The topic of drugs and horses encompasses the study of various pharmacological agents used in equine medicine for therapeutic purposes. This includes the administration of medications for pain management, disease treatment, and performance enhancement. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs in horses are key areas of research, as they determine the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of these substances. Additionally, the topic covers the detection and regulation of substances in competitive equestrian sports to ensure fair play and animal welfare. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the effects, safety, and regulatory aspects of drug use in equine health and performance.
Davis JL, Messenger KM, LaFevers DH, Barlow BM, Posner LP.The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine following intravenous (i.v.) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration in horses. Six horses received i.v. or i.m. buprenorphine (0.005 mg/kg) in a randomized, crossover design. Plasma samples were collected at predetermined times and horses were monitored for adverse reactions. Buprenorphine concentrations were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Following i.v. administration, clearance was 7.97±5.16 mL/kg/min, and half-life (T(1/2)) was 3.58 h (ha...
Westermeyer HD, Hendrix DV, Ward DA, Cox SK.To determine ocular tissue drug concentrations after topical ocular administration of 0.3% ciprofloxacin and 0.5% moxifloxacin in ophthalmologically normal horses. Methods: 24 ophthalmologically normal adult horses. Methods: 0.3% ciprofloxacin and 0.5% moxifloxacin solutions (0.1 mL) were applied to the ventral conjunctival fornix of 1 eye in each horse as follows: group 1 (n = 8) at 0, 2, 4, and 6 hours; group 2 (8) at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 10 hours; and group 3 (8) at 0, 2, 4, 6, 10, and 14 hours. Tears, cornea, and aqueous humor (AH) were collected at 8, 14, and 18 hours for groups 1, 2, and 3, r...
Moeller BC, Sams RA, Guinjab-Cagmat J, Szabo NJ, Colahan P, Stanley SD.Testosterone is an anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) that is endogenously produced by both male and female horses that also has the potential for abuse when administered exogenously to race horses. To recommend appropriate withdrawal guidelines so that veterinarians can discontinue therapeutic use prior to competition, the pharmacokinetics and elimination of testosterone were investigated. An aqueous testosterone suspension was administered intramuscularly in the neck of Thoroughbred horses (n = 20). The disposition of testosterone from this formulation was characterized by an initial, rapid a...
Tinworth KD, Boston RC, Harris PA, Sillence MN, Raidal SL, Noble GK.Metformin may be an effective therapeutic option for insulin-resistant (I-R) horses/ponies because, in humans, it reportedly enhances insulin sensitivity (SI) of peripheral tissues without stimulating insulin secretion. To determine the effect of metformin on insulin and glucose dynamics in I-R ponies, six ponies were studied in a cross-over design by Minimal Model analysis of a frequently-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). Metformin was administered at 15 mg/kg bodyweight (BW), orally, twice-daily, for 21 days to the metformin-treated group. The control group received a place...
Clarke A, Scarth J, Teale P, Pearce C, Hillyer L.Detection of androgenic-anabolic steroid abuse in equine sports requires knowledge of the drug's metabolism in order to target appropriate metabolites, especially where urine is the matrix of choice. Studying 'designer' steroid metabolism is problematic since it is difficult to obtain ethical approval for in vivo metabolism studies due to a lack of toxicological data. In this study, the equine in vitro metabolism of eight steroids available for purchase on the Internet is reported; including androsta-1,4,6-triene-3,17-dione, 4-chloro,17α-methyl-androsta-1,4-diene-3,17β-diol, estra-4,9-diene-...
Collard WT, Cox SR, Lesman SP, Grover GS, Boucher JF, Hallberg JW, Robinson JA, Brown SA.Absolute bioavailability and dose proportionality studies were performed with ceftiofur in horses. In the absolute bioavailability study, thirty animals received either an intravenous dose of ceftiofur sodium at 1.0 mg/kg or an intramuscular (i.m.) dose of ceftiofur crystalline-free acid (CCFA) at 6.6 mg/kg. In the dose proportionality study, 48 animals received daily i.m. ceftiofur sodium injections at 1.0 mg/kg for ten doses or two doses of CCFA separated by 96 h, with CCFA doses of 3.3, 6.6, or 13.2 mg/kg. Noncompartmental and mixed-effect modeling procedures were used to assess pharmacokin...
