Topic:Pharmacology
Pharmacology in horses involves the study and application of drugs and medications to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases and conditions in equine species. This field encompasses the understanding of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics specific to horses, including how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the equine body. Commonly studied pharmacological agents in horses include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antibiotics, sedatives, and anthelmintics. Research in equine pharmacology focuses on determining appropriate dosages, understanding drug interactions, and minimizing adverse effects. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the efficacy, safety, and regulatory aspects of pharmacological interventions in equine veterinary practice.
Effects of pharmacological agents on gastrointestinal motility. The control mechanisms of gastrointestinal motility are complex. Extrinsic neurohormonal effects modulate an intrinsic system, often called the "gut brain," composed of nervous and neuropeptide components. To exert pharmacologic influence on GI motility, use is made of agents that mimic the external control system. Agents that stimulate opioid receptors, block adrenoceptors, block or facilitate acetylcholine action, or antagonize the action of prostaglandins are used to effect changes in GI motility. The major indications for pharmacologic intervention are to increase motility in constipation,...
Effects of butorphanol tartrate on arterial pressure, jejunal blood flow, vascular resistance, O2 extraction, and O2 uptake in halothane-anesthetized ponies. The effects of butorphanol tartrate on arterial pressure, jejunal blood flow, vascular resistance, oxygen extraction, and oxygen uptake were determined in 10 anesthetized ponies ventilated with a mixture of halothane and 100% oxygen, using isolated autoperfused jejunal segments. Physiologic saline solution or butorphanol tartrate (0.2 mg/kg of body weight) was administered as a single bolus into the left jugular vein. By 2 minutes, butorphanol decreased arterial blood pressure and intestinal blood flow, and increased intestinal oxygen extraction. However, intestinal vascular resistance and oxy...
Clinical use of the neuromuscular blocking agents atracurium and pancuronium for equine anesthesia. Neuromuscular blocking agents (muscle relaxants) are useful and common adjuncts to general anesthesia for human beings, but have not been used extensively during anesthesia of large animal species. Over a 3-year period, atracurium or pancuronium were used as adjuncts to general anesthesia for 89 anesthetic procedures in 88 equids (of 18 breeds and age ranging in age from 5 weeks to 25 years) at the teaching hospital. Forty-one of the anesthetic procedures were for abdominal surgery, and orthopedic (n = 19), ophthalmologic (n = 17), thoracotomy (n = 1), and soft tissue (n = 14) procedures compo...
Evaluation of the effects of intra-articular injection of dimethylsulfoxide on normal equine articular tissues. To evaluate the effects of intra-articular injection of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on normal equine articular structures, 7 adult horses with clinically normal carpi were allotted to 2 treatment groups (group A, n = 4; group B, n = 3). In each horse after collection of synovial fluid samples, the right antebrachial carpal and middle carpal joints were aseptically injected with 2 ml of a 40% solution of 90% medical grade DMSO in lactated Ringer solution, and the corresponding joints of the left forelimb (controls) were injected with 2 ml of lactated Ringer solution. In group-A horses, 2 ml of syn...
Functional and ligand binding studies suggest heterogeneity of platelet prostacyclin receptors. 1. This study describes attempts to compare prostacyclin (IP-) receptors in human, pig, horse, rabbit and rat platelets and in circular muscle of human, rabbit and dog mesenteric and pig gastroepiploic arteries. Three stable prostacyclin analogues, iloprost, cicaprost and 6a-carba-prostacyclin (6a-carba-PGI2) and a prostaglandin endoperoxide analogue EP 157 (previously shown to mimic prostacyclin on human platelets) were used. 2. Our main conclusion is that prostacyclin receptors on human, pig and horse platelets are similar in nature, but distinct from those on rabbit and rat platelets. Funct...
Effects of dopamine administration on cecal mechanical activity and cecal blood flow in conscious healthy horses. Lateral cecal arterial blood flow, carotid arterial pressure, heart rate, and mechanical activity of the circular and longitudinal muscle layers of the cecal body were measured in 7 conscious healthy horses during IV infusion of physiologic saline solution for 60 minutes (control), during a 60-minute IV infusion of dopamine (at dosages of 1, 2.5, and 5 micrograms/kg/min), and for 60 minutes after IV infusion of dopamine. The mean values for lateral cecal arterial blood flow during IV infusion of dopamine at a dosage of either 1 or 2.5 micrograms/kg/min were not significantly different from the...
