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Clinical equine dysautonomia and autonomic neuron damage.
Abstract: Damage to the neurons of selected autonomic ganglia was quantified in relation to the severity of the clinical signs shown in acute, subacute and chronic cases of dysautonomia (grass sickness). No connection between the clinical severity of acute or subacute dysautonomia and the amount of neuronal damage in the superior cervical, stellate and coeliaco-mesenteric ganglia could be demonstrated. However, a higher proportion of normal neurons were found in chronic cases. Jejunal submucosal neuronal damage was correlated with clinical severity but further work is required to confirm this finding and to establish how widespread the alimentary neuronal lesions are in dysautonomia of different severities.
Publication Date: 1992-07-01 PubMed ID: 1410805DOI: 10.1016/0034-5288(92)90093-hGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
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 investigates how damage to certain neurons correlates with the severity of clinical signs in acute, subacute, and chronic cases of a horse disease called dysautonomia, also known as grass sickness. The study was unable to establish a connection between clinical severity and neuronal damage in acute or subacute dysautonomia but found that chronic cases contained a larger proportion of normal neurons.
Background and Purpose
- The purpose of this study was to measure the quantitative damage to the neurons of selected autonomic ganglia (a cluster of nerve cells), and correlate this with the severity of the clinical signs in different stages (acute, subacute, and chronic) of equine dysautonomia (also referred to as grass sickness), a debilitating disease affecting horses.
Methods
- Neuronal damage was examined in different autonomic ganglia such as the superior cervical, stellate, and coeliaco-mesenteric ganglia to explore its relation with the severity of the clinical signs shown in acute or subacute dysautonomia.
Findings
- The research was unable to prove the existence of a relationship between the clinical severity of acute or subacute dysautonomia and the degree of neuronal damage in the mentioned ganglia.
- Paradoxically, in chronic cases of dysautonomia, a larger proportion of normal, undamaged neurons were discovered.
- Damage to jejunal submucosal neurons, a part of the intestines, showed a potential correlation with the severity of clinical signs. This could suggest that the origin or the impact of the disease may be more directly connected to the alimentary system in horses.
Implications and Future Research
- The findings from this study are initial and require further exploration to validate the correlation between jejunal submucosal neuronal damage and clinical severity. Moreover, it is important to determine the extent of these alimentary neuronal lesions in dysautonomia of different severities.
- Understanding these correlations could help in diagnosing and formulating treatment plans for various stages of equine dysautonomia.
Cite This Article
APA
Doxey DL, Pogson DM, Milne EM, Gilmour JS, Chisholm HK.
(1992).
Clinical equine dysautonomia and autonomic neuron damage.
Res Vet Sci, 53(1), 106-109.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-5288(92)90093-h Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Roslin, Midlothian.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / pathology
- Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / veterinary
- Ganglia, Autonomic / pathology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Nerve Degeneration
- Neurons / pathology
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- McGorum BC, Pirie RS, Eaton SL, Keen JA, Cumyn EM, Arnott DM, Chen W, Lamont DJ, Graham LC, Llavero Hurtado M, Pemberton A, Wishart TM. Proteomic Profiling of Cranial (Superior) Cervical Ganglia Reveals Beta-Amyloid and Ubiquitin Proteasome System Perturbations in an Equine Multiple System Neuropathy. Mol Cell Proteomics 2015 Nov;14(11):3072-86.
- McGorum BC, Pirie RS, Glendinning L, McLachlan G, Metcalf JS, Banack SA, Cox PA, Codd GA. Grazing livestock are exposed to terrestrial cyanobacteria. Vet Res 2015 Feb 25;46:16.
- Murray A, Pearson GT, Cottrell DF. Light microscopy of the enteric nervous system of horses with or without equine dysautonomia (grass sickness): its correlation with the motor effects of physostigmine. Vet Res Commun 1997 Oct;21(7):507-20.
- Doxey DL, Milne EM, Woodman MP, Gilmour JS, Chisholm HK. Small intestine and small colon neuropathy in equine dysautonomia (grass sickness). Vet Res Commun 1995;19(6):529-43.
- McGorum BC, Davey T, Dosi MCM, Keen JA, Morrison LR, Pirie RS, Shaw DJ, Harris JB. Equine grass sickness is associated with major abnormalities in the ultrastructure of skeletal neuromuscular junctions. Equine Vet J 2025 Jan;57(1):193-202.
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