Feeding Magnesium Supplement to Foals Reduces Osteochondrosis Prevalence

doi:10.1016/j.jevs.2013.12.009

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Volume 34, Issue 5, May 2014, Pages 668-674

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2013.12.009 Get rights and content

Abstract

The influence of supplements containing magnesium on the etiology of osteochondrosis (OC) is unknown. We did two studies to measure the effect of additional minerals (especially magnesium) on OC. In study 1 (five studs, in total 64 mares and foals aged 0 to 5 months, equally divided into two groups), supplementation with minerals and placebo was used. Blood samples were taken from foals at age of 2, 8, and 16 weeks. At the same time, milk samples were taken from the mare. Bone biomarkers (osteocalcin and C-terminal telopeptide [CTx] of type I [CTx-1] collagen) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium) were measured in blood and the same minerals in milk of the mare. At the end of the study, the femoropatellar (knee), tarsocrural (hock), and metacarpophalangeal and/or metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) were radiographed and scored for the presence and grade of osteochondrotic lesions. In study 2 (six studs, 54 foals aged 5 to 12 months, equally divided into two groups), the same was repeated. At the start and end of the study, again blood samples were taken and analyzed on the same parameters as in study 1. Also, the same radiography was done. In study 1 in the mineral supplemented group, 21.9% were diagnosed with osteochondrosis compared with 41.9% in the placebo group. In study 2, there was no change in OC between 5 and 12 months in the placebo group whereas there was a drop of 14.3% in incidence in the supplement group. We concluded that magnesium supplementation reduced OC prevalence.

Introduction

Osteochondrosis (OC) is a disorder frequently diagnosed in horses. Osteochondrosis prevalence is very high: a prevalence of 25%–40% is no exception in warmblood breeds [1], [2], although coldblood horses also suffer from this disorder [2], [3], [4]. Osteochondrosis is a disturbance in the process of ossification that occurs in young animals. It is a dynamic disorder and lesions may repair or get worse during the first months until aged 12 months [5], [6]. It starts at birth or possibly even before. At an age of 5 months, prevalence is at its highest. Regression of lesions is joint dependent, but no further substantial reduction in OC is observed after an age of 12 months [6], [7].

Several factors do influence bone formation, and irregular ossification leads to the formation of loose fragments. Irrespective of a good genetic background, bone development depends on minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium, trace elements such as copper, zinc, and manganese, and vitamins such as vitamin D and K. Previous studies mainly focused on copper, zinc, and other trace elements, but the role of magnesium has not been studied so far [2], [8]. This study focuses on the effect of supplementing magnesium and phosphorus during the age of first 12 months of a foal on the development of OC. The second aim of this study was to evaluate the use of previously described biomarkers, osteocalcin and C-terminal telopeptide (CTx) of type I (CTx-1) collagen [4], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], as indicators for the risk of OC.

Section snippets

Study 1

Sixty-four mares living at five different stud farms were selected for this study. Blood was taken from mares 2 weeks before the calculated day of parturition. Three mares had already given birth to their foal at the start of the experiment. From the 64 foals, one foal died because of a bacterial infection before the end of the experiment at week 16 after parturition. Until they reached the age of 16 weeks, foals were given 42 g per day of an oral paste containing 4.05 g of magnesium and 2.50 g

Results

Blood analysis results of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, C-telopeptide type 1, and osteocalcin at 2 weeks before parturition are shown in Fig. 1. These values are all within the reference ranges of the laboratory of Animal Health Services.

Average concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in milk are shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows different serum magnesium concentrations in blood from supplemented and nonsupplemented foals during the age of first 16 weeks. Supplementing magnesium did

Discussion

The two objectives in this study were: to measure the effect of supplementing magnesium in combination with phosphorus during the first 12 months of a foal on the prevalence of OC and to evaluate the use of bone specific biomarkers osteocalcin and CTx-1 as a risk of OC. The factors that have been related to OC are imbalanced feeding, fast growth, exercise, and genetic factors [2], [6], [12], [18]. Especially, the role of copper has been studied [19], [20], [21], but also the negative role of

Acknowledgments

Thanks to M. Pijnappel and C. Helder who visited the stables and animals every week to check and monitor the animals. Also thanks to A. Koppejan who did all the biomarker analysis in serum.

