Taurine deficiency has been implicated as a potential cause of
dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the relationship between
taurine and myocardial function is presently unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether
dilated cardiomyopathy in the fox is associated with dietary
taurine deficiency. A total of 68 foxes from farms with a history of death caused by
dilated cardiomyopathy and 14 foxes from a farm with no history of
dilated cardiomyopathy were studied.
Dilated cardiomyopathy was diagnosed by echocardiography in 48% of the foxes from one farm with a positive history and in none of the foxes from the control farm. Foxes less than 9 months of age were more commonly affected than older foxes (p = 0.03). Plasma
taurine concentrations were significantly less (p less than 0.01) in foxes that had
dilated cardiomyopathy (26.8 +/- 16.4 nmol/ml) than in the control foxes (99.3 +/- 60.2 nmol/ml). A significantly higher (p less than 0.01) incidence of
dilated cardiomyopathy was present in foxes with a history of a sibling or offspring that died of
dilated cardiomyopathy than in foxes without a family history of
cardiac death. In one fox with
dilated cardiomyopathy that was tested, the myocardial
taurine concentration was lower (1.7 mumol/gm wet weight) than that of control foxes (7.3 +/- 1.6 mumol/gm wet weight). Hepatic
cysteinesulfinic acid decarboxylase activity was significantly less (p less than 0.001) in foxes with
dilated cardiomyopathy (0.97 +/- 0.2 nmol/mm.mg
protein) than in control foxes (2.11 +/- 0.07 nmol CO2/mm.mg
protein).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)