Could treatment of pregnant mares prevent abortions due to equine piroplasmosis?

The researchers investigated if the treatment of pregnant horses using a drug called imidocarb dipropionate can prevent abortions caused by a parasitic infection called equine piroplasmosis. Their findings suggest that the drug can cross the placenta and be available in the foetus’s blood at a similar level as in the mother’s.

Objective and Methodology

• The aim of this research was to determine if imidocarb dipropionate, a drug used to treat parasitic infections, can cross the placenta of pregnant horses and prevent abortions due to equine piroplasmosis.
• This horse infection has been causing abortion problems amongst Thoroughbred studs in South Africa, prompting the need for an effective solution.
• To test their hypothesis, the researchers carried out an experiment where three pregnant horses were given intramuscular injections of imidocarb.
• Following the administration of the drug, these horses’ foetuses were mechanistically aborted at different time periods.

Research Findings

• The researchers found that the drug imidocarb was present in the foetal blood at levels that were similar to those in the mother’s bloodstream.
• This suggests that when a pregnant mare is administered imidocarb, the drug is able to cross the placenta and reach the foetus, potentially providing anti-parasitic activity within the foetus’s blood circulation.

Implications and Limitations

• The findings of this research could potentially pave the way for developing new preventive measures that can avoid parasitic abortion in horses.
• However, there are still a lot of uncertainties around this potential treatment. One of the main concerns is the uncertainty around the timing of the drug’s administration to achieve the desired effect.
• Given this limitation, the researchers concluded that at this stage, the use of imidocarb injections to prevent equine piroplasmosis abortions is questionable. More research is required to better understand the effect and timing of the drug.