Computed Tomography and Fluorescence Spectroscopy Blood Plasma Analysis Study for Kynurenic Acid as a Diagnostic Approach to Chronic Coenurosis in Sheep
Loredana Elena Olar,
Vasile Daniel Tomoiagă,
Sorin Marian Mârza,
Ionel Papuc,
Ioan Florin Beteg,
Petru Cosmin Peștean,
Mihai Musteață,
Caroline Maria Lăcătuș,
Raluca Marica,
Paula Maria Pașca,
Robert Cristian Purdoiu,
Radu Lăcătuș
Affiliations
Loredana Elena Olar
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Vasile Daniel Tomoiagă
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Sorin Marian Mârza
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ionel Papuc
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ioan Florin Beteg
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Petru Cosmin Peștean
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Mihai Musteață
Clinics Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Caroline Maria Lăcătuș
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Raluca Marica
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Paula Maria Pașca
Clinics Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Robert Cristian Purdoiu
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Radu Lăcătuș
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Coenurosis is a parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of Taenia multiceps, Coenurus cerebralis, typically found in the central nervous system of different livestock such as sheep and goats. The blood plasma from fifteen clinically healthy sheep and six sheep with neurological symptoms was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy in order to establish the contribution of kynurenic acid (KYNA), the neuroprotective metabolite of the kynurenine pathway, to the total fluorescence of the plasma. CT scans were used to confirm the presence of cysts in the central nervous system of sheep with neurological symptoms. The fluorescence spectroscopy analysis and further spectra deconvolution process revealed some significantly lower KYNA contributions to the total plasma fluorescence in sheep with coenurosis compared to healthy controls. Our results indicate that KYNA emission parameters could serve as valuable diagnostic markers, particularly for detecting preclinical cases of coenurosis, thus allowing for improved farm management practices.