Clinical findings and serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses after intragastric administration of sodium monensin.
Abstract: Six adult horses were administered sodium monensin, 1.0-1.5 mg/kg, via gastric gavage. Anorexia and/or diarrhea occurred within 24 hr after monensin administration in all 6 horses. Cardiac disease and dysfunction were evaluated by both elevations in heart rate, echocardiography, and an increase in serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), occurred in 4 horses. The development and severity of cardiac disease was likely affected by the monensin dose, vehicle (water or corn oil) mixed with monensin, and/or whether the monensin was administered to fed or fasted horses. Initial increases in cTnI concentrations occurred between 24 and 72 hr after monensin administration. The 2 horses with the highest cTnI concentrations died or were euthanized within 5 days after monensin administration and had severe cardiac disease. One horse had increased cTnI concentrations from day 2 to day 16, but no apparent change in ventricular contractile function was evident on echocardiography. The fourth diseased horse did not return to cTnI reference intervals until day 27 after monensin administration, and the ventricular function was still abnormal just before euthanasia 9 months later. Cardiac troponin I measurements could be useful in managing farm outbreaks of accidental monensin feeding by the early identification of horses with cardiac disease.
Publication Date: 2009-05-02 PubMed ID: 19407085DOI: 10.1177/104063870902100305Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article discusses findings on how the oral intake of sodium monensin affects the health of horses, particularly it’s effects on causing cardiac disease and abnormal heart function, with the severity and developments visible through changes in heart rate, echocardiography findings, and an elevation in the serum levels of cardiac biomarker, troponin I.
Methodology
- A total of six adult horses were used for the study.
- These horses were administered sodium monensin, at a dosage of 1.0-1.5 mg/kg, through gastric gavage (a tube inserted through the throat).
- The variations in parameters like the dose of monensin, the vehicle (water or corn oil) mixed with monensin, and the state of feeding at the time of administration (fed or fasted horses) were speculated to affect the onset and severity of cardiac disease.
Results and Observations
- All six horses displayed signs of anorexia and/or diarrhea within 24 hours of administration.
- Cardiac dysfunction and disease were evaluated through echocardiography and by observing elevations in heart rate and increases in serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI).
- An elevation in cTnI levels occurred in four of the six horses between 24 and 72 hours after monensin administration.
- Out of these four, two horses with the highest cTnI concentrations died or had to be euthanized within 5 days due to severe cardiac disease.
- One horse showed increased cTnI concentrations from day 2 to day 16 post-administration, but there were no obvious changes in ventricular contractile function detected on echocardiography.
- The fourth diseased horse returned to the normal range of cTnI only on day 27 post-administration, and it still showed abnormal ventricular function just before it was euthanized 9 months later.
Conclusions and Implications
- The research results suggest that the cardiac troponin I readings could potentially be useful in early identification of horses suffering from cardiac disease due to accidental consumption of monensin.
- Such early detection and management could help mitigate the potential health risks and fatalities associated with accidental monensin feeding in farm settings.
Cite This Article
APA
Divers TJ, Kraus MS, Jesty SA, Miller AD, Mohammed HO, Gelzer AR, Mitchell LM, Soderholm LV, Ducharme NG.
(2009).
Clinical findings and serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in horses after intragastric administration of sodium monensin.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 21(3), 338-343.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870902100305 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. tjd8@cornell.edu
MeSH Terms
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- Anorexia / chemically induced
- Anorexia / veterinary
- Diarrhea / chemically induced
- Diarrhea / veterinary
- Heart Failure / chemically induced
- Heart Failure / pathology
- Heart Failure / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / chemically induced
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses
- Monensin / administration & dosage
- Monensin / toxicity
- Myocardium / pathology
- Troponin I / blood
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Foreman JH, Tennent-Brown BS, Oyama MA, Sisson DD. Plasma Cardiac Troponin-I Concentration in Normal Horses and in Horses with Cardiac Abnormalities. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 3;15(1).
- Burns TA, Dembek KA, Kamr A, Dooley SB, Dunbar LK, Aarnes TK, Bednarski LS, O'Brien C, Lakritz J, Byrum B, Wade A, Farmer R, Tan S, Toribio RE. Effect of Intravenous Administration of Cobalt Chloride to Horses on Clinical and Hemodynamic Variables. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Jan;32(1):441-449.
- Blain M, Garrard A, Poppenga R, Chen B, Valento M, Halliday Gittinger M. Survival After Severe Rhabdomyolysis Following Monensin Ingestion. J Med Toxicol 2017 Sep;13(3):259-262.
- Deljou M, Aslani MR, Mohri M, Movassaghi AR, Heidarpour M. Clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in sub-acute monensin intoxication in goats. Vet Res Forum 2014 Summer;5(3):161-7.
- Zahr R, Saeed D, Fumoto H, Horai T, Shalli S, Anzai T, Arakawa Y, Dessoffy R, Catanese J, Massiello A, Litwak KN, Fukamachi K. A pilot study for inducing chronic heart failure in calves by means of oral monensin. Int J Biomed Sci 2010 Mar;6(1):1-7.
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