Can Endocrine Dysfunction Be Reliably Tested in Aged Horses That Are Experiencing Pain?
- Journal Article
- Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
- Clinical Pathology
- Clinical Study
- Colic
- Cortisol
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Endocrine System
- Equine Health
- Geriatric Horses
- Hormones
- Horses
- Laminitis
- Observational Study
- Orthopedics
- Pain Management
- Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction
- Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
This research aimed to explore how pain affects the levels of hormone ACTH in aged horses and whether the diagnosis of a common endocrine disorder in horses, PPID, is influenced by pain. This study concluded that despite the animal’s pain level, hormonal tests and the diagnosis of PPID remain viable.
Study Design
- The researchers looked into two objectives: the impact of different pain types on the concentrations of hormones adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, and the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) test’s validity to identify if pain caused abnormal ACTH levels that might interfere with PPID diagnosis.
- They performed these tests on 15 horses experiencing various pain intensities which were then compared to their own results when they were pain-free, serving as their control group.
- The horses were grouped according to the type of underlying disease they had, with three groups—disease group 1 (colic), disease group 2 (laminitis), and disease group 3 (orthopedic problems)—created for the study.
- They also had a composite pain scale to gauge the pain intensity, which consisted of general and specific criteria for each disease.
- The hormone levels were measured before and after an intravenous application of 1mg of TRH.
Results
- No significant difference was found in terms of basal or stimulated ACTH concentrations in pain-experiencing horses versus controls, varying pain intensities, or among different disease groups.
- Descriptively, the study suggested pain might reduce the effect of TRH on ACTH secretion.
- There was a noted increase in ACTH levels 30 minutes after TRH application within the group experiencing treated pain, however, there was no statistical significance found.
Conclusion
Despite pain levels, it appears that measuring basal ACTH concentrations and conducting the TRH stimulation test for diagnosing PPID in horses remain unaffected. The result means that these tests can still be considered reliable even for horses experiencing low to moderate pain. Thus, pain shouldn’t necessarily preclude practitioners from testing for and diagnosing endocrine dysfunction in horses accurately.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Clinic, Freie University of Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
- Equine Clinic, Freie University of Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
- Veterinary Department, Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology, Freie University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
- Equine Clinic, Freie University of Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Grant Funding
- Freie Universitu00e4t Berlin
Conflict of Interest Statement
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Citations
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