Nutritional Dystrophy Research Articles

Selenium binding proteins in tissues of normal and selenium responsive myopathic lambs

Normal and selenium-responsive myopathic (white muscle disease) lambs were injected with selenium-75 either as sodium selenite or seleno-methionine. Selected tissues were removed at autopsy 16 hr after injection. The soluble fraction from homogenates of these tissues was subjected to gel chromatography and the effluent monitored for radioactivity and protein content. The elution curves were similar for both sodium selenite and selenomethionine injections. Selenium was bound to two different molecular weight proteins in the kidney and three different molecular weight proteins in the liver, pancreas, and plasma. Four different molecular weight selenium-binding proteins were found in heart and semitendinosus muscle of 2-week-old normal lambs, but only three were found in these tissues of myopathic lambs. This fourth protein, which was absent in myopathic lambs, corresponded to a molecular weight of approximately 10,000. However, by six weeks of age rudimentary amounts of this protein were present in the tissues of the myopathic lamb. This protein may be implicated in the prevention of white muscle disease in lambs.

Catheptic and Trypsin-inhibiting Activities in the Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy

From 50 days on, after vitamin E deficient diet was given to guinea pigs, typical symptoms of muscular dystrophy were observed. Muscle protein of these animals was fractionated into 3 fractions, sarcoplasmic fraction, Triton X–100 soluble fraction and myofibrillar fraction.Free catheptic activity (hemoglobin-splitting activity in the sarcoplasmic fraction), bound catheptic activity (the same in the Triton X–100 soluble fraction) and trypsin-inhibiting activity (in the sarcoplasm fraction) were determined in normal and dystrophic muscles.In dystrophic muscles, great increase in free and bound catheptic activities was observed.The increase of free catheptic activity was greater than that of bound catheptic activity.Trypsin-inhibiting activity was also increased in dystrophic muscles two- or three-fold. At the same time, decrease in the content of myofibrillar protein in dystrophic muscles was observed.These results were discussed in view of the degradation of protein in dystrophic muscles.

Selenium Deficiency in Soils and Its Effect on Animal Health

Selenium in minute quantities has been shown to be a dietary essential for animal life, and soil-plant-animal relations have been identified in the distribution of the element. In some cases, soils are frankly deficient in selenium—most particularly those derived from igneous rocks, and the deficiency in surface layers may be aggravated by intensive irrigation. Alternatively, soil selenium may exist in a form that is either unavailable to plants or absorbed by them with difficulty. Representative of such a form is the highly insoluble ferric oxide-selenite complex which frequently occurs in high-moisture, acid soils. Uptake of selenium by plants may also be inhibited by presence of interfering substances in the soil, such as sulphur, or it may be enhanced by liming. Analytical surveys have revealed also that considerable variation exists among plant species in their abilities to take up and retain selenium from the soil. Legumes have been consistently implicated as forages conducive to white muscle disease, a selenium-responsive myopathy, and New Zealand observations have shown white clover (Trifolium repens L.) to contain significantly lower levels of selenium than grasses, and particularly a native grass, browntop (Agrostis tenuis Sibth.). In addition to the differences in absolute selenium uptake, it has been suggested that some plants, and again legumes are suspect, may contain organic inhibitors of selenium utilization by livestock. Some experiments have investigated the effectiveness of additions of selenium to the soil in overcoming selenium deficiency among farm animals. Protection for 2 yrs has been achieved by this technique; however, the various factors influencing the soil-plant-animal relations of selenium direct caution in its application.

The moderating effect of regular exercise on the development of nutritional muscular dystrophy in lambs

Merino lambs have been weaned on to two types of dystrophogenic diet, one a synthetic-type dirt with selenium-low Torula yeast supplying most of the protein, and the other a natural diet consisting solely of selenium-low hay. Lambs not supplemented with selenium developed white muscle disease within two to three months on either regimen, some of the lambs dying within that period. Selenium, given at the rate of 2 X 3 mg per week as Na2 SeO3 as an oral drench prevented the onset of muscular dystrophy. When unsupplemented animals were subjected to daily exercise consisting of one-sixth to one-third of a mile canter in a treadmill each day from weaning, muscular dystrophy was either modified or delayed. In some cases it was entirely prevented over the experimental period. As judged by creatine phosphokinase levels in blood plasma, ECG records taken throughout the experiments, and histological examination of muscle post mortem, eight out of ten lambs in the non-exercised group developed white muscle lesions, compared with two out of ten in the exercised group.

