Efficacy of intramuscular meperidine hydrochloride versus placebo in experimental foot lameness in horses.
Abstract: There are no peer reviewed, blinded controlled studies regarding the skeletal analgesic efficacy of intramuscularly administered meperidine in horses. Objective: Using an adjustable heart bar shoe model of equine foot pain, the objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that meperidine (pethidine) administered intramuscularly would prove more efficacious in alleviating lameness than a saline placebo. Methods: Crossover pharmacodynamic experiment. Methods: Eight healthy adult Thoroughbred horses randomly underwent weekly i.m. treatments 1 h after lameness induction: saline placebo (1 ml/45 kg bwt) or meperidine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg bwt i.m.). Heart rate (HR) and lameness score (LS) responses were assessed by a blinded observer every 20 min for 5 h after lameness induction and then hourly through 12 h after treatment. Jugular venous blood samples were obtained at -1, 0, 0:05, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h and were subsequently analysed for drug concentrations (lower limit of detection, 1 ng/ml). Repeated measures ANOVA and post hoc Tukey's test were used to identify analgesic effects at a significance level of P<0.05. Results: Mean (± s.e.) HR were lower in meperidine trials at 2.3, 3.3 and 3.7 h post administration (P<0.05). Mean LS were lower in meperidine trials at 2.0, 2.3 and 3.3 h post administration (P<0.05). Mean plasma (meperidine) peaked at 227 ± 52 ng/ml at 1 h post administration and decreased to 2.7 ± 0.3 ng/ml at 12 h post administration. In 3 of 8 subjects, plasma (meperidine) was below the lower limit of detection at 12 h after administration. Conclusions: Intramuscular meperidine was more effective than the saline placebo but only for 2.0-3.7 h post administration compared with the 8-12 h durations of efficacy reported previously using this same model when horses were treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Meperidine may be a suitable nonNSAID alternative analgesic for acute foot pain with efficacy lasting from 2-3 h after a single i.m. dose.
© 2013 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2013-12-01 PubMed ID: 24304404DOI: 10.1111/evj.12168Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the efficacy of a drug called meperidine, commonly used for pain relief, in horses. The study found that meperidine was effective in reducing lameness induced by foot pain, but it worked only for 2-3 hours after administration, unlike other commonly used drugs which have effects lasting for 8-12 hours.
Objective and Hypothesis
- The primary objective of the study was to examine the efficacy of intramuscular meperidine in treating foot pain in horses. The drug’s effectiveness was compared with a saline placebo.
- The researchers hypothesized that meperidine administered intramuscularly would alleviate lameness more efficiently than a saline placebo.
Methods
- For the study, eight healthy Thoroughbred horses were used, and they underwent treatments one hour after the induction of lameness. The two treatments included a saline placebo and meperidine hydrochloride.
- The researchers measured the heart rates and lameness scores of the horses at 20-minute intervals for 5 hours after inducing lameness and then hourly for the next 7 hours. Additionally, to identify drug concentrations, blood samples were collected at different time points.
- The researchers applied the Repeated Measures ANOVA and Tukey’s Post Hoc Test to determine the analgesic effects of the drug at a significance level of P<0.05.
Results
- The findings showed that average heart rates were lower in the trials involving meperidine at 2.3, 3.3, and 3.7 hours after administration. The same was observed for lameness scores at 2.0, 2.3, and 3.3 hours post-administration.
- The peak plasma concentration of meperidine was observed one hour post-administration, diminishing significantly 12 hours after administration. In three out of the eight subjects, the drug was not detectable in the plasma at 12 hours after administration.
Conclusions
- The research concluded that intramuscular meperidine was more efficacious than the saline placebo, but only for a period of 2.0-3.7 hours after administration. These results differ from the previous studies that reported an 8-12 hours duration of efficacy for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Despite its limited duration of action, meperidine could still be considered as a non-NSAID alternative analgesic for acute foot pain in horses, but more research may be needed to corroborate this finding.
Cite This Article
APA
Foreman JH, Ruemmler R.
(2013).
Efficacy of intramuscular meperidine hydrochloride versus placebo in experimental foot lameness in horses.
Equine Vet J Suppl(45), 48-53.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12168 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal / drug therapy
- Meperidine
- Pain / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Trenholme HN, Sakai DM, Berghaus LJ, Hanafi AL, Knych HK, Ryan CA, McHale B, Banovic F, Quandt JE, Barletta M, Reed RA. Effect of Meperidine on Equine Blood Histamine, Tryptase, and Immunoglobulin-E Concentrations. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:584922.
- Hamamoto-Hardman BD, Steffey EP, McKemie DS, Kass PH, Knych HK. Meperidine pharmacokinetics and effects on physiologic parameters and thermal threshold following intravenous administration of three doses to horses. BMC Vet Res 2020 Oct 1;16(1):368.
- Dwyer A. Science-in-brief: clinical highlights from the American Association of Equine Practitioners 59th Annual Convention and Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 45. Equine Vet J 2014 May;46(3):259-61.
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