Suagee JK, Corl BA, Wearn JG, Crisman MV, Hulver MW, Geor RJ, McCutcheon LJ.Obesity and insulin resistance increase the risk of laminitis in horses. Pioglitazone (PG) is an insulin-sensitizing drug used in humans that is absorbed after oral administration to horses. Objective: PG treatment will increase insulin sensitivity and transcript abundance of glucose and lipid transporters in adipose and skeletal muscle tissues. Methods: Sixteen lean, healthy horses. Methods: Eight horses were administered PG (1 mg/kg bodyweight PO) for 12 days before induction of insulin resistance through IV administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Treated and untreated controls (CN; n = ...
Park J, Sutradhar BC, Hong G, Choi SH, Kim G.To compare the chondrotoxicity of bupivacaine, lidocaine, and mepivacaine in equine articular chondrocytes in vitro. Methods: Prospective, experimental study. Methods: Equine articular chondrocytes. Methods: Primary cultured equine chondrocytes were exposed to 0.5% bupivacaine, 2% lidocaine, or 2% mepivacaine for 30 or 60 minutes. After treatment, cell viability was evaluated by trypan blue exclusion and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay in a dose dependent manner. Apoptosis and necrosis of chondrocytes were analyzed with the double stain...
Sano H, Martin-Flores M, Santos LC, Cheetham J, Araos JD, Gleed RD.To evaluate the effect of epidural morphine on gastrointestinal (GI) motility in horses. Methods: Randomly ordered crossover design. Methods: Six healthy adult horses weighing 585± 48 kg (mean±SD). Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to receive either 0.2 mg kg(-1) morphine or an equal volume (0.04 mL kg(-1)) of saline epidurally (the first inter coccygeal space) with 2 weeks between treatments. The horses were stabled, fed a standardized diet and allowed water ad libitum throughout the duration of the study. Radiopaque spheres were administered by stomach tube. Xylazine 0.2 mg kg(-1) int...
Oswald S, Peters J, Venner M, Siegmund W.Clarithromycin (CLA) is a well established macrolide antibiotic which is frequently used in therapy of airway diseases in foals. It is extensively metabolized by CYP3A4 resulting in the antimicrobial active metabolite 14-hydroxyclarithromycin (OH-CLA). Rifampicin (RIF) is often comedicated to prevent resistance and augment therapy. RIF is a known inducer for metabolizing enzymes and transporter proteins. Therefore, comedication might bare the risks of pharmacokinetic drug interactions which were investigated in a clinical trial. As no adequate method to determine CLA, RIF and their main metabo...
Schroeder EL, Holcombe SJ, Cook VL, James MD, Gandy JC, Hauptman JG, Sordillo LM.Endotoxaemia causes substantial morbidity and mortality in horses with colic and sepsis. Ethyl pyruvate is a novel anti-inflammatory medication that improved survival in preclinical models of severe sepsis endotoxaemia and intestinal ischaemia and reperfusion in rodents, swine, sheep and dogs and may be a useful medication in horses. Objective: Ethyl pyruvate has no adverse effects in normal horses and is biologically active based on suppression of proinflammatory gene expression in endotoxin stimulated whole blood, in vitro. Methods: Physical and neurological examinations, behaviour scores, e...
Moulard Y, Bailly-Chouriberry L, Boyer S, Garcia P, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y.Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been widely used in doping control laboratories over the last two decades. Currently, simple quadrupole, triple quadrupole and ion trap are the most commonly employed analyzers in toxicological analysis. Nevertheless, the main lack of these technologies is the restricted number of target compounds simultaneously screened without loss of sensitivity. In this article we present an innovative screening approach routinely applied in the French horse doping control laboratory based on high resolution (50000) and high mass accuracy (<5 ppm) in f...
Kaukinen H, Aspegrén J, Hyyppä S, Tamm L, Salonen JS.The objective of the study was to determine the absorption, bioavailability and sedative effect of detomidine administered to horses as an oromucosal gel compared to intravenous and intramuscular administration of detomidine injectable solution. The study was open and randomized, with three sequences crossover design. Nine healthy horses were given 40 μg/kg detomidine intravenously, intramuscularly or administered under the tongue with a 7-day wash-out period between treatments. Blood samples were collected before and after drug administration for the measurement of detomidine concentration...
