title: Serum serotonin concentration is associated with severity of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has recently been suggested to play a role in the development of naturally acquired myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between serum 5-HT concentration and MMVD severity in dogs, and to assess potential associations between serum 5-HT concentrations and dog characteristics, echocardiographic variables, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, presence of macrothrombocytosis, and plateletcrit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 120 client-owned dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dogs were prospectively recruited and were classified by standard echocardiography into healthy (dogs of breeds predisposed to MMVD, but without echocardiographic evidence of the disease), mild, moderate, or severe MMVD groups. Serum 5-HT concentrations were analyzed using an ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dogs with severe MMVD had lower serum 5-HT concentrations than healthy dogs (P = .0025) and dogs with mild MMVD (P = .0011). Unilinear and multiple regression analyses showed that serum 5-HT concentrations decreased with increasing left atrial to aortic root ratio (LA/Ao), were higher in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) dogs compared to dogs of other breeds, and were higher in female dogs than in male dogs. The LA/Ao was the variable most strongly associated with serum 5-HT concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding of higher serum 5-HT concentrations in dogs of breeds predisposed to the early onset of MMVD (CKCS) and dogs with mild MMVD suggests that alterations in 5-HT signaling might play a role in progression of early stages of MMVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ljungvall
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Höglund
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lilliehöök
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tidholm
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tvedten
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Häggström
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin
keywords: Canine myxomatous disease; Cardiology; Platelet function; Valvular disease