Effects of magnesium sulfate infusion on clinical signs and lung function of horses with severe asthma.

The research article is about a study evaluating the effectiveness of magnesium sulfate (MgSO) in improving the clinical symptoms and lung function in horses with severe asthma. The researchers found that though MgSO improves the clinical signs, it does not significantly enhance lung function improvement.

Objective of the Study

• The researchers aimed to assess whether an intravenous infusion of MgSO solution would improve the clinical symptoms and lung function in horses with severe asthma.
• They also evaluated whether combining MgSO and salbutamol inhalation therapy would potentiate the overall effects in these horses.

Methods and Procedures

• The study was conducted on six adult horses diagnosed with severe asthma.
• The horses were subjected to three experiments following a crossover design. Each horse underwent six treatments in total. The clinical scores relating to nasal flaring and abdominal involvement in breathing, and lung function, were assessed before and after the administration of salbutamol, MgSO, and a combined MgSO-salbutamol treatment.
• The researchers collected data to compare the effects of salbutamol inhalation against a mock inhalation, MgSO infusion against the infusion of saline solution, and the combined MgSO-salbutamol treatment against salbutamol inhalation alone.

Findings and Results

• Administering the MgSO solution alone or along with salbutamol inhalation significantly improved the clinical scores of asthmatic horses.
• Although lung function improved with the combination treatment, the improvement was not statistically significant.
• Salbutamol, when administered alone, significantly improved lung function, whereas saline solution administration and a mock inhalation procedure had no effect on the studied variables.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

• The findings suggest that MgSO infusion, either alone or combined with salbutamol inhalation, improves the clinical symptoms in horses with severe asthma. However, the use of MgSO does not result in significant improvement in lung function, which indicates that the observed changes are most likely due to alterations in the horses’ breathing patterns.
• The authors conclude that the studied dose of MgSO offers little advantage over the currently used medications for treating severe equine asthma.