FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Equine veterinary journal2010; 42(5); 412-419; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00077.x

Intra-articular opioid analgesia is effective in reducing pain and inflammation in an equine LPS induced synovitis model.

Abstract: Intra-articular administration of morphine as a local analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug is widely used in human medicine. In equids, little is known about its clinical analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy. Objective: To use an inflammatory orthopaedic pain model to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of intra-articularly administered morphine as a new treatment modality in horses with acute arthritis. Methods: In a crossover study design, synovitis was induced in the left or right talocrural joint by means of intra-articular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolyssacharide (LPS). The effect of 120 mg morphine, intra-articularly administered at 1 h after induction of synovitis, was evaluated using both physiological and behavioural pain variables. Synovial fluid was sampled at 0, 4, 8, 28 and 52 h after induction of synovitis and analysed for total protein concentration, leucocyte count and for prostaglandin E(2), bradykinin and substance P concentrations by ELISA. Ranges of motion of metatarsophalangeal and talocrural joints were measured as kinematic variables with the horses walking and trotting on a treadmill under sound and lame conditions. Clinical lameness scores and several behavioural variables related to the perception of pain were obtained. Results: LPS injection caused marked transient synovitis, resulting in increased concentrations of inflammatory synovial fluid markers, clinical lameness, joint effusion and several behavioural changes, such as increased time spent recumbent, decreased limb loading at rest and decreased time spent eating silage. Intra-articular morphine resulted in a significant decrease in synovial white blood cell count, prostaglandin E(2) and bradykinin levels and improvement in clinical lameness, kinematic and behavioural parameters, compared to placebo treatment. Conclusions: Intra-articular morphine offers potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in horses suffering from acute synovitis. Conclusions: Local administration of opioids may be useful for horses with acute inflammatory joint pain and offers possibilities for multimodal analgesic therapies without opioid-related systemic side effects.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2010-07-20 PubMed ID: 20636777DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00077.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

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 article discusses the effective use of intra-articular morphine, a technique used in human medicine, as a local painkiller and anti-inflammatory agent for horses with acute arthritis. This study reveals the efficacy of the treatment through biochemical and behavioural changes observed in horses.

Objective and Background of the Study

  • The aim of this research was to explore the potential analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of intra-articular morphine on horses suffering from acute synovitis, a form of arthritis.
  • In equine medicine, the effectiveness of morphine as a local analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug has not been thoroughly studied. The researchers aimed to fill this knowledge gap.

Methodology

  • This scientific experiment was conducted with a crossover study design.
  • The inflammation was triggered in the horses’ talocrural joint by introducing 0.5 ng of lipopolysaccharide (LPS); thereafter, the impact of 120 mg morphine, injected into the inflamed part an hour after the initiation of synovitis, was evaluated.
  • The researchers measured the effects using both physiological and behavioral pain variables. They specifically tracked the quantity of total protein concentration, leucocyte count, and prostaglandin E(2), bradykinin, and substance P concentrations in the synovial fluid of the horses at different time intervals post-induction of synovitis.
  • In addition to this, they assessed the motion ranges in their metatarsophalangeal and talocrural joints as well as alterations in their eating habits and rest behaviour.

Outcomes

  • As a result of the LPS injection, transient synovitis transpired, leading to an abnormal increase in inflammatory markers in the synovial fluid, clinical lameness, joint effusion, and numerous behavioural deviations including increased resting time, diminished limb loading at rest and decreased feeding time.
  • However, the use of intra-articular morphine created a significant reduction in the synovial white blood cell count, prostaglandin E(2) and bradykinin level and improved clinical lameness, kinematic and behavioural parameters, compared to the placebo group.

Conclusions

  • The study concludes that intra-articular morphine can act effectively as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory agent in horses suffering from acute synovitis.
  • The researchers suggest that local administration of opioids can be beneficial for horses with acute inflammatory joint pain and provides an opportunity for multimodal analgesic therapies without systemic side effects induced by opioids.

