Diet in the aetiology of musculoskeletal diseases

Question 1

Where is Taurine found?

Answer 1

In animal tissues (specifically muscles and the nervous system)

Question 2

What does taurine do to cardiac muscle?

Answer 2

• Strengthens cardiac muscle
• Improves exercise capability

Question 3

What is the fuction of taurine physiologically?

Answer 3

• Regulates intracellular Ca2+ concentration
• Muscle cells have specific Na+/ Cl- dependent taurine carriers
• helps to maintain a high intarcellular/ extracellular taurine ratio

Question 4

Why are cats dependent on their dietary source of taurine to maintain their body pool?

Answer 4

• They have low levels of activity cysteine sulphinate decarboxylase
• this is a rate-limiting enzyme for taurine synthesis

Question 5

Why may the GIT be a limiting factor in the maintenance of taurine homeostasis in the cat?

Answer 5

They have no specific transport mechanism for taurine uptake across the intestinal brush-border membrane of the adult cat

Question 6

What is the minimum taurine requirement of cats?

Answer 6

425mg of taurine per kg of food

Question 7

Why does dietary fibre affect taurine requirements?

Answer 7

Lower taurine concentration
observed in cats fed on rice bran
diet
* increased faecal excretion of
conjugated bile acids
* Taurine is needed to form bile
acids, so more used
AND
* Changes in hindgut microbiota
due to the indigestible protein
fraction of rice bran

Question 8

What canine diet is associated with taurine deficiency?

Answer 8

• Low protein and high fibre

Question 9

What is the affect of antibiotics on taurine?

Answer 9

• Changes
  in hindgut microbiota
• Significant increase in total
  faecal bile acid excretion
  Dietary factors that increase the
  excretion of faecal bile acids will
  increase the dietary requirement
  for taurine
• Cats conjugate bile acids
  exclusively with taurine,

Question 10

What home made diet has the greatest taurine loss?

Answer 10

Boiling ( food is surrounded by water which then leeches taurine from the product)

Question 11

What dog breeds are susceptible to taurine deficiency?

Answer 11

• Golen retrievers
• American Cockber Spaniels
• Saint Bernards
• Irish Wolfhounds

Question 12

What is exertional rhabdomylosis in horses related to?

Answer 12

• Strenuous exercise
• Normal exercise under extreme conditions

Question 13

What is high CHO in horses linked to?

Answer 13

• Period of exercise followed by a period of rest
• feed inatke remains inconsistent
• Build up of lactic acid in muscles when horse works after its days off

Question 14

What causes muscle damage in horses after ‘hard work’ ?

Answer 14

• Inflammation
• damage of the affected
  muscles,
• with muscle fibre swelling
• Elevated serum activities of
  muscle specific enzymes such
  as creatine kinase
• muscle weakness
• prolonged decrease in
  muscle glycogen
  concentration