Morphological and cellular changes in secondary epidermal laminae of horses with insulin-induced laminitis.
Abstract: To determine cellular changes associated with secondary epidermal laminae (SEL) in forefeet and hind feet of ponies with insulin-induced laminitis. Methods: 8 ponies. Methods: Laminitis was induced in 4 ponies by IV administration of insulin and glucose; 4 control ponies received saline (0.9% NaCl) solution IV. Laminar tissue samples obtained from the dorsal aspects of the hooves were histologically evaluated. Primary epidermal lamina (PEL) length and width and SEL length, width, and angle were determined. Numbers of epidermal cell nuclei per micrometer and per total length of SEL and numbers of apoptotic and proliferative cells in axial, middle, and abaxial laminar regions were determined. Results: SEL in treatment group ponies were significantly longer, were significantly narrower, and had a smaller angle relative to PEL in all laminar regions versus control ponies. In treatment group ponies, the number of epidermal cell nuclei per SEL was typically higher and the number of cells per micrometer of SEL was lower in laminar regions, apoptotic cell numbers were higher in abaxial and middle regions in forefeet and hind feet, and proliferating cell numbers were higher in axial laminar regions in forefeet and all laminar regions in hind feet, versus control ponies. Conclusions: Results indicated SEL elongation, narrowing, and alteration in orientation developed in all feet of ponies with insulin-induced laminitis. This was primarily attributable to cell stretching that developed at the same time as an accelerated cell death-proliferation cycle; differences in cell cycle responses among laminar regions between forefeet and hind feet may have been attributable to differences in load bearing.
Publication Date: 2014-01-30 PubMed ID: 24471752DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.75.2.161Google 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.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study describes the cellular alternations in horses’ feet resulting from a condition called laminitis induced by insulin. The characteristics of the condition include elongation and narrowing of skin layers in all feet, attributed primarily to cell stretching and an accelerated process of cell death and regeneration.
Objective
To investigate the changes in skin layers and cells within the feet of ponies suffering from insulin-induced laminitis.
Design
- 8 ponies were used in the experiment. Laminitis was artificially induced in 4 of them using insulin and glucose. The remaining 4 were the control group and received saline solution.
- Tissue samples from the feet of all ponies were taken and analyzed histologically.
- Measurements of primary and secondary epidermal lamina (skin layers) and the number of epidermal cell nuclei per unit length were considered and compared.
- The number of cells that were undergoing apoptosis (cell death) and proliferation (cell multiplication) in different regions of the feet were also analyzed.
Results
- It was observed that in ponies with insulin-induced laminitis, the secondary epidermal lamina (SEL) were longer and narrower, and had a smaller angle compared to the primary epidermal lamina.
- The number of epidermal cell nuclei per SEL was typically higher in ponies with the condition.
- The number of cells per micrometer of SEL was lower in certain foot regions.
- It was also found that apoptotic cell numbers were higher in some foot regions both in forefeet and hind feet.
- Proliferating cell numbers were higher in specific regions in the feet, indicating an accelerated cell death-proliferation cycle.
Conclusion
- The study concluded that laminitis caused substantial modifications in the foot structure of ponies.
- These modifications included elongation, narrowing, and alteration in orientation of the skin layers, which is primarily attributable to cell stretching.
- The researchers believe the acceleration in cell death and proliferation could be a consequence of the condition.
- The disparity in cell cycle responses between front and rear feet may be due to differences in load bearing.
Cite This Article
APA
Karikoski NP, Patterson-Kane JC, Asplin KE, McGowan TW, McNutt M, Singer ER, McGowan CM.
(2014).
Morphological and cellular changes in secondary epidermal laminae of horses with insulin-induced laminitis.
Am J Vet Res, 75(2), 161-168.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.75.2.161 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Foot Diseases / chemically induced
- Foot Diseases / pathology
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Glucose / toxicity
- Hoof and Claw / pathology
- Horse Diseases / chemically induced
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Inflammation / chemically induced
- Inflammation / pathology
- Inflammation / veterinary
- Insulin / toxicity
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Galinelli NC, Bamford NJ, Erdody ML, Mackenzie SA, Warnken T, Harris PA, Sillence MN, Bailey SR. Effect of pergolide treatment on insulin dysregulation in horses and ponies with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Equine Vet J 2025 Nov;57(6):1612-1622.
- Malacarne BD, Martins RR, Paz CFR, Alves JVA, Dias LA, Cavalcante MA, Santos AM, Silva AGM, Leise BS, Carvalho AM, Faleiros RR. Histological comparison of the lamellar tissue of Iberian origin breed horses created in semi-feral conditions or in an intensive system. PLoS One 2023;18(6):e0286536.
- Aoun R, Charles I, DeRouen A, Takawira C, Lopez MJ. Shoe configuration effects on third phalanx and capsule motion of unaffected and laminitic equine hooves in-situ. PLoS One 2023;18(5):e0285475.
- Kirkwood NC, Hughes KJ, Stewart AJ. Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) in Horses. Vet Sci 2022 Oct 10;9(10).
- Stokes SM, Stefanovski D, Bertin FR, Medina-Torres CE, Belknap JK, van Eps AW. Plasma amino acid concentrations during experimental hyperinsulinemia in 2 laminitis models. J Vet Intern Med 2021 May;35(3):1589-1596.
- Stokes SM, Burns TA, Watts MR, Bertin FR, Stefanovski D, Medina-Torres CE, Belknap JK, van Eps AW. Effect of digital hypothermia on lamellar inflammatory signaling in the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp laminitis model. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Jul;34(4):1606-1613.
- de Laat MA, Spence RJ, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC. An investigation of the equine epidermal growth factor system during hyperinsulinemic laminitis. PLoS One 2019;14(12):e0225843.
- Pollard D, Wylie CE, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR. Identification of modifiable factors associated with owner-reported equine laminitis in Britain using a web-based cohort study approach. BMC Vet Res 2019 Feb 12;15(1):59.
- Durham AE, Frank N, McGowan CM, Menzies-Gow NJ, Roelfsema E, Vervuert I, Feige K, Fey K. ECEIM consensus statement on equine metabolic syndrome. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):335-349.
- Baskerville CL, Chockalingham S, Harris PA, Bailey SR. The effect of insulin on equine lamellar basal epithelial cells mediated by the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. PeerJ 2018;6:e5945.
- Fitzgerald DM, Walsh DM, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC, de Laat MA. Insulin and incretin responses to grazing in insulin-dysregulated and healthy ponies. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jan;33(1):225-232.
- Morgan R, Keen J, McGowan C. Equine metabolic syndrome. Vet Rec 2015 Aug 15;177(7):173-9.
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