Decrease lysyl oxidase activity in hearts of copper-deficient bovines

POSTMA GC; RUKAVINA MIKUSIC IA; NICASTRO CN; GRECCO A; VALDEZ LB; MINATEL L

JOURNAL OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2021

0946-672X

Background: Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is a metalloenzyme that requires Cu as a cofactor and it is responsible for theformation of collagen and elastin cross-linking. The objective of this work was to measure the LOX enzymeactivity in the heart of bovines with Cu deficiency induced by high molybdenum and sulfur levels in the diet.Methods: Eighteen myocardial samples were obtained from Cu-deficient (n = 9) and control (n = 9) Holsteinbovines during two similar assays. The samples were frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at 􀀀 70 ◦C to measureenzymatic activity. A commercial kit was used, following producer instructions.Results: The results showed that LOX activity from the hearts of Cu-deficient bovines is 29 % lower than the onesof control bovines, being this difference statistically significant (p = 0.03).Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report that determined LOX enzymatic activity in bovine heart ofCu-deficient animals. The microscopic alterations found in these animals in our previous work, could beexplained by a diminished LOX activity. The results are in agreement with other authors, who found a relationshipbetween LOX activity and dietary Cu intake. The information provided by this work could help to clarifythe pathogenesis of cardiac lesions in cattle with dietary Cu deficiency.