Plasma Big Endothelin‐1, Atrial Natriuretic Peptide, Aldosterone, and Norepinephrine Concentrations in Normal Doberman Pinschers and Doberman Pinschers with Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) results in progressive myocardial and circulatory dysfunction causing activation of a number of neurohormonal systems, including the endothelin (ET) system, which is only beginning to be described in clinical veterinary medicine. Measurement of these circulating neurohormones possesses potential utility in the diagnosis, staging, and assessment of prognosis in cardiac disease.Hypothesis: We hypothesized that plasma big ET-1, norepinephrine (NE), aldosterone, and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations in normal Dobermans would differ from those in Dobermans with DCM, and that concentrations of these hormones would be associated with time to congestive heart failure (CHF) or death.Animals: Thirty client-owned Dobermans (10 each of normal, occult DCM, and overt DCM) were included in the study. .7], P 5 .011). Dogs with overt DCM had significantly higher concentrations of all neurohormones compared with the normal group. Furthermore, increasing big ET-1 (risk ratio [RR] 2.7, CI 1.3-8.6, P 5.01) and NE concentrations (RR 3.9, CI 1.1-18.1, P 5.03) over 1 month were associated with a shorter survival time.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: High ANP concentrations can identify dogs with advanced occult DCM. Increasing big ET-1 or NE concentrations over time can be useful predictors of poor prognosis.

Clinical evaluation of enalapril maleate and furosemide usage in dogs with degenerative myxomatous mitral valve, CHF functional class Ib

“…Furthermore, blood levels of aldosterone may increase with the clinical course of CHF so, in these cases, it might be used as a prognostic indicator for evolution and occurrence of sudden death in dogs with the studied heart disease (Ortega & Gomes 2007, O'Sullivan et al 2007.…”

The diagnostic significance of cardiac biomarkers in veterinary medicine

“…Although initially beneficial, ET-1 mediated cardiac effects (activation of the renin-angiotensinaldosterone axis, vasopressin and the sympathetic nervous system) have been associated with a negative prognosis in human patients, signalling deterioration of myocardial function (Mc Murray et al, 1992;Selvais et al, 2000). Increased ET-1 levels have been reported in canine and feline cases of chronic heart failure (Prošek et al, 2004a;Prošek et al, 2004b;O'Sullivan et al, 2007).…”

NT-pro-BNP and troponin I as predictors of mortality in dogs with heart failure

“…There are no relevant biochemical indicators that can be used to predict the time of survival of dogs with DCM, which would be easy to assay, would not demand expensive equipment and which result of this tests would correlate with the time of survival and the mortality of dogs with DCM. Among so called cardiac indicators, troponin I and T (cTnI and cTnT) and creatinine kinase (CK) together with its izoenzyme (CK-MB) are mentioned as the myocardium breakdown (necrosis) indicators, brain natiuretic peptide and atrial natiuretic peptide (BNP and ANP) as cardiomyocytes overload indicators, C-reactive protein (CRP) as an inflammatory indicator, metalperoxidase (MPO) as a neutrophil's activation indicator or endothelin (ET) as an endothelium activation sign (O'Brien 1997, Oyama and Sisson 2004, Oyama et al 2007, Oyama and Singletary 2010, O'Sullivan et al 2007). Many of the above mentioned cardiac indicators were determined in dogs with DCM, although most of all, the focus was put on evaluating their usefulness for early detection of DCM (Oyama and Sisson 2004, Oyama et al 2007, O'Sullivan et al 2007, Vazquez et al 2009).…”

“…Many of the above mentioned cardiac indicators were determined in dogs with DCM, although most of all, the focus was put on evaluating their usefulness for early detection of DCM (Oyama and Sisson 2004, Oyama et al 2007, O'Sullivan et al 2007, Vazquez et al 2009). The usefulness of ET and BNP as bad prognosis indicators in dogs with DCM was confirmed (Oyama et al 2007, O'Sullivan et al 2007.…”