Acute exercise does not induce an acute phase response (APR) in Standardbred trotters

Lena Kristensen, Rikke Buhl, Katarina Nostell, Lars Bak, Ellen Petersen, Maria Lindholm, Stine Jacobsen

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    Abstract

    The purpose of the study was to investigate whether acute strenuous exercise (1600- to 2500-m race) would elicit an acute phase response (APR) in Standardbred trotters. Blood levels of several inflammatory markers [serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, fibrinogen, white blood cell count (WBC), and iron], muscle enzymes [creatinine kinase (CK) and aspartate transaminase (AST)], and hemoglobin were assessed in 58 Standardbred trotters before and after racing. Hemoglobin levels increased and iron levels decreased 12 to 14 h after racing and haptoglobin concentrations, white blood cell counts, and iron levels were decreased 2 and/or 7 d after racing. Concentrations of CK, AST, SAA, and fibrinogen were unaltered in response to racing. Acute strenuous exercise did not elicit an acute phase reaction. The observed acute increase in hemoglobin levels and decreases in haptoglobin and iron levels may have been caused by exercise-induced hemolysis, which indicates that horses might experience a condition similar to athlete’s anemia in humans. The pathogenesis and clinical implications of the hematological and blood-biochemical changes elicited by acute exercise in Standardbred trotters in the present study warrant further investigation
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalCanadian Journal of Veterinary Research
    Volume78
    Pages (from-to)97-102
    Number of pages6
    ISSN0830-9000
    Publication statusPublished - 2014

    Keywords

    • Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

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