Lipids in serum, lipoproteins and erythrocyte membranes in canine dirofilariasis by TLC-FID method.

Abstract

The lipids in serum, lipoproteins and erythrocyte membranes were analyzed by the thin-layer chromatography-flame ionization detector (TLC-FID) method in normal dogs (control group, n=18) and dogs with dirofilarial hemoglobinuria (hemoglobinuria group, n=19) and chronic serious dirofilariasis (serious group, n=12). Compared with the control group, the hemoglobinuria and serious groups showed a higher serum free cholesterol (FC) level and erythrocyte membrane FC content, and lower serum cholesterol ester (CE) ratio. The serum triglyceride (TG) level in the serious group was higher. Phospholipid (PL) profile in the hemoglobinuria group revealed that serum and erythrocyte membrane sphingomyelin (SM) levels were higher, but other PL levels were not higher. In the serious group, the serum lysophosphatidyl choline (lyso-PC) level was lower, whereas the serum SM, erythrocyte membrance phosphatidyl serine and total lipid levels were higher. The hemoglobinuria group had a low level of high density lipoprotein (HDL), high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) in serum. CE ratio and lyso-PC content in HDL were lower, and all lipid contents in LDL in the hemoglobinuria group were higher. The increases of FC contents in serum and erythrocyte membrane related to the increase of FC content in LDL, and the decreases of PL contents other than SM related to the decrease of serum HDL concentraiton. Though the difference from the control group was greater, the lipid metabolism in the hemoglobinuria group might be fundamentally similar to that in the serious group.