Blood Profile, Hormones, and Telomere Responses: Potential Biomarkers in Horses Exhibiting Abnormal Oral Behavior.

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.