| Autor: |
Muñoz-Prieto A; Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, 30100 Murcia, Spain., Llamas-Amor E; Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, 30100 Murcia, Spain., Contreras-Aguilar MD; Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, 30100 Murcia, Spain., Ayala I; Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, 30100 Murcia, Spain., Martín Cuervo M; Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Extremadura, Avda de la Universidad s/n, 10003 Cáceres, Spain., Cerón JJ; Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis (Interlab-UMU), Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo s/n, 30100 Murcia, Spain., Hansen S; Section Medicine and Surgery, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Agrovej 8, 2630 Taastrup, Denmark. |
| Abstrakt: |
Ammonia (NH 3 ) and bicarbonate (HCO 3 ) have been related to gastric ulcers in humans. Ammonia is considered a possible cause of gastric ulcers, whereas bicarbonate has a protective function. The presence of ulcers in the stomach of horses is defined as Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS), which is a frequent disease in this species, and it has been associated with changes in saliva composition, such as in analytes related to inflammation, immune system and oxidative stress. The objectives of this study were (1) to perform an analytical validation of two automated spectrophotometric assays, one for ammonia and one for bicarbonate, in the horses' saliva and (2) to evaluate their possible variations with EGUS. Analytical validation of the automated assays for ammonia and bicarbonate in the saliva of horses showed that both assays were precise and accurate. In addition, significantly higher values of ammonia and lower values of bicarbonate were found in the saliva of horses with EGUS compared to healthy horses. It can be concluded that ammonia and bicarbonate can be measured in the saliva of horses and that ammonia increases and bicarbonate decreases in this sample type could be related to the presence of EGUS in this species. |