Dimaio Knych HK, Steffey EP, Deuel JL, Shepard RA, Stanley SD.Yohimbine is an alpha 2 adrenergic receptor antagonist used most commonly in veterinary medicine to reverse the effects of the alpha 2 receptor agonists, xylazine and detomidine. Most notably, yohimbine has been shown to counteract the CNS depressant effects of alpha 2 receptor agonists in a number of species. The recent identification of a yohimbine positive urine sample collected from a horse racing in California has led to the investigation of the pharmacokinetics of this compound. Eight healthy adult horses received a single intravenous dose of 0.12 mg/kg yohimbine. Blood samples were co...
Davis JL, Marshall JF, Papich MG, Blikslager AT, Campbell NB.The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of deracoxib following oral administration to horses. In addition, in vitro equine whole blood cyclooxygenase (COX) selectivity assays were performed. Six healthy adult horses were administered deracoxib (2 mg/kg) orally. Plasma samples were collected prior to drug administration (time 0), and 10, 20, 40 min and 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h after administration for analysis with high pressure liquid chromatography using ultraviolet detection. Following PO administration, deracoxib had a long elimination half-life (t(...
Klöppel H, Leece EA.To compare alfaxalone with ketamine for total intravenous anaesthesia in ponies undergoing castration. Methods: Prospective, randomised, blinded clinical study. Methods: Forty-two, 12-month-old Welsh Mountain ponies. Methods: Ponies were assigned randomly to receive ketamine or alfaxalone. After administration of romifidine 100 μg kg(-1) and butorphanol 50 μg kg(-1) intravenously (IV), sedation and response to tactile stimulation were scored. If sedation was insufficient, romifidine 30 μg kg(-1) was administered IV. Anaesthesia was induced with ketamine 2.2 mg kg(-1) or alfaxalone 1 mg kg(-...
Garcia P, Paris AC, Gil J, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y.A sensitive method using LC/ESI-MS(n) has been developed on a quadrupole linear ion trap mass analyser for the detection of nine β(2) agonists (cimaterol, clenbuterol, fenoterol, formoterol, mabuterol, terbutaline, ractopamine, salbutamol and salmeterol) in horse urine. The method consists of solid-phase extraction on CSDAU cartridges before analysis by LC/ESI-MS(n) . The efficiency of extraction combined with the sensitivity and the selectivity of MS(n) allowed the detection of these compounds at pg/mL levels. Administration studies of fenoterol and formoterol are reported and show their pos...
Chang Y, Maylin GM, Matsumoto G, Neades SM, Catlin DH.Methods have been developed to screen for and confirm darbepoetin alfa, recombinant human EPO, and methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin β (PEG-epoetin β) in horse plasma. All three methods screen samples with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirm by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This report focuses on PEG-epoetin β. The ELISA assay was able to detect PEG-epoetin β at 0.02 ng/mL in 50 µL of horse plasma. Many samples had high background levels of immunoreactivity; however, introducing polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000) into the samples before...
Monclin SJ, Farnir F, Grauwels M.There is a clinical impression that tetracaine hydrochloride (THCl) eyedrops is a suitable topical anaesthetic in horses. Objective: To determine the duration of corneal anaesthesia following instillation of multiple doses and 2 concentrations of THCl in 10 healthy horses. Methods: The corneal touch threshold (CTT) was determined, in both eyes, before (basal CTT) and after application of one drop of 0.5% THCl, 2 drops at a 1 min interval of 0.5% THCl or one drop of 1% THCl. CTT was measured in mm every 5 min until complete recovery of the basal CTT. Treatments were separated by an interval of ...
Driessen B, Zarucco L, Kalir B, Bertolotti L.Current use of acepromazine in the anaesthetic management of male horses and ponies and associated risks are largely unknown. Objective: To explore anaesthetic acepromazine use and related adverse effects in the male horse. Methods: Of 8533 anaesthetised horses and ponies medical records of male animals treated perianaesthetically with acepromazine were reviewed. Demographic data, time and dose of acepromazine administration, co-administered drugs, quality of induction and recovery from anaesthesia, arterial blood pressures, and occurrence of penile dysfunction were recorded. Practising ACVA a...
