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Identification of methylenecyclopropyl acetic acid in serum of E uropean horses with atypical myopathy
Author(s) -
Votion D.M.,
Galen G.,
Sweetman L.,
Boemer F.,
Tullio P.,
Dopagne C.,
Lefère L.,
MouithysMickalad A.,
Patarin F.,
Rouxhet S.,
Loon G.,
Serteyn D.,
Sponseller B. T.,
Valberg S. J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/evj.12117
Subject(s) - myopathy , mcpa , metabolite , carnitine , acer pseudoplatanus , medicine , chemistry , endocrinology , zoology , biochemistry , physiology , biology , pesticide , agronomy
Summary Reasons for performing study It is hypothesised that E uropean atypical myopathy ( AM ) has a similar basis as seasonal pasture myopathy in N orth A merica, which is now known to be caused by ingestion of hypoglycin A contained in seeds from the tree A cer negundo . Serum from horses with seasonal pasture myopathy contained the conjugated toxic metabolite of hypoglycin A , methylenecyclopropyl acetic acid ( MCPA ). Study design Retrospective study on archived samples. Objectives 1) To determine whether MCPA ‐carnitine was present in serum of E uropean horses confirmed to have AM ; 2) to determine whether A cer negundo or related A cer species were present on AM pastures in E urope. Methods Concentrations of MCPA ‐carnitine were analysed in banked serum samples of 17 AM horses from E urope and 3 diseased controls (tetanus, neoplasia and exertional rhabdomyolysis) using tandem mass spectrometry. Atypical myopathy was diagnosed by characteristic serum acylcarnitine profiles. Pastures of 12 AM farms were visited by experienced botanists and plant species were documented. Results Methylenecyclopropyl acetic acid‐carnitine at high concentrations (20.39 ± 17.24 nmol/l; range 0.95–57.63 nmol/l; reference: <0.01 nmol/l) was identified in serum of AM but not disease controls (0.00 ± 0.00 nmol/l). Acer pseudoplatanus but not A cer negundo was present on all AM farms. Conclusions Atypical myopathy in E urope, like seasonal pasture myopathy in N orth A merica, is highly associated with the toxic metabolite of hypoglycin A , MCPA ‐carnitine. This finding coupled with the presence of a tree of which seeds are known to also contain hypoglycin A indicates that ingestion of A cer pseudoplatanus is the probable cause of AM . This finding has major implications for the prevention of AM .