title: Plasma and platelet serotonin concentrations in healthy dogs and dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serotonin has been implicated in canine myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD); however, the sources of serotonin have not been fully elucidated. This study compared the concentration of serotonin in plasma and platelets of normal healthy small breed dogs with predisposition to MMVD and dogs with naturally occurring MMVD.
  
  
  METHODS
  43 small-breed client-owned dogs with an approximate weight of <10 kg and age of 6 years or above were divided into 2 groups: a healthy control group (n = 20) and a group with echocardiographic evidence of MMVD (n = 23).
  
  
  METHODS
  5 ml samples of blood were collected. Plasma and platelets were separated by centrifugation and assayed for serotonin measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median plasma serotonin concentration was not significantly different (p = 0.3630) between normal healthy dogs (3.7 ng/ml) and dogs with MMVD (4.3 ng/ml). Males had higher plasma serotonin concentration than females (4.7 and 2.9 ng/ml respectively, p = 0.0043). Platelet serotonin concentration was not different between healthy dogs and dogs with MMVD (128.6 ng/10⁹ platelets and 176.6 ng/10⁹ platelets respectively, p = 0.4575). Age, echocardiographic indices and platelet count showed no correlation with plasma or platelet serotonin concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating plasma serotonin is unlikely a major source of serotonin signaling in canine MMVD. Platelets could be a source of serotonin in canine MMVD through platelet adhesion to the mitral valve; however, the amount of serotonin stored in platelets of healthy dogs and dogs with MMVD is not different.
authors.affiliation: Chulalongkorn University, Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Henry Dunant, Wangmai, Pathumwon, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Tanawan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mangklabruks
authors.affiliation: Chulalongkorn University, Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Henry Dunant, Wangmai, Pathumwon, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. Electronic address: sirilakd27@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sirilak Disatian
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Surachetpong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D010949:Plasma / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin
keywords: Canine; Circulation; Degenerative mitral valve disease; Heart; Pathogenesis