Beef Calf Deficiencies in Practice

One of the most serious and economically important deficiencies of beef calves in my practice is selenium deficiency. The area is in a mountain valley in Western Montana. Soils vary greatly within a quarter to half mile.
 When I first entered practice in 1958, vitamin E was used widely in capsule form in the prevention of white muscle disease with a fair degree of success, but it failed to control the disease as effectively as desired. During the past 25 years, the deficiency has increased in severity, occurring on ranches that previously were not troubled with the problem. With the advent of commercial fertilizers, primarily phosphates and sulfates, it has been shown that these prohibit the forage from utilizing the element selenium in an already borderline deficient soil. I do not recommend the cessation of using commercial fertilizers because of benefits received in the quantity and quality of feeds.

White Muscle Disease in the Mountain Goat

White Muscle Disease in the Mountain Goat

Control of nutritional muscular dystrophy in lambs by selenium implantation

SUMMARYAn implantation technique utilizing slow-release selenium pellets was evaluated as a means of controlling nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD) in sheep. Sixty ewes were fed a dystrophy-producing hay and implantations were made at mid-pregnancy (14 animals) and in late pregnancy (15 animals); the remainder were kept as controls. Selenium was determined at intervals on milk and blood samples from the ewes and on blood samples from the lambs. Various muscles were examined histologically for NMD lesions.Selenium levels in the milk of implanted ewes were higher than controls up to the 60th day of lactation and levels in the blood of both ewes and lambs were higher than controls during nursing. Selenium implantation at mid-pregnancy resulted in higher selenium concentrations in lamb's blood at birth than implantation in late pregnancy. However, by 30 days of age and thereafter, this difference was reversed. Large variability was encountered in the blood values for implanted ewes and their lambs. While complete protection against NMD was not achieved, implantation reduced the incidence and severity of the disease. The earlier implantation gave slightly fewer deaths from NMD, but the numbers were too small to make critical comparisons.

Acute selenium poisoning in cattle.

Abstract Extract Traces of selenium have been shown to be required by animals (Schwarz and Foltz, 1957) and to prevent or cure several diseases (Hartley and Grant, 1961). As a result, treatment of animals with salts of selenium has become a common practice. In some districts in New Zealand, in which selenium-responsive diseases are known to occur, young cattle are given solutions of selenium salts subcutaneously at dose rates of from 10 to 20 mg of selenium, to prevent the occurrence of white muscle disease and to maintain satisfactory growth rates (Anon., 1962). Although selenium is apparently an essential nutrient in trace quantities, excessive intake results in intoxication. Its common use for mass prophylaxis has created the risk of misuse and accidental poisoning. The following report records some features of an accidental occurrence of acute selenium poisoning in which 376 calves died.

Metabolism of vitamin E in sheep.

1. The metabolism of tritium-labelled tocopherol was investigated in thirty-six wethers and forty-two ewes fed on hay known to produce nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD).2. In one experiment, the effect of selenium or vitamin E or both on the metabolism of tritium-labelled tocopherol was studied. No difference was found in the incorporation rate of radioactivity in tissues due to the addition of either of these components.3. In a second experiment, significantly more radioactivity was found in the tissues of sheep dosed intramuscularly than of those dosed by stomach tube into the rumen. Excretion of radioactivity was rapid when labelled tocopherol was given into the rumen.4. In a third experiment, the efficiency of vitamin E in preventing NMD in lambs was tested. Supplementation with vitamin E of the diet consisting of NMD-producing hay and given to ewes was ineffective as a prophylactic treatment. Direct administration of vitamin E to the lambs completely prevented the occurrence of NMD. Plasma vitamin E concentrations in the treated lambs were significantly higher than in untreated lambs at weekly sampling over a 4-month period regardless of whether the lambs were born from ewes treated with the vitamin or not.

