Changes in plasma protein concentrations in ponies with experimentally induced alimentary laminitis.
Authors: Fagliari, McClenahan, Evanson, Weiss
Journal: American journal of veterinary research
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Plasma Protein Changes in Alimentary Laminitis Researchers experimentally induced acute laminitis in six ponies via high-starch administration (corn starch and wood flour) whilst maintaining six control animals, collecting blood samples at regular intervals over 28 hours to investigate whether systemic protein profiles shifted during the acute inflammatory phase. Using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, they identified and quantified 19 distinct plasma proteins and found that seven key acute-phase reactants—fibrinogen, ceruloplasmin, C-reactive protein, alpha-1 antitrypsin (both isoforms), haptoglobin, and acid glycoprotein—showed significantly elevated concentrations in laminitic ponies compared with controls, with measurable changes evident as early as four hours post-insult. These findings underscore the systemic inflammatory cascade initiated by carbohydrate overload and suggest that plasma protein profiling could offer clinicians an objective biochemical marker to track laminitis progression independent of clinical lameness signs. For practitioners managing acute laminitis cases, this work supports the value of serial blood work incorporating acute-phase proteins as a complement to clinical assessment, potentially enabling earlier intervention or evaluation of therapeutic efficacy during those critical early hours when tissue damage accelerates.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Plasma protein profiling may provide an objective biomarker for early detection and monitoring of laminitis progression in ponies, potentially within 4 hours of clinical onset
- •The acute phase protein response (fibrinogen, ceruloplasmin, C-reactive protein) mirrors the acute inflammatory phase of laminitis and could support clinical diagnosis
- •This laboratory monitoring tool could complement physical examination findings to track laminitis severity and response to treatment in individual cases
Key Findings
- •Seven plasma proteins with molecular weights ranging from 45,000 to 350,000 Da showed significantly elevated concentrations in laminitic ponies compared to controls
- •Plasma protein concentration changes were detectable within 4 hours of carbohydrate-induced laminitis onset
- •Proteins elevated in laminitis included fibrinogen (350 kDa), ceruloplasmin (130 kDa), C-reactive protein (118 kDa), and acute phase proteins alpha1-antitrypsin, haptoglobulin, and acid glycoprotein