Plasma acylcarnitine and fatty acid profiles during exercise and training in Standardbreds.
Abstract: To evaluate alterations in skeletal muscle carnitine metabolism during exercise and training by measuring changes in plasma acylcarnitine concentrations in Standardbreds. Methods: 10 Standardbred geldings with a mean +/- SD age of 20 +/- 2 months and weight of 384 +/- 42 kg. Methods: In a 32-week longitudinal study, training on a treadmill was divided into 4 phases as follows: phase 1, acclimatization for 4 weeks; phase 2, 18 weeks with alternating endurance and high-intensity exercise training; phase 3, increased training volume and intensity for another 6 weeks; and phase 4, deconditioning for 4 weeks. In phase 3, horses were randomly assigned to 2 groups as follows: control horses (which continued training at the same level as in phase 2) and high-intensity exercise trained horses. At the end of each phase, a standardized exercise test (SET) was performed. Plasma acylcarnitine, fatty acids, and lactic acid and serum beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentrations were assessed before and at different time points after each SET. Results: Plasma lactic acid, total nonesterified fatty acids, 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, and acetylcarnitine (C2-carnitine) concentrations significantly increased during SETs, whereas serum BHBA, plasma propionylcarnitine (C3-carnitine), and plasma butyryl- and isobutyrylcarnitine (C4-carnitine) concentrations decreased significantly, compared with those before SETs. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that the plasma acylcarnitine profile in horses likely reflects skeletal muscle carnitine metabolism following exercise, thereby providing a possible practical method to investigate potential disorders in carnitine metabolism in horses with myopathy.
Publication Date: 2008-11-05 PubMed ID: 18980429DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.69.11.1469Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research paper essentially investigates how exercise and training impact skeletal muscle carnitine metabolism in Standardbred horses, using plasma acylcarnitine concentrations as a measure.
Research Overview
- The study was conducted on ten Standardbred geldings (a breed of horse), specifically focusing on their skeletal muscle carnitine metabolism – the process that controls energy production from fats in the body.
- The primary objective was to understand alterations in this metabolism process during exercise and training.
- The researchers measured the changes in plasma acylcarnitine concentrations, a biomarker often used to diagnose defects in fat metabolism.
Methods and Approach
- The study was carried out over a 32-week period, divided into four main phases which included acclimatizing the horses to treadmill training, a mix of endurance and high-intensity exercise, increased intensity training, and a deconditioning period.
- Horses were split into two groups during the high-intensity phase of training for comparison.
- At the end of each phase, the horses underwent a standardized exercise test (SET). Blood samples were collected before and after each SET to analyze the concentrations of various substances.
Results
- Results showed significant increase in plasma lactic acid, total nonesterified fatty acids, 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, and acetylcarnitine concentrations following the SETs. Conversely, there were significant decreases in serum beta-hydroxybutyric acid, plasma propionylcarnitine, and plasma butyryl- and isobutyrylcarnitine concentrations.
- These variations suggested that exercise impacts skeletal muscle carnitine metabolism in horses, as evidenced by changes in plasma acylcarnitine profiles.
Conclusion
- The findings implied that plasma acylcarnitine profiles could reflect skeletal muscle carnitine metabolism in horses after exercise.
- The researchers suggested that their approach could potentially provide a practical method to investigate disorders in carnitine metabolism in horses with myopathy, a muscular disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Westermann CM, Dorland B, de Sain-van der Velden MG, Wijnberg ID, Van Breda E, De Graaf-Roelfsema E, Keizer HA, Van der Kolk JH.
(2008).
Plasma acylcarnitine and fatty acid profiles during exercise and training in Standardbreds.
Am J Vet Res, 69(11), 1469-1475.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.69.11.1469 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Medicine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / blood
- Analysis of Variance
- Animals
- Carnitine / analogs & derivatives
- Carnitine / blood
- Fatty Acids / blood
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
- Horses / blood
- Horses / metabolism
- Lactic Acid / blood
- Male
- Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Tosi I, Art T, Boemer F, Votion DM, Davis MS. Acylcarnitine profile in Alaskan sled dogs during submaximal multiday exercise points out metabolic flexibility and liver role in energy metabolism. PLoS One 2021;16(8):e0256009.
- Le Moyec L, Robert C, Triba MN, Billat VL, Mata X, Schibler L, Barrey E. Protein catabolism and high lipid metabolism associated with long-distance exercise are revealed by plasma NMR metabolomics in endurance horses. PLoS One 2014;9(3):e90730.
- Piccione G, Arfuso F, Giudice E, Aragona F, Pugliatti P, Panzera MF, Zumbo A, Monteverde V, Bartolo V, Barbera A, Giannetto C. Dynamic Adaptation of Hematological Parameters, Albumin, and Non-Esterified Fatty Acids in Saddlebred and Standardbred Horses During Exercise. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 21;15(3).
- Vidal Moreno de Vega C, de Meeûs d'Argenteuil C, Boshuizen B, De Mare L, Gansemans Y, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Deforce D, Goethals K, De Spiegelaere W, Leybaert L, Verdegaal EJMM, Delesalle C. Baselining physiological parameters in three muscles across three equine breeds. What can we learn from the horse?. Front Physiol 2024;15:1291151.
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