H. Manso, C. J. F. L. D. Silva, B. D. L. Barbosa
2015
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Journal
Acta Scientiae Veterinariae
Abstract
Background: Glutamine (Gln) is an essential amino acid that acts as a “primitive hormone” for enterocytes. It is known that is an important source of carbon and nitrogen for various molecules in different metabolic processes. However, due to the characteristics of its metabolism, which is widely consumed by intestinal cells and cells of the immune system, very few studies of the supplementation of horses with Gln are available. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of supplementation with a mixture of Gln and Glutamate (Glu) on blood indices and biomarkers of the metabolism of proteins and fats in gaited athlete horses. Materials, Methods & Results: Male and female adult Mangalarga Marchador horses (n = 11) with an average body mass of 390 kg were used in the present study. All of the animals were from a training center, where they were trained and mounted three times per week. The physical activity lasted 50 min, of which 10 min involved walking (warm-up), followed by 30 min of “marcha” gait (velocity: ~ 3.4 m/s) and another 10 min of walking (recovery). The animals were mounted on a plane grass track. These horses received a daily dose of 50 g of the Gln+Glu mixture with pelleted concentrate diet (6.0 kg/day/animal; 14.0% BP, 2.0% EE, EB 2.2 Mcal divided in two meals of 3.0 kg each) for a period of 28 days. In addition, elephant grass (15.0 kg/day/animal, divided into three meals during the day), water and mineralized salt were provided. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture using vacuum tubes containing heparin at two different time-points: the first sampling was conducted during the pre-test and the second took place on the 28th day of supplementation (post-test). The blood samples were divided into two aliquots for the complete blood count and for the determination of biomarkers associated with the metabolism of proteins and fats. The remaining aliquot was used to determine the concentration of Gln and Glu using the enzymatic method. The T test was used for statistical analysis, with the P value set at 5%. The results confirmed a significant increase in total plasmatic proteins (~ 4%), Albumin (~ 22%), Urea (~ 31%), Creatinine (~ 17%), Uric Acid (~ 2%) and total Cholesterol (~ 30%). In addition, reductions were recorded for Glu level (~ 40%), Platelet concentration (~ 40%) and RDW-SD (~ 3%) (P 0.05). Discussion: There are very few studies on the supplementation of horses with Gln. The present research demonstrated that a combination of Glu+Gln, during a period of 28 days, cause elevation of the concentrations of biomarkers of the metabolism of proteins. This increase is observed even without changes in the values of Gln. The alteration in the concentration of biomarkers of metabolism of proteins indicates an increase in the transport of nutrients (TPP and Albumin), as well as an increase of the biomarkers of degradation of protein compounds present in the blood. It is important to highlight the increase of levels of Uric Acid found in the present study because this biomarker is an important endogenous antioxidant that reduces RDW-SD, an indicator of the degree of anisocytosis. The simultaneous presence of both alterations indicates improvements in anti-oxidative capacity and the transportation of oxygen to tissues for athletic horses. In conclusion, supplementation with Glu+Gln can be used for athlete animals and this practice can improve the anti-oxidative capacity and the transport of oxygen and nutrients among animals in this category, without compromising the animal’s health.