Selenium Concentrations in Forage on Some High Northwestern Ranges

Forages produced on some high northwestern ranges were analyzed for selenium concentration to determine the hazard of white muscle disease (WMD) in calves and lambs. The selenium concentration in 94 forage samples ranged from 0.01 to 0.78 ppm, of which 20 samples contained more than 0.10 ppm. The remaining 74 samples contained less than 0.10 ppm and 59 of those contained Less than 0.05 ppm. Approximately 90% of the summer ranges studied produce forage containing less than 0.10 ppm selenium. Thus, the hazard of WMD on these northwestern ranges may be high. Ranchers should work individually and in groups to ascertain losses from the disease and minimize them by injecting the animals with selenium.

COPPER AND MOLYBDENUM STATUS OF GROWING BEEF CATTLE IN A SELENIUM DEFICIENT AREA OF NORTHERN ONTARIO

A study was conducted on the effect of nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD) on the copper and molybdenum contents of various tissues from calves under three months of age. Fifty-one calves were employed from an area in northern Ontario where NMD is common and 12 calves from a dystrophy-free area. The latter animals were fed a milk substitute which contained some 4.5 times as much copper as the milk received by the calves in the NMD area. For suckled calves in northern Ontario, no significant difference in liver copper concentrations was observed between healthy and NMD-affected animals. In calves fed the milk substitute, the liver copper level was markedly higher [204.4 ± 71.0 (SD)] than in suckled calves with dystrophy (55.5 ± 36.3) or without the disorder (60.8 ± 53.7). The copper concentrations (μg/g DM) of other tissues from NMD-affected calves were: kidney 14.8 ± 3.3, heart 14.0 ± 2.5, lung 6.5 ± 2.0, spleen 4.3 ± 1.6 and muscle 3.0 ± 1.4. No significant differences in these copper levels occurred between NMD-affected and healthy calves, or those reared on the milk substitute. Similarly, there were no significant differences in tissue molybdenum concentrations. The data indicated that the calves reared in northern Ontario had a marginal copper deficiency. Tissue copper and molybdenum levels appeared to be unaffected by the development of myopathy in the calves. The copper status of two groups, of six calves each, wintered outdoors or indoors, also was compared. Hypocuprosis and copper plasma levels were not influenced by exposure to the severe outwintering conditions of northern Ontario. Plasma copper levels showed a gradual decrease from 66 ± 16 μg per 100 ml plasma at 1 week of age to 51 ± 10 μg per 100 ml at 19 weeks.

Selenium Concentrations in Phosphorus Fertilizer Materials and Associated Uptake by Plants

AbstractThe Se concentration of seven Florida Land Pebble deposit phosphate rocks ranged from 0.7–7.0 ppm. The range was 1.4–178 ppm Se in seven samples from the western phosphate field. The Meade Peak phosphatic shale member of the Phosphoria formation contains more Se than rock from other phosphatic formations. Normal and concentrated superphosphates made from phosphatic rocks containing 100 ppm Se can be expected to contain about 60 and 40 ppm Se, respectively. Laboratory‐prepared concentrated superphosphate containing 23 ppm Se applied to an alkaline soil that normally produced alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) low in Se at a rate of 156 ppm P increased Se concentration in alfalfa above the minimal requirements to protect livestock from white muscle disease. Concentrated superphosphate and single superphosphate prepared from phosphate rock containing 178 ppm Se and applied at a rate of 80 ppm P increased the Se concentration in alfalfa compared to the same amount of P applied as Se free concentrated superphosphate. Normal phosphate fertilizer practices can provide required Se for livestock provided the fertilizer is prepared from phosphate rock containing sufficient Se.

