Oxidative stress indices in gastroenteritis in dogs with canine parvoviral infection

Abstract

Gastroenteritis of viral origin has emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs during the last two decades. Amongst the viral etiologies responsible for gastroenteritis in dogs, canine parvovirus (CPV) is considered as the most pathogenic. The disease is characterized by hemorrhagic enteritis, bloody diarrhoea and myocarditis in young pups. The present study was carried out to examine alterations in oxidative stress indices in the erythrocytes from dogs suffering from gastroenteritis with or without canine parvoviral infection as confirmed by CPV-DNA amplification from faeces using specific primers for CPV-2 as well as CPV-2a and CPV-2b variants by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The present investigation utilized clinical cases of dogs with signs of acute diarrhea (n=56), and 14 more apparently healthy dogs of similar age group. Erythrocytic oxidative stress indices such as lipid peroxides level and antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, and blood micro-mineral (iron, copper, cobalt and zinc) status were analyzed in each dog (n=70). The acute cases of gastroenteritis in dogs were associated with altered erythrocytic lipid peroxidation as evident by estimation of malonaldehyde (MDA) concentration. The activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase, the first line of antioxidant defense against damaging effects of free radicals, were also altered. The alterations in oxidative stress indices were more pronounced in cases with involvement of canine parvovirus as compared to parvo-negative cases. Our results also revealed decreased blood zinc level in diarrhoea in dogs irrespective of involvement of canine parvovirus.

Fig. 1

Lipid peroxide level and antioxidant enzymes activity in erythrocytes from dogs suffering from diarrhoea of varying clinical severity. LPO-lipid peroxides (nmol MDA/mg of Hb), SOD-Superoxide dismutase (Units/mg Hb), CAT-Catalase (Units/mg Hb). ^∗Mean value (±SE) differing significantly at P < 0.05 from control group. ^aMean value differing significantly (P < 0.05) between the two affected groups.

Fig. 2

Erythrocytic oxidative stress indices in dogs suffering from diarrhoea with and without parvovirus association. 33 out of 56 dogs with diarrhoea were confirmed positive for parvovirus infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of DNA extracted from faecal samples. LPO-lipid peroxides (nmol MDA/mg of Hb), SOD-Superoxide dismutase (Units/mg Hb), CAT-Catalase (Units/mg Hb). ^∗Mean value (±SE) differing significantly at P < 0.05 from control group, and ^aMean value differing significantly (P < 0.05) from that of cases with gastroenteritis without parvoviral infection.