Prednisolone is a synthetic glucocorticoid used in horses for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. It is commonly administered to manage conditions such as allergic reactions, inflammatory diseases, and certain autoimmune disorders. Prednisolone mimics the action of cortisol, a naturally occurring hormone, by modulating the immune response and reducing inflammation. Its use must be carefully managed due to potential side effects, including alterations in glucose metabolism and suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the pharmacokinetics, therapeutic applications, and potential side effects of prednisolone in equine medicine.
Atai T, Ozmaie S, Anoushepour A.This research was performed to compare the effects of prednisolone and fluorometholone on intraocular pressure (IOP) and Schirmer tear test (STT) in the normal equine eye. Sixteen normal mares aged between 6 and 10 years were used for this study. Horses were randomly assigned to two groups. Eight horses in the first group received 0.2 mL of topical 1% prednisolone in one eye and the contralateral eye was used as control (0.2 mL of saline was instilled). The second group received 0.2 mL of 0.1% fluorometholone in a randomly selected eye and the contralateral eye served as control and received 0...
Jordan VJ, Ireland JL, Rendle DI.It is accepted among equine practitioners that glucocorticoid treatment is a risk factor for the development of laminitis. However, there is little published evidence of a link between glucocorticoids and laminitis. Objective: To determine whether horses receiving oral prednisolone are at increased risk of laminitis. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: Clinical records of horses registered with the ambulatory service at Liphook Equine Hospital between January 2001 and November 2014 were reviewed retrospectively to identify horses that had received treatment with oral prednisolo...
Hirsch G, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Beauchamp G, Lavoie JP.Neutrophils are generally considered less responsive to glucocorticoids compared to other inflammatory cells. The reported increase in human neutrophil survival mediated by these drugs partly supports this assertion. However, it was recently shown that dexamethasone exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects in equine peripheral blood neutrophils. Few comparative studies of glucocorticoid effects in neutrophils and other leukocytes have been reported and a relative insensitivity of neutrophils to these drugs could not be ruled out. Objective: We assessed glucocorticoid-responsiveness in equine an...
Couroucé-Malblanc A, Fortier G, Pronost S, Siliart B, Brachet G.This study was designed to compare the efficacy of oral prednisolone and intramuscular (IM) dexamethasone in heaves-affected horses with environmental control. A total of 16 horses, aged 8-20years, with heaves were included in the study. Complete examinations were performed on Day 0 (before treatment), Day 13 (after treatment) and Day 30. Clinical variables, arterial blood gases, mucus scoring and carina evaluation (during endoscopy), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytological analysis were all assessed. The horses were randomly assigned to receive either oral prednisolone (1mg/kg) or IM dex...
Gudmundsson G, Olafsson L, Nikulásson S, Jónsdóttir B.A young woman was admitted to Akranes Regional Hospital because of dyspnea, fatigue and fever. She was found to have bilateral pneumonia but etiology was not found. She was treated with antibiotics with good resolution and was discharged after eight days from the hospital. Four weeks later she noticed rapidly progressive dyspnea and was found to be hypoxemic, and to have restrictive spirometry and diffuse interstitial changes on chest radiography. Computerized tomography of the lungs showed diffuse ground glass changes. Transbronchial biopsies from the lungs showed numerous small granulomas. S...
Chen CL, Goldberg J, Gronwall RR.A radioimmunoassay was developed for prednisolone using IgG purified from rabbit antiserum. The assay was employed to determine the pharmacokinetics of prednisolone following intravenous administration of 450 mg of prednisolone sodium succinate (Solu Delta Cortef) to five adult Thoroughbred horses. The RIA had a sensitivity of 2 ng/ml and was relatively specific. It had cross-reactivity with 21-deoxycortisol (83.3%) cortisol (27.8%), 11-beta-hydroxyprogesterone (39.2%) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (50%). However, it did not cross-react with naturally occurring steroids (cholesterol, testosterone...
