Blood arginine vasopressin, adrenocorticotropin hormone, and cortisol concentrations at admission in septic and critically ill foals and their association with survival.
Abstract: Sepsis is an important cause for neonatal foal mortality. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) responses to sepsis are well documented in critically ill humans, but limited data exist in foals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the HPAA response to sepsis in foals, and to associate these endocrine changes with survival. Objective: Blood concentrations of arginine vasopressin (AVP), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and cortisol will be higher in septic foals as compared with sick nonseptic and healthy foals. The magnitude of increase in hormone concentration will be negatively associated with survival. Methods: Fifty-one septic, 29 sick nonseptic, and 31 healthy foals of or =14 were considered septic. Foals admitted with disease other than sepsis and healthy foals were used as controls. AVP, ACTH, and cortisol concentrations were measured using validated immunoassays. Results: AVP, ACTH, and cortisol concentrations were increased in septic foals. Septic nonsurvivor foals (n = 26/51) had higher plasma ACTH and AVP concentrations than did survivors (n = 25/51). Some septic foals had normal or low cortisol concentrations despite increased ACTH, suggesting relative adrenal insufficiency. AVP, ACTH, and cortisol concentrations were higher in sick nonseptic foals compared with healthy foals. Conclusions: Increased plasma AVP and ACTH concentrations in septic foals were associated with mortality. Several septic foals had increased AVP : ACTH and ACTH : cortisol ratios, which indicates relative adenohypophyseal and adrenal insufficiency.
Publication Date: 2008-05-02 PubMed ID: 18466247DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2008.0090.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study explores the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) response to sepsis in neonatal foals (baby horses) and its association with their survival. Increased blood concentrations of hormones—arginine vasopressin (AVP), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and cortisol—are seen in septic foals, which negatively impact their survival.
Study Objective and Hypothesis
- The primary objective of the study is to analyze the response of the HPAA to sepsis in foals. This response involves observing the concentration of certain hormones in the blood.
- The hypothesis proposed in this study is that septic foals will show higher blood concentrations of arginine vasopressin (AVP), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and cortisol, and that an increase in these hormones will be associated with decreased survival rates.
Methods
- The study included 51 septic foals, 29 sick nonseptic foals, and 31 healthy foals, all aged ≤7 days.
- Blood was drawn from the foals upon admission, which was analyzed for concentrations of AVP, ACTH, and cortisol.
- Septic foals were identified either through positive blood culture or sepsis scores greater than or equal to 14.
- Foals admitted with diseases other than sepsis and healthy foals were used as control groups.
- Hormone concentrations were measured using validated immunoassays.
Results
- The results showed that the blood concentrations of AVP, ACTH, and cortisol were increased in septic foals.
- Non-surviving septic foals had higher concentrations of ACTH and AVP than surviving foals.
- Despite increased ACTH, some septic foals presented with normal or low concentrations of cortisol, indicating a possible relative adrenal insufficiency.
- Sick nonseptic foals also showed higher concentrations of AVP, ACTH, and cortisol when compared with healthy foals.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that higher plasma levels of AVP and ACTH in septic foals were associated with mortality.
- The study observed increased ratios of AVP:ACTH and ACTH:cortisol in several septic foals, indicating relative insufficiencies in adenohypophysis (anterior pituitary gland) and the adrenal gland which may be factors in health complications.
Cite This Article
APA
Hurcombe SD, Toribio RE, Slovis N, Kohn CW, Refsal K, Saville W, Mudge MC.
(2008).
Blood arginine vasopressin, adrenocorticotropin hormone, and cortisol concentrations at admission in septic and critically ill foals and their association with survival.
J Vet Intern Med, 22(3), 639-647.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2008.0090.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. Samuel.Hurcombe@cvm.osu.edu
MeSH Terms
- Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / blood
- Animals
- Arginine Vasopressin / blood
- Case-Control Studies
- Critical Illness
- Female
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / mortality
- Horses
- Hydrocortisone / blood
- Male
- Sepsis / blood
- Sepsis / mortality
- Survival Analysis
Citations
This article has been cited 20 times.- Elder E, Wong D, Johnson K, Robertson H, Marner M, Dembek K. Assessment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis function using a vasopressin stimulation test in neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Sep-Oct;37(5):1881-1888.
- Johnson K, Peterson J, Kopper J, Dembek K. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to ovine corticotropin-releasing-hormone stimulation tests in healthy and hospitalized foals. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):292-301.
- Lanci A, Mariella J, Ellero N, Faoro A, Peric T, Prandi A, Freccero F, Castagnetti C. Hair Cortisol and DHEA-S in Foals and Mares as a Retrospective Picture of Feto-Maternal Relationship under Physiological and Pathological Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 14;12(10).
- Colmer SF, Luethy D, Abraham M, Stefanovski D, Hurcombe SD. Utility of cell-free DNA concentrations and illness severity scores to predict survival in critically ill neonatal foals. PLoS One 2021;16(4):e0242635.
- Kinsella HM, Hostnik LD, Rings LM, Swink JM, Burns TA, Toribio RE. Glucagon, insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol in response to carbohydrates and fasting in healthy neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jan;35(1):550-559.
- Swink JM, Rings LM, Snyder HA, McAuley RC, Burns TA, Dembek KA, Gilsenan WF, Browne N, Toribio RE. Dynamics of androgens in healthy and hospitalized newborn foals. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jan;35(1):538-549.
- Anderson MJ, Ibrahim AS, Cooper BR, Woolcock AD, Moore GE, Taylor SD. Effects of administration of ascorbic acid and low-dose hydrocortisone after infusion of sublethal doses of lipopolysaccharide to horses. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Nov;34(6):2710-2718.
- Taylor S. A review of equine sepsis. Equine Vet Educ 2015 Feb;27(2):99-109.
- Rings LM, Swink JM, Dunbar LK, Burns TA, Toribio RE. Enteroinsular axis response to carbohydrates and fasting in healthy newborn foals. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Nov;33(6):2752-2764.
- Stewart AJ, Hackett E, Bertin FR, Towns TJ. Cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations in horses with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Sep;33(5):2257-2266.
- Dembek KA, Johnson LM, Timko KJ, Minuto JS, Hart KA, Barr BS, Toribio RE. Multiple adrenocortical steroid response to administration of exogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone to hospitalized foals. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jul;33(4):1766-1774.
- Gomez DE, Biermann NM, Sanchez LC. Physicochemical Approach to Determine the Mechanism for Acid-Base Disorders in 793 Hospitalized Foals. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Sep-Oct;29(5):1395-402.
- Zakari FO, Ayo JO, Rekwot PI, Kawu MU. Effects of age and season on haematological parameters of donkeys during the rainy and cold-dry seasons. Int J Biometeorol 2015 Dec;59(12):1813-24.
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- Toth B, Slovis NM, Constable PD, Taylor SD. Plasma adrenomedullin concentrations in critically ill neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2014 Jul-Aug;28(4):1294-300.
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- Schott HC 2nd, Strachota JR, Marteniuk JV, Refsal KR. Long-Term Response of Equids With Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction to Treatment With Pergolide. J Vet Intern Med 2025 May-Jun;39(3):e70109.
- Castelain DL, Dufourni A, Pas ML, Bokma J, de Bruijn E, Paulussen E, Lefère L, van Loon G, Pardon B. Retrospective cohort study on diseases and risk factors associated with death in hospitalized neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jan-Feb;39(1):e17269.
- Samuels AN, Kamr AM, Reed SM, Slovis NM, Hostnik LD, Burns TA, Toribio RE. Association of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio with outcome in sick hospitalized neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):1196-1206.
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