Bagardi Mara, Ghilardi Sara, Castellazzi Iris, Fusi Eleonora, Polli Michele, Minozzi Giulietta, Faverzani Stefano, Mirabelli Caterina, Brambilla Paola G
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell'Università n. 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Anicura Clinica Veterinaria Orobica, Via Isonzo n. 2/e, Azzano San Paolo, 24052 Bergamo, Italy.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Oct 25;12(21):2924. doi: 10.3390/ani12212924.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common myocardial disorder in dogs, and it is primarily considered to be an inherited or genetic disease with a higher prevalence in specific breeds such as Doberman Pinschers and Great Danes. Recently, several publications have reported concerns about cases of DCM in unusual breeds (Golden Retrievers-GRs) and associated them with specific diets (grain-free, high in pulses or potatoes, or low in taurine and amino acid precursors). Because taurine is involved in the digestion and absorption of fat and liposoluble vitamins, including vitamin D, the aims of this pilot study were: (1) to compare serum taurine and serum vitamin D (both implicated in cardiac function and absorbed from food) between healthy GRs and German Shorthaired Pointers (GSPs), breeds with different predispositions to nutritional DCM; (2) to highlight the differences between the echocardiographic variables in the two breeds; and (3) to evaluate the associations between the serum taurine and vitamin D concentrations and the echocardiographic features. Ten Golden Retrievers and twelve German Shorthaired Pointers were enrolled for complete hematobiochemical analyses, cardiac examinations, and serum taurine and vitamin D evaluations. The serum taurine concentrations were significantly lower in the GR dogs than in GSPs. All GRs were clinically healthy, but some echocardiographic variables, such as the sphericity index (related to left ventricle dilatation) as well as the end-systolic volume index and fractional shortening (both related to left ventricle systolic function), were different from the published reference ranges.
扩张型心肌病（DCM）是犬类中最常见的心肌疾病，主要被认为是一种遗传性或基因性疾病，在杜宾犬和大丹犬等特定品种中患病率较高。最近，有几篇报道关注了非典型品种（金毛猎犬-GRs）的DCM病例，并将其与特定饮食（无谷物、高豆类或土豆含量、或低牛磺酸和氨基酸前体）联系起来。由于牛磺酸参与脂肪和脂溶性维生素（包括维生素D）的消化和吸收，本初步研究的目的是：（1）比较健康金毛猎犬和德国短毛指示犬（GSPs）之间的血清牛磺酸和血清维生素D（两者都与心脏功能有关且从食物中吸收），这两个品种对营养性DCM的易感性不同；（2）突出两个品种超声心动图变量之间的差异；（3）评估血清牛磺酸和维生素D浓度与超声心动图特征之间的关联。招募了10只金毛猎犬和12只德国短毛指示犬进行完整的血液生化分析、心脏检查以及血清牛磺酸和维生素D评估。金毛猎犬的血清牛磺酸浓度显著低于德国短毛指示犬。所有金毛猎犬临床健康，但一些超声心动图变量，如球形指数（与左心室扩张有关）以及收缩末期容积指数和缩短分数（均与左心室收缩功能有关），与已发表的参考范围不同。