Templeton CB, Bottoms GD, Fessler JF, Ewert KM, Roesel OF, Johnson MA, Latshaw HS.Shock was induced in four groups of anesthetized ponies with an intravenous injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin [125 micrograms/kg]. Five minutes after endotoxin injection, the ponies were given no treatment (group A), flunixin meglumine (FM:1.1 mg/kg) (group B), dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) (group C), or prednisolone (10 mg/kg) (group D). Additionally, FM was given every 3 hours, and the steroids were given at 3, 9, and 24 hours following endotoxin. Hemodynamic measurements were made during the 4-hour anesthetic period. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of prostaglandins, blood che...
Toutain PL, Brandon RA, de Pomyers H, Alvinerie M, Baggot JD.Pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone and prednisolone were studied in 6 horses given dexamethasone alcohol (IV or IM) or dexamethasone 21-isonicotinate as a solution IV or IM (50 micrograms/kg of body weight), prednisolone 21-sodium succinate IV or IM (0.6 mg/kg of body weight), or prednisolone acetate IM (0.6 mg/kg of body weight). Plasma concentrations were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatographic method. After dexamethasone alcohol (IV) or dexamethasone 21-isonicotinate (IV), the half-life of elimination was similar (53 minutes) for both formulations. After dexamethasone (alc...
Houghton E, Dumasia MC, Wellby JK.Negative ion chemical ionization mass spectra of some corticosteroids have been obtained by direct syringe introduction on to the Finnigan moving belt high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer interface. Proprietary preparations based upon dexamethasone, betamethasone and prednisolone were administered to horses at therapeutic dose level. Urine samples were extracted, the extracts purified by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and the presence of the parent steroids in the eluates was confirmed by combined high-performance liquid chromatography negative ion chemical ionization mass s...
Carakostas MC, Moore WE, Smith JE, Johnson D.The functional capacity of the marrow granulocyte reserve (MGR) in 4 adult horses was studied, using 51Cr-labeled leukocytes. The mean increase in the peripheral granulocyte count following injections of etiocholanolone (0.3 mg/kg) was 870 granulocytes/mm3, and the mean increase following prednisolone administration (200 mg) was 5,880 granulocytes/mm3. Etiocholanolone failed to mobilize the MGR and decreased the rate of granulocyte egress from the blood. Prednisolone rapidly mobilized the MGR and markedly decreased the granulocyte specific activity during the first 3 hours after injection.
Hirsch G, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Beauchamp G, Lavoie JP.Neutrophils are generally considered less responsive to glucocorticoids compared to other inflammatory cells. The reported increase in human neutrophil survival mediated by these drugs partly supports this assertion. However, it was recently shown that dexamethasone exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects in equine peripheral blood neutrophils. Few comparative studies of glucocorticoid effects in neutrophils and other leukocytes have been reported and a relative insensitivity of neutrophils to these drugs could not be ruled out. Objective: We assessed glucocorticoid-responsiveness in equine an...
Toutain PL, Brandon RA, de Pomyers H, Alvinerie M, Baggot JD.Pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone and prednisolone were studied in 6 horses given dexamethasone alcohol (IV or IM) or dexamethasone 21-isonicotinate as a solution IV or IM (50 micrograms/kg of body weight), prednisolone 21-sodium succinate IV or IM (0.6 mg/kg of body weight), or prednisolone acetate IM (0.6 mg/kg of body weight). Plasma concentrations were determined using a high-performance liquid chromatographic method. After dexamethasone alcohol (IV) or dexamethasone 21-isonicotinate (IV), the half-life of elimination was similar (53 minutes) for both formulations. After dexamethasone (alc...
Couroucé-Malblanc A, Fortier G, Pronost S, Siliart B, Brachet G.This study was designed to compare the efficacy of oral prednisolone and intramuscular (IM) dexamethasone in heaves-affected horses with environmental control. A total of 16 horses, aged 8-20years, with heaves were included in the study. Complete examinations were performed on Day 0 (before treatment), Day 13 (after treatment) and Day 30. Clinical variables, arterial blood gases, mucus scoring and carina evaluation (during endoscopy), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytological analysis were all assessed. The horses were randomly assigned to receive either oral prednisolone (1mg/kg) or IM dex...
