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Home / Equine Research Bank / Am J Vet Res / Evaluation of the risk of motor neuron disease in horses fed...
American journal of veterinary research2006; 67(1); 120-126; doi: 10.2460/ajvr.67.1.120

Evaluation of the risk of motor neuron disease in horses fed a diet low in vitamin E and high in copper and iron.

Abstract: To determine whether equine motor neuron disease (EMND) could be induced in adult horses fed a diet low in vitamin E and high in copper and iron. Methods: 59 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses in the experimental group (n = 8) were confined to a dirt lot and fed a concentrate low in vitamin E and high in iron and copper in addition to free-choice grass hay that had been stored for 1 year. Control horses (n = 51) were fed a concentrate containing National Research Council-recommended amounts of copper, iron, and vitamin E. The hay fed to control horses was the same as that fed to experimental horses, but it had not been subjected to prolonged storage. Control horses had seasonal access to pasture, whereas experimental horses had no access to pasture. Horses that developed clinical signs of EMND were euthanatized along with an age-matched control horse to determine differences in hepatic concentrations of vitamin E, vitamin A, copper, iron, and selenium. Results: 4 experimental horses developed clinical signs of EMND. Plasma concentrations of vitamin E decreased in all 8 experimental horses. There were no significant changes in plasma concentrations of vitamin A, selenium, and copper or serum concentrations of ferritin. There were no significant differences in those analytes between experimental horses with EMND and experimental horses that did not develop EMND. No control horses developed EMND. Conclusions: Results suggest that lack of access to pasture, dietary deficiency of vitamin E, or excessive dietary copper are likely risk factors for EMND.
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Publication Date: 2006-01-24 PubMed ID: 16426221DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.67.1.120Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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.

This research studied the effects of a low vitamin E and high copper and iron diet on the development of motor neuron disease (EMND) in horses. They discovered that lack of access to pasture, dietary deficiency of vitamin E, or excessive dietary copper are likely risk factors for EMND in horses.

Methodology

  • The study involved 59 healthy adult horses, divided into two groups: 51 horses in the control group and 8 in the experimental group.
  • The experimental group horses were confined to a dirt lot and were fed a diet heavy with iron, copper but low in Vitamin E. They were also given grass hay that had been stored for a year. They had no access to pasture.
  • The control group horses had access to pasture and were also fed a concentrate approved by the National Research Council, containing recommended amounts of copper, iron, and vitamin E. The hay fed to the control group was the same grass hay, but it hadn’t been subjected to prolonged storage.

Outcomes

  • Four horses from the experimental group developed clinical signs of Equine Motor Neuron Disease (EMND).
  • All horses in the experimental group showed a decrease in their plasma concentration of vitamin E.
  • No significant changes were observed in the plasma concentrations of vitamin A, selenium, and copper, or serum concentrations of ferritin (a protein that stores iron in the body).
  • There was no significant difference in these analytes between experimental horses that developed EMND and those that did not.
  • No control group horses developed EMND.

Conclusions

  • The results of the study suggest that the lack of access to pasture, deficiency in Vitamin E due to diet, or excessive dietary copper could be potential risk factors for the development of EMND in horses.
  • Horses that showed clinical signs of EMND were euthanized along with an age-matched control horse to identify differences in hepatic concentrations of various compounds. But, the research couldn’t find significant differences between horses that developed EMND and those that did not in terms of their plasma concentration of vitamin A, selenium, and copper, or serum concentrations of ferritin.

Cite This Article

APA
Divers TJ, Cummings JE, de Lahunta A, Hintz HF, Mohammed HO. (2006). Evaluation of the risk of motor neuron disease in horses fed a diet low in vitamin E and high in copper and iron. Am J Vet Res, 67(1), 120-126. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.67.1.120

Publication

American journal of veterinary research
ISSN: 0002-9645
NlmUniqueID: 0375011
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 67
Issue: 1
Pages: 120-126

Researcher Affiliations

Divers, Thomas J
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Cummings, John E
    de Lahunta, Alexander
      Hintz, Harold F
        Mohammed, Hussni O

