title: Reference values for amino acids and acylcarnitines in peripheral blood in Quarter horses and American Miniature horses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Free amino acids and acylcarnitines circulating in the blood can be used for diagnosis for metabolic illness and imbalances. To date, the normal reference ranges of amino acids and acylcarnitines in horse peripheral blood have not been established. In this study, the concentrations of 12 amino acids and 26 acylcarnitines were determined by tandem mass spectrometry in complete blood from 100 healthy horses (50 Quarter horses (QH) [23 males and 27 females] and 50 American Miniature horses (AMH) [15 males and 35 females]) with no signs of metabolic disease. The means and standard deviations were determined and data statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concentrations of short, medium, and long chain acylcarnitines were significantly higher in male AMH than in male QH. The concentrations of the amino acids alanine, arginine, glycine, proline (glycogenic), and leucine (ketogenic) were higher in the QH than in the AMH. Female AMH had higher concentrations of propionylcarnitine, leucine, proline, arginine, and ornithine than female QH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normal reference ranges of amino acids and acylcarnitines were established for AMH and QH. Significant differences were found in concentration of these compounds between breeds and gender.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. iramrodriguez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Irám Pablo
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Tecnológico de Monterrey Cátedra de Bioinformática, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. vtrevino@itesm.mx.
authors.forename: Víctor Manuel
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Treviño-Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. qcbrtorres@live.com.mx.
authors.forename: María del Rosario
authors.initials: Mdel R
authors.lastname: Torres-Sepúlveda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. l.lopez.sa@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Liliana Aracely
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: López-Saldaña
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoología de invertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. gponcealfa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ponce-García
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. gracielini@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Graciela Areli
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: López-Uriarte
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. c_ruiz99@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: María del Consuelo
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Herrera
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. dna_100@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Diana Elisa
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Zamora-Ávila
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. zacvilla@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Jesús Zacarías
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Villarreal-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. guillermo.davalos@uanl.mx.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dávalos-Aranda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. laelmar@yahoo.com.mx.
authors.forename: Laura Elia
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Martínez-de-Villarreal
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D012016:Reference Values; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; C116917:acylcarnitine; D002331:Carnitine