Monclin SJ, Farnir F, Grauwels M.Tetracaine hydrochloride (THCl) has been reported to cause irritation in dogs. In man, some topical anaesthetics have been shown to disrupt the tear film. Tear break-up time (TBUT) is a useful test allowing an assessment of the quality of the precorneal tear film. Only one TBUT value has been reported in horses with no information on the technique used. Objective: To provide a method for performing the TBUT in horses and to report any side effects of a single application of THCl in clinically normal horses, particularly on the stability of the tear film. Methods: In Study 1, one drop of 0.5 or...
Stack A, Schott HC.Adverse drug reactions to trimethoprim-sulphonamide combinations are common in many species, manifesting as gastrointestinal tract disorders, dermatopathies and blood dyscrasias. In this case series, neurological abnormalities in 4 horses being treated with trimethoprim-sulphonamide combinations at normal dosages and in one foal that received an overdose are described. The horses developed hypermetric gait, agitation and erratic behaviour. All signs resolved once medication was withdrawn, and no horse had residual deficits. No other cause for observed neurological deficits could be determined....
Dillon PF, Root-Bernstein R, Robinson NE, Abraham WM, Berney C.Previous in vitro research demonstrated that ascorbate enhances potency and duration of activity of agonists binding to alpha 1 adrenergic and histamine receptors. Objective: Extending this work to beta 2 adrenergic systems in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Ultraviolet spectroscopy was used to study ascorbate binding to adrenergic receptor preparations and peptides. Force transduction studies on acetylcholine-contracted trachealis preparations from pigs and guinea pigs measured the effect of ascorbate on relaxation due to submaximal doses of beta adrenergic agonists. The effect of inhaled albuter...
Brainard BM, Epstein KL, LoBato D, Kwon S, Papich MG, Moore JN.Critically ill horses are susceptible to thrombotic disease, which might be related to increased platelet reactivity and activation. Objective: To compare the effect of oral clopidogrel and aspirin (ASA) on equine platelet function. Methods: Six healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses received clopidogrel (2 mg/kg p.o. q24h) or ASA (5 mg/kg p.o. q24h) for 5 days in a prospective randomized cross-over design. Platelet aggregation responses to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen via optical aggregometry, and platelet secretion of serotonin (5HT) and production of thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2) ) by...
Winther L, Baptiste KE, Friis C.Ampicillin concentrations in pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) and plasma was studied after single intravenous ampicillin administration (15mg/kg) or single intragastric administration of its prodrug, pivampicillin (19.9mg/kg) to horses and discussed in relation to minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of common equine respiratory pathogens. After intravenous administration, elimination of ampicillin was fast and not detectable in plasma after 12h in three out of six horses. Pivampicillin was absorbed well in non-fasted horses with an oral bioavailability of 36%. The degree of penetra...
Cox S, Yarbrough J.A new method of analysis has been developed and validated for the determination of firocoxib, a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) approved for use in horses and dogs to control pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis. Following a liquid extraction using ethyl acetate:hexane (40:60), samples were separated by isocratic reversed-phase HPLC on a Sunfire C(18) column and quantified using UV detection at 290 nm. The mobile phase was a mixture of water with 0.025% trifluoroacetic acid and acetonitrile, with a flow-rate of 1.1 ml/min. The procedure produced a linear curve o...
Taylor P, Scarth JP, Hillyer LL.Within equine drug surveillance, there is significant interest in analyzing intact phase II conjugates of drugs in urine, but progress has been limited by a lack of reference material. Methods: In this study, in vitro techniques using equine liver fractions were employed to produce glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of stanozolol, 16β-hydroxystanozolol and nandrolone, the glucuronide conjugate of morphine and the glutathione metabolite of chlordinitrobenzene for the first time in equine sports drug surveillance. Results: The glucuronide conjugate of the synthetic progestagen altrenogest was a...
Schmitz A, Demmel S, Peters LM, Leeb T, Mevissen M, Haase B.Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP450s) represent a superfamily of haem-thiolate proteins. CYP450s are most abundant in the liver, a major site of drug metabolism, and play key roles in the metabolism of a variety of substrates, including drugs and environmental contaminants. Interaction of two or more different drugs with the same enzyme can account for adverse effects and failure of therapy. Human CYP3A4 metabolizes about 50% of all known drugs, but little is known about the orthologous CYP450s in horses. We report here the genomic organization of the equine CYP3A gene cluster as well as a compara...
