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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(20); 2746; doi: 10.3390/ani12202746

Particle Size Distribution of Plasma Lipoproteins in Donkeys from Death Valley Compared to a Sampling of Horses.

Abstract: The clinical evaluation of lipid metabolism in equids is often limited to the measurement of total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. This provides a limited picture of metabolic state and general health, given the continuous exchange of lipid species between various lipoproteins. Major lipoprotein classes in equids include high-density lipoprotein (HDL), intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and chylomicrons (CM). Unlike large breed horses, donkeys are highly susceptible to hepatic lipidosis. Currently, serum triglyceride concentrations serve as a surrogate marker of hepatic lipid exportation. Both VLDL, indicative of hepatic exportation, and its metabolic end-product, LDL, are rich in triglycerides, and contribute to this value. Diagnostic assays that distinguish VLDL from LDL could be useful in better recognizing the hepatic pathology in donkeys. The compositional differences of lipoproteins across species limit the use of commercially available assays developed for the measurement of human lipoproteins in domestic animals. In this study, we evaluated a high-resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method () for separating major lipoprotein classes and sub-fractionating LDL and HDL based on particle size in a large group of donkeys, and compared the pattern to a representative set of horses. Donkeys proved an HDL-rich species, with HDL accounting for the bulk of all lipoproteins (average 78.45%, SD 6.6%, range 92.2-55%). VLDL accounted for a large portion of the total (average 21.6%, SD 6.6%, range 37.1-7.8%), with minimal amounts of LDL detected. The horses tested had higher proportions of VLDL as compared to donkeys (31.7% and 21.6%, respectively = 0.00008). The later finding draws into question the purported relationship between VLDL, high triglycerides, and hepatic lipidosis, given the incidence of the disease in donkeys is far higher than in horses.
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Publication Date: 2022-10-13 PubMed ID: 36290132PubMed Central: PMC9597708DOI: 10.3390/ani12202746Google 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.

The article discusses a detailed study of the distribution of lipid molecules among lipoprotein particles in the blood of donkeys and horses. The highlight of the study is that donkeys, despite being more prone to liver fat accumulation issues, exhibited an abundant presence of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and fewer low-density lipoproteins (LDL) as compared to horses.

About Lipoproteins and Their Significance

  • Lipoproteins are proteins in the body that carry cholesterol and triglycerides. They include HDL, IDL, LDL, VLDL, and chylomicrons (CM).
  • The ratio of these lipoproteins and their distributions are often used as indicators of metabolic health.
  • Usually, in equines (horses, donkeys etc.), lipid metabolism is assessed from total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, which provide an incomplete image of their overall metabolic health due to the continuous exchange of lipid species among various lipoproteins.

Why Lipoproteins Matter in Donkeys and Horses

  • Unlike larger horses, donkeys are particularly prone to hepatic lipidosis, a liver condition characterized by fat accumulation.
  • Currently, this condition in donkeys is monitored using serum triglyceride concentrations, which are directly linked to hepatic lipid exportation due to their presence in VLDL and LDL—lipoproteins produced and transformed by the liver.
  • Diagnostic tests differentiating LDL from VLDL can help in identifying early liver pathologies in donkeys.

The Findings of the Study

  • The research used a high-resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method to separate major lipoprotein classes and sub-fractions in numerous donkeys, comparing them to a group of horses.
  • The donkeys proved to be an HDL-rich species, with the bulk (78.45% on average) of all their lipoproteins consisting of this ‘good’ cholesterol, while VLDL constituted a sizeable portion of the total (21.6%).
  • Conversely, horses had a higher proportion of VLDL (31.7%) compared to donkeys, challenging the hypothesized relationship between high VLDL levels, triglycerides, and the incidence of hepatic lipidosis given that this disease is more prevalent in donkeys.

The study paves the way for further research to better understand the role of different lipoprotein molecules in hepatic lipidosis among animals and their use in diagnostic assessment.

Cite This Article

APA
Goodrich EL, Behling-Kelly E. (2022). Particle Size Distribution of Plasma Lipoproteins in Donkeys from Death Valley Compared to a Sampling of Horses. Animals (Basel), 12(20), 2746. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202746

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 20
PII: 2746

Researcher Affiliations

Goodrich, Erin L
  • Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
Behling-Kelly, Erica
  • Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Prasinou P, De Amicis I, Fusaro I, Bucci R, Cavallini D, Parrillo S, Caputo M, Gramenzi A, Carluccio A. The Lipidomics of Spermatozoa and Red Blood Cells Membrane Profile of Martina Franca Donkey: Preliminary Evaluation. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 20;13(1).
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  2. Mendoza FJ, Toribio RE, Perez-Ecija A. Metabolic and Endocrine Insights in Donkeys. Animals (Basel) 2024 Feb 10;14(4).
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