A.J. van den Belt (University Utrecht): for second opinion of the X-ray pictures and the diagnosis of osteochondrosis.

Author contributions Guillaume Counotte (Animal Health Services): study setup, supervision of laboratory testing, statistical analysis, and preparing the manuscript. Gerrit Kampman (Den Ham):

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Cited by (3)

C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone in healthy and hospitalized foals
2020, Domestic Animal Endocrinology
Citation Excerpt :
Serum CTX-I concentrations were measured using a human-specific ELISA (AC-02F1; Immunodiagnostic Systems, Gaithersburg, MD) with a detection limit 0.02 ng/mL and a working range 1.7–2.8 ng/mL. The assay has been validated for equine samples [27,28] and for this study it had <7% intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation. Serum OCN concentrations were measured using a human-specific ELISA (AC-11F1, Immunodiagnostic Systems, Gaithersburg, MD) with a detection limit of 0.5 ng/mL and a working range of 5–83.6 ng/mL.
Hypocalcemia is a common finding in critically ill equine patients. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) helps to maintain calcium homeostasis in hypocalcemic patients by promoting renal calcium reabsorption and bone resorption. Increased serum PTH concentrations have been reported in critically ill people and animals, including horses and foals. It is unknown whether increased secretion of PTH is associated with markers of bone turnover in hospitalized foals. The goals of this study were to measure markers of bone resorption (C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [CTX-I]) and bone formation (osteocalcin [OCN]; alkaline phosphatase [ALP]) and to determine their association with PTH concentrations, disease severity, and mortality in hospitalized foals. This prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 newborn foals ≤3 d old divided into hospitalized (n = 65; 41 septic; 24 sick nonseptic) and healthy (n = 10) groups. Blood samples were collected on admission to measure serum CTX-I, OCN, and PTH concentrations and ALP activity. Data were analyzed by nonparametric methods and univariate logistic regression. Serum CTX-I and PTH concentrations were significantly higher, whereas OCN concentrations were lower, in septic compared with healthy foals (P < 0.05). Serum ALP activity was not different between groups; however, it was lower in hospitalized and septic foals with low OCN concentrations (P < 0.05). In hospitalized foals, PTH concentrations were positively correlated with CTX-I concentrations and inversely associated with ALP activity (P < 0.05). High CTX-I and low OCN concentrations were associated with disease severity (P < 0.05). Hospitalized nonsurviving foals had significantly lower OCN concentrations compared with survivors (P < 0.05), but CTX-I concentrations were not associated with survival. Hospitalized foals with PTH concentrations >12.4 pmol/L were more likely to die (OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.1–4.16; P < 0.05). Elevated PTH and CTX-I together with reduced OCN concentrations and ALP activity in sick foals indicates that bone resorption is increased during critical illness, which may be a compensatory mechanism to correct hypocalcemia or reflect a response to systemic inflammation and metabolic imbalances. Bone resorption could negatively impact skeletal development in the growing foal. Low OCN and high PTH concentrations were predictors of nonsurvival in hospitalized foals.
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Original ResearchFeeding Magnesium Supplement to Foals Reduces Osteochondrosis Prevalence

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Study 1

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgments

Prev Vet Med

Vet J

Environ Res

J Nutr

Prevalence of various radiographic manifestations of osteochondrosis and their correlations between and within joints in Dutch warmblood horses

Equine Vet J

Evaluation of serum osteocalcin and CTX-I in Ardenner horses with special reference to juvenile interphalangeal joint disease

J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med

Osteochondrosis

Radiographic development of osteochondral abnormalities, in the hock and stifle of Dutch Warmblood foals, from age 1 to 11 months

Equine Vet J Suppl

Osteochondrosis, skeletal abnormalities and enzootic ataxia associated with copper deficiency in a farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus) herd

N Z Vet J

Evaluation of serum concentrations of biomarkers of skeletal metabolism and results of radiography as indicators of severity of osteochondrosis in foals

Am J Vet Res

Diurnal variation and age differences in the biochemical markers of bone turnover in horses

J Anim Sci

Evaluation of plasma carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen concentration in horses

Am J Vet Res

Original Research
Feeding Magnesium Supplement to Foals Reduces Osteochondrosis Prevalence