Newborn foal with atypical myopathy

J Vet Intern Med. 2018 Sep;32(5):1768-1772. doi: 10.1111/jvim.15236. Epub 2018 Sep 14.

Abstract

The case of atypical myopathy (AM) in newborn Haflinger foal with clinical signs of depression and weakness appearing 6 hours after birth resulting in recumbency 12 hours after birth is described. The foal's dam was diagnosed with AM in the 6th month of gestation based on clinical signs of a myopathy, elevated serum activity of creatine kinase, metabolomic analysis and the presence of methylenecyclopropyl acetyl carnitine (MCPA-carnitine) in the blood. At the time of delivery, the mare was grazing on a pasture near sycamore trees but was free of clinical signs of AM. Metabolomic analysis of the foal's blood revealed increased concentrations of acylcarnitines and MCPA-carnitine consistent with metabolic profiles of blood from AM affected horses. Two theories could explain this observation (a) hypoglycin A or its metabolites accumulated in the mare's placenta with consequent transfer to fetus or (b) these compounds were secreted into mare's milk.

Keywords: acylcarnitines; hypoglycin A; metabolomics; methylenecyclopropyl acetyl carnitine; multiple acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn*
  • Carnitine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Carnitine / blood
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / pathology*
  • Horses
  • Muscular Diseases / diagnosis
  • Muscular Diseases / veterinary*

Substances

  • Carnitine