Newborn foal with atypical myopathy.
Abstract: The case of atypical myopathy (AM) in newborn Haflinger foal with clinical signs of depression and weakness appearing 6 hours after birth resulting in recumbency 12 hours after birth is described. The foal's dam was diagnosed with AM in the 6th month of gestation based on clinical signs of a myopathy, elevated serum activity of creatine kinase, metabolomic analysis and the presence of methylenecyclopropyl acetyl carnitine (MCPA-carnitine) in the blood. At the time of delivery, the mare was grazing on a pasture near sycamore trees but was free of clinical signs of AM. Metabolomic analysis of the foal's blood revealed increased concentrations of acylcarnitines and MCPA-carnitine consistent with metabolic profiles of blood from AM affected horses. Two theories could explain this observation (a) hypoglycin A or its metabolites accumulated in the mare's placenta with consequent transfer to fetus or (b) these compounds were secreted into mare's milk.
© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2018-09-14 PubMed ID: 30216546PubMed Central: PMC6189353DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15236Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article details a case of atypical myopathy (AM) in a newborn Haflinger foal whose mother had also been diagnosed with AM during pregnancy. The researchers investigated the possible root causes of the symptoms and suggested two possible theories.
The Case
- The case report focuses on a newborn Haflinger foal that began displaying signs of depression and weakness just 6 hours after birth. These symptoms escalated quickly, with the foal becoming unable to stand 12 hours after birth.
- The foal’s mother was previously diagnosed with Atypical Myopathy (AM) during her sixth month of pregnancy. This diagnosis was based on numerous factors including symptoms of a muscular disorder, a raised serum activity of creatine kinase, metabolic analysis, and the detection of methylenecyclopropyl acetyl carnitine (MCPA-carnitine) in her bloodstream.
Possible Causes
- When the mare gave birth, she was feeding in a pasture nearby sycamore trees. It is important to note that she showed no signs of AM at the time of delivery.
- Upon examination of the foal’s blood – elevated levels of acylcarnitines and MCPA-carnitine were found. Both these compounds are usually found in higher concentrations in the blood of horses affected by AM, thus suggesting the foal had also been affected by the condition.
Potential Theories
- Based on their findings, the researchers proposed two theories in an attempt to explain how the foal may have contracted AM. The first suggests that hypoglycin A or its metabolites—known causes of AM—could have built up in the mare’s placenta before being transferred to the foal.
- The second theory is that these compounds may have been secreted into the mare’s milk, passing to the foal during breastfeeding.
This study provides valuable insight into a rare case of Atypical Myopathy in newborn foals, offering two potential explanations for its transmission. This could aid in the future prevention and treatment of this disease in newborn horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Karlíková R, Široká J, Mech M, Friedecký D, Janečková H, Mádrová L, Hrdinová F, Drábková Z, Dobešová O, Adam T, Jahn P.
(2018).
Newborn foal with atypical myopathy.
J Vet Intern Med, 32(5), 1768-1772.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15236 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Science, Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Private Veterinary Practice, Jistebník, Czech Republic.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Laboratory for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, University Hospital, and Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Laboratory for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, University Hospital, and Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Laboratory for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, University Hospital, and Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Carnitine / analogs & derivatives
- Carnitine / blood
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Muscular Diseases / diagnosis
- Muscular Diseases / veterinary
Grant Funding
- 15-34613L / Czech Science Foundation
- CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0004 / European Social Fund Postdoc Project
- 115/2018/FVL / Internal Grant Agency University od Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno
- LO1304 / NPU I
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This article includes 27 references
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