Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a condition in horses characterized by a combination of obesity, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of laminitis. This syndrome is often observed in horses with a predisposition to accumulate fat, particularly in specific areas such as the neck, shoulders, and tailhead. Insulin resistance in horses with EMS can lead to elevated insulin levels, which may contribute to the development of laminitis, a painful and potentially debilitating hoof condition. Research on EMS focuses on understanding its pathophysiology, identifying genetic and environmental risk factors, and developing management strategies to mitigate its effects. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diagnosis, treatment, and management of Equine Metabolic Syndrome, as well as its implications for equine health and welfare.
Jorge-Smeding E, Warnken T, Grob AJ, Feige K, Pudert T, Leung YH, Go YY, Kenéz Á.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is a determinant of equine metabolic syndrome. Among the sphingolipids, ceramides contribute to the development of ID; however, the cross talk between the liver and adipose tissue (AT) depots and the variation among AT depots in terms of ceramide metabolism are not well understood. We aimed to characterize the sphingolipidome of plasma, liver, and AT (nuchal, NUAT; subcutaneous, SCAT; omental, OMAT; retroperitoneal, RPAT) and their associations with insulin response to oral glucose testing (OGT) in normoinsulinemic and hyperinsulinemic horses. Plasma, liver, and AT s...
Kellon EM, Gustafson KM.Hyperinsulinemia associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and/or equine metabolic syndrome is well documented to put horses at high risk of laminitis. While dietary control of simple sugars and starch is the most effective therapy to control hyperinsulinemia, some horses fail to respond. Ten horses with hyperinsulinemia refractory to diet control, metformin, levothyroxine, and pergolide (if diagnosed with PPID) were treated with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor canagliflozin (Invokana®). Nine horses were hyperglycemic (>5.5 mmol/l) or had a history of hyperglycemia...
Salek Ardestani S, Zandi MB, Vahedi SM, Janssens S.The genetic structure and characteristics of Iranian native breeds are yet to be comprehensibly investigated and studied. Therefore, we employed genomic information of 364 Iranian native horses representing the Asil (n = 109), Caspian (n = 40), Dareshuri (n = 44), Kurdish (n = 95), and Turkoman (n = 76) breeds to reveal the genetic structure and characteristics. For these and 19 other horse breeds, principal component analysis, Bayesian model-based, Neighbor-Net, and bootstrap-based TreeMix approaches were applied to investigate and compare their genetic structure. Additionally, thre...
Mularczyk M, Bourebaba N, Marycz K, Bourebaba L.Astaxanthin is gaining recognition as a natural bioactive component. This study aimed to test whether astaxanthin could protect adipose-derived stromal stem cells (ASCs) from apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. was used to extract astaxanthin, whose biocompatibility was tested after 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation with the cells; no harmful impact was found. ASCs were treated with optimal concentrations of astaxanthin. Several parameters were examined: cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen levels, mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism, superoxide dismutase activity, ...
Senderska-Płonowska M, Siwińska N, Zak-Bochenek A, Rykała M, Słowikowska M, Madej JP, Kaleta-Kuratewicz K, Niedźwiedź A.Obesity is a common problem in horses. The associations between obesity and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and between EMS and laminitis are known. However, there is a lack of data on whether obesity itself can affect hoof lamellae. Forelimbs and blood from 12 draft horses (six obese and six lean) from a slaughterhouse were acquired. To exclude laminitis and EMS horses, insulin concentration was measured, and hooves were radiographed. Histological evaluation was performed. The shape of the primary and secondary epidermal lamellae (PEL and SEL) was evaluated, and the length of the keratinized ...
Williams NJ, Furr M, Navas de Solis C, Campolo A, Davis M, Lacombe VA.Metabolic syndrome in humans is commonly associated with cardiovascular dysfunction, including atrial fibrillation and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Although many differences exist between human and equine metabolic syndrome, both of these conditions share some degree of insulin resistance. The aims of this pilot study were to investigate the relationship between insulin sensitivity and cardiac function. Seven horses (five mares, two geldings, aged 17.2 ± 4.2 years, weight 524 ± 73 kg) underwent insulin-modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance testing to determine ...