Relationship between Selenium Content of Forage, Blood and Organs of Sheep, and Lamb Mortality Rate)

The investigation comprised 12 herds, totalling 660 sheep, in the counties of Stockholm and Uppsala. The selenium content of specimens of forage, whole blood, muscle, liver, and kidney was determined by a fluorimetric method. Data on the number of born and dead lambs were collected 4—5 months after lambing. Dead and sick lambs were subjected to necropsy and to clinico-chemical analyses, respectively. The selenium content of hay and corn was lower than 60 ng per g, which some authors regard as the minimum level of Se requirement for protection against white muscle disease in sheep. The analyses of forage mixtures containing oil concentrates and beet pulp showed selenium levels that were about 2—5 times as high as this minimum level. In herds in which the animals had not been treated with selenium preparations prior to sampling, there was a significant positive correlation between the selenium content of the forage and that of whole blood. A relationship was also noted between the selenium content of forage and of organs. In 9 out of the 12 herds the selenium concentrations in whole blood were on the level that is considered to be representative of white muscle disease. A high mortality rate was recorded for lambs whose mothers had low selenium levels in their blood. Prophylactic and curative treatment with selenium plus vitamin E orally and/or parenterally probably reduced lamb mortality rate in the herds fed a low-selenium diet.

White muscle disease in a foal.

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 46, Issue 3 p. 111-112 Free Access WHITE MUSCLE DISEASE IN A FOAL B. J. Gabbedy B.V.Sc., B. J. Gabbedy B.V.Sc. Department of Agriculture, Narrogin, Western AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorR. B. Richards B.V.Sc., R. B. Richards B.V.Sc. Department of Agriculture, Narrogin, Western AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author B. J. Gabbedy B.V.Sc., B. J. Gabbedy B.V.Sc. Department of Agriculture, Narrogin, Western AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorR. B. Richards B.V.Sc., R. B. Richards B.V.Sc. Department of Agriculture, Narrogin, Western AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: March 1970 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1970.tb15934.xCitations: 11AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume46, Issue3March 1970Pages 111-112 RelatedInformation

Effects of various selenium compounds on the development of muscular dystrophy and other vitamin E dyscrasias in the chick.

Selenite, selenate, selenodicysteine, selenocystine, and selenomethionine, when administered orally, provided comparable protection against the development of nutritional muscular dystrophy in chicks fed a vitamin E deficient fat-free diet. When unsaturated lipid was included in the tocopherol-deficient basal ration, many of the control chicks not receiving selenium developed exudative diathesis as well as muscular dystrophy. Supplementation with either selenoamino acids, selenite, or selenate completely prevented exudates and provided the same degree of protection against muscle degeneration as obtained with the fat-free diet. Unexpectedly, however, when lard was fed, supplementation with selenite or selenate (but not the selenoamino acids), while alleviating exudates and dystrophy, provoked the onset of encephalomalacia.

Selenium distribution and radiotocopherol metabolism in the pregnant ewe and fetal lamb.

Selenium concentrations were determined at various stages of gestation in the bodies and fetal tissues of 26 ewes fed a nutritional muscular dystrophy (NMD) producing hay for 2 years. Eight of these ewes were injected intramuscularly with 6 mg selenium 10 days before slaughter. Maternal tissues in general contained more selenium than the corresponding fetal tissues. As might be expected, the injection of selenium enhanced tissue concentrations in both ewes and fetuses. The pattern of selenium concentration in the various tissues was similar in dams and fetuses, with kidneys containing highest amounts. Selenium concentrations in the tissues of both ewes and fetuses did not appear to change with the stage of gestation. A single oral dose of radiotocopherol was administered to each of 10 pregnant ewes which had been fed an NMD-inducing hay for 2 years. Animals were slaughtered at 1, 2, 5, and 13 days after the oral dose of vitamin E. It was found that in the ewes, liver and adrenal tissues had a high rate of tocopherol uptake in the first 24 h. Subsequently, the radioactivity fell sharply with time, whereas in heart, muscle, kidney, and lung tissues, in which the initial uptake was lower, the decrease with time was slower. Relative specific activities between maternal and corresponding fetal tissues tended to decrease with time. The ewes excreted more than 70% of the administered radiotocopherol dose within 4 days, primarily via the feces; urinary excretion was comparatively small.

