Blood Profile, Hormones, and Telomere Responses: Potential Biomarkers in Horses Exhibiting Abnormal Oral Behavior.
Abstract: The high prevalence of abnormal oral behavior (AOB) in working horses has been linked to management issues and the pathophysiology of this behavior remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the blood profile, hormones, and telomere length responses between low and high levels of AOB among different horse working groups. A total of 207 healthy horses from various breeds were initially selected from four working groups (leisure riding, equestrian, endurance, and patrolling) and observed for the time spent on AOB. Then, six horses each with higher and lower AOB than the population means were randomly selected from each of the working groups and categorized as high and low AOB horses, respectively. Blood samples were collected for hematology, biochemistry, cortisol, ghrelin, leptin, and relative telomere length analyzes. High AOB horses notably had higher values of glucose, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and creatine kinase (CK) compared to low AOB horses. High AOB horses also recorded higher plasma cortisol and ghrelin, but lower leptin concentrations. Among working groups, both endurance and patrolling horses presented the highest values in sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, ALT, and CK. While patrolling horses had the lowest levels of urea, ALP, and albumin levels, equestrian and leisure horses recorded the highest and lowest plasma cortisol and leptin concentrations, respectively. Finally, the telomere length of endurance and patrolling horses were significantly greater than leisure and equestrian horses. The present findings suggest that AOB horses had distinctive physiological characteristics that could be linked to improper diet and a demanding workload, while ghrelin and leptin hormones could be potential biomarkers for this behavior.
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2022-09-29 PubMed ID: 36182046DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104130Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study investigates potential biomarkers associated with abnormal oral behavior (AOB) in horses. Blood profiles, certain hormone levels, and the length of telomeres were studied in healthy horses displaying varying degrees of AOB.
Research Methodology
- A total of 207 healthy horses of various breeds were chosen from four different working groups (leisure riding, equestrian, endurance, and patrolling).
- The horses were observed for the amount of time they spent on AOB.
- From each working group, six horses with both higher and lower AOB than the average were singled out.
- These horses were labeled as high AOB and low AOB respectively.
- Blood samples were collected for multiple tests including hematology, biochemistry, cortisol, ghrelin, leptin, and relative telomere length.
Findings and Observations
- High AOB horses recorded higher levels of glucose, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and creatine kinase (CK) compared to low AOB horses.
- They also had higher plasma cortisol and ghrelin, but lower leptin concentrations.
- Among the working groups, endurance and patrolling horses showed the highest values in sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, ALT, and CK.
- Patrolling horses had the lowest levels of urea, ALP, and albumin while equestrian and leisure horses recorded the highest and lowest plasma cortisol and leptin concentrations, respectively.
- The telomere lengths of endurance and patrolling horses were notably longer than those of leisure and equestrian horses.
Implications of the Study
- The study shows that horses with AOB have distinct physiological traits. These can be linked to an improper diet or a demanding workload.
- Furthermore, the hormones ghrelin and leptin could potentially act as biomarkers for AOB in horses.
In conclusion, by understanding these physiological features better, experts and caretakers may be able to identify and possibly mitigate AOB in horses. It emphasizes the potential of hormones and biomarkers for better prediction, identification, and management of the condition.
Cite This Article
APA
Hanis F, Chung ELT, Kamalludin MH, Idrus Z.
(2022).
Blood Profile, Hormones, and Telomere Responses: Potential Biomarkers in Horses Exhibiting Abnormal Oral Behavior.
J Equine Vet Sci, 118, 104130.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104130 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Production and Biodiversity, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia.
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Production and Biodiversity, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: ericlim@upm.edu.my.
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Production and Biodiversity, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Production and Biodiversity, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Leptin
- Ghrelin
- Hydrocortisone
- Creatine Kinase
- Biomarkers
- Telomere / genetics
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Hildebrand WH, Zaleśny G. Do stereotypies help or harm? Exploring the link between cortisol level and abnormal behaviours in animals: a review. Front Zool 2025 Aug 13;22(1):20.
- Campbell AM, Anderson MG, Haussmann MF, Rowell R, Jacobs L. Telomere length as a biomarker for cumulative experience in broiler chickens. PLoS One 2025;20(6):e0326195.
- Ida T, Tominaga H, Iwamoto E, Kurogi A, Okura A, Shimada K, Kato J, Kuwano A, Ode H, Nagata S, Kitamura K, Yazawa T, Sato-Hashimoto M, Yasuda M, Miyazato M, Shiimura Y, Sato T, Kojima M. Acyl modifications in bovine, porcine, and equine ghrelins. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024;15:1411483.
- Zhang N, Baker EC, Welsh TH Jr, Riley DG. Telomere Dynamics in Livestock. Biology (Basel) 2023 Oct 31;12(11).
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