Timko KJ, Hostnik LD, Watts MR, Chen C, Bercz A, Toribio RE, Belknap JK, Burns TA.Insulin dysregulation is a hallmark of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and increases the risk for development of laminitis. Accurate diagnosis of insulin dysregulation is crucial for implementation of preventative strategies in this population. The objective was to assess the effects of dexamethasone administration on insulin and glucose dynamics in light-breed horses and assess the agreement of various diagnostic tests for insulin dysregulation [basal [insulin] (BI), oral sugar test (OST), and combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT)]. Fourteen adult light-breed horses. Prospective, experimental ...
Loos CMM, Urschel KL, Vanzant ES, Oberhaus EL, Bohannan AD, Klotz JL, McLeod KR.The objectives of the study were to study the effects of the synthetic ergot alkaloid (EA), bromocriptine, on glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin dysregulated (ID, n = 7) and non-ID (n = 8) mares. Horses were individually housed and fed timothy grass hay and two daily concentrate meals so that the total diet provided 120% of daily DE requirements for maintenance. All horses were given intramuscular bromocriptine injections (0.1 mg/kg BW) every 3 days for 14 days. Before and after 14 days of treatment horses underwent a combined glucose-insulin tolerance test (CGIT) to assess insulin sensit...
Smieszek A, Marcinkowska K, Pielok A, Sikora M, Valihrach L, Carnevale E, Marycz K.The study aimed to investigate the influence of obesity on cellular features of equine endometrial progenitor cells (Eca EPCs), including viability, proliferation capacity, mitochondrial metabolism, and oxidative homeostasis. Eca EPCs derived from non-obese (non-OB) and obese (OB) mares were characterized by cellular phenotype and multipotency. Obesity-induced changes in the activity of Eca EPCs include the decline of their proliferative activity, clonogenic potential, mitochondrial metabolism, and enhanced oxidative stress. Eca EPCs isolated from obese mares were characterized by an increased...
Lovett AL, Gilliam LL, Sykes BW, McFarlane D.Both obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with hypercoagulability in people, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and thromboembolic events. Whether hypercoagulability exists in obese, insulin-dysregulated horses is unknown. Objective: To determine if coagulation profiles differ between healthy horses and those with obesity and insulin dysregulation. Methods: Fifteen healthy horses (CON) and 15 obese, insulin-dysregulated horses (OBID). Individuals were university or client owned. Methods: Case-control study. Obesity was defined as a body condition score (BCS) ≥7.5/9 (modif...
Macon EL, Harris P, Barker VD, Adams AA.Seasonal effects on the oral sugar test (OST), used to monitor insulin dysregulation (ID) status to help reduce laminitis risk, are poorly understood in the ID horse. Resting, (basal) insulin (T0) and 60-minute (T60) OST (0.15 mL/Kg BW Karo Light Corn Syrup) insulin responses were evaluated, once per each season over 2 years, in ID (n = 11 14.9 ± 4.3 years; mean ± SD) and non-insulin dysregulated (NID: n = 11 16.4 ± 5.3 years; mean ± SD) horses housed on the same farm. Seasonal morphometric measurements were collected: bodyweight (BW), body-condition scores (BCS), and cresty neck score...
Niewiadomska J, Gajek-Marecka A, Gajek J, Noszczyk-Nowak A.Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a disease that has a complex etiology. It is defined as the co-occurrence of several pathophysiological disorders, including obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. MetS is currently a severe problem in the public health care system. As its prevalence increases every year, it is now considered a global problem among adults and young populations. The treatment of choice comprises lifestyle changes based mainly on diet and physical activity. Therefore, researchers have been attempting to discover new substances that could help reduce or even reverse t...
Abisheva A, Abishov A, Khairullaeva K, Shynybayev K, Kalissynov B, Maikhin K, Kydyrmanov A, Karamendin K, Valdovska A, Syrym N.Equine rhinopneumonitis is an acute, highly contagious disease found virtually worldwide. The purpose of the studies presented in this paper is to develop a technology for the manufacture of a cell-derived equine rhinopneumonitis vaccine, as well as to assess the safety and immunogenicity of the newly developed vaccine in laboratory animals model. The object of the studies was the AK-2011 strain isolated from the horses suffering from rhinopneumonitis during an outbreak of abortions. The viability of the AK-2011 strain was assessed using a continuous line of calf trachea cells, a continuous li...
