The effect of environmental storage conditions on bone marrow fat determination in three species.
Abstract: Diagnostic laboratories are frequently required to assess the antemortem nutritional condition of deceased animals. The percentage of fat in the bone marrow is used to diagnose starvation because this fat depot is typically the last in the body to be depleted. Diagnosticians rely on measurement of bone marrow adipose content using fat solvent-extraction methods; however, the effects of tissue storage conditions before processing have not been fully assessed. The current study focuses on evaluating the effects of 3 storage conditions (refrigeration [4 °C], freezing [-20 °C], and ambient temperature [9.9-34.4 °C]) on the percentage of fat in the bone marrow from 3 species. Equine, bovine, and canine humeri and femurs were removed within 24 hr of death from adult animals in adequate body condition and then stored as described for a minimum of 30-60 days. Bone marrow was harvested from these tissues at the time of necropsy and after 30-60 days. Percentage of fat was measured using an automated solvent extractor. Mean percentage of fat in the bone marrow in initial equine, bovine, and canine samples was 81.75%, 86.33%, and 59.96%, respectively. The results indicate that bovine and equine percentage of fat in bone marrow does not change after 30-60 days, regardless of the storage condition, whereas the fat content from canine tissues varies when stored at ambient temperatures. Results suggest that postmortem interval and environmental conditions of samples must be considered in the postmortem evaluation of bone marrow fat concentration in at least some species.
Publication Date: 2011-03-15 PubMed ID: 21398453DOI: 10.1177/104063871102300218Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article investigates how storage conditions can affect the determination of bone marrow fat content in different animal species, specifically horses, cows, and dogs.
Objective of the Research
- The goal of this study is to assess the effects of three storage conditions – refrigeration, freezing, and ambient temperature, on the measurement of fat content in the bone marrow. This research is particularly useful as bone marrow fat content is used for diagnosing starvation in deceased animals due to its characteristic of being the final fat storage to be used up under such conditions.
Research Methodology
- In the study, bone marrow was extracted from the femur and the humerus of horses, cows, and dogs within 24 hours after their death. These animals were in sufficient body condition at the time of their demise.
- The extracted samples were then stored under the predefined conditions for a period of 30 to 60 days. There was a set of bone marrow that was tested just after extraction, and another set was tested after undergoing the determined storage period.
- The fat content was quantified using an automated solvent extractor and the results from before and after the storage were then compared.
Results and Conclusions
- The researchers initially found that the average percentage of bone marrow fat content was 81.75% for horses, 86.33% for cows, and 59.96% for dogs.
- The study results showed that there was no change in bone marrow fat content in both the horse and cow samples after being stored for 30-60 days under any of the storage conditions studied.
- However, it differed for dogs, as their bone marrow fat content demonstrated variation when stored under ambient temperature conditions.
- The findings suggest that it’s crucial to consider an animal’s time since death and the environmental conditions in which bone marrow is preserved when evaluating fat concentration. It’s especially true for certain species, like dogs, based on the results of the study.
Cite This Article
APA
Lamoureux JL, Fitzgerald SD, Church MK, Agnew DW.
(2011).
The effect of environmental storage conditions on bone marrow fat determination in three species.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 23(2), 312-315.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063871102300218 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Michigan State University, Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, 4125 Beaumont Road, Lansing, MI 48910, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bone Marrow / chemistry
- Cattle
- Dogs
- Horses
- Lipids / analysis
- Malnutrition / diagnosis
- Malnutrition / veterinary
- Random Allocation
- Specimen Handling / methods
- Specimen Handling / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Hinrichs A, Schmitt M, Papenfuß F, Roth M, Fournier C, Kraft G, Maier A. Radon Solubility in Different Tissues after Short Term Exposure.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Jan 18;20(3).
- Cristescu B, Elbroch LM, Forrester TD, Allen ML, Spitz DB, Wilmers CC, Wittmer HU. Standardizing protocols for determining the cause of mortality in wildlife studies.. Ecol Evol 2022 Jul;12(6):e9034.
- Losch MS, Swamy A, Elmi-Terander A, Edström E, Hendriks BHW, Dankelman J. Proton density fat fraction of the spinal column: an MRI cadaver study.. Biomed Eng Online 2021 Jan 7;20(1):7.
- Whiting TL, Postey RC, Chestley ST, Wruck GC. Explanatory model of cattle death by starvation in Manitoba: forensic evaluation.. Can Vet J 2012 Nov;53(11):1173-80.
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