title: Vitamin E and selenium levels are within normal range in pigs diagnosed with mulberry heart disease and evidence for viral involvement in the syndrome is lacking.
abstract: Mulberry heart disease (MHD) in pigs is characterized by lesions of acute haemorrhagic myocarditis and myocardial necrosis. The objectives of this study were to determine the levels of vitamin E and selenium and 13 other trace minerals in heart and liver tissues and to determine the prevalence of certain viral infections in heart tissues from MHD-affected and MHD-unaffected pigs and the vitamin E and selenium concentration in feed samples from selected farms with MHD. Based on the pathological examination, 114 pigs were separated into MHD lesion-negative (L-NEG) (n = 57) and MHD lesion-positive (L-POS) (n = 57) groups. Seventy-three samples (40 L-NEG and 33 L-POS) were subjected to chemical analysis, and 66 (32 L-NEG and 34 L-POS) were subjected to PCR detection for viral pathogens. Lower (P < 0.05) levels of myocardial copper, lower (P < 0.05) levels of hepatic magnesium and higher (P < 0.05) levels of myocardial and hepatic sodium were detected in the L-POS cases. Although lower (P < 0.05) levels of hepatic selenium were detected in L-POS group, all were within the normal range. Analysis of feed samples (n = 22) revealed that selenium levels in all the samples were above the legal limit (0.3 ppm) for pigs. Vitamin E levels in all feed samples were above 20 IU/kg. Among the 66 pigs subjected to PCR detection, there were 19, 4, 13, 8, 2 and 1 animals positive for porcine circovirus type 2, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, pan-herpes virus, porcine enterovirus, pan-pestivirus and porcine parvovirus, respectively. Clear evidence of viral association with L-POS was lacking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ensley
authors.forename: W-I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Loynachan
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Halbur
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Opriessnig
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014131:Trace Elements; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014810:Vitamin E; D012643:Selenium