Premium
Encephalopathy with idiopathic hyperammonaemia and Alzheimer type II astrocytes in Equidae
Author(s) -
HASEL KRISTIN M.,
SUMMERS B. A.,
LAHUNTA A.
Publication year - 1999
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/j.2042-3306.1999.tb03854.x
Subject(s) - glial fibrillary acidic protein , pathology , medicine , endocrinology , depression (economics) , alzheimer's disease , gastroenterology , disease , immunohistochemistry , economics , macroeconomics
Summary In 3 mature female horses of varying breeds, episodes of colic and depression for 1–4 days preceded an encephalopathic disorder with maniacal behaviour, anxiety, profuse sweating and, in one case, terminal opisthotonus. Blood ammonia levels were elevated approximately 10‐fold. At necropsy, there were gastrointestinal serosal and mesenteric haemorrhages. Histologically, all 3 cases revealed diffuse Alzheimer type II astrocytes in the cerebral grey matter. Alzheimer type II astrocytes were glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) negative or only weakly positive, weakly S‐100 positive, and vimentin negative. In the absence of primary hepatic and/or renal lesions, an increase in intestinal ammonia absorption due to ileus or increased ammonia production by colonic bacteria is hypothesised.