A pilot study comparing the effect of orally administered esomeprazole and omeprazole on gastric fluid pH in horses.

This research sought to discover if an orally administered paste of esomeprazole or omeprazole was more effective at increasing gastric pH levels in horses, with results showing both drugs are equally effective.

Research Design and Methods

• The study incorporated a randomized controlled design involving nine Standardbred adult horses.
• The horses were sorted into three groups, with each group having three members. The study was conducted over three phases, covering 10 days each, with an 18-day washout period between each stage.
• During each phase, the groups were given either a 0.5mg/kg dose of esomeprazole, a 1mg/kg dose of omeprazole, or a placebo. These were administered orally in the form of a paste, and given once a day for ten days.
• Every horse underwent all three treatment types throughout the study.
• For accurate pH measurements, gastric fluid samples were collected on the first, third, fifth, eighth, and tenth day of every phase. The researchers ensured that the horses didn’t consume any food or water for a minimum of 16 hours prior to sample collection.
• The recorded pH of the samples was analyzed immediately after collection.

Results

• The average pH levels of gastric fluid in horses administered the placebo were a mean pH of 3.38 (SD 1.75).
• There was a higher average pH within the gastric fluid samples from the horses that were given esomeprazole (6.28; SD 1.75) or omeprazole (6.13; SD 1.75). The difference was statistically significant (p<0.001).
• There wasn’t a significant difference in the average pH between horses given esomeprazole compared to those that received omeprazole, showcasing equal efficacy of the two treatments (p=0.56).

Conclusions and Clinical Applications

• The oral administration of esomeprazole paste proved to be just as effective as omeprazole paste in increasing the gastric pH in horses under the specific conditions studied.
• Given its equivalent performance, enteric coated esomeprazole may be used as a therapeutic alternative to omeprazole for preventing gastric ulcers in horses.