Evaluation of inflammatory responses induced via intra-articular injection of interleukin-1 in horses receiving a dietary nutraceutical and assessment of the clinical effects of long-term nutraceutical administration.

The research observed the effect of a dietary nutraceutical (a nutrient-based supplement) on inflammation in the joints of horses triggered by interleukin-1 injections. The study found that taking the nutraceutical might help prevent inflammation associated with arthritis and degenerative joint disease in horses.

Objectives and Methods

• The main purpose of this study was to assess how a dietary nutraceutical (DN), composed of mussel, shark cartilage, abalone, and Biota orientalis lipid extract, could affect inflammatory responses in horses’ joints. The inflammatory responses were induced by administering recombinant human interleukin (IL)-1beta in the joint.
• 22 healthy horses were used in the experiment. 12 of them were given different doses of DN for 84 days, and their general health and clinical variables were monitored at intervals. Ten other horses were given 0 or 15 g of DN per day for 29 days.
• One intercarpal joint (a joint in the horse’s leg) in each horse was injected twice with IL-1beta. The other joint received twice injections of saline solution. The concentrations of different inflammatory and cellular markers in the synovial fluid (the fluid that lubricates joints) were then analyzed.

Results

• Daily administration of DN for 84 days did not show any adverse effects in horses.
• In the horses that didn’t receive the DN, the injection of IL-1beta induced increased concentrations of inflammatory markers like prostaglandin E(2) (PGE2), glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and proteins, as well as leukocyte (white blood cell) counts, in the synovial fluid of their joints. Nitric oxide concentration did not change.
• However, in horses that were fed the DN, injections of IL-1beta didn’t lead to significant increases in PGE2 and GAG concentrations in their synovial fluid.

Conclusions

• Based on the results, the researchers suggested that the dietary nutraceutical could be useful in preventing the inflammation associated with arthritis and degenerative joint disease in horses.
• This experiment implies that using selected nutrients as dietary supplements could potentially reduce the inflammation associated with certain diseases.