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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(6); 732; doi: 10.3390/ani12060732

Influence of Obesity on Histological Tissue Structure of the Cardiovascular System in Horses.

Abstract: It has been well established that obesity in horses can have a negative impact on their health, including endocrine disturbances. In humans, it is well known that obesity leads to structural and functional changes of the cardiovascular system. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of obesity on the histological structure of the myocardial tissue, as well as great and peripheral arteries in horses. The heart, arteries (aorta, pulmonary artery and palmar arteries) specimens from 7 horses with normal BCS (4-5/9) and 12 extremely obese (BCS 9/9) draft slaughter horses were obtained for histopathological evaluation. The heart tissue and great arteries showed more intense disturbances in the architecture and vacuolization in the aorta in obese horses as compared to the healthy group. The intima in the pulmonary artery, coronary arteries and palmar arteries was thicker in the obese, rather than healthy horses. The palmar arteries in obese horses had a larger lumen diameter and the lumen-to-total diameter ratio as compared to the control group. The presented study showed a significant effect of obesity on the heart as well as the central and peripheral vessels in horses. This forms the basis for a deeper reflection on the impact of obesity on the equine body.
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Publication Date: 2022-03-15 PubMed ID: 35327129PubMed Central: PMC8944453DOI: 10.3390/ani12060732Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research explores how obesity in horses impacts the histological structure of heart tissues and different arteries. The results indicate significant structural variations and disruptions among obese horses compared to normal ones.

Objective and Methodology

  • The primary objective of this research was to investigate the potential effect of obesity on the cellular arrangement or the histological structure of various cardiovascular tissues in horses. The tissues under scrutiny comprised myocardial tissue (heart tissue) and different arteries namely large (aorta, pulmonary artery) and peripheral arteries (palmar arteries).
  • The researchers collected cardiac and arterial specimens from two distinct groups: seven horses with a standard Body Condition Score (BCS 4-5/9) and twelve extremely obese horses (BCS 9/9).
  • The researchers performed a thorough histopathological evaluation of the collected specimens. Here, histopathology refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease.

Findings

  • Comparative analysis revealed that the heart tissue and the large arteries of obese horses encountered more intense disturbances in their architecture compared to their healthier counterparts.
  • Moreover, vacuolization, which refers to the formation or presence of vacuoles within or between cells, was found predominantly in the aorta of obese horses.
  • The innermost layer of arteries, the intima, was found thicker in the pulmonary, coronary, and palmar arteries of obese horses than the healthier ones.
  • The palmar arteries of obese horses displayed a larger diameter of the lumen (the interior space of a tubular structure, such as an artery or intestine) and a greater proportion of the lumen’s diameter to the total diameter of the artery when compared to the control group.

Implications and Conclusions

  • The findings confirm a significant correlation between obesity and alterations in the histological structures of the cardiac and arterial tissues in horses.
  • Such alterations found in obese horses could potentially lead to functional changes, threatening the overall health of the animal.
  • This study thus provides the groundwork for further contemplation and investigation into the broad effects of obesity on the horse’s physiological system.

Cite This Article

APA
Siwinska N, Janus I, Zak-Bochenek A, Noszczyk-Nowak A. (2022). Influence of Obesity on Histological Tissue Structure of the Cardiovascular System in Horses. Animals (Basel), 12(6), 732. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060732

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 6
PII: 732

Researcher Affiliations

Siwinska, Natalia
  • Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
Janus, Izabela
  • Division of Pathomorphology and Veterinary Forensics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
Zak-Bochenek, Agnieszka
  • Department of Immunology, Pathophysiology and Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.
Noszczyk-Nowak, Agnieszka
  • Department of Internal Medicine and Clinic of Diseases of Horses, Dogs and Cats, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Pratt-Phillips S, Munjizun A. Impacts of Adiposity on Exercise Performance in Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 14;13(4).
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