Müller M, Raabe O, Addicks K, Wenisch S, Arnhold S.In equine medicine, stem cell therapies for orthopaedic diseases are routinely accompanied by application of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Thus, it has to be analysed how NSAIDs actually affect the growth and differentiation potential of MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) in vitro in order to predict the influence of NSAIDs such as phenylbutazone, meloxicam, celecoxib and flunixin on MSCs after grafting in vivo. The effects of NSAIDs were evaluated regarding cell viability and proliferation. Additionally, the multilineage differentiation capacity and cell migration was analysed. N...
Delco ML, Nieto JE, Craigmill AL, Stanley SD, Snyder JR.Tegaserod, a serotonin agonist, has been shown to have prokinetic effects in horses, but pharmacokinetic information is not currently available. The pharmacokinetics and in vitro effects of tegaserod were evaluated. Tegaserod increased the contractile activity of smooth muscle preparations of the equine pelvic flexure. Pertinent pharmacokinetic parameters for a single IV and oral dose were determined. Therapeutic plasma concentrations of tegaserod were achieved by a single oral dose at 0.27 mg/kg. These findings indicate that further clinical studies are warranted to investigate potential bene...
van den Hoven R, Hierweck B, Dobretsberger M, Ensink JM, Meijer LA.The Pharmacokinetics (PK) and distribution into tissue chamber fluid (TCF) of intramuscularly (i.m.) administered ampicillin sodium were examined in horses in order to design adequate dosing strategies. Concentration-time curves of ampicillin in plasma and TCF were determined in six horses following administration of 15 mg/kg ampicillin sodium, before and after the induction of local inflammation with 0.5% carrageenan. The calculated parameters were used to simulate various dosage-dosing interval combinations. Ampicillin was absorbed very rapidly following i.m. administration. Plasma concentra...
Gajardo G, López-Muñoz R, Plaza A, Uberti B, Sarmiento J, Morán G, Henríquez C.Tamoxifen (TAM), a selective modulator of estrogen receptors (SERMs) has been recently explored as a therapeutic option for the oral treatment of airway inflammation in the horse. The objective of this work was to establish pharmacokinetic parameters of TAM and its main metabolites in equines, as well as to determine its clinical safety in short-term treatments. Results: We determined TAM and its three main metabolites (4-OH tamoxifen, endoxifen, and N-desmethyl tamoxifen) in plasma after single administration of 0.25 mg/kg in healthy adult horses ( = 12). A maximum concentration of TAM w...
Hillyer MH, Mair TS.Equine multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease is rare in horses. The clinical signs vary according to the organs affected, the skin and gastrointestinal tract being most commonly involved. This paper gives the first reported description of a horse with multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease in the United Kingdom and the attempts to treat it. The horse showed dermatological, gastrointestinal, hepatic, pulmonary and pancreatic involvement. Some improvement was seen when the horse was treated with corticosteroid and hydroxyurea.
Burroughs DL, Lorch G, Guo Y, Hill K, Schroeder EL, Cole LK, Phelps MA.Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is the prodrug of mycophenolic acid (MPA) which acts as an immunosuppressive agent. During the biotransformation of MMF to MPA, additional metabolites including MPA phenol glucuronide (MPAG), MPA acyl glucuronide (AcMPAG) and MPA phenol glucoside (MPG) are formed. Objective: To define the noncompartmental pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of three single doses of intravenous (i.v.) MMF and its downstream metabolites in healthy horses. Methods: Six healthy Standardbred mares. Methods: Generic MMF (Par Pharmaceuticals; Chestnut Ridge, NY, USA) was reconstituted and admi...
Magid JH, Manohar M, Goetz TE, Baker GJ, Ulbricht R, Bontkowski S, Ghantous S.Furosemide premedication of horses 4 h prior to exercise significantly attenuates exercise-induced pulmonary capillary hypertension which may help diminish the severity of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage. As pulmonary hemodynamic effects of furosemide may be mediated via a reduction in plasma volume (which is most pronounced 15-30 min postfurosemide administration, with plasma volume recovering thereafter), we hypothesized that administration of furosemide at intervals shorter than 4 h before exertion may be more effective in attenuating the exercise-induced rise in pulmonary capillary ...
