Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase activities in thoroughbred racehorses in relation to age, sex, exercise and training.
Abstract: In order to investigate the effect of age, sex and month on the response of plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) to exercise, blood samples were collected once a month between March and September from a group of 40 2- and 3-year-old (2yo and 3yo) thoroughbred racehorses (kept under the same managemental regimen) at rest before exercise (PRE) and at 2 (2H) and 24 h (24H) post-exercise. The absolute change in activities between the 2H and PRE samples (2H delta) and the 24H and PRE samples (24H delta) was also calculated. Age had a significant effect on all measured and calculated parameters for colts (C), apart from 24H delta CK but showed no effect in the fillies (F). Sex only had a significant effect in the 3yo in the 2H delta CK. In the 2yo, significant effects of sex were found for both CK and AST in the PRE, 2H and 24H samples. The effect of month varied according to the classification group with only the 2yoC not showing any significant effect on any parameter. Fillies were, in general, more likely than colts to show greater than a twofold increase in CK activity at 2H post-exercise and the number of animals showing such an increase decreased as the season progressed. Very little change in AST activities occurred with exercise.
Publication Date: 1998-06-25 PubMed ID: 9638076DOI: 10.1016/s1090-0233(05)80026-7Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article focuses on investigating the influence of age, gender, exercise, and training on plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) in thoroughbred racehorses. Among the key findings are that age affects parameter measurements for colts and that fillies typically exhibit twice the CK activity post-exercise compared to colts.
Methodology and Participants
- The study collected blood samples monthly between March and September from a total of 40 thoroughbred racehorses. The horses consisted of 2 and 3-year olds at rest, before exercise, and post-exercise after two hours (2H) and 24 hours (24H).
- The thoroughbreds were kept under the same managemental regimen to ensure consistency in their routine for the duration of the study.
Data Measurement and Calculation
- Researchers calculated the absolute change in activities between the collected samples — the 2H sample compared to the pre-exercise (PRE) sample, and the 24H sample compared to the PRE sample. These were labeled as 2H delta and 24H delta respectively.
Effects of Parameters
- Age significantly influenced all measured and calculated parameters for colts, with the exception of the 24H delta CK. However, it showed no significant effect on fillies’ parameters.
- Gender showed significant effects only for the three-year-old colts in the 2H delta CK.
- For two-year-old colts, AST and CK showed significant sex-determined effects in the PRE, 2H, and 24H samples. This gender effect differed over the course of months with varying significant impacts on the parameters, with the exception of two-year-old colts.
Exercise Impact
- According to the study, fillies were more likely to display a twofold increase in CK activity at 2H post-exercise compared to colts. Interestingly, the number of horses that showed this increase decreased as the season progressed, indicating a possible adaptation to exercise over time.
- AST activities displayed minimal changes with exercise, indicating that this enzyme is less affected by physical exertion compared to CK.
Cite This Article
APA
Harris PA, Marlin DJ, Gray J.
(1998).
Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase activities in thoroughbred racehorses in relation to age, sex, exercise and training.
Vet J, 155(3), 295-304.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s1090-0233(05)80026-7 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Centre for Equine Studies, Animal Health Trust, Suffolk, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Aspartate Aminotransferases / blood
- Aspartate Aminotransferases / metabolism
- Creatine Kinase / blood
- Creatine Kinase / metabolism
- Female
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Seasons
- Sex Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Buckley P, Buckley DJ, Freire R, Hughes KJ. Pre-race and race management impacts serum muscle enzyme activity in Australian endurance horses. Equine Vet J 2022 Sep;54(5):895-904.
- Connysson M, Jansson A. Starch Allowance and Muscle Enzyme Activity in Healthy Standardbred Trotters Trained by Professional Trainers. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2025 Sep;109(5):1130-1137.
- Wagener MG, Kornblum M, Kiene F, Ganter M, Teichmann U. Influence of age on biochemical serum parameters in female alpacas - A retrospective study. Heliyon 2025 Jan 15;11(1):e41097.
- Meneses AJG, Pompeu RCFF, Salles HO, Costa CDS, Rogério MCP, de Andrade IRA, Furtado RN, de Medeiros AN, Pereira PL, Cândido MJD. Nutritional parameters and productive performance of grazing sheep using castor bean cake as supplement or fertilizer. Trop Anim Health Prod 2024 Apr 12;56(3):121.
- Silva RP, Santos RO, Matildes NE Junior, Mundim AV, Garrote-Filho MD, Rodrigues PF, Penha-Silva N. Influence of the use of testosterone associated with physical training on some hematologic and physical parameters in older rats with alloxan-induced diabetes. Arch Endocrinol Metab 2017 Jan-Feb;61(1):62-69.
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