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Topic:Metabolic Health
Metabolic health in horses refers to the physiological processes that manage energy production, utilization, and storage in equine bodies. These processes are critical for maintaining overall health, performance, and well-being. Metabolic health encompasses various aspects, including glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and lipid regulation. Conditions such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and insulin dysregulation are common metabolic disorders that affect horses, impacting their ability to process and store energy efficiently. This topic compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies related to metabolic health in horses.
Determination of physiological dead space in anaesthetized horses: a method-comparison study. To compare two methods of Bohr-Enghoff physiological dead space to tidal volume ratio (Vd/Vt) determination using a mixing chamber and an E-CAiOVX metabolic monitor. Methods: Prospective, clinical, method-comparison study. Methods: Twenty horses anaesthetized for elective orthopaedic procedures. Methods: Horses were anaesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen and the lungs were mechanically ventilated (Vt 15±2 mL kg). Arterial blood was sampled to provide arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO) for dead space calculation using a metabolic monitor. Mixed expired partial pressure of ca...
Cardiovascular findings in ponies with equine metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVE To determine whether hypertension, high sympathetic tone, resting and exercising arrhythmias, and echocardiographic changes consistent with hypertensive cardiomyopathy were associated with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) in ponies. DESIGN Prospective case-control study. ANIMALS 19 privately owned ponies with a diagnosis of EMS (history of laminitis, body condition score ≥ 7/9, cresty neck score ≥ 3/5, and abnormal oral sugar test result; cases) and 20 healthy control ponies. PROCEDURES Heart rate (HR), noninvasively measured arterial blood pressure (BP), markers of autonomic tone...
Genomewide association study reveals a risk locus for equine metabolic syndrome in the Arabian horse. 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...
EQUIFAT: A novel scoring system for the semi-quantitative evaluation of regional adipose tissues in Equidae. Anatomically distinct adipose tissues represent variable risks to metabolic health in man and some other mammals. Quantitative-imaging of internal adipose depots is problematic in large animals and associations between regional adiposity and health are poorly understood. This study aimed to develop and test a semi-quantitative system (EQUIFAT) which could be applied to regional adipose tissues. Anatomically-defined, photographic images of adipose depots (omental, mesenteric, epicardial, rump) were collected from 38 animals immediately post-mortem. Images were ranked and depot-specific descript...
Lamellar events related to insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signalling in two models relevant to endocrinopathic laminitis. 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...
Veterinary problems of endurance horses in England and Wales. Several studies have shown that a considerable proportion of horses are eliminated from endurance rides due to lameness and metabolic problems. Limited information is available on specific veterinary issues in endurance horses and there are no descriptive data on veterinary problems in a large population of endurance horses. The aim of this study was to describe veterinary problems occurring in endurance horses in England and Wales, the regions of the United Kingdom where endurance rides are organised and regulated by Endurance Great Britain (Endurance GB). A comprehensive online self-complete...
Understanding the response to endurance exercise using a systems biology approach: combining blood metabolomics, transcriptomics and miRNomics in horses. Endurance exercise in horses requires adaptive processes involving physiological, biochemical, and cognitive-behavioral responses in an attempt to regain homeostasis. We hypothesized that the identification of the relationships between blood metabolome, transcriptome, and miRNome during endurance exercise in horses could provide significant insights into the molecular response to endurance exercise. For this reason, the serum metabolome and whole-blood transcriptome and miRNome data were obtained from ten horses before and after a 160Â km endurance competition. We obtained a global regulatory ...
Therapeutics for Equine Endocrine Disorders. Equine endocrine disease is commonly encountered by equine practitioners. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) predominate. The most logical therapeutic approach in PPID uses dopamine agonists; pergolide mesylate is the most common. Bromocryptine and cabergoline are alternative drugs with similar actions. Drugs from other classes have a poor evidence basis, although cyproheptadine and trilostane might be considered. EMS requires management changes as the primary approach; reasonable justification for use of drugs such as levothyroxine and metformin m...