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • Copper / toxicity
          • Diet / veterinary
          • Ferritins / blood
          • Horse Diseases / etiology
          • Horse Diseases / metabolism
          • Horses
          • Iron / toxicity
          • Liver / metabolism
          • Motor Neuron Disease / etiology
          • Motor Neuron Disease / metabolism
          • Motor Neuron Disease / veterinary
          • Risk Assessment
          • Selenium / blood
          • Selenium / metabolism
          • Vitamin A / blood
          • Vitamin E Deficiency / blood
          • Vitamin E Deficiency / veterinary

          Citations

          This article has been cited 12 times.
          1. Culhuac EB, Elghandour MMMY, Adegbeye MJ, Barbabosa-Pliego A, Salem AZM. Influence of Dietary Selenium on the Oxidative Stress in Horses. Biol Trace Elem Res 2023 Apr;201(4):1695-1703.
            doi: 10.1007/s12011-022-03270-ypubmed: 35526205google scholar: lookup
          2. Bookbinder L, Finno CJ, Firshman AM, Katzman SA, Burns E, Peterson J, Dahlgren A, Ming-Whitfield B, Glessner S, Borer-Matsui A, Valberg SJ. Impact of alpha-tocopherol deficiency and supplementation on sacrocaudalis and gluteal muscle fiber histopathology and morphology in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Nov;33(6):2770-2779.
            doi: 10.1111/jvim.15643pubmed: 31660648google scholar: lookup
          3. Brown JC, Valberg SJ, Hogg M, Finno CJ. Effects of feeding two RRR-α-tocopherol formulations on serum, cerebrospinal fluid and muscle α-tocopherol concentrations in horses with subclinical vitamin E deficiency. Equine Vet J 2017 Nov;49(6):753-758.
            doi: 10.1111/evj.12692pubmed: 28432750google scholar: lookup
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            pubmed: 27429468
          5. Díez de Castro E, Zafra R, Acevedo LM, Pérez J, Acosta I, Rivero JL, Aguilera-Tejero E. Eosinophilic Enteritis in Horses with Motor Neuron Disease. J Vet Intern Med 2016 May;30(3):873-9.
            doi: 10.1111/jvim.13944pubmed: 27015868google scholar: lookup
          6. Braidy N, Poljak A, Marjo C, Rutlidge H, Rich A, Jayasena T, Inestrosa NC, Sachdev P. Metal and complementary molecular bioimaging in Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2014;6:138.
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          7. Rodrigues MC, Voltarelli JC, Sanberg PR, Borlongan CV, Garbuzova-Davis S. Immunological aspects in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Transl Stroke Res 2012 Sep;3(3):331-40.
            doi: 10.1007/s12975-012-0177-6pubmed: 24323808google scholar: lookup
          8. El-Assaad I, Di Bari JA, Yasuda K, Divers TJ, Summers BA, de Lahunta A, Mohammed H. Differential expression of TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) in the central nervous system of horses afflicted with equine motor neuron disease (EMND): a preliminary study of a potential pathologic marker. Vet Res Commun 2012 Dec;36(4):221-6.
            doi: 10.1007/s11259-012-9533-ypubmed: 22918699google scholar: lookup
          9. Soares DC, Barlow PN, Porteous DJ, Devon RS. An interrupted beta-propeller and protein disorder: structural bioinformatics insights into the N-terminus of alsin. J Mol Model 2009 Feb;15(2):113-22.
            doi: 10.1007/s00894-008-0381-1pubmed: 19023603google scholar: lookup
          10. Mohammed HO, Starkey SR, Stipetic K, Divers TJ, Summers BA, de Lahunta A. The role of dietary antioxidant insufficiency on the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2008 Dec;67(12):1187-93.
            doi: 10.1097/NEN.0b013e31818f8f51pubmed: 19018244google scholar: lookup
          11. Delguste C, de Moffarts B, Kirschvink N, Art T, Pincemail J, Defraigne JO, Amory H, Lekeux P. Change in blood antioxidant status of horses moved from a stable following diagnosis of equine motor neuron disease. Can Vet J 2007 Nov;48(11):1165-7.
            pubmed: 18050798
          12. Mohammed HO, Divers TJ, Summers BA, de Lahunta A. Vitamin E deficiency and risk of equine motor neuron disease. Acta Vet Scand 2007 Jul 2;49(1):17.
            doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-49-17pubmed: 17605810google scholar: lookup
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