Omega-3 Fatty Acid Food Enrichment Influences Some Serum Acute Phase Proteins Concentration and White Blood Cell Count in Athlete Horses

• Acute phase response to exercise and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) diet supplement was studied in horses.
• White blood cell count changed shortly after exercise.
• Serum amyloid A (SAA) values changed 24 hours after exercise.
• Fibrinogen and SAA levels were influenced by PUFAs diet supplement.

The effect of exercise and dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen (Fb), and white blood cell (WBC) count was studied in eight Italian Saddlebreds jumper and eight Thoroughbred horses. Horses were divided into four groups: two experimental groups including four jumpers (AJ) and four Thoroughbreds (AT) that received 4-week PUFAs supplementation and two control groups including four jumpers (BJ) and four Thoroughbreds (BT). Blood samples were collected before the starting of PUFAs supplementation at rest (T0R), 10 minutes (T0PE10), and 24 hours postexercise (T0PE24) and after PUFAs supplementation at rest (T1R), 10 minutes (T1PE10), and 24 hours postexercise (T1PE24). All horses showed a WBC increase after exercise (P < .0001). Higher Fb values were found in experimental groups than control groups at T1R, T1PE10, and T1PE24 (P < .005). Serum amyloid A values changed (P < .001) at T0R and T0PE10 vs. T0PE24 and at T1R and T1PE10 vs. T1PE24 in experimental and control groups. Higher SAA values were found in experimental groups than control groups at T1R, T1PE10, and T1PE24 (P < .005). Our findings showed that SAA concentration changed 24 hours after exercise, but it remains unchanged shortly after exercise. These results suggest that the evaluation of SAA immediately after exercise is not clinically useful and demonstrate that the intense exercise is able to induce an acute phase response although it is a noninflammatory condition. The significant effect of dietary PUFAs supplementation found on Fb and SAA levels emphases the PUFAs' property of modulating inflammation in jumper and Thoroughbred horses.