Serum protein electrophoresis: potential test for use in geriatric companion animal health programmes

Serum protein electrophoretic pattern in one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Tripoli, Libya

The aim of this study was to characterize serum protein capillary electrophoretic pattern in apparently healthy adult male (age: 3-7 years) dromedary camels and also evaluate total protein and albumin levels using automated analyzer. Blood samples were taken from 20 camels. 5ml of blood was collected from the jugular vein and serum was separated from samples by centrifugation. Capillary electrophoresis of serum proteins identified six protein fractions in adult camels, including albumin, alpha1, alpha2, beta1, beta2 and gamma globulins, serum levels of these parameters were 3.9±0.04 g/dl, 0.16±0.01 g/dl, 0.39±0.03 g/dl, 0.515±0.03 g/dl, 0.205±0.01 g/dl and 0.61±0.04 g/dl, and 65.42±0.62 g/l, respectively. The total protein concentration was 65.42±0.62 g/L, while, the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio was 2.4±0.14. The present study indicates six peaks with minicapillary electrophoresis and the results obtained were compared and interpreted in the light of finding reported by other investigators in camels.

Predatory senescence in ageing wolves

It is well established that ageing handicaps the ability of prey to escape predators, yet surprisingly little is known about how ageing affects the ability of predators to catch prey. Research into long-lived predators has assumed that adults have uniform impacts on prey regardless of age. Here we use longitudinal data from repeated observations of individually-known wolves (Canis lupus) hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) in Yellowstone National Park to demonstrate that adult predatory performance declines with age and that an increasing ratio of senescent individuals in the wolf population depresses the rate of prey offtake. Because this ratio fluctuates independently of population size, predatory senescence may cause wolf populations of equal size but different age structure to have different impacts on prey populations. These findings suggest that predatory senescence is an important, though overlooked, factor affecting predator-prey dynamics.

Association of the longevity-associated mitochondrial DNA 5178 A/C polymorphism with serum protein fraction levels in healthy Japanese women

Mitochondrial DNA 5178 adenine/cytosine (mt5178 A/C) polymorphism was reported to be associated with longevity and susceptibility to adult-onset diseases in Japanese. To examine whether mt5178 A/C genotypes are associated with serum protein fraction profiles, we genotyped 461 healthy Japanese individuals, and studied the relationship of mt5178 A/C genotypes to both proportion and levels of serum protein fraction. The mt5178 A/C was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The alpha-1, alpha-2, and beta globulin proportions in females carrying mt5178A were significantly higher than those in females carrying mt5178C (P=0.002, 0.006, and 0.008, respectively). Moreover, the alpha-1, alpha-2, and beta globulin levels in females carrying mt5178A were significantly higher than those in females carrying mt5178C (P=0.001, 0.002, 0.018, respectively). This difference in globulin fraction level between the two genotypes was more evident in premenopausal females than in postmenopausal females. However, no such difference was found in males. These results provide the first evidence that the mt5178 A/C polymorphism may influence the serum protein fraction levels of the healthy Japanese women.

Composition of protein in urine from dogs with pyoderma

The protein fractions in urine from proteinuric dogs with and without pyoderma were estimated. Fifteen dogs with pyoderma (five with superficial and 10 with deep pyoderma) were compared with 10 dogs with glomerulopathy and 27 dogs with diseases other than pyoderma or urinary tract problems. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to fractionate the proteins. Three types of electrophoretogram were obtained with albuminuria, globulinuria and serum-like profiles. An albuminuria profile was found in eight of the 27 dogs with other diseases, in three of the five dogs with superficial pyoderma, in eight of the 10 dogs with deep pyoderma and in all 10 dogs with glomerulopathy. The albuminuria profile (mean [sem] albumin/globulin ratio 1.98 [0.10]) was also characterised by alpha 1b, alpha 2a and beta 2 globulin peaks in all 29 dogs with this profile, which was therefore thought to indicate that albuminuria (glomerular proteinuria) was a result of glomerular damage and inflammation because alpha 1b, alpha 2a, and beta 2 globulins are considered to be acute phase proteins. The serum-like profile (mean [sem] albumin/globulin ratio 0.72 [0.01]) was observed in 13 per cent of the proteinuric dogs examined and contained all the protein fractions normally detected by electrophoresis of serum. The profile was considered to be a variant from of the albuminuria profile, probably indicating advanced glomerular lesions and inflammation. The globulinuria profile (mean [sem] albumin/globulin ratio 0.33 [0.08]) was significantly different from the other two in that it was characterised by a low albumin peak and the presence of globulin fractions not clearly distinguishable from each other because of their confluency and absence of individual peaks. This profile could indicate severe glomerulotubular lesions and degradation of certain protein fractions. It could also be a result of increased secretion of tissue and other proteins by damaged tubules. It was concluded that glomerular damage leads to glomerular proteinuria characterised by high proportions of albumin together with alpha 1b, alpha 2a and beta 2 globulins in lower but significantly diagnostic proportions.