Frusemide and weight carriage alter the acid:base responses of horses to incremental and to brief intense exertion.
Abstract: We speculated that frusemide would attenuate the acidosis associated with intense exertion, and that weight carriage would mitigate this effect. Therefore, in each of 2 experiments we measured pulmonary artery and systemic arterial blood pH, PCO2, PO2 and pulmonary artery temperature in 9 horses during exertion on a treadmill after each of 3 treatments. The treatments were: 1) injection of saline solution (C), 2) injection of frusemide (1 mg/kg bwt, i.v. 4 h before running) (FU) and 3) injection of frusemide (F) as for FU and the horses carried weight equal to that lost in the 4 h after frusemide administration (FL). In Experiment 1 the horses performed an incremental exercise test of 90 s at each of 4, 7 and 9 m/s (4 degrees incline). In Experiment 2, the horses ran on a treadmill inclined at 4 degrees for 3 min at 3 m/s, at approximately 120% VO2max for 2 min, and 3 m/s for 5 min. Blood samples for measurement of blood pH, PCO2 and PO2 were collected into heparinised glass syringes. Values were adjusted for changes in pulmonary artery blood temperature. Data were analysed using a 2 way repeated measures ANOVA. There was a consistent pattern in both experiments characterised by a mild alkalosis or mitigated acidosis, compared to C, at rest and during exercise and recovery after FU (P < 0.05). Weight carriage blunted or inhibited the effect of frusemide during exercise and recovery. In experiment 2, at the end of the sprint, FU treatment resulted in a less severe acidosis than did C or FI: mixed venous pH for C, FU, and FL at the end of the sprint were 6.93, 6.98 and 6.93, respectively (P interaction = 0.038), mixed venous base excess was -12.4, -9.91, and -11.8 mmol/l, respectively, and arterial base excess of -1.44, -12.7 and -14.1 mmol/l (P interaction = 0.006) respectively. These effects persisted into recovery. A similar pattern of responses occurred during the incremental exercise test, with weight carriage offsetting the alkalinizing effect of frusemide. We conclude that frusemide attenuates the acidosis of intense exertion and that carriage of weight prevents this effect.
Publication Date: 2000-02-05 PubMed ID: 10659285DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05251.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research sought to determine if the use of frusemide, a diuretic medication, would reduce acid build up associated with intense activity in horses, and if carrying weight would counter this effect. The study showed frusemide did alleviate the acid build up during high exertion, but this effect was negated when the horses carried weight.
Methodology
- The team of researchers conducted two different experiments using nine horses. Each horse was subjected to three conditions: injection of saline solution (as a control), an injection of frusemide, and an injection of frusemide followed by carrying weight that matched the lost amount post-frusemide administration.
- For the first experiment, the horses were made to perform increments of exercise at different speeds on a treadmill inclined at 4 degrees, each for 90 seconds.
- In the second experiment, the horses ran on an inclined treadmill for 3 mins at a lower speed, performed activity at approximately 120% VO2max for 2 mins, and continued at the lower speed for 5 mins.
- Blood samples of each of the horses were collected at different stages to test for blood pH, PCO2 and PO2. The researchers corrected the readings for temperature differences in the pulmonary artery blood.
Findings
- The experiments showed a consistent pattern of mild alkalosis (a decrease in acid levels) or mitigated acidosis, compared to the control, during rest and during exercise after frusemide injection. However, this was blunted or inhibited with weight carriage.
- At the end of the sprint in experiment 2, horses treated with frusemide had a less severe acidosis than the control or those carrying weight with a pH of 6.98, compared to 6.93 of the control and 6.93 for those carrying weight.
- These patterns continued into the recovery period, and was also seen in the incremental exercise test with weight carriage offsetting frusemide’s alkalinizing effect.
Conclusion
- The data suggest that frusemide does reduce the build-up of acid during intense exertion in horses, but only when the horses aren’t made to carry weight. When weight is introduced, the alkalinizing effect of the frusemide is offset.
Cite This Article
APA
Hinchcliff KW, McKeever KH.
(2000).
Frusemide and weight carriage alter the acid:base responses of horses to incremental and to brief intense exertion.
Equine Vet J Suppl(30), 375-379.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05251.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Exercise Physiology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Acid-Base Equilibrium / drug effects
- Animals
- Blood Gas Analysis
- Diuretics / pharmacology
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Female
- Furosemide / pharmacology
- Horses / physiology
- Models, Biological
- Oxygen Consumption
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Workload
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Bukhari SSUH, Parkes RSV. Assessing the impact of draught load pulling on welfare in equids. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1214015.
- Poole DC, Erickson HH. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage: where are we now?. Vet Med (Auckl) 2016;7:133-148.
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