Plasma amino acid concentrations during experimental hyperinsulinemia in 2 laminitis models

Abstract Background Endocrinopathic laminitis develops in association with insulin dysregulation, but the role of insulin in the pathogenesis remains unclear. Hyperinsulinemia can cause hypoaminoacidemia, which is associated with integumentary lesions in other species and therefore warrants investigation as a potential mechanism in laminitis. Objective Evaluate plasma amino acid concentrations in the euglycemic‐hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC) and prolonged glucose infusion (PGI) laminitis models. Animals Sixteen Standardbred horses. Methods Prospective experimental study. Plasma amino acid concentrations were measured in samples collected every 6 hours from horses that underwent a 48‐hour EHC (n = 8) or 66‐hour PGI (n = 8) after a 24‐ or 6‐hour baseline period in EHC and PGI groups, respectively. Results Fifteen of the 20 measured amino acid concentrations decreased over time in both EHC and PGI horses (P < 0.001). The median percentage change from baseline for these amino acids was: histidine (EHC: 41.5%; PGI: 43.9%), glutamine (EHC: 51.8%; PGI: 35.3%), arginine (EHC: 51.4%; PGI: 41%), glutamic acid (EHC: 52.4%; PGI: 31.7%), threonine (EHC: 62.8%; PGI: 25.2%), alanine (EHC: 48.9%; PGI: 19.5%), proline (EHC: 56.2%; PGI: 30.3%), cystine (EHC: 34.9%; PGI: 31.2%), lysine (EHC: 46.4%; PGI: 27.8%), tyrosine (EHC: 27.5%; PGI: 16.9%), methionine (EHC: 69.3%; PGI: 50.8%), valine (EHC: 50.8%; PGI: 34.4%), isoleucine (EHC: 60.8%; PGI: 38.7%), leucine (EHC: 48.2%; PGI: 36.6%), and phenylalanine (EHC: 16.6%; PGI: 12.1%). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Hypoaminoacidemia develops in EHC and PGI laminitis models. The role of hypoaminoacidemia in the development of hyperinsulinemia‐associated laminitis warrants further investigation.