GC/MS confirmatory method for etorphine in horse urine. A highly sensitive procedure for GC/MS determination of etorphine in horse urine is described. This assay provides both specificity and reliability and is particularly well suited for the confirmation of radioimmunoassay screening procedures usually used for etorphine. After solvent extraction and purifications, the etorphine is characterized as a pentafluoroacetic derivative (PFAA) by using mass fragmentography. The detection limit is 0.1 ng/mL in urine; the coefficient of variation of the estimations is 10.9%. The procedure has been validated after on-field administration of 5 to 90 microgra...
Effects of xylazine and/or butorphanol or neostigmine on myoelectric activity of the cecum and right ventral colon in female ponies. Effects of xylazine HCl (0.5 mg/kg of body weight, IV) and/or butorphanol tartrate (0.04 mg/kg, IV) or neostigmine methylsulfate (0.022 mg/kg, IV) on myoelectric activity of the cecum and right ventral colon were studied in 4 conscious female ponies. Eight bipolar Ag/AgCl electrodes were sequentially placed on the seromuscular layer of the cecum (6 electrodes) and right ventral colon (2 electrodes). Recordings began 30 minutes before and continued for 90 minutes after drug administration. Each drug or drug combination was studied on 2 occasions in each pony. Two major patterns of coordinated s...
The role of cyclooxygenase products in the acute airway obstruction and airway hyperreactivity of ponies with heaves. Airway obstruction and hyperreactivity are characteristics of human asthma and of "heaves," a naturally occurring respiratory disorder of horses and ponies. To document the role of cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism in the pathogenesis of heaves, we measured plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid concentrations of metabolites of thromboxane (TX)A2 and prostaglandins (PG) I2 and D2 in five affected ponies and their age- and gender-matched controls prior to and during acute airway obstruction precipitated by housing the ponies in a barn and exposing them to hay dust. P...
Efficacy of ivermectin in oral drench and paste formulation against migrating larvae of experimentally inoculated Parascaris equorum. Twenty-one mixed-breed pony foals, reared and maintained under parasite-free conditions, were used to test the efficacy of ivermectin in oral drench and paste formulations (200 micrograms/kg) against 11-day-old migrating larvae of Parascaris equorum. Three replicates of 4 foals and 3 replicates of 3 foals were formed on the basis of age. Foals in replicates of 4 were randomly allocated to be indicators, or to receive vehicle (control) or ivermectin paste or ivermectin liquid. Foals in replicates of 3 were randomly allocated to receive vehicle or ivermectin paste or ivermectin liquid. The recov...
The lipoxygenase pathway and chemiluminescence in horse eosinophilic leukocytes. It was shown in several cell types that the dual lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase inhibitor eicosatetraynoic acid but not the cyclooxygenase inhibitor acetylsalicylic acid suppressed luminol-dependent chemiluminescence. Since lipoxygenase is known to generate chemiluminescence in vitro, these observations were interpreted as evidence for a direct contribution of the lipoxygenase pathway to light emission in intact cells. We have investigated a possible contribution of the lipoxygenase to the chemiluminescence of horse eosinophils by directly comparing the formation of the byproduct chemilumines...
Equine peritoneal macrophage production of thromboxane and prostacyclin in response to platelet activating factor and its receptor antagonist SRI 63-441. The formation of eicosanoids may be a primary route through which platelet activating factor (PAF) exerts its effects during endotoxemia. Since endotoxemia is a common cause of death in horses, a study was conducted to determine whether PAF could stimulate equine macrophage release of thromboxane A2 (TxA2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) and whether a PAF-receptor antagonist would alter macrophage eicosanoid synthesis. Equine peritoneal macrophages were cultured from clinically normal horses and exposed to various concentrations of PAF, the PAF-receptor antagonist SRI 63-441, endotoxin, or a combinati...
The effects of slow infusion of a low dosage of endotoxin in healthy horses. The effects of slow intravenous (i.v.) infusion of a very low dosage of endotoxin (a cumulative dosage of 0.03 microgram/kg bodyweight [bwt] infused over 60 mins) were evaluated in six conscious healthy horses. Duodenal, right ventral colon, and caecal contractions were detected with strain gauge force transducers. Lateral caecal arterial blood flow was measured using transit time ultrasonic blood flow probes. Duodenal contractile activity was not significantly altered by infusion of endotoxin. In contrast, the contractile activity of the right ventral colon 90 and 270 mins after infusion of e...