Metabolic and inflammatory responses to the common sweetener stevioside and a glycemic challenge in horses with equine metabolic syndrome. Extracts derived from the leaves of the stevia plant (stevioside) are commonly used as sweeteners for humans and horses. Stevioside appears to be safe for human consumption, including for individuals with insulin dysregulation. In the horse, the safety or metabolic effects of stevioside on normal animals or on those with metabolic dysfunction are unknown. Furthermore, the inflammatory response to a glycemic challenge or to stevioside in horses is not well defined. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure the effects of stevioside and a glycemic challenge on insulin, glucose, and i...
Evaluation of a Chemiluminescent Immunoassay for Measurement of Equine Insulin. Many diagnostic tests for insulin dysregulation use reference intervals established with an insulin radioimmunoassay (RIA) that is no longer available. A chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) is commonly used for the measurement of serum insulin concentration in clinical practice but requires further validation, especially at clinically relevant reference intervals. Objective: To evaluate the CLIA for measurement of equine insulin and compare it to the previously validated, but now unavailable RIA. Methods: Equine serum samples (n = 78) from clinical and experimental studies. Methods: In this ex...
Cross Validation of HS-GC/MS to Quantify Total Carbon Dioxide in Horse Plasma. The use of alkinizing agents by trainers to counteract the accumulation of lactic acid in racehorses has been well documented. A by-product of this administration is elevated total carbon dioxide (tCO2) concentrations. Most regulatory authorities have set the threshold for tCO2 in plasma at 37 mM. The quantification of tCO2 often presents a challenge to laboratories due to the instrumentation required, which can be expensive to use and maintain. The Beckman DxC 600 (Brea, CA) is currently used in our laboratory for tCO2 quantification. The goal of this research was to determine if another anal...
Effect of Dexamethasone on Resting Blood Lactate Concentrations in Horses. Blood lactate concentration is a marker of tissue perfusion and helps guide therapeutic interventions in critically ill horses. In both humans and dogs, administration of corticosteroids can increase blood lactate concentration, leading to type B hyperlactatemia. This effect could be a consequence of the impact of corticosteroids on glucose metabolism. Objective: To investigate the effects of daily IM dexamethasone administration on blood lactate and glucose concentrations in horses. Methods: Nine healthy adult horses. Methods: A randomized, blinded, controlled, cross-over study design was use...
Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis (DSLD) in Peruvian Paso Horses Is Characterized by Altered Expression of TGFβ Signaling Components in Adipose-Derived Stromal Fibroblasts. Equine degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD) in Peruvian Paso horses typically presents at 7-15 years and is characterized by lameness, focal disorganization of collagen fibrils, and chondroid deposition in the body of the ligament. With the aim of developing a test for disease risk (that can be used to screen horses before breeding) we have quantified the expression of 76 TGFβ-signaling target genes in adipose-derived stromal fibroblasts (ADSCs) from six DSLD-affected and five unaffected Paso horses. Remarkably, 35 of the genes showed lower expression (p<0.05) in cells from DSL...
Plasma insulin concentration increases linearly with body condition in Icelandic horses. This study investigated the variation in plasma insulin concentration (PIC) in a group of Icelandic horses in training, considered to be healthy and examined possible relationships between PIC and gender, age, body size, body condition score and management factors such as feed allowance and subjective level of fitness. Results: Plasma insulin concentration ranged from 0.2 to 13.9Â mU/l, body condition score from 2.3 to 4.0 and concentrate allowance from 0 to 4Â kg. There was a significant effect of concentrate allowance (PÂ =Â 0.0007) and body condition score (PÂ =Â 0.004) on PIC. For every 1Â...
Modulating effects of exercise training regimen on skeletal muscle properties in female polo ponies. The match play patterns in equestrian polo are unique and require specific training programs to ensure sport performance. The effect of commonly used exercise training regimens on the adaptation of skeletal muscle is unclear. The present study investigated the modulating effects of the classic training regimen, comprised of aerobic exercise training with increasing exercise intensities and varying duration combined with match play, on the properties of muscle in polo ponies. Nine healthy adult female polo ponies were subjected to four consecutive subsets of 1 year classic training regimen incl...
