Serum (clotted blood)
Identifies exposure to the causal agent of atypical myopathy. Hypoglycin A is ingested from sycamore seeds and seedlings and is converted by the horse to methylene-cyclopropyl-acetic acid (MCPA). MCPA forms conjugates with various important compounds involved in fat metabolism including acyl CoA and carnitine, interrupting intracellular transport and oxidation of lipids.
Hypoglycin will be found in the plasma of cases of atypical myopathy and also apparently unaffected fieldmates.
See also:
- Creatine kinase
- AST