In-vitro plasma protein binding of propafenone and protein profile in eight mammalian species. The protein binding of propafenone in vitro was assessed in plasma of mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, sheep, man, cow, and horse at two concentration levels. In all species and at both concentrations propafenone was found highly bound (86-99%) to plasma proteins. No significant relationship was found between free propafenone and the plasma protein fractions. A concentration-dependency was seen in plasma of mouse, sheep, man, and horse, in which the free fraction of propafenone became larger on raising the concentration. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed in the protein plasma prof...
Serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and response to angiotensin I in horses. The activity of serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) for healthy horses was 64 +/- 13 mUnits/ml. In vitro, equine serum ACE was sensitive to the following inhibitors (IC50): enalapril (570 nM or 215 ng/ml), captopril (190 nM or 41.3 ng/ml), and enalaprilat (6 nM or 2.1 ng/ml). The intravenous (i.v.) administration of angiotensin I to six healthy horses produced a dose proportional pressor response. The maximal increase in mean arterial pressure over baseline values was 65.6 mmHg at angiotensin I doses of 500 ng/kg bodyweight (bwt). The attenuation of this response to angiotensin I was fur...
Critical and controlled tests of activity of a macrocyclic lactone (compound F28249-alpha) against natural infections in internal parasites of equids. Thirteen critical tests (n = 11 horses and 2 ponies) and 4 controlled tests (n = 4 donkeys and 6 horses) were performed to evaluate the activity of the experimental macrocyclic lactone compound F28249-alpha against internal parasites of equids. In the critical tests, activity was determined mainly against the large parasites, but 1 critical test also included benzimidazole-resistant small strongyles. In the controlled tests, evaluation of drug activity included large parasites and stomach worms in all 4 tests, and lungworms in 2 tests. The period between treatment and euthanasia was 6 to 9 day...
A study of the effect of isoflurane anaesthesia on equine skeletal muscle perfusion. The effects of 1.1, 1.5 and 1.8 MAC (minimum alveolar concentration) isoflurane-02 anaesthesia on skeletal muscle blood flow, 02 delivery and vascular resistance were studied in the non-dependent region of seven healthy normothermic, isocapnoeic ponies. Muscle blood flow was determined with 15 microns diameter radionuclide labelled microspheres that were injected into the left ventricle. Muscle blood flow during anaesthesia was compared to unanaesthetised (control) measurements. Isoflurane administration caused a dose dependent decrease in mean aortic pressure, and skeletal muscle (temporalis,...
Comparison of detomidine, butorphanol, flunixin meglumine and xylazine in clinical cases of equine colic. Detomidine hydrochloride, butorphanol tartrate, flunixin meglumine and xylazine hydrochloride were evaluated in a blind multi-centre clinical trial in 152 horses with abdominal pain. The drugs were administered as follows: detomidine 20 or 40 micrograms/kg bodyweight (bwt); butorphanol 0.1 mg/kg bwt; flunixin meglumine 1.0 mg/kg bwt; xylazine hydrochloride 0.5 mg/kg bwt. Each centre compared responses to the two doses of detomidine with those to one of the other analgesics. The drugs were administered intravenously (i.v.) after clinical assessment of the degree of sweating, kicking, pawing, he...
Cisapride in the prophylaxis of equine post operative ileus. Cisapride and domperidone were both effective in restoring electrical and mechanical activity, coordination between gastric and small intestinal activity cycles and the stomach to anus transit time in three ponies in which post operative ileus was induced experimentally. Cisapride (0.1 mg/kg bodyweight intramuscularly) for three to eight doses prevented idiopathic post operative ileus in 22 clinical cases requiring colic surgery. The only side effects after cisapride were increased bowel sounds and slight, transient sounds of discomfort. No adverse side effects were seen in 16 cases following ...
Renal effects of dopamine infusion in conscious horses. An ultrasonic flow probe was implanted around a branch of the left renal artery in five horses. The effects of dopamine were studied in the unsedated horses 10 days after surgery. Three experiments, separated by at least two days, were performed in random order on each horse. In two experiments, dopamine was infused intravenously for 60 mins at either 2.5 and 5.0 micrograms/kg bodyweight (bwt)/min. Saline was infused for 60 mins before and after each infusion, and for 180 mins in the third experiment as a control. Renal blood flow increased during administration of dopamine at both dose rates ...
Field trial evaluation of detomidine as a sedative and analgesic in horses with colic. In this uncontrolled clinical study 12 investigators cooperated to evaluate the analgesic and sedative effect of detomidine (DORMOSEDAN; Farmos Group Ltd; Finland) in 234 horses with abdominal pain caused by colic. The study was designed to use each animal as its own control and to evaluate its response to the drug over a 60 min period. Detomidine was given intravenously (i.v.) once in 169 cases (167 horses, 1 mule, 1 donkey) at a dose of 20 micrograms/kg bodyweight (bwt), and to 65 horses at 40 micrograms/kg bwt. The higher dose was used predominantly in horses with severe pain which were mor...