Nichols JL, Robinson JS, Hiney KM, Terry R, Ramsey JW.This study investigated equine nutrition knowledge and educational needs of licensed veterinarians in the United States who were exclusively or predominately equine practitioners. It found veterinarians regard their peers as an important resource of nutritional knowledge, ranking ahead of all other sources except a PhD equine nutritionist. Interestingly, only 21% of veterinarians felt good about their knowledge level in equine nutrition after graduating from veterinary school. Although veterinarians in this study reported equine nutrition to be an area of weakness, 75% had not pursued continui...
Kagan IA.Temperate grasses contain both water- and ethanol-soluble carbohydrates. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) of temperate grasses include glucose, fructose, sucrose, and fructans (fructose-based polymers) of varying lengths. Ethanol-soluble carbohydrates (ESCs) consist of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and shorter fructans. WSCs and ESCs have been implicated in equine pasture-associated laminitis and other metabolic disorders. In this paper, the peer-reviewed literature of the past decade was summarized for selected factors influencing concentrations and composition of WSCs and ESCs in temperate g...
Fuentes-Romero B, Muñoz-Prieto A, Cerón JJ, Martín-Cuervo M, Iglesias-García M, Aguilera-Tejero E, Díez-Castro E.Obesity and its associated complications, such as metabolic syndrome, are an increasing problem in both humans and horses in the developed world. The expression patterns of resistin differ considerably between species. In rodents, resistin is expressed by adipocytes and is related to obesity and ID. In humans, resistin is predominantly produced by inflammatory cells, and resistin concentrations do not reflect the degree of obesity, although they may predict cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of resistin and its relationship with ID and selected ind...
Obesity has become a serious health problem with frequent occurrence both in human and animal populations. It is estimated that it may affect over 85% of the human population and 70-80% of horses and cows by 2030. Fat cow syndrome (FCS) is a combination of metabolic, digestive, infectious, and reproductive disorders that affects obese periparturient dairy cows, and occurs most frequently in loose-housing systems, where periparturient and dry cows are fed and managed in one group disregarding the lactation stages. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) was named after human metabolic syndrome (MetS) a...
Weinert-Nelson JR, Meyer WA, Williams CA.Warm-season grasses have been suggested as alternative low non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) pasture forages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate nutrient composition and diurnal changes in soluble carbohydrates for the warm-season annual 'Quick-N-Big' crabgrass [CRB; Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.] and the warm-season perennial 'Wrangler' bermudagrass [BER; Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers] in comparison to mixed cool-season grass [CSG; 'Inavale' orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata [L.]), 'Tower' tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] Darbysh.), and 'Argyle' Kentucky bluegrass (Poa prat...
Karikoski NP, Box JR, Mykkänen AK, Kotiranta VV, Raekallio MR.The oral sugar test (OST) is commonly used to diagnose insulin dysregulation (ID) and equine metabolic syndrome; however, possible seasonal changes in OST results have not been evaluated. Objective: To determine the possible variation in insulin response to OST throughout the year and risk factors associated with maximum insulin concentration (InsMax) and ID. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal cohort study. Methods: The OST was performed on 29 Finnhorses every other month six times. Serum total adiponectin concentration and phenotypic variables related to obesity were also measured. Changes in...
Weinert-Nelson JR, Meyer WA, Williams CA.Integration of warm-season grasses into traditional cool-season pastures can increase summer forage for grazing cattle. The aim of this study was to determine impacts of this practice on yield and nutrient composition of equine rotational pasture systems as well as horse body condition. Two 1.5 ha rotational systems (6 to 0.25 ha sections/system) were evaluated: a control system (CON) (all sections mixed cool-season grass [CSG-CON]) and an integrated rotational grazing system (IRS) (three CSG sections [CSG-IRS] and three Quick-N-Big crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.; CRB-IRS]). Three...
Cameron A, Longland A, Pfau T, Pinnegar S, Brackston I, Hockenhull J, Harris PA, Menzies-Gow NJ.This work aimed to determine the effect of strip grazing on physical activity in ponies using behavioral observations alongside accelerometers positioned at the poll. In study one, ten British native breed ponies were randomly assigned to paddock A (50 × 110 m) or B (50 × 110 m divided into seven equal strips with access to one additional strip per day) for seven days (n = 5/paddock). In study two, ten different British native breed ponies were randomly assigned for 14 days individually to (1) a control field where the animal was allowed complete access to their allotted area (n = 4)...