Cite This Article

APA
van Loon JP, de Grauw JC, van Dierendonck M, L'ami JJ, Back W, van Weeren PR. (2010). Intra-articular opioid analgesia is effective in reducing pain and inflammation in an equine LPS induced synovitis model. Equine Vet J, 42(5), 412-419. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00077.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 42
Issue: 5
Pages: 412-419

Researcher Affiliations

van Loon, J P A M
  • Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. j.p.a.m.vanloon@uu.nl
de Grauw, J C
    van Dierendonck, M
      L'ami, J J
        Back, W
          van Weeren, P R

            MeSH Terms

            • Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage
            • Analgesics, Opioid / pharmacology
            • Animals
            • Bradykinin / analysis
            • Cross-Over Studies
            • Dinoprostone / analysis
            • Female
            • Horse Diseases / chemically induced
            • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
            • Horses
            • Inflammation / drug therapy
            • Inflammation / veterinary
            • Injections, Intra-Articular
            • Lipopolysaccharides / toxicity
            • Morphine / administration & dosage
            • Morphine / therapeutic use
            • Pain / drug therapy
            • Pain / veterinary
            • Proteins
            • Substance P / analysis
            • Synovial Fluid / chemistry
            • Synovial Fluid / cytology
            • Synovitis / chemically induced
            • Synovitis / drug therapy
            • Synovitis / veterinary

