiency / drug therapy
- Vitamin E Deficiency / genetics
- Vitamin E Deficiency / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 20 times.- Powers A, Peek SF, Reed S, Donnelly CG, Tinkler S, Gasper D, Woolard KD, Finno CJ. Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy in Gypsy Vanner horses. J Vet Intern Med 2024 May-Jun;38(3):1792-1798.
- Palmisano M, Kulp J, Bender S, Stefanovski D, Robinson M, Johnson A. Measurement of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of horses with neuroaxonal degeneration and other causes of proprioceptive ataxia. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):1207-1213.
- Ma Y, Peng S, Donnelly CG, Ghosh S, Miller AD, Woolard K, Finno CJ. Genetic polymorphisms in vitamin E transport genes as determinants for risk of equine neuroaxonal dystrophy. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):417-423.
- Hales EN, Habib H, Favro G, Katzman S, Sakai RR, Marquardt S, Bordbari MH, Ming-Whitfield B, Peterson J, Dahlgren AR, Rivas V, Ramirez CA, Peng S, Donnelly CG, Dizmang BS, Kallenberg A, Grahn R, Miller AD, Woolard K, Moeller B, Puschner B, Finno CJ. Increased α-tocopherol metabolism in horses with equine neuroaxonal dystrophy. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2473-2485.
- Hales EN, Esparza C, Peng S, Dahlgren AR, Peterson JM, Miller AD, Finno CJ. Genome-Wide Association Study and Subsequent Exclusion of ATCAY as a Candidate Gene Involved in Equine Neuroaxonal Dystrophy Using Two Animal Models. Genes (Basel) 2020 Jan 10;11(1).
- Marquardt SA, Wilcox CV, Burns EN, Peterson JA, Finno CJ. Previously Identified Genetic Variants in ADGRL3 Are not Associated with Risk for Equine Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy across Breeds. Genes (Basel) 2019 Sep 5;10(9).
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