D' Fonseca NMM, Beukers M, Wijnberg ID, Navas de Solis C, de Ruijter-Villani M, van Doorn DA, Stout TAE, Roelfsema E.Changes in cardiovascular parameters, including blood pressure (BP) and cardiac anatomical dimensions, are an inconsistent feature of the equine metabolic syndrome. The order in which these changes arise is unknown. Objective: Determine the order in which EMS-associated changes in cardiovascular parameters arise. Methods: Twenty Shetland pony mares. Methods: High-energy (HE) diet mares were fed 200% of net energy requirements for 1 (n = 3) or 2 (n = 7) consecutive diet-years, with 17 weeks of hay-only between years. Noninvasive BP measurements and echocardiograms were performed during bo...
Ragno VM, Klein CD, Sereda NS, Uehlinger FD, Zello GA, Robinson KA, Montgomery JB.In human metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes, methylglyoxal (MG), D-lactate, and several cytokines have been recognized as biomarkers of important metabolic and inflammatory processes. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) shares many similarities with these human counterparts. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to compare body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), resting insulin, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) between horses with and without insulin dysregulation, as clas...
Mendoza FJ, Mejia-Moreira S, Buchanan BR, Toribio RE, Perez-Ecija A.Insulin dysregulation (ID) and donkey metabolic syndrome (DMS) are common in this species. Contrary to horses, diagnostic guidelines compiling insulin cut-offs values and dynamic testing interpretations have not been reported for this species. Objective: To evaluate resting serum insulin concentrations, the combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT) and the glucose intravenous tolerance test (IVGTT) for the diagnosis of DMS with ID suspicion. Methods: Diagnostic test comparison. Methods: Six of 80 mix-breed adult donkeys fulfilled the inclusion criteria for DMS based on history or clinical evidence ...
Macon EL, Harris P, Bailey S, Barker VD, Adams A.Controlling postprandial hyperinsulinaemia is important in insulin dysregulated (ID) horses to reduce the risk of laminitis. Objective: To evaluate postprandial insulin responses of ID versus non-insulin dysregulated (NID) horses to feedstuffs varying in nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and crude protein (CP). Methods: Randomised crossover. Methods: Eighteen adult mixed-breed horses (13.3 ± 2.2 years; 621 ± 78.8 kg) were individually fed [~1 g/kg body weight (BW)] specific feedstuffs within two crossover studies. Eight ID and eight NID were used in Study A, and 11 ID and 5 NID in Stud...
Leng J, McNally S, Walton G, Swann J, Proudman C, Argo C, Emery S, La Ragione R, Eustace R.Gut microbial communities are increasingly being linked to diseases in animals and humans. Obesity and its associated diseases are a concern for horse owners and veterinarians, and there is a growing interest in the link among diet, the intestinal microbiota and metabolic disease. Objective: Assess the influence of long-term hay or haylage feeding on the microbiota and metabolomes of 20 Welsh mountain ponies. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: Urine, faeces and blood were collected from 20 ponies on a monthly basis over a 13-month period. Urine and faeces were analysed using proton magnetic...
Duarte PC, Ribeiro RM, Machado ART, Faleiros RR, Pimenta LPS, Filho JDS.The incidence of equine metabolic syndrome, a condition that results in endocrinopathic laminitis, is increasing worldwide. Although it is well known that the development of this syndrome depends on imbalances in energy metabolism and genetic traits, its pathophysiology remains unclear. Hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) is a powerful tool used to compare metabolic profiles and to discriminate metabolites in living beings. The aim was to apply this technology to detect blood biomarkers candidates in horses that were previously demonstrated to developed metabolic changes when subjected...
Prigge JL, Sheaffer CC, Jungers JM, Jaqueth AL, Lochner HL, Martinson KL.Cover crops are commonly used to provide environmental benefits and can extend the grazing season, but have not been explored in horse pastures. The objectives of this research were to evaluate forage mass, forage nutrient composition, and preference of annual ryegrass, winter rye, berseem clover, purple top turnip, and daikon radish under horse grazing. Cover crops were seeded in monoculture and mixtures in August 2018 and 2019 as a randomized complete block with four replicates and grazed by four adult horses. Prior to grazing, forages were sampled to determine herbage and root mass and nutr...
Richards N, Nielsen BD, Finno CJ.Many forage types are available, typically divided into cool or warm season grasses and legumes, which can be fed as fresh pasture or after preservation. Testing for nutrient content confirms what should be supplemented to make up shortfalls. Although testing is recommended, it is not always practical. Typical values for the forage type are available; however, they cannot be relied on for actual content. Non-nutritional aspects must also be taken into account. The provision of complementary feeds to ensure adequate vitamin and mineral intake is recommended. Additional supplementary high-qualit...
