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Effect of selective versus nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitors on gastric ulceration scores and intestinal inflammation in horses.
Abstract: To determine whether a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) would reduce gastric ulceration and gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation compared with a non-COX selective NSAID. Methods: Randomized block design. Methods: Twenty-five healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to receive placebo (n = 5), phenylbutazone (n = 10), or firocoxib (n = 10) administered daily for 10 days. Gastroscopy was performed on days 0 and 10, and both squamous and glandular ulcers were scored according to established scoring criteria. Fecal samples were collected on days 0, 10, and 20 to test for fecal myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Both classes of NSAID induced GI injury as determined by gastric ulceration scores and fecal MPO. Glandular gastric ulceration scores and fecal MPO concentrations were higher in horses treated with phenylbutazone at day 10 (P < .001 and P = .0018, respectively). Increases in fecal MPO were significantly decreased 10 days following cessation of treatment for firocoxib but remained greater than baseline for the phenylbutazone group. Conclusions: Although both classes of NSAID induced gastric ulceration, the COX-2 selective NSAID firocoxib induced less severe glandular ulceration. Although there were increases in fecal MPO in both groups after 10 days of treatment, this increase was significant only in horses receiving the nonselective COX inhibitor phenylbutazone. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both classes of NSAID induce GI injury in horses; however, at the dosages used in this study, the COX-2 selective NSAID firocoxib resulted in less severe injury.
© 2018 The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Publication Date: 2018-08-09 PubMed ID: 30094858DOI: 10.1111/vsu.12941Google 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
Summary
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This research investigates whether a selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor reduces gastric ulceration and intestinal inflammation in horses compared to a nonselective COX inhibitor. The study found that though both types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) induce gastric injury in horses, the COX-2 selective inhibitor resulted in less severe injury.
Study Design
- The researchers implemented a randomized block design and used 25 healthy adult horses in their study.
- The horses were randomly given either a placebo, phenylbutazone (a nonselective COX inhibitor), or firocoxib (a COX-2 selective NSAID). These were all administered daily for 10 days.
- Gastroscopies were carried out on the horses on days 0 and 10, and the researchers scored the squamous and glandular ulcers according to predetermined scoring criteria.
- Fecal samples were taken from the horses on days 0, 10, and 20 to test for fecal myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration.
Results
- Both the phenylbutazone and firocoxib induced gastrointestinal (GI) injury in the horses.
- The damage was determined by gastric ulceration scores and fecal MPO levels.
- Glandular gastric ulceration scores and fecal MPO concentrations were higher in horses treated with phenylbutazone at day 10.
- Increases in fecal MPO decreased significantly 10 days after stopping the firocoxib treatment — however, they remained greater than the baseline for the group that had been given phenylbutazone.
Conclusions
- Both classes of NSAID induced gastric ulceration, but the damage was less severe with the COX-2 selective NSAID firocoxib.
- Fecal MPO levels increased in both groups after 10 days of treatment, but this increase was significant only in the horses receiving the nonselective COX inhibitor phenylbutazone.
- These results suggest that while both types of NSAID induce GI injury in horses, the COX-2 selective NSAID firocoxib resulted in less severe injury at the doses given in this study.
Cite This Article
APA
Richardson LM, Whitfield-Cargile CM, Cohen ND, Chamoun-Emanuelli AM, Dockery HJ.
(2018).
Effect of selective versus nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitors on gastric ulceration scores and intestinal inflammation in horses.
Vet Surg, 47(6), 784-791.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.12941 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
MeSH Terms
- 4-Butyrolactone / analogs & derivatives
- 4-Butyrolactone / pharmacology
- Animals
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / pharmacology
- Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / pharmacology
- Feces / chemistry
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / drug therapy
- Gastrointestinal Diseases / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Inflammation / drug therapy
- Inflammation / veterinary
- Peroxidase / metabolism
- Phenylbutazone / pharmacology
- Random Allocation
- Stomach Ulcer / drug therapy
- Stomach Ulcer / veterinary
- Sulfones / pharmacology
Grant Funding
- TAMU VLCS Resident/Graduate Student Grant
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Buzelato Carli I, Fielding L. Long-Term Firocoxib Use in Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 May-Jun;39(3):e70117.
- Tesena P, Vinijkumthorn R, Preuksathaporn T, Piyakul P, Chotikaprakal T, Sirireugwipas R, Wong-Aree K, Prapaiwan N. Evaluation of gastrointestinal tract lesions and serum malondialdehyde levels after repeated oral administration of phenylbutazone in horses. Vet Res Commun 2024 Aug;48(4):2343-2355.
- Whitfield-Cargile CM, Chung HC, Coleman MC, Cohen ND, Chamoun-Emanuelli AM, Ivanov I, Goldsby JS, Davidson LA, Gaynanova I, Ni Y, Chapkin RS. Integrated analysis of gut metabolome, microbiome, and exfoliome data in an equine model of intestinal injury. Microbiome 2024 Apr 15;12(1):74.
- Mercer MA, Davis JL, McKenzie HC. The Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic Evaluation of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Adult Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 10;13(10).
- Vokes J, Lovett A, Sykes B. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: An Update on Current Knowledge. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 5;13(7).
- Sarvi JY, Gardhouse SM, Kleinhenz MD, Hocker SE, Weeder MM, Montgomery SR, Rooney TA. Measurement of Cyclooxygenase Products in Plasma as Markers for Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase Isoforms by Oral Meloxicam in New Zealand White Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus ). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 2023 May 1;62(3):254-259.
- Flood J, Stewart AJ. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Associated Toxicities in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 26;12(21).
- Lemonnier LC, Thorin C, Meurice A, Dubus A, Touzot-Jourde G, Couroucé A, Leroux AA. Comparison of Flunixin Meglumine, Meloxicam and Ketoprofen on Mild Visceral Post-Operative Pain in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 21;12(4).
- Whitfield-Cargile CM, Coleman MC, Cohen ND, Chamoun-Emanuelli AM, DeSolis CN, Tetrault T, Sowinski R, Bradbery A, Much M. Effects of phenylbutazone alone or in combination with a nutritional therapeutic on gastric ulcers, intestinal permeability, and fecal microbiota in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Mar;35(2):1121-1130.
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