Gazzano Valentina, Curadi Maria Claudia, Capsoni Simona, Baragli Paolo, Kêdzierski Witold, Cecchi Francesca, Gazzano Angelo
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
Department Neuroscience & Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44124 Ferrara, Italy.
Vet Sci. 2025 Jun 23;12(7):610. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12070610.
In humans, aging is often accompanied by cognitive decline, as seen in Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, the aging process in horses remains poorly characterized. This study aims to explore the presence of blood-based biomarkers associated with cognitive degeneration in this species. Twenty-three Arabian horses were enrolled, and 5 mL of blood was collected from each to measure serum levels of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ40 and Aβ42) and phosphorylated tau protein (pTau181), both considered reliable indicators of cognitive impairment in other species. Aβ42 was undetectable in all samples, while pTau181 ranged from 5.38 to 54.42 pg/mL and Aβ40 from 67.4 to 743.9 pg/mL. Statistical analysis of the data, performed with the non-parametric Spearman test, did not reveal any correlation between age and the concentrations of Aβ40 and pTau. The pTau/Aβ40 ratio also did not appear to be correlated with the age of the subjects. Interestingly, none of the horses exhibited behavioral changes or clinical signs suggestive of cognitive dysfunction. This absence of symptoms may be related to the undetectable levels of Aβ42, the isoform considered crucial in initiating tau phosphorylation and subsequent neurodegeneration, despite possibly being present at concentrations higher than those typically found in healthy humans.
在人类中，衰老往往伴随着认知能力下降，如在阿尔茨海默病中所见。相比之下，马的衰老过程仍未得到充分描述。本研究旨在探索该物种中与认知退化相关的血液生物标志物的存在情况。招募了23匹阿拉伯马，每匹马采集5毫升血液，以测量血清中β-淀粉样肽（Aβ40和Aβ42）和磷酸化tau蛋白（pTau181）的水平，这两者在其他物种中均被视为认知障碍的可靠指标。所有样本中均未检测到Aβ42，而pTau181的范围为5.38至54.42 pg/mL，Aβ40的范围为67.4至743.9 pg/mL。使用非参数Spearman检验对数据进行统计分析，未发现年龄与Aβ40和pTau浓度之间存在任何相关性。pTau/Aβ40比值似乎也与受试者的年龄无关。有趣的是，没有一匹马表现出行为变化或提示认知功能障碍的临床症状。这种无症状可能与Aβ42水平未被检测到有关，Aβ42这种异构体被认为在引发tau磷酸化和随后的神经退行性变中至关重要，尽管其浓度可能高于健康人类中的典型浓度。