Effect of butorphanol on equine antroduodenal motility. Six healthy six to eight-month-old horses were surgically prepared with Ag bipolar electrodes sutured to the gastric antrum and duodenum. Leads from the electrodes were exteriorised through a stab incision in the flank. During experimental sessions the horses were lightly restrained in stocks and electrode leads were connected to a physiograph to record antroduodenal myoelectrical activity. Intravenous (i.v.) injection of 0.05 mg/kg bodyweight (bwt) of the opioid agonist/antagonist, butorphanol was followed within 2 to 3 mins by a normal appearing period of repetitive spike activity, or phase ...
Effect of xylazine treatment on equine proximal gastrointestinal tract myoelectrical activity. Five 5 to 6 month old horses were surgically prepared with silver electrodes sutured to the serosa of gastric antrum, duodenum and proximal portions of the jejunum. Normal migrating motility complex (MMC) periodicity was determined during daytime hours in horses that were fed and horses from which food was withheld for 24 hours. Periodicity was defined as time span from the end of one period of regular spike activity (RSA) to the end of the next RSA in the MMC. The periodicity was 120.5 +/- 9.5 (SEM) minutes in horses from which food was withheld, and was 125.7 +/- 20.3 minutes in horses fed h...
Antagonism of endotoxin-induced disruption of equine bowel motility by flunixin and phenylbutazone. Post operative ileus is a serious complication of abdominal surgery in horses and there is evidence that endotoxin plays a significant role in its pathogenesis. Pre-treatment with intravenous (i.v.) flunixin (1.1 mg/kg bodyweight [bwt]) or phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg bwt) significantly antagonised the acute disruption of gastric, small intestinal and large intestinal motility induced by 0.1 microgram/kg bwt i.v. endotoxin in ponies implanted with gastrointestinal strain gauges. Phenylbutazone was more effective than flunixin and this was significant (P < 0.01) for the stomach and left dorsal col...
Effects of phenylbutazone on glucose tolerance and on secretion of insulin in healthy geldings. The effect of phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg of body weight, IV, q 24 h, for 5 days) on glucose tolerance and on secretion of insulin in 6 healthy geldings was determined. Phenylbutazone significantly lowered fasting concentrations of glucose in plasma but did not significantly change the concentration of insulin in serum. There was no significant effect of phenylbutazone on glucose tolerance, on secretion of insulin, or on the area under the insulin/glucose ratio vs time curve in healthy geldings, as determined by paired t test analysis.
Effect of repeated oxfendazole treatments on small strongyle infections in Shetland ponies. Overwintering of horse cyathostomes as inhibited third stage larvae (L3) and the effect of repeated oxfendazole (OFZ) treatment on strongyle infections were studied in an experiment with two groups of three Shetland ponies. Both groups were grazed together from May 28 to November 11, 1986 and subsequently housed. Treatments with 10 mg OFZ kg-1 were given on May 26, July 1 and July 28 and again one week before each group was necropsied in December and April, respectively. Worm populations of both groups were dominated by inhibited early L3. The proportion of fourth stage larvae (L4) was signifi...
Evaluations of buparvaquone as a treatment for equine babesiosis (Babesia equi). We evaluated the efficacy of buparvaquone in eliminating Babesia equi of European origin in carrier horses and in experimentally infected splenectomized ponies. When administered at the rate of 2.5 mg/kg of body weight, IM, 4 times at 96-hour intervals, buparvaquone was effective in eliminating B equi carrier infection in 1 horse. Such results could not be repeated at the same dosage or at 3.5 or 5 mg/kg, IM. Buparvaquone given at the rate of 4 to 6 mg/kg IV and/or IM was therapeutically effective in 4 of 5 acute B equi infections in splenectomized ponies. The treated ponies became carriers.
Comparison of bronchodilators in alleviating clinical signs in horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A representative of each of 3 types of bronchodilators was given iv to horses with clinical signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We used atropine (0.01 mg/kg of body weight) as an anticholinergic, isoproterenol HCl as a beta-adrenergic, and aminophylline, the soluble salt of theophylline, as a methylxanthine. Response to these drugs was evaluated by measuring maximal change in intrathoracic pressures (delta Ppl) and observing clinical signs. Atropine caused a significant (P less than 0.01) reduction in delta Ppl, compared with that caused by aminophylline. Atropine caused the delta ...