Ericsson AC, Johnson PJ, Gieche LM, Zobrist C, Bucy K, Townsend KS, Martin LM, LaCarrubba AM.Common treatments for Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and associated conditions include removal from pasture and adoption of an all-hay diet. Pharmacological treatments for EMS include metformin, a biguanide antihyperglycemic agent also administered to people to help improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Both treatments may work, at least partially, through the gut microbiota, yet little is known regarding these effects in the equine host. To determine the influence on the fecal microbiota of this diet change and administration of metformin, six healthy horses were removed from pa...
Rapson JL, Schott HC, Nielsen BD, McCutcheon LJ, Harris PA, Geor RJ.Age and diet may affect insulin sensitivity (SI) but these factors have received limited investigation in horses. Objective: To measure minimal model parameters during an insulin-modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGTT) after adaptation to a forage only diet (HAY) or forage supplemented with either starch/sugar-rich (SS) or oil/fibre-rich (FF) concentrate feeds; and to assess glucose and insulin responses to a standardised meal challenge (SMC, 4 g/kg BW of SS) after diet adaptation in adult and aged mares. Methods: Latin square design with eight adult (5-12 yea...
Treiber K, Carter R, Gay L, Williams C, Geor R.Inflammatory and redox signals could render lamellar tissue susceptible to damage and contribute to higher risk for laminitis in obese or insulin resistant ponies just as these factors contribute to health risks in humans with metabolic syndrome. This study evaluated circulating markers of inflammatory and redox status in ponies that had a history of recurrent bouts of pasture-associated laminitis (PL, n = 42) or had never developed clinical laminitis (NL, n = 34) under the current management conditions. There were no differences (P > 0.05) between PL and NL ponies for markers of antioxidan...
Morgan RA, Keen JA, Walker BR, Hadoke PW.Endocrinopathic laminitis (EL) is a vascular condition of the equine hoof resulting in severe lameness with both welfare and economic implications. EL occurs in association with equine metabolic syndrome and equine Cushing's disease. Vascular dysfunction, most commonly due to endothelial dysfunction, is associated with cardiovascular risk in people with metabolic syndrome and Cushing's syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that horses with EL have vascular, specifically endothelial, dysfunction. Healthy horses (n = 6) and horses with EL (n = 6) destined for euthanasia were recruited. We studied v...
Lewis SL, Holl HM, Streeter C, Posbergh C, Schanbacher BJ, Place NJ, Mallicote MF, Long MT, Brooks SA.Equine obesity can cause life-threatening secondary chronic conditions, similar to those in humans and other animal species. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), primarily characterized by hyperinsulinemia, is often present in obese horses and ponies. Due to clinical similarities to conditions such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (formerly equine Cushing's disease), conclusive diagnosis of EMS often proves challenging. Aside from changes in diet and exercise, few targeted treatments are available for EMS, emphasizing the need for early identification of at-risk individuals to enable imple...
Wooldridge AA, Edwards HG, Plaisance EP, Applegate R, Taylor DR, Taintor J, Zhong Q, Judd RL.To characterize adiponectin protein complexes in lean and obese horses. Methods: 26 lean horses and 18 obese horses. Procedures-Body condition score (BCS) and serum insulin activity were measured for each horse. Denaturing and native western blot analyses were used to evaluate adiponectin complexes in serum. A human ELISA kit was validated and used to quantify high-molecular weight (HMW) complexes. Correlations between variables were made, and HMW values were compared between groups. Results: Adiponectin was present as a multimer consisting of HMW (> 720-kDa), low-molecular weight (180-kDa)...
Mularczyk M, Bourebaba N, Marycz K, Bourebaba L.Astaxanthin is gaining recognition as a natural bioactive component. This study aimed to test whether astaxanthin could protect adipose-derived stromal stem cells (ASCs) from apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. was used to extract astaxanthin, whose biocompatibility was tested after 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation with the cells; no harmful impact was found. ASCs were treated with optimal concentrations of astaxanthin. Several parameters were examined: cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen levels, mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism, superoxide dismutase activity, ...
