Alterations in Metabolic Status and Headshaking Behavior Following Intravenous Administration of Hypertonic Solutions in Horses with Trigeminal-Mediated Headshaking.
Abstract: Trigeminal-nerve-mediated headshaking represents a major welfare challenge for owners and veterinarians and is caused by a low threshold firing of the trigeminal nerve resulting in pain manifested as violent head jerking that often terminates the horse’s career and life due to poor quality of life and suffering. As metabolic changes such as acid⁻base status and electrolytes play a role in nerve firing, this study sought to assess the effects following administration of hypertonic solutions on headshaking behavior in affected horses. This prospective randomized controlled crossover design utilized six horses affected with trigeminal-mediated headshaking and three treatment groups receiving intravenous administration of 5% dextrose solution at 2 mL/kg bwt (DS), NaCl 7.5% at 4 mL/kg bwt (HS), or NaHCO₃ 8.4% at 2 mmol/kg bwt (HB). Horses were assessed for headshaking behavior changes at times T0 (baseline, before infusion) and T15, 30, 60, 120 min post infusion. Venous blood variables: pH, HCO₃−, standard base excess (SBE), Na⁺, Cl−, K⁺, Ca2+, Mg2+, total magnesium (tMg), glucose, and lactate were measured at T0 (baseline, before infusion) and T5, 15, 30, 60, 120 min post infusion. Strong ion difference (SID) and anion gap (AG) were calculated for each time point. With HB treatment, there was greater than 50% reduction in headshaking rate. There was an effect of time on increasing headshaking rate. There was an effect of breed on headshaking rate. Changes in blood parameters following DS were virtually absent. Infusion of HS caused mild changes and did not vary much from baseline except for SID and AG. Only infusion of HB caused blood pH and HCO₃− to be outside of the physiologic range (alkalemia and metabolic alkalosis, respectively), SBE to double or triple, AG to decrease, and SID to increase compared to baseline. Infusion of DS was followed by increase in blood glucose and decrease in blood Na⁺. Infusion of HS was followed by increase in Na⁺ and Cl− and decrease in Mg2+. Infusion of HB was followed by decrease in Mg2+. Blood tMg, K⁺, and Ca2+ decreased slightly, but did not vary greatly from baseline following any of the treatments, remaining within physiologic ranges. Changes in blood composition were transient. Among all treatments, only HB had an effect on headshaking rate. The limited effects following these fluids were likely due to normal mechanisms of regulation of blood levels of pH and electrolytes. Further investigations of changes in electrolytes that might affect nerve firing should be explored.
Publication Date: 2018-06-25 PubMed ID: 29941850PubMed Central: PMC6071069DOI: 10.3390/ani8070102Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study investigates the effects of administering hypertonic solutions on headshaking behavior in horses affected by trigeminal-mediated headshaking, a condition that typically results in severe head jerking which often ends a horse’s career and reduces their overall quality of life.
Overview of Study Setup
- The researchers carried out a randomized controlled crossover design study on six horses affected with the condition. They divided these horses into three treatment groups, each receiving different types of intravenous administration; 5% dextrose solution, NaCl (sodium chloride) 7.5%, or NaHCO₃ (sodium bicarbonate) 8.4%.
- The horses were assessed for changes in headshaking behavior at different time intervals post-infusion. At these same intervals, they also measured various venous blood variables such as pH, HCO₃, standard base excess (SBE), various electrolytes, glucose, and lactate.
- The team also calculated the strong ion difference (SID) and anion gap (AG) for each time interval.
Key Findings
- The key finding was that after administering the sodium bicarbonate solution (HB), the headshaking rate in these horses was reduced by more than 50%.
- The study also established that time had an effect on increasing the headshaking rate, as did breed.
- Changes in blood parameters after DS (dextrose solution) were minimal. The HS (sodium chloride) solution also caused slight changes, with minimal variation away from the baseline measurements, except for SID and AG. The most significant changes were seen after administering the HB (sodium bicarbonate), which caused blood pH and HCO₃ to be outside the physiologic range, resulting in alkalemia and metabolic alkalosis, respectively.
- All treatment infusions led to transient changes in blood composition, with DS causing an increase in glucose and decrease in Na⁺, HS causing an increase in Na⁺ and Cl and decrease in Mg, and HB causing a decrease in Mg.
- All electrolyte levels, except for tMg, K⁺, and Ca, did not greatly change across treatments but consistently stayed within physiologic ranges.
Conclusion and Further Research
- In conclusion, the research team suggests that the limited effects observed following the administration of these fluids were likely due to the normal regulation mechanisms of blood levels of pH and electrolytes present in the horses;
- Encouraged by the notable reduction in headshaking behavior following HB treatment, the researchers recommend further investigations into changes in electrolytes that might affect nerve firing, as this could potentially lead to new treatment methods for the condition.
Cite This Article
APA
Sheldon S, Aleman M, Costa L, Santoyo AC, Howey Q, Madigan J.
(2018).
Alterations in Metabolic Status and Headshaking Behavior Following Intravenous Administration of Hypertonic Solutions in Horses with Trigeminal-Mediated Headshaking.
Animals (Basel), 8(7).
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8070102 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sasheldon@ucdavis.edu.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sasheldon@ucdavis.edu.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. mraleman@ucdavis.edu.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. lrcosta@ucdavis.edu.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. mvzanasantoyo@gmail.com.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. qhowey@gmail.com.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. jemadigan@ucdavis.edu.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.
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