Body condition score, morphometric measurements and estimation of body weight in mature Icelandic horses in Denmark. Obesity is related to the development of several diseases like insulin resistance and laminitis in horses. The prevalence of obesity among mature Icelandic horses in Denmark has not been investigated previously. This study aimed to find the prevalence of obesity, to compare body condition score (BCS) based on owner perception with that of an experienced person and to correlate the BCS to body weight (BW) and morphometric measures in a group of mature Icelandic horses in Denmark. A total of 254 Icelandic horses (≥4 years; 140 geldings, 105 mares, 9 stallions) from 46 different farms were inc...
Glycaemic and insulinemic response to dietary carbohydrates in horses. Dietary sugar and starch affect plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. Little information is available about the effect of dietary fibre on plasma glucose and insulin concentration. It is hypothesized that different dietary fibre compositions will alter post-prandial glycaemic- and insulinemic index of test meals. The objective was to measure postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations in horses fed meals of different fibre compositions. Methods: Blood was drawn via jugular vein puncture and the glycaemic and insulinemic index were calculated. Results: The meal effect on glycaemic and ...
Blood pressure in Warmblood horses before and during a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. Insulin resistance (IR) in humans is related to hypertension and impaired vasodilation. Insulin administration has been shown to lower blood pressure both in insulin resistant as well as in insulin sensitive individuals. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between insulin sensitivity and alterations in blood pressure in healthy horses before and after a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC). A 3-h EHC was performed in 13 healthy horses (11 mares, 2 geldings). Blood samples for measurement of plasma glucose and insulin were collected before the start of the EHC, every 10Â ...
A modified oral sugar test for evaluation of insulin and glucose dynamics in horses. An oral sugar test (OST) using Karo® Light Corn Syrup has been developed in the USA as a field test for the assessment of insulin dysregulation in horses but the syrup is not available in Scandinavian grocery stores. The aim of the study was to compare the results of a modified OST between horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and healthy horses using a Scandinavian commercially available glucose syrup (Dansukker glykossirap). In addition, the effect of breed and the repeatability of the test were evaluated. In the present study, clinically healthy horses (7 Shetland ponies, 8 Icelandic...
Photoacoustic calorimetry studies of CO photo-dissociation from chloramine-T modified horse heart cytochrome-c. Treatment of horse heart Cytochrome-c (Cc) with N-chloro-4-toluosulfonamide (Chloramine-t, CT) results in the oxidation of methionine (Met) residues to the corresponding sulfoxide including the distal heme ligand, Met80. The resulting Fe-sulfoxide coordination is sufficiently labile in the ferrous form to be displaced by gaseous ligands, including CO. Photolysis of the CO-CT-Cc complex provides an opportunity to examine ligand binding dynamics that are associated with a relatively rigid distal heme pocket. In this work, photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC) was utilized to obtain the kinetics as wel...
Vascular Dysfunction in Horses with Endocrinopathic Laminitis. 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...
Sustained, Low-Intensity Exercise Achieved by a Dynamic Feeding System Decreases Body Fat in Ponies. Obesity in horses is increasing in prevalence and can be associated with insulin insensitivity and laminitis. Current treatment strategies for obesity include dietary restriction and exercise. However, whether exercise alone is effective for decreasing body fat is uncertain. Objective: Our hypothesis was that twice daily use of a dynamic feeding system for 3 months would induce sustained, low-intensity exercise thereby decreasing adiposity and improving insulin sensitivity (SI). Methods: Eight, university-owned, mixed-breed, adult ponies with body condition scores (BCS) ≥5/9 were used. Metho...
