Growth factor and receptor mRNA expression in the intestine of horses with large colon volvulus: a pilot study.

This study looks into the expression of different growth factor and receptor mRNA in the intestines of horses suffering from large colon volvulus (LCV), with the aim of understanding their potential role in the healing process and the increased vascular permeability seen in such cases.

Objective and Methods

• The first goal of the researchers was to explore mRNA expression for various growth factors and their receptors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), EGF receptor (EGF-R), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF), IGF receptor (IGF-R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and VEF-K receptor (VEGF-R) in the intestines of horses suffering from LCV. The comparison was made with a healthy, normal intestine.
• Furthermore, they wanted to analyze the correlation between histological intestinal injury and mRNA expression.
• To execute this, samples were gathered from diverse parts of the intestine such as the mid-jejunum (small intestine, SI), pelvic flexure (PF), and right dorsal colon (RDC) at three different times. These moments were before the creation of the LCV (termed as NORM), one hour post LCV creation (designated as ISCH), and 1 hour after LCV correction (referred to as REPER).
• The team also examined two clinical cases of LCV, where the samples were collected from the PF and RDC.

Results and Conclusion

• Upon evaluation through qRT-PCR, the researchers found that mRNA expression levels of VEGF and VEGF-R were higher in the cases suffering from LCV compared to NORM samples. This result indicates that the rise in these particular growth factors could aid the early stages of intestinal healing in horses with LCV, as well as contribute to the increased vascular permeability in such conditions.
• The study also observed an elevation in IGF-R mRNA expression in the SI during the ISCH and REPER phases. This outcome suggests that the role of IGF and IGF-R in the SI might be crucial to understanding post-operative complications in horses with SI lesions.

In conclusion, the rise in certain growth factors’ expression levels in LCV conditions could potentially shed light on the mechanism of healing and vascular permeability in the intestines of horses facing this medical condition. Further investigation in this direction might lead to new therapeutic avenues.