Development of a technique for determination of pulmonary artery pulse wave velocity in horses.

The research project developed a method for measuring the stiffness of blood vessels in horses, specifically the pulmonary arteries. The study also looked for a link between blood vessel stiffness and fibro-calcification, a cause of blood vessel stiffening in humans.

Method Development

A new technique for gauging arterial stiffness was developed in this study. Leveraging the measurement of pulse wave velocity (PWV), scientists targeted pulmonary arteries (PA) of horses. The PWV measures how quickly pressure waves generated by the heart’s pumping action move through the bloodstream, acting as a gauge of arterial stiffness.

• A dual-pressure sensor catheter (PSC) was inserted into the principal PA of 10 tranquilized horses.
• The PWV was then calculated along the PA using a statistical phase offset approach.

Fibro-Calcification In Arteries

The researchers further aimed to investigate the potential association between arterial stiffness and arterial fibro-calcification. The researchers performed a histological analysis of the horses’ PAs to look for fibro-calcified lesions.

• The average PWV in the proximal PA trunk was much higher than further down in the main PA branch. Similarly, the mean arterial pressures were also different.
• From the horses studied, moderate to severe lesions of the tunica media of the PAs were found in seven subjects. However, the team was not able to establish any direct correlation with PWV.

Future Implications

The described technique will facilitate further studies investigating the impact of arterial calcification on the development of equine pulmonary circulatory disorders. This technique was confirmed to be safe and could be used on horses that are standing and sedated. Exploring such associations can provide insights into effective treatments and prevention approaches for equine health.

With this new approach, the researchers demonstrated that PA PWV can be established in horses, lending a tool for potential future research. With large pulmonary arteries’ calcification’s potential effect on the pathogenesis of pulmonary circulatory disorders in horses, more in-depth investigation is possible with this newly developed procedure.