Jordan VJ, Ireland JL, Rendle DI.It is accepted among equine practitioners that glucocorticoid treatment is a risk factor for the development of laminitis. However, there is little published evidence of a link between glucocorticoids and laminitis. Objective: To determine whether horses receiving oral prednisolone are at increased risk of laminitis. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: Clinical records of horses registered with the ambulatory service at Liphook Equine Hospital between January 2001 and November 2014 were reviewed retrospectively to identify horses that had received treatment with oral prednisolo...
Carakostas MC, Moore WE, Smith JE, Johnson D.The functional capacity of the marrow granulocyte reserve (MGR) in 4 adult horses was studied, using 51Cr-labeled leukocytes. The mean increase in the peripheral granulocyte count following injections of etiocholanolone (0.3 mg/kg) was 870 granulocytes/mm3, and the mean increase following prednisolone administration (200 mg) was 5,880 granulocytes/mm3. Etiocholanolone failed to mobilize the MGR and decreased the rate of granulocyte egress from the blood. Prednisolone rapidly mobilized the MGR and markedly decreased the granulocyte specific activity during the first 3 hours after injection.
Templeton CB, Bottoms GD, Fessler JF, Ewert KM, Roesel OF, Johnson MA, Latshaw HS.Shock was induced in four groups of anesthetized ponies with an intravenous injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin [125 micrograms/kg]. Five minutes after endotoxin injection, the ponies were given no treatment (group A), flunixin meglumine (FM:1.1 mg/kg) (group B), dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) (group C), or prednisolone (10 mg/kg) (group D). Additionally, FM was given every 3 hours, and the steroids were given at 3, 9, and 24 hours following endotoxin. Hemodynamic measurements were made during the 4-hour anesthetic period. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of prostaglandins, blood che...
Chen CL, Goldberg J, Gronwall RR.A radioimmunoassay was developed for prednisolone using IgG purified from rabbit antiserum. The assay was employed to determine the pharmacokinetics of prednisolone following intravenous administration of 450 mg of prednisolone sodium succinate (Solu Delta Cortef) to five adult Thoroughbred horses. The RIA had a sensitivity of 2 ng/ml and was relatively specific. It had cross-reactivity with 21-deoxycortisol (83.3%) cortisol (27.8%), 11-beta-hydroxyprogesterone (39.2%) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (50%). However, it did not cross-react with naturally occurring steroids (cholesterol, testosterone...
Houghton E, Dumasia MC, Wellby JK.Negative ion chemical ionization mass spectra of some corticosteroids have been obtained by direct syringe introduction on to the Finnigan moving belt high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer interface. Proprietary preparations based upon dexamethasone, betamethasone and prednisolone were administered to horses at therapeutic dose level. Urine samples were extracted, the extracts purified by Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and the presence of the parent steroids in the eluates was confirmed by combined high-performance liquid chromatography negative ion chemical ionization mass s...
Gudmundsson G, Olafsson L, Nikulásson S, Jónsdóttir B.A young woman was admitted to Akranes Regional Hospital because of dyspnea, fatigue and fever. She was found to have bilateral pneumonia but etiology was not found. She was treated with antibiotics with good resolution and was discharged after eight days from the hospital. Four weeks later she noticed rapidly progressive dyspnea and was found to be hypoxemic, and to have restrictive spirometry and diffuse interstitial changes on chest radiography. Computerized tomography of the lungs showed diffuse ground glass changes. Transbronchial biopsies from the lungs showed numerous small granulomas. S...
Atai T, Ozmaie S, Anoushepour A.This research was performed to compare the effects of prednisolone and fluorometholone on intraocular pressure (IOP) and Schirmer tear test (STT) in the normal equine eye. Sixteen normal mares aged between 6 and 10 years were used for this study. Horses were randomly assigned to two groups. Eight horses in the first group received 0.2 mL of topical 1% prednisolone in one eye and the contralateral eye was used as control (0.2 mL of saline was instilled). The second group received 0.2 mL of 0.1% fluorometholone in a randomly selected eye and the contralateral eye served as control and received 0...