Britt DP, Preston JM.The efficacy of orally administered ivermectin against induced Dictyocaulus arnfieldi infection was evaluated in a controlled study comprising 12 yearling ponies. Treatment with ivermectin paste, at a dose rate of 200 micrograms/kg bodyweight orally once, was 100 per cent effective against both adult and immature or inhibited stages of the horse lungworm. Similar control of second and third instars of Gastrophilus intestinalis was observed and no nematode eggs were present in faeces from seven to 15 days after treatment when the study was terminated.
Mills PC, Ng JC, Auer DE.The effect of inflammation on the disposition of phenylbutazone (PBZ) was investigated in Thoroughbred horses. An initial study (n = 5) in which PBZ (8.8 mg/kg) was injected intravenously twice, 5 weeks apart, suggested that the administration of PBZ would not affect the plasma kinetics of a subsequent dose. Two other groups of horses were given PBZ at either 8.8 mg/kg (n = 5) or 4.4 mg/kg (n = 4). Soft tissue inflammation was then induced by the injection of Freud's adjuvant and the administration of PBZ was repeated at a dose level equivalent to, but five weeks later than, the initial dose. ...
Muir WW, McGuirk S.Knowledge of the dosage, rate and route of administration, and potential side effects of drugs used to treat cardiac disease in horses has been refined. The judicious use of these drugs can increase exercise capacity, improve health, and potentially prolong life. Currently, antiarrhythmics (quinidine, lidocaine), positive inotropies (digoxin), and diuretics (furosemide) are the primary agents used to treat cardiovascular disease in horses. The development of newer drugs (verapamil, milrinone, bumetanide) and their usefulness in therapy for horses with cardiovascular disease require further inv...
Dürr A.The affinity and the binding capacity of horse serum proteins for ampicillin and penicillin G were measured by equilibrium dialysis or ultrafiltration technique. From the figures thus obtained it may be concluded that in the range of therapeutic concentrations the protein-bound fraction accounts for 6 X 8-8 per cent of the total ampicillin concentration and for 52-54 per cent of the total penicillin G concentration in serum. The rate of elimination of ampicillin and penicillin G in horses was assessed by following serum concentrations after a single intravenous injection. The biological half l...
Davies JV, Gerring EL.The effect of acepromazine, Buscopan (Crown Chemicals), pethidine and methadone was evaluated in ponies prepared with Thiry-Vella (T-V) loops. Motility was assessed by electrophysiological means (bipolar electrodes and strain gauge transducers) and by the passage through the T-V loop of a fluid test meal. Results were obtained from 26 experiments in three ponies and compared with six control experiments, in which saline had been administered to the same ponies. Each pony acted as its own control in each experiment and pre and post treatment values for slow wave frequency, spiking activity, del...
Vimercati S, Büchi M, Zielinski J, Peduto N, Mevissen M.Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) are responsible for the phase I metabolism of drugs, xenobiotics and endogenous substances. Knowledge of single CYPs and their substrates is important for drug metabolism, helps to predict adverse effects and may prevent reduced drug efficacy in polypharmacy. In this study, three equine isoenzymes of the 3A subfamily, the equine flavoprotein NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase (POR), and the cytochrome b5 (CYB5) were cloned, sequenced and heterologously expressed in a baculovirus expression system. Testosterone, the standard compound for characterization of the human CYP3A...
Ekstrand C, Michanek P, Gehring R, Sundell A, Källse A, Hedeland M, Ström L.Atropine is an essential part of the treatment protocol for equine uveitis. Topical atropine administration has been associated with decreased intestinal motility and abdominal pain in horses. Experimental studies have indicated that frequent dosing is associated with a higher risk than dosing every 6 h. Unfortunately, no quantitative pharmacodynamic data for inhibition of the equine gut are published. Unassigned: Eight standardbred horses were assigned to receive either atropine or saline (control) to be infused over 30 min in a two-treatment cross-over design. Atropine concentrations in plas...
Whitton DL, Trim CM.Heart block is a relatively common arrhythmia in the adult horse. It may be a normal physiologic phenomenon or it may have pathologic implication. Four foals in which advanced heart block developed during anesthesia were unresponsive to atropine sulfate and supportive treatment alone. Resolution of the heart blocks was achieved after the addition of dopamine hydrochloride to the therapeutic regimen.
