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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2019; 33(6); 2770-2779; doi: 10.1111/jvim.15643

Impact of alpha-tocopherol deficiency and supplementation on sacrocaudalis and gluteal muscle fiber histopathology and morphology in horses.

Abstract: A subset of horses deficient in alpha-tocopherol (α-TP) develop muscle atrophy and vitamin E-responsive myopathy (VEM) characterized by mitochondrial alterations in the sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle (SC). Objective: To quantify muscle histopathologic abnormalities in subclinical α-TP deficient horses before and after α-TP supplementation and compare with retrospective (r)VEM cases. Methods: Prospective study; 16 healthy α-TP-deficient Quarter Horses. Retrospective study; 10 retrospective vitamin E-responsive myopathy (rVEM) cases . Methods: Blood, SC, and gluteus medius (GM) biopsy specimens were obtained before (day 0) and 56 days after 5000 IU/450 kg horse/day PO water dispersible liquid α-TP (n = 8) or control (n = 8). Muscle fiber morphology and mitochondrial alterations were compared in samples from days 0 and 56 and in rVEM cases. Results: Mitochondrial alterations more common than our reference range (<2.5% affected fibers) were present in 3/8 control and 4/8 treatment horses on day 0 in SC but not in GM (mean, 2.2; range, 0%-10% of fibers). Supplementation with α-TP for 56 days did not change the percentage of fibers with mitochondrial alterations or anguloid atrophy, or fiber size in GM or SC. Clinical rVEM horses had significantly more mitochondrial alterations (rVEM SC, 13% ± 7%; GM, 3% ± 2%) and anguloid atrophy compared to subclinical day 0 horses. Conclusions: Clinically normal α-TP-deficient horses can have mitochondrial alterations in the SC that are less severe than in atrophied VEM cases and do not resolve after 56 days of α-TP supplementation. Preventing α-TP deficiency may be of long-term importance for mitochondrial viability.
© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2019-10-29 PubMed ID: 31660648PubMed Central: PMC6872615DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15643Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 investigated the effect of alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) deficiency and supplementation on muscle fiber health in horses, particularly focusing on abnormalities in mitochondria and muscle fiber morphology. The study found that vitamin E-deficient horses did show mitochondrial alterations, although these were less severe than in those with pronounced muscle wasting. Furthermore, 56 days of vitamin E supplementation did not resolve these abnormalities.

Methods

  • This study comprised of two parts: a prospective study with 16 healthy alpha-tocopherol deficient Quarter Horses, and a retrospective study observing 10 past cases of vitamin E-responsive myopathy (rVEM).
  • Biopsies were obtained from two muscle regions, the sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle (SC), and the gluteus medius (GM), as these areas were most susceptible to muscle atrophy and mitochondrial changes due to α-TP deficiency.
  • These specimens were taken before (day 0) and 56 days after starting the horses on a dietary intervention, where half received an alpha-tocopherol supplement and the other half served as control without supplementation.

Results

  • On day 0, mitochondrial changes outside the reference range were present in some control and treatment horses, specifically in the sacrocaudal muscle, but not in the gluteus medius.
  • Supplementing horses with vitamin E for 56 days did not significantly change the presence of mitochondrial alterations, anguloid atrophy (a type of muscle wastage), or fiber size in the muscle areas studied.
  • The retrospective cases of vitamin E-responsive myopathy showed a significant increase in mitochondrial alterations and muscle atrophy compared to subclinical day 0 horses. These changes were more intense in the sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle compared to the gluteus medius muscle.

Conclusions and Implications

  • Horses with a clinical deficiency in alpha-tocopherol can present with changes in their muscle mitochondria, but these are not as severe as those in horses with clinical vitamin E-responsive myopathy.
  • 56 days of vitamin E supplementation did not significantly alter these changes, suggesting the effect of vitamin deficiency may have longer-term consequences on muscle health.
  • This emphasises the importance of preventing vitamin E deficiency in horses for the maintenance of mitochondrial viability and overall muscle health.

Cite This Article

APA
Bookbinder L, Finno CJ, Firshman AM, Katzman SA, Burns E, Peterson J, Dahlgren A, Ming-Whitfield B, Glessner S, Borer-Matsui A, Valberg SJ. (2019). Impact of alpha-tocopherol deficiency and supplementation on sacrocaudalis and gluteal muscle fiber histopathology and morphology in horses. J Vet Intern Med, 33(6), 2770-2779. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15643

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 33
Issue: 6
Pages: 2770-2779

Researcher Affiliations

Bookbinder, Lauren
  • McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
Finno, Carrie J
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
Firshman, Anna M
  • Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota.
Katzman, Scott A
  • Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
Burns, Erin
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
Peterson, Janel
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
Dahlgren, Anna
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
Ming-Whitfield, Brittni
  • Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis, Davis, California.
Glessner, Shelby
  • McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
Borer-Matsui, Amanda
  • McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
Valberg, Stephanie J
  • McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / ultrastructure
  • Muscular Diseases / etiology
  • Muscular Diseases / pathology
  • Muscular Diseases / veterinary
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Vitamin E Deficiency / pathology
  • Vitamin E Deficiency / veterinary
  • alpha-Tocopherol / metabolism

Grant Funding

  • R25 GM056765 / NIGMS NIH HHS
  • L40 TR001136 / NCATS NIH HHS
  • University of California Davis Center for Equine Health
  • K05OD015134 / Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
  • Michigan State University, EquineFreeman Fund
  • Endowment of the Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine
  • L40 TR001136. / Foundation for the National Institutes of Health

Conflict of Interest Statement

The vitamin E supplement (Nano E) used in this trial was provided by Kentucky Equine Research, Versailles, KY at no cost to the study. Kentucky Equine Research did not participate in the design of the study, review the results or have input into the writing of this paper.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Henry ML, Velez-Irizarry D, Pagan JD, Sordillo L, Gandy J, Valberg SJ. The Impact of N-Acetyl Cysteine and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle Antioxidants and Proteome in Fit Thoroughbred Horses. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021 Oct 30;10(11).
    doi: 10.3390/antiox10111739pubmed: 34829610google scholar: lookup
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