Lane HE, Burns TA, Hegedus OC, Watts MR, Weber PS, Woltman KA, Geor RJ, McCutcheon LJ, Eades SC, Mathes LE, Belknap JK.Insulin dysregulation, obesity, and exposure to high-nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) forage are risk factors for equine metabolic syndrome-associated laminitis (EMSAL); high systemic insulin concentrations in EMSAL are proposed to induce cellular dysregulation in the digital lamellae through activation of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. Objective: To use a dietary challenge model (DCM) and a euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp (EHC) model to assess lamellar growth factor-related signalling. Methods: Lamellar phospho (P)-protein concentrations of signalling proteins important in gro...
Frank N, Walsh DM.Repeatability of the oral sugar test (OST) has not been evaluated. Objective: We hypothesized that OST glucose, insulin, active (aGLP-1) and total (tGLP-1) glucagon-like peptide 1, and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin results would be repeatable. Methods: Fifty-three horses from a Tennessee research facility (n = 23) and private practice in Missouri (n = 30), including animals with medical histories of equine metabolic syndrome. Methods: Two OSTs were performed 7-14 days apart and plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at 0, 60, and 75 minutes; a positive result w...
Ungru J, Blüher M, Coenen M, Raila J, Boston R, Vervuert I.Fifteen obese ponies were used in a body weight (BW) reduction programme (BWRP, daily energy intake: 7.0-8.4 MJ/100 kg BW). A frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test was used to assess insulin sensitivity. Subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies of the tail head were obtained for mRNA gene expression profiles of adiponectin, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and macrophage activation marker (CD68) before and after BWRP. Blood samples were analysed for serum leptin, serum RBP4 and plasma adiponectin. Significant BW losses occurred with 7 MJ DE/100 kg BW. Serum le...
Firshman AM, Valberg SJ.Insulin resistance is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of many equine conditions such as pars intermedia dysfunction, equine metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipaemia, laminitis, endotoxaemia and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD); whereas polysaccharide storage myopathy in Quarter Horses and equine motor neuron disease (EMD) have been associated with increased insulin sensitivity. However, it is clear that there is not one ideal test, in terms of both practicality and accuracy, for evaluating insulin sensitivity in horses and improved diagnostic techniques are required. This...
Johnson PJ, Wiedmeyer CE, LaCarrubba A, Ganjam VK, Messer NT.Analogous to the situation in human medicine, contemporary practices in horse management, which incorporate lengthy periods of physical inactivity coupled with provision of nutritional rations characterized by inappropriately high sugar and starch, have led to obesity being more commonly recognized by practitioners of equine veterinary practice. In many of these cases, obesity is associated with insulin resistance (IR) and glucose intolerance. An equine metabolic syndrome (MS) has been described that is similar to the human MS in that both IR and aspects of obesity represent cornerstones of it...
Van Weyenberg S, Hesta M, Buyse J, Janssens GP.In nine initially obese ponies, a weekly weight loss according to 1% of their ideal body weight was evaluated for its impact on insulin sensitivity and metabolic profile. Weight loss was obtained solely through energy restriction, initially at 70% of maintenance energy requirements, but to maintain constant weight loss, feed amount had to be decreased to 50% and 35% of maintenance energy requirement during the course of the trial. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed at weeks 0, 10 and 17. Fasted blood samples were taken on weeks 0, 3, 10, 17 for analysis of triglycerides (TG), ...
Jacob SI, Murray KJ, Rendahl AK, Geor RJ, Schultz NE, McCue ME.Metabolomics, the study of small-molecule metabolites, has increased understanding of human metabolic diseases, but has not been used to study equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Objective: (1) To examine the serum metabolome of Welsh Ponies with and without insulin dysregulation before and during an oral sugar test (OST). (2) To identify differences in metabolites in ponies with insulin dysregulation, obesity, or history of laminitis. Methods: Twenty Welsh Ponies (mean ± SD; 13.8 ± 9.0 years) classified as non-insulin dysregulated [CON] (n = 10, insulin 60 mU/L) at 75 minutes ...
Gehlen H, Schwarz B, Bartmann C, Gernhardt J, Stöckle SD.Appropriate medical care for donkeys is challenging despite being important working animals in non-industrialized countries and pets in first world countries. Although the same principles of diagnosis and therapy as in horses are commonly applied, there are differences in reference values and physiologic reaction to dynamic tests. However, donkeys seem to suffer from typical equine diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Asinine metabolic syndrome (AMS) comprises obesity, insulin dysregulation, and laminitis. The principles of diagnosis are simila...