Wilson DV, Nickels FA, Williams MA.Benztropine mesylate was used successfully to treat priapism that developed during anesthesia in 2 horses. After IV injection, there was a rapid resolution of signs in both horses, and no side effects were observed. The choice of an effective method to treat priapism is challenging because precise causes in most patients have not been well-defined. Benztropine mesylate is a synthetic compound resulting from the combination of the active portions of atropine and diphenhydramine, and is believed effective because of its central acetyl-choline-antagonizing properties.
Sullivan SN, Cole SL, Stewart MC, Brokken MT, Durgam S.To investigate the effects of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) on the viability of resident cells within the fibrocartilage on the dorsal surface of the deep digital flexor tendon (FC-DDFT) and fibrocartilage on the flexor surface of the navicular bone (FC-NB) of horses. Methods: 12 to 14 explants of FC-DDFT and of FC-NB from grossly normal forelimbs of 5 cadavers of horses aged 9 to 15 years without evidence of musculoskeletal disease. Methods: Explants were incubated with culture medium (control) or TA-supplemented (0.6 or 6 mg/mL) or MPA-supplemented (0.5 or...
Raekallio M, Vainio O, Scheinin M.Single doses of the alpha 2-adrenergic sedative-analgesic drug, detomidine (10 micrograms/kg, n = 7; 20 micrograms/kg, n = 9), were administered IV to adult horses. Plasma concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline, the catecholamine metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and cortisol were determined before the medication and 30 minutes after it. The plasma concentrations of noradrenaline and the catecholamine metabolites decreased significantly after administration of both 10 micrograms/kg and 20 micrograms/kg of detomidine. Plasma adrenaline...
Duncan JL, Arundel JH, Drudge JH, Malczewski A, Slocombe JO.These guidelines have been designed to assist in the planning, operation and interpretation of studies which would serve to assess the efficacy of drugs against internal parasites of horses. Although the term anthelmintic is used in the title and text, these guidelines include studies on drug efficacy against larvae of horse bot flies, Gasterophilus spp, which are non-helminth parasites commonly occurring in the stomach of horses. The advantages, disadvantages and application of critical and controlled tests are presented. Information is also provided on selection of animals, housing, feed, do...
Laan TT, Westermann CM, Dijkstra AV, van Nieuwstadt RA, Fink-Gremmels J.Healthy horses received aerosolised, intranasal or oral doses of 3 mg of fluticasone propionate evenly divided over morning and evening treatments for seven days. The bioavailability of the drug was determined in terms of the suppression of the endogenous cortisol concentrations in the horses during the period of treatment. The horses which received the aerosolised drug had significantly lower concentrations of endogenous cortisol on days 5 and 8 than the horses which received aerosolised placebo. The horses which received nasal and oral doses of fluticasone propionate showed no significant ch...
Zouiten H, Berrag B, Oukessou M, Sadak A, Cabaret J.Sport and leisure horses in Morocco are treated with several anthelmintics, organophosphates (dichlorvos), benzimidazoles (mostly thiabendazole) or tetrahydropyrimidines (mostly pyrantel pamoate) against nematodes. We studied three horse stables in Rabat, one in Meknes and one in Bouznika. Two of the Rabat and Bouznika stables had introduced a large number of horses from countries (Argentina or Europe) where resistance to benzimidazoles is frequent, whereas the Meknes stud farm remained without foreign introduction. The number of treatments was not very frequent (twice a year in adult horses) ...
Rosa B.Xenobiotic transport proteins play an important role in determining drug disposition and pharmacokinetics. Our understanding of the role of these important proteins in humans and pre-clinical animal species has increased substantially over the past few decades, and has had an important impact on human medicine; however, veterinary medicine has not benefitted from the same quantity of research into drug transporters in species of veterinary interest. Differences in transporter expression cause difficulties in extrapolation of drug pharmacokinetic parameters between species, and lack of knowledg...
Slocombe JO, Cote JF, McMillan I.Twenty-eight horses with a residual burden of strongyle eggs in the faces after treatment with mebendazole (MBZ) paste were treated with a suspension of either MBZ or oxibendazole (OBZ). Fecal samples were collected before and 14 days after these treatments. The number of strongyle eggs/g (epg) of feces for each horse was estimated using the Cornell-McMaster dilution and the Cornell-Wisconsin double centrifugation procedures. The epg for each horse was transformed using log (x + 1) and in an analysis of variance of the reduction in egg count for each horse on the logarithmic scale, there was a...