Effect of kidney beans and taurocholate on serum tocopherol and nutritional muscular dystrophy in chicks.

SummaryTwo trials were conducted with 370 chicks to study dystrophogenic action of raw kidney beans. The addition of 40% raw kidney beans to the basal diet decreased plasma tocopherol levels and induced NMD in chicks fed 30 ppm of vitamin E and decreased plasma tocopherol levels in chicks fed 200 ppm of vitamin E but NMD was induced in the latter chicks. The beans did not significantly affect the selenium content of the carcass. The addition of sodium taurocholate alleviated the dystrophogenic action. Therefore, it is suggested that at least some of the dystrophogenic effect of raw beans in chicks is due to decreased absorption of vitamin E.

Influence of Sulfur on Incidence of White Muscle Disease in Lambs ,

Two trials were conducted with sheep to investigate the effect of sulfur on the incidence of white muscle disease (WMD). Neither methionine nor sulfate increased the incidence of WMD in either trial, but sulfate significantly increased the number of lambs with degenerative lesions of the heart. There was a fivefold increase of plasma glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and malic dehydrogenase (MDH) of the lambs at 2 weeks of age with the nonsupplemented ewes as compared with those from ewes receiving selenium. The GOT, LDH and MDH levels of the lambs from ewes fed sulfate or methionine were twofold greater than comparable values of the control lot. At 6 weeks of age, however, the levels of these enzymes of the sulfate and methionine lots had approached the levels of the nonsupplemented group. White muscle disease had no effect on blood glucose, lactate or choleserol. Based on the enzyme levels, the sulfur sources appeared to delay the onset of WMD. A significant “carryover” of selenium was noted.

Influence of Growth Rate and Feed Intake on the Occurrence of Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy in the Chick

THE development of nutritional muscular dystrophy in the growing chick is known to be modified by a number of nutritional factors. Dam et al. (1952) showed that concomitant dietary deficiencies of both vitamin E and sulfur amino acids are necessary for the appearance of this disorder. In addition, inclusion of selenium in the diet has been reported to reduce although never completely prevent the incidence of muscular dystrophy (Dam and Sondergaard, 1957; Nesheim and Scott, 1958). The use of unusually high dietary levels of antioxidants other than vitamin E may also prevent the development of muscular dystrophy (Machlin and Shalkop, 1956). Recently Calvert et al. (1964) have shown that dietary linoleic acid is necessary for the appearance of muscular dystrophy, and that chicks fed linoleic acid-free diets do not show symptoms of the disease regardless of the deficiency of vitamin E and sulfur amino acids.Unpublished results from our laboratory…

Electromyographic studies on nutritional muscular dystrophy in chick.

The authors succeeded in producing nutritional muscular dystrophy in chicks under experimental conditions with a purified diet very low in vitamin E. This experimental diet was prepared from a basal diet to which rancid and hydrogenated soybean oil had been added and arginine supplemented and from which soybean oil, methionine, inositol, and α-tocopherol had been eliminated. Incidence of muscular dystrophy was 74.5 per cent among the chicks fed the experimental diet. Clinical and pathological findings of the experimentally affected chicks were similar to those reported by previous workers. Especially prominent was white striation, which was observed in the breast and foot muscles. The clinical symptoms of muscular dystrophy were observed among chicks of the experimental group by 2 to 5 weeks of age. Many of the affected chicks were examined electromyographically. The electric activity of dystrophic muscle was picked up by a concentric single-core needle electrode, observed and recorded by the dual beam cathode-ray oscilloscope and electromagnetic oscillograph. Fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves appeared in the electromyograph of dystrophic muscle at rest. Prolongation of insertion potentials and the appearance of fibrillation potentials of the insertion type manifested the hyperexcitability of dystrophic muscle to mechanical stimuli. The authors established the onset of electromyographical abnormalities, especially fibrillation potentials, in some vitamine E deficient chicks on the ninth day after hatching, when any disorder was not recognized at all by gross examination.