McFarlane D.Despite there being only 2 common endocrine diseases in horses, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), diagnosis is still confusing. Failing to consider horse factors and treating based on laboratory results only have caused many animals to receive lifelong drug treatment unnecessarily. Increased plasma ACTH, baseline or TRH stimulated, supports a diagnosis of PPID; however, breed, age, thriftiness, illness, coat color, geography, diet, and season also affect ACTH concentration. Insulin dysregulation, the hallmark of EMS, can result from insulin resis...
Bourebaba L, Michalak I, Röcken M, Marycz K.Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key mediators of several cellular damage and thus associated with equine diseases such as inflammation and metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to evaluate the protective and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract prepared from Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) biomass, on equine adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (EqASCs), under experimental oxidative stress induced by HO. Pre-treatment of EqASCs cells with different concentrations of C. glomerata methanolic extract (1% and 5%) provided a clear protection against cellular damage triggered by HO. T...
Tadros EM, Frank N, Donnell RL.To test the hypothesis that inflammatory responses to endotoxemia differ between healthy horses and horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Animals-6 healthy horses and 6 horses with EMS. Methods: Each horse randomly received an IV infusion of lipopolysaccharide (20 ng/kg [in 60 mL of sterile saline {0.9% NaCl} solution]) or saline solution, followed by the other treatment after a 7-day washout period. Baseline data were obtained 30 minutes before each infusion. After infusion, a physical examination was performed hourly for 9 hours and at 15 and 21 hours; a whole blood sample was collect...
Selim S, Elo K, Jaakkola S, Karikoski N, Boston R, Reilas T, Särkijärvi S, Saastamoinen M, Kokkonen T.Obesity and insulin resistance have been shown to be risk factors for laminitis in horses. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of changes in body condition during the grazing season on insulin resistance and the expression of genes associated with obesity and insulin resistance in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Sixteen Finnhorse mares were grazing either on cultivated high-yielding pasture (CG) or semi-natural grassland (NG) from the end of May to the beginning of September. Body measurements, intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), and neck and tailhead SAT gene exp...
Argo CM, Dugdale AH, McGowan CM.The addition of hay soaking to current nutritional advice for weight loss management for equine obesity lacks clinical evidence. Twelve overweight/obese horses and ponies were used to test the hypothesis that feeding soaked hay at 1.25% of body mass (BM) daily as dry matter (DM) before soaking would elicit weight losses within the target 0.5-1.0% of BM weekly. Six animals were used to evaluate the impact of nutrient-leaching on the digestibility and daily intakes of dietary energy and nutrients. Soaked hay DM was corrected in accordance with the 'insoluble' ADF content of fresh and soaked hays...
Durham AE.Aging horses may be at particular risk of endocrine disease. Two major equine endocrinopathies, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction and equine metabolic syndrome, are commonly encountered in an aging population and may present with several recognizable signs, including laminitis. Investigation, treatment, and management of these diseases are discussed. Additionally, aging may be associated with development of rarer endocrinopathic problems, often associated with neoplasia, including diabetes mellitus and other confounders of glucose homeostasis, as well as thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal d...
Horn R, Bertin FR.The thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test and the 2-step insulin sensitivity test are commonly used methods to diagnose, respectively, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and insulin dysregulation (ID). Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of combining the TRH stimulation test and the 2-step insulin sensitivity test to diagnose PPID and ID simultaneously. Methods: Twenty-seven adult horses, 10 control horses without PPID or ID, 5 horses with PPID only, 5 horses with ID only, and 7 horses with PPID and ID. Methods: Randomized prospective study. Horses underwent...
Obesity has become a serious health problem with frequent occurrence both in human and animal populations. It is estimated that it may affect over 85% of the human population and 70-80% of horses and cows by 2030. Fat cow syndrome (FCS) is a combination of metabolic, digestive, infectious, and reproductive disorders that affects obese periparturient dairy cows, and occurs most frequently in loose-housing systems, where periparturient and dry cows are fed and managed in one group disregarding the lactation stages. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) was named after human metabolic syndrome (MetS) a...