            Citations

            This article has been cited 21 times.
            1. Takahashi Y, Takahashi T, Mukai K, Ebisuda Y, Ohmura H. Effect of speed and leading or trailing limbs on surface muscle activities during canter in Thoroughbred horses. PLoS One 2023;18(5):e0286409.
              doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286409pubmed: 37235556google scholar: lookup
            2. Orsolini L, Pompili S, Volpe U. C-Reactive Protein (CRP): A Potent Inflammation Biomarker in Psychiatric Disorders. Adv Exp Med Biol 2023;1411:135-160.
              doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-7376-5_7pubmed: 36949309google scholar: lookup
            3. Douglas H, Midon M, Shroff K, Floriano D, Driessen B, Hopster K. Caudal epidural catheterization for pain management in 48 hospitalized horses: A descriptive study of demographics, complications, and outcomes. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:995299.
              doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.995299pubmed: 36387394google scholar: lookup
            4. Ask K, Andersen PH, Tamminen LM, Rhodin M, Hernlund E. Performance of four equine pain scales and their association to movement asymmetry in horses with induced orthopedic pain. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:938022.
              doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.938022pubmed: 36032285google scholar: lookup
            5. Baccarin RYA, Seidel SRT, Michelacci YM, Tokawa PKA, Oliveira TM. Osteoarthritis: a common disease that should be avoided in the athletic horse's life. Anim Front 2022 Jun;12(3):25-36.
              doi: 10.1093/af/vfac026pubmed: 35711506google scholar: lookup
            6. Gabr MM, Saeed I, Miles JA, Ross BP, Shaw PN, Hollmann MW, Parat MO. Interaction of Opioids with TLR4-Mechanisms and Ramifications. Cancers (Basel) 2021 Oct 21;13(21).
              doi: 10.3390/cancers13215274pubmed: 34771442google scholar: lookup
            7. Bittar IP, Neves CA, Araújo CT, Oliveira YVR, Silva SL, Borges NC, Franco LG. Dose-Finding in the Development of an LPS-Induced Model of Synovitis in Sheep. Comp Med 2021 Apr 1;71(2):141-147.
              doi: 10.30802/AALAS-CM-20-000032pubmed: 33568256google scholar: lookup
            8. Skiöldebrand E, Ley C, Björklund U, Lindahl A, Hansson E. Serotonin-evoked cytosolic Ca(2+) release and opioid receptor expression are upregulated in articular cartilage chondrocytes from osteoarthritic joints in horses. Vet Anim Sci 2019 Dec;8:100078.
              doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2019.100078pubmed: 32734095google scholar: lookup
            9. Sladek S, Kearney C, Crean D, Brama PAJ, Tajber L, Fawcett K, Labberte MC, Leggett B, Brayden DJ. Intra-articular delivery of a nanocomplex comprising salmon calcitonin, hyaluronic acid, and chitosan using an equine model of joint inflammation. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2018 Oct;8(5):1421-1435.
              doi: 10.1007/s13346-018-0557-xpubmed: 29947020google scholar: lookup
            10. Niemelä TM, Tulamo RM, Aaltonen K, Sankari SM, Hielm-Björkman AK. Changes in biomarkers in equine synovial fluid two weeks after intra-articular hyaluronan treatment: a randomised double-blind clinical trial. BMC Vet Res 2018 Jun 15;14(1):186.
              doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1512-2pubmed: 29907111google scholar: lookup
            11. Peterson NC, Nunamaker EA, Turner PV. To Treat or Not to Treat: The Effects of Pain on Experimental Parameters. Comp Med 2017 Dec 1;67(6):469-482.
              pubmed: 29212578
            12. Rubio-Martínez LM, Rioja E, Castro Martins M, Wipawee S, Clegg P, Peffers MJ. Local anaesthetics or their combination with morphine and/or magnesium sulphate are toxic for equine chondrocytes and synoviocytes in vitro. BMC Vet Res 2017 Nov 7;13(1):318.
              doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1244-8pubmed: 29115971google scholar: lookup
            13. Guedes AGP, Aristizabal F, Sole A, Adedeji A, Brosnan R, Knych H, Yang J, Hwang SH, Morisseau C, Hammock BD. Pharmacokinetics and antinociceptive effects of the soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor t-TUCB in horses with experimentally induced radiocarpal synovitis. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2018 Apr;41(2):230-238.
              doi: 10.1111/jvp.12463pubmed: 29067696google scholar: lookup
            14. Azdaki N, Zardast M, Anani-Sarab G, Abdorrazaghnaejad H, Ghasemian MR, Saburi A. Comparison between Homocysteine, Fibrinogen, PT, PTT, INR and CRP in Male Smokers with/without Addiction to Opium. Addict Health 2017 Jan;9(1):17-23.
              pubmed: 29026499
            15. Heikkilä HM, Hielm-Björkman AK, Innes JF, Laitinen-Vapaavuori OM. The effect of intra-articular botulinum toxin A on substance P, prostaglandin E(2), and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the canine osteoarthritic joint. BMC Vet Res 2017 Mar 21;13(1):74.
              doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-0990-ypubmed: 28327134google scholar: lookup
            16. Masoomi M, Tajoddini M, Mohammadi G, Malekpoor R, Abasi E. Effects of opiate dependence through different administration routes on pulmonary inflammation and its severity. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2013 Oct;15(10):e7842.
              doi: 10.5812/ircmj.7842pubmed: 24693370google scholar: lookup
            17. Duggan MJS, Kearney C, Baltrimaite M, Labberté MC, Gibney R, Brama PAJ. Refinement of the Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Synovitis Model in Equine Middle Carpal Joints. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 22;15(17).
              doi: 10.3390/ani15172474pubmed: 40941269google scholar: lookup
            18. Scheike AS, Plomp S, Fugazzola MC, Meurot C, Berenbaum F, van Weeren PR, Tryfonidou MA, von Hegedus JH. The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Liraglutide in Equine Inflammatory Joint Models. J Orthop Res 2025 May;43(5):893-903.
              doi: 10.1002/jor.26050pubmed: 39904754google scholar: lookup
            19. Koziy RV, Katselis GS, Yoshimura S, Simko E, Bracamonte JL. Temporal kinetics of serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration and identification of SAA isoforms in blood and synovial fluid of horses with experimentally induced septic arthritis, non-septic synovitis, and systemic inflammation. J Vet Diagn Invest 2025 Jan;37(1):42-54.
              doi: 10.1177/10406387241299873pubmed: 39688235google scholar: lookup
            20. Ask K, Rhodin M, Rashid-Engström M, Hernlund E, Andersen PH. Changes in the equine facial repertoire during different orthopedic pain intensities. Sci Rep 2024 Jan 2;14(1):129.
              doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50383-ypubmed: 38167926google scholar: lookup
            21. Valverde A, Cribb N, Arroyo L. Morphine concentrations in distal thoracic limb synovial fluid following intravenous regional limb perfusion in horses. Can J Vet Res 2023 Oct;87(4):254-259.
              pubmed: 37790266
            Subscribe to our newsletter
            Join 99,727 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.