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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2020; 10(8); 1426; doi: 10.3390/ani10081426

Can Endocrine Dysfunction Be Reliably Tested in Aged Horses That Are Experiencing Pain?

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate (i) the effects of different intensities and types of treated pain on the basal concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, and (ii) the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test, to determine whether treated pain caused a marked increase of ACTH, which would lead to a false positive result in the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Methods: Fifteen horses with treated low to moderate pain intensities were part of the study. They served as their own controls as soon as they were pain-free again. The horses were divided into three disease groups, depending on their underlying disease (disease group 1 = colic, disease group 2 = laminitis, disease group 3 = orthopedic problems). A composite pain scale was used to evaluate the intensity of the pain. This pain scale contained a general part and specific criteria for every disease. Subsequently, ACTH and cortisol were measured before and after the intravenous application of 1 mg of TRH. Results: There was no significant difference in the basal or stimulated ACTH concentration in horses with pain and controls, between different pain intensities or between disease groups. Descriptive statistics, however, revealed that pain might decrease the effect of TRH on the secretion of ACTH. There was an increase of ACTH 30 min after TRH application ( = 0.007) in the treated pain group, but this difference could not be statistically confirmed. Measuring the basal ACTH concentration and performing the TRH stimulation test for the diagnosis of PPID seem to be possible in horses with low to moderate pain.
Publication Date: 2020-08-14 PubMed ID: 32824027PubMed Central: PMC7459856DOI: 10.3390/ani10081426Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

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

APA
Gehlen H, Jaburg N, Merle R, Winter J. (2020). Can Endocrine Dysfunction Be Reliably Tested in Aged Horses That Are Experiencing Pain? Animals (Basel), 10(8), 1426. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081426

Publication

ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 8
PII: 1426

Researcher Affiliations

Gehlen, Heidrun
  • Equine Clinic, Freie University of Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Jaburg, Nina
  • Equine Clinic, Freie University of Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Merle, Roswitha
  • Veterinary Department, Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology, Freie University Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
Winter, Judith
  • Equine Clinic, Freie University of Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.

Grant Funding

  • Freie Universitu00e4t Berlin

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results

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