Circulating Galectin-3 Evaluation in Dogs With Cardiac and Non-cardiac Diseases

Abstract

Galectin-3 is involved in important biological functions such as fibrogenesis and inflammation. Notably, it is associated with various diseases and plays a major role in cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. Although heart diseases are relatively common in dogs, a few studies have analyzed the circulating galectin-3 concentration in dogs with various heart diseases, including myxomatous mitral valve disease, patent ductus arteriosus, and pulmonic stenosis. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effect of heart disease on circulating galectin-3 levels in dogs, and also to evaluate the correlation between galectin-3 concentration and conventional echocardiographic indices along with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration in dogs with heart diseases. The medical records and archived serum samples of 107 dogs were evaluated retrospectively. In total, 107 dogs were classified into healthy dogs (n = 8), cardiac disease (n = 26), and non-cardiac disease groups (n = 73). The circulatory galectin-3 levels were analyzed using a commercially available canine-specific galectin-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. This study demonstrated that dogs with heart, endocrine, and dermatologic diseases had significantly higher galectin-3 levels than healthy dogs (p = 0.009, p = 0.007, and p = 0.026, respectively). Among dogs with heart diseases, dogs with concentric cardiomyopathy had significantly increased circulatory galectin-3 levels compared with healthy dogs (p = 0.028). E′/A′ had a positive association with galectin-3 levels among conventional echocardiographic indices. Moreover, the galectin-3 concentration could predict diastolic dysfunction. In dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease, a significantly positive correlation was revealed between galectin-3 levels and NT-proBNP levels (p = 0.007). Overall, this study demonstrates that circulatory galectin-3 levels increase in dogs with heart, endocrine, and dermatologic diseases. Moreover, this study demonstrates that galectin-3 concentration could be helpful to evaluate cardiac remodeling and diastolic function. Further large-scale research is required to evaluate the role of circulating galectin-3 in dogs with heart diseases.

Serum Proteomic Profiles Reflect the Stages of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease in Dogs

“…Although, previously, a significantly positive correlation was found between Gal-3 and NT-proBNP and Gal-3 was shown to have predictive potential for diastolic dysfunction, Gal-3 cannot be designated either as an MMVD- or as a cardiac-specific marker. Increased values of circulating Gal-3 were previously reported for various diseases, for example, endocrine and dermatologic diseases as well as cancer [ 24 ]. Nevertheless, the inhibition of Gal-3 with modified citrus pectin, an emerging heart failure therapy for dogs, resulted in the reduced burden of reactive interstitial fibrosis in CHF and reduced and preserved ejection fraction [ 25 ].…”

“…Increased concentrations of circulating and tissue Gal-3 directly correlate with macrophage migration/activation and development of myocardial fibrosis in human and murine as well as with advancement of canine MMVD. Previously, it was demonstrated that, in human and canine MMVD, the concentrations of circulating Gal-3 correlate with the amount of collagen accumulated in the heart, the incidence of CHF, and disease progression and outcome [ 19 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Our results ( Figure 1 ) further confirm previous experimental findings and identify the Gal-3 marker as a potentially important mediator of myxomatous degenerative changes in both asymptomatic and symptomatic stages in canine MMVD.…”

Evaluation of right ventricular diastolic function, systolic function, and circulating galectin‐3 concentrations in dogs with pulmonary stenosis

“…Estimates of right atrial volume may provide clinically relevant information regarding RV diastolic function, and measurement of right atrial area may have provided a more precise evaluation of the right atrial dimension compared to the linear variable used in our study. Additionally, circulating Gal-3 has been found to be increased in dogs with noncardiac diseases such as severe dermatologic disease including neoplasia 66,67 and endocrine disease, 66 as well as in cirrhosis of the liver in human patients. 68 In experimental studies of animals with cardiac disease and in studies of humans without the above-listed diseases, concentrations of Gal-3 correlate well with the degree of myocardial fibrosis observed.…”