In-silico evaluation of aspartate therapy for lactic acidosis in Alligator mississippiensis

thomas stocker

Hyperlactatemia, and/or lactic acidosis, is a common complication in wildlife due to the sensitivity of these species to capture induce complications. The treatment of lactic acidosis in humans is equally as controversial as in veterinary medicine. Stabilisation of blood pH during lactic acidosis is difficult to achieve. Crocodilians, such as the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), are particularly prone to hyperlactatemia and are reasonably established models for metabolic studies. These studies prompted further investigation. The aims of the study are to mathematically model hyperlactatemia in the American Alligator. Three hundred simulations were performed per experiment, focused on the in-vitro and in-vivo derived mean and variance for metabolic data and enzymatic activities. The first experiment examined the rate of ammonium bicarbonate excretion and its potentially beneficial effect on pH stabilisation during states of hyperlactatemia. The second and third experiments compared the effects of intravenous aspartate administration upon the pH of alligators experiencing hyperlactatemia, with and without the addition of a metabolic feedback loop. The preliminary results support the hypothesis that the ammonium bicarbonate clearance from the kidneys is vital to the regulation and survival of the American alligator lactic acidosis. Computational administration of intravenous aspartate is also predicted to be beneficial although these results are not as conclusive. Clinical studies are needed to determine if aspartate therapy is helpful for the management of clinical lactic acidosis in the American Alligator and other animals.