Robles M, Gautier C, Mendoza L, Peugnet P, Dubois C, Dahirel M, Lejeune JP, Caudron I, Guenon I, Camous S, Tarrade A, Wimel L, Serteyn D....Pregnant mares and post-weaning foals are often fed concentrates rich in soluble carbohydrates, together with forage. Recent studies suggest that the use of concentrates is linked to alterations of metabolism and the development of osteochondrosis in foals. The aim of this study was to determine if broodmare diet during gestation affects metabolism, osteoarticular status and growth of yearlings overfed from 20 to 24 months of age and/or sexual maturity in prepubertal colts. Methods: Twenty-four saddlebred mares were fed forage only (n = 12, group F) or cracked barley and forage (n = 12, group ...
Marycz K, Michalak I, Kornicka K.Horses metabolic disorders have become an important problem of modern veterinary medicine. Pathological obesity, insulin resistance and predisposition toward laminitis are associated with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). Based on pathogenesis of EMS, dietary and cell therapy management may significantly reduce development of this disorder. Special attention has been paid to the diet supplementation with highly bioavailable minerals and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which increase insulin sensitivity. In nutrition, there is a great interests in natural algae enriched via biosorption process with...
Fitzgerald DM, Walsh DM, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC, de Laat MA.Supraphysiological insulin and incretin responses to a cereal-based diet have been described in horses and ponies with insulin dysregulation (ID). However, the hormonal responses to grazing have not yet been described. Objective: To determine if there is a difference in the insulin and incretin responses to grazing pasture between insulin-dysregulated and healthy ponies. Methods: A cohort of 16 ponies comprising 5 with normal insulin regulation (NIR), 6 with moderate ID (MID), and 5 with severe ID (SID). Methods: In this case-control study, an oral glucose test (OGT) was used to determine the ...
Becvarova I, Buechner-Maxwell V.The nutrition and nutritional status of the mare, as well as foal's nutrient intake from colostrum, milk and creep feed, are critical factors that are known to influence the growth period of the foal. Long-term effects of mare and foal nutrition are not well recognised or understood in the horse but may have the greatest impact on the animal's health and use when mature. Both under- and overfeeding can negatively influence important characteristics such as bone development and neurological function The risk of developing debilitating diseases such as metabolic syndrome may also be increased by...
Loos CMM, Dorsch SC, Elzinga SE, Brewster-Barnes T, Vanzant ES, Adams AA, Urschel KL.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is characterized by an abnormal insulin response to a glycemic challenge but despite the known insulinotropic effects of certain amino acids, there is a paucity of data evaluating the impact of dietary protein on insulin dynamics in these horses. The objective was therefore to assess insulin and amino acid responses following intake of a high protein meal in healthy horses and those with EMS. Six mature horses diagnosed with EMS and six age-matched control horses without EMS were used. Horses were fed 2g/kg body mass (BM) of a high protein pellet (31% crude prot...
Carslake HB, Argo CM, Pinchbeck GL, Dugdale AHA, McGowan CM.Reduction of the hyperinsulinaemic response to feeding is central to the management of insulin dysregulation (ID). The aim of this study was to compare insulinaemic and glycaemic responses to soaked hay, dry hay and haylage in ponies. Twelve ponies of mixed breeds were maintained under identical management conditions. A randomised four-way crossover trial was conducted, in which fasted animals were fed a meal of 0.25% body weight as dry matter intake soaked hay, dry hay or haylage, or administered an oral glucose test (OGT). Blood glucose and serum insulin concentrations were measured before a...
Funk RA, Wooldridge AA, Stewart AJ, Behrend EN, Kemppainen RJ, Zhong Q, Johnson AK.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is an increasingly recognized problem in adult horses. Affected horses are often obese and predisposed to the development of laminitis, especially in the spring and summer months. In addition, in the summer and fall months, increases in endogenous insulin concentrations, a marker of EMS, have been reported. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate seasonal changes in results of the combined glucose-insulin tolerance test (CGIT), a diagnostic test for EMS. Methods: Nine healthy, aged horses with no history of laminitis and no clinical signs of EMS. Me...
Geor RJ.Epidemiologic studies indicate that most laminitis cases occur in horses and ponies kept at pasture, hence the term 'pasture-associated laminitis'. Clinical cases of laminitis most often occur under conditions that favor accumulation of rapidly fermentable nonstructural carbohydrates (fructans, simple sugars, or starches) in pasture, and animals with an equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) phenotype (insulin resistance, abnormal insulin dynamics, +/- obesity) seem to be at highest risk for developing the condition. Although the mechanisms linking consumption of pasture forage with development of la...
