%0 Journal Article
%T Vitamin E deficiency and risk of equine motor neuron disease
%A Hussni O Mohammed
%A Thomas J Divers
%A Brian A Summers
%A Alexander de Lahunta
%J Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
%D 2007
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1751-0147-49-17
%X Eleven horses at risk of EMND were identified and enrolled in a field trial at different times. The horses were maintained on a diet deficient in vitamin E and monitored periodically for levels of antioxidants ¨C ¦Á-tocopherols, vitamins A, C, ¦Â-carotene, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and erythrocytic superoxide dismutase (SOD1). In addition to the self-control another parallel control group was included. Survival analysis was used to assess the probability of developing EMND past a specific period of time.There was large variability in the levels of vitamins A and C, ¦Â-carotene, GSH-Px, and SOD1. Plasma vitamin E levels dropped significantly over time. Ten horses developed EMND within 44 months of enrollment. The median time to develop EMND was 38.5 months. None of the controls developed EMND.The study elucidated the role of vitamin E deficiency on the risk of EMND. Reproducing this disease in a natural animal model for the first time will enable us to carry out studies to test specific hypotheses regarding the mechanism by which the disease occurs.Spontaneous motor neuron diseases are uncommon in domestic animals. Where they have been subject to study, these disorders invariably demonstrate a familial pattern, occurring in specific breeds of animals such as Brittany Spaniel dogs [1], Brown Swiss cattle [2] and Yorkshire pigs [3]. Clinical deficits are evident in the first year of life and often by a few months of age. The neuropathologic findings are a common theme of neurofilament accumulation in neurons and proximal axons, progressive motor neuron degeneration and spinal muscular atrophy. Accordingly, in 1990, considerable excitement accompanied the identification [4] of equine motor neuron disease (EMND), a sporadically occurring motor neuron disease affecting several horse breeds including standardbred, thoroughbred, Quarter horse and Arab breeds. The disorder presents in adult horses with a median age of 10 years. While EMND has been observed most frequently
%U http://www.actavetscand.com/content/49/1/17