The electrophoretic profile of cerebrospinal fluid proteins and albumin quota was studied in healthy dogs and dogs with distemper in either nervous or non-nervous phases. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 30 dogs were collected by puncture of the cisterna magna. The total protein content, the albumin quota, and the electrophoretic fraction of CSF proteins in agarose gel plates were evaluated. Results were similar in healthy dogs and dogs with distemper and no nervous signs, but were significantly increased in the group of dogs with distemper showing nervous signs. The study of CSF protein profile proved useful and contributed significantly on the detection of central nervous system disorders and damages to the blood-brain barrier during the nervous phase of distemper.
dog; canine distemper; cerebrospinal fluid; protein; electrophoresis
