Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 levels in dogs with heartworm
By Adin, Darcy B et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2023·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in dogs with Dirofilaria immitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with heartworm infection (Dirofilaria immitis) was studied to see if their ACE2 enzyme levels were different from dogs without heartworms. The results showed that heartworm infection did not change ACE2 activity in these dogs. However, heavier dogs had higher ACE2 levels compared to lighter dogs. This suggests that while heartworm disease affects the heart and lungs, it may not influence ACE2 activity as previously thought. More research is needed to understand the full impact of heartworm disease on dogs' health.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Infection by the canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, causes significant cardiopulmonary disease, with progression impacted by increasing parasite numbers and duration of infection. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is an important mediator of cardiac and pulmonary disease. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mitigates the maladaptive effects of angiotensin II by converting it to angiotensin (1-7). We hypothesized that circulating ACE2 activity would be altered in dogs with high heartworm infection intensities relative to dogs without heartworms. METHODS: Frozen serum samples (-80 °C) from 30 dogs euthanized at Florida shelters were analyzed for ACE2 activity using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectroscopy and a kinetics approach with and without an ACE2 inhibitor. A convenience sample of 15 dogs without heartworms (HW) and 15 dogs with > 50 heartworms (HW) was included. Heartworm number and microfilariae presence were determined at necropsy. The effects of heartworm status, body weight, and sex on ACE2 were evaluated using regression analysis. Values of P < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: All HWdogs were D. immitis microfilariae-negative and all HWdogs were D. immitis microfilariae-positive with a median adult worm count of 74 (minimum = 63, maximum = 137). The ACE2 activity of HWdogs (median = 28.2 ng/ml; minimum = 13.6, maximum = 76.2) was not different from HWdogs (median 31.9 ng/ml; minimum = 14.1, maximum = 139.1; P = 0.53). The ACE2 activity was higher in dogs with high body weight (median 34.2 ng/ml minimum = 14.1, maximum = 76.2) than in dogs with low weight (median 27.5 ng/ml; minimum = 16.4, maximum = 139.1; P = .044). CONCLUSIONS: Heartworm infection did not impact ACE2 activity in shelter dogs with or without heartworms, but heavier dogs had higher ACE2 activity compared to lighter dogs. Comprehensive RAAS evaluation and additional clinical information would aid in understanding how ACE2 activity relates to the entire cascade and clinical status in dogs with heartworm disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37106412/