Measurement of ANP, BNP and endothelin‐1 concentrations in jumping horses with heart valvular regurgitation and their correlation with the dimensions of heart structures

Abstract

Summary Background Natriuretic peptides and endothelin‐1 are used as biochemical biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of heart diseases. Objectives This study aimed to investigate plasma ANP, BNP and endothelin‐1 in jumping horses with various manifestations of heart valve regurgitation and their association with echocardiographic variables. Study design Clinical evaluations including cardiac auscultation were performed in 198 jumping horses, and 30 horses were chosen. Methods Sixteen jumping horses with murmurs of grade 3/6 to 5/6 having various degrees of heart valve regurgitation with the severity of insignificant to moderate on colour Doppler echocardiography were considered as the valvular regurgitation group (average age 9.75 ± 3.28 years and weight 427.43 ± 82.22 kg, and consisting of 10 mares, three stallions and three castrated male horses with breeds of 12 Thoroughbred and four crossbred). Fourteen healthy horses were chosen as the healthy group (average age 8.64 ± 2.44 years and weight 462.14 ± 77.42 kg, and consisting of nine mares, three stallions and two castrated males with breeds of 12 Thoroughbreds, and two crossbred). Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein, and plasma concentration of ANP, BNP and endothelin‐1 was determined using Sandwich ELISA by a horse‐specific kit. Then, the plasma concentration of mentioned peptides and echocardiographic variables were compared between the two groups. Results B‐type natriuretic peptide was significantly increased in horses with valve regurgitation compared to healthy horses, but increases in ANP and endothelin‐1 were insignificant. Also, in the valvular regurgitation group, horses with a pulmonic valve disorder had a significantly higher concentration of BNP and endothelin‐1 than healthy horses. Assessment of the relation between ANP, BNP and endothelin‐1 with echocardiographic variables showed a significant correlation between ANP and right ventricle length (RVL) and left ventricle width (LVW) in systole and endothelin‐1 with right ventricle width (RVW) and left ventricle width in systole, but BNP had no significant correlation. Conclusion and clinical importance According to the study results, it can be assumed that the measurement of these cardiac biomarkers can be helpful in the diagnosis of the jumping horse with cardiac valvular disorders (especially pulmonic valve regurgitation) and changes in the dimensions of the heart ventricle.