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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 293/2/E558    most recent 00063.2007v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Abeysekara, S. Articles by Zello, G. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Abeysekara, S. Articles by Zello, G. A.

D-Lactic acid-induced neurotoxicity in a calf model

¹College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, and ²Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; and ³Ross School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies

Submitted 26 January 2007 ; accepted in final form 15 May 2007

-Lactic acidosis (DAC) occurs as a complication of short-bowel syndrome in humans and in a variety of other gastrointestinal disorders in monogastrics and ruminants. DAC is associated with signs of impaired central nervous system (CNS) function including ataxia and coma. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether either acidification of nervous tissue or D-lactic acid is responsible for decreased neurological function. Eight Holstein calves (32 ± 11 days, 70 ± 10 kg) were surgically catheterized with indwelling intravenous jugular and atlanto-occipital space cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) catheters and infused for 6 h in random order with isomolar DL-lactic acid (DL-LA), L-lactic acid (L-LA), hydrochloric acid (HCl), or saline. DL-LA induced ataxia after 4 h of infusion and produced the greatest obtunding of CNS function (at 7 h, score 8.0 ± 0.4), whereas the other infusions caused neither ataxia nor scores over 1.5 (P < 0.01 from DL-LA). DL-LA induced significantly less acidemia than HCl (at 6 h pH 7.13 ± 0.06 and 7.00 ± 0.04, base excess –16 ± 1 and –23 ± 3 mmol/l, bicarbonate 11 ± 1 and 8 ± 1 mmol/l respectively, all P < 0.01) but greater than L-LA and saline (P < 0.01). CSF changes followed a similar but less pronounced pattern. Although HCl infusion produced a severe acidemia and CSF acidosis, only minor effects on neurological function were evident suggesting that D-lactate has a direct neurotoxic effect that is independent of acidosis. Conversely, L-LA produced only minor neurological changes.

L-lactic acid; hydrochloric acid; acidosis; cerebrospinal fluid; clinical signs