Equine metabolic syndrome impairs adipose stem cells osteogenic differentiation by predominance of autophagy over selective mitophagy. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) hold great promise in the treatment of many disorders including musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular and/or endocrine diseases. However, the cytophysiological condition of cells, used for engraftment seems to be fundamental factor that might determine the effectiveness of clinical therapy. In this study we investigated growth kinetics, senescence, accumulation of oxidative stress factors, mitochondrial biogenesis, autophagy and osteogenic differentiation potential of ASC isolated from horses suffered from equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). We demons...
Comparison of three different methods for the quantification of equine insulin. Exact analysis of equine insulin in blood samples is the key element for assessing insulin resistance or insulin dysregulation in horses. However, previous studies indicated marked differences in insulin concentrations obtained from sample analyses with different immunoassays. Most assays used in veterinary medicine are originally designed for use in human diagnostics and are based on antibodies directed against human insulin, although amino acid sequences between equine and human insulin differ. Species-specific assays are being used more frequently and seem to provide advantages compared to ...
Use of the oral sugar test in ponies when performed with or without prior fasting. It is recommended that the oral sugar test (OST) for insulin dysregulation (ID) be performed after an overnight fast, but fasting is impractical in ponies kept solely at pasture. There are few data on OST repeatability and reliability in ponies. Objective: To report 1) whether OST results obtained in the morning after an overnight fast or without fasting in the afternoon (FASTING/FED) can be used interchangeably, 2) time of highest insulin concentration T [insulin], repeatability and reliability of insulin response to the OST when FASTING or FED and 3) dichotomous agreement (ID/normal) within ...
A highly prevalent equine glycogen storage disease is explained by constitutive activation of a mutant glycogen synthase. Equine type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1) is associated with a missense mutation (R309H) in the glycogen synthase (GYS1) gene, enhanced glycogen synthase (GS) activity and excessive glycogen and amylopectate inclusions in muscle. Equine muscle biochemical and recombinant enzyme kinetic assays in vitro and homology modelling in silico, were used to investigate the hypothesis that higher GS activity in affected horse muscle is caused by higher GS expression, dysregulation, or constitutive activation via a conformational change. PSSM1-affected horse muscle had significantly higher gly...
Clinical, histopathological and metabolic responses following exercise in Arabian horses with a history of exertional rhabdomyolysis. A previous report suggests a substantial incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) in Arabian horses performing endurance racing. This study compared formalin histopathology and clinical and metabolic responses to a standardised field exercise test (SET) between Arabians with and without ER. Arabian horses with (n = 10; age 15.4 ± 5.6 years) and without (n = 9; 12.9 ± 6.1 years) prior ER were stall-rested for 24-48 h, after which paired ER and control horses were fitted with a telemetric ECG and performed a 47 min submaximal SET. Plasma glucose, lactate, electrolyte and...
Validation of the Accutrend Plus point-of-care triglyceride analyzer in horses, ponies, and donkeys. To assess the accuracy and reliability of a point-of-care (POC) triglyceride analyzer and to establish reference intervals for blood ([TRIG]POC/WB ) and plasma triglyceride concentrations ([TRIG]POC/PL ) in horses, ponies, and donkeys. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: University teaching hospital. Methods: 120 adult healthy equids (78 horses and ponies, 42 donkeys) and 79 equids suffering from hypertriglyceridemia (73 horses and ponies, 6 donkeys). Methods: None. Results: [TRIG]POC/WB and [TRIG]POC/PL were measured using a POC analyzer and plasma triglyceride concentrations were measured u...
The Effect of Fasting Duration on Baseline Blood Glucose Concentration, Blood Insulin Concentration, Glucose/Insulin Ratio, Oral Sugar Test, and Insulin Response Test Results in Horses. Published descriptions of the oral sugar test (OST) and insulin response test (IRT) have been inconsistent when specifying the protocol for fasting horses before testing. The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of fasting duration on blood glucose concentration, blood insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, OST, and IRT results in horses. Methods: Ten healthy adult horses. Methods: Both OST and IRT were performed on horses without fasting and after fasting for 3, 6, and 12 hours. Thus, 8 tests were performed per horse in a randomized order. Blood collected at the initial time ...
