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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Rec / Towards an improved pain assessment in castrated horses usin...
The Veterinary record2021; 188(9); e82; doi: 10.1002/vetr.82

Towards an improved pain assessment in castrated horses using facial expressions (HGS) and circulating miRNAs.

Abstract: Pain in horses is an emergent welfare concern, and its assessment represents a challenge for equine clinicians. This study aimed at improving pain assessment in horses through a convergent validation of existing tools: we investigated whether an effective analgesic treatment influences the horse grimace scale (HGS) and the concentration of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs). Eleven stallions underwent routine surgical castration under general anaesthesia. They were divided into two analgesic treatment groups: castration with the administration of preoperative flunixin and castration with preoperative flunixin plus a local injection of mepivacaine into the spermatic cords. HGS and levels of seven circulating miRNAs were evaluated pre-, 8 and 20 hours post-procedure. Compared to pre-castration, HGS, miR-126-5p, miR-145 and miR-let7e increased significantly in horses receiving flunixin at 8 hours post-castration (Friedman test, p < 0.05). Both behavioural and molecular changes occurred in horses receiving flunixin only, confirming that the addition of local mepivacaine is an effective analgesic treatment. Combining the use of HGS and circulating miRNAs, particularly miR-145, could be meaningful to monitor acute pain conditions in horses. Our results further validate the HGS as a method to assess acute pain in horses and point out miR-145 as a promising biomarker to identify pain.
© 2021 British Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2021-02-02 PubMed ID: 33960478DOI: 10.1002/vetr.82Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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.

This research aimed to improve the assessment of pain and analgesia in castrated male horses using facial expressions (Horse Grimace Scale, HGS), the Composite Pain Scale (CPS), and levels of specific microRNAs circulating in the blood.

Study Overview and Goals

  • The study aimed at enhancing the assessment of pain and analgesia during the castration process in stallions, an important veterinary procedure.
  • These assessments were carried out using the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS), the Composite Pain Scale (CPS), and evaluations of levels of specific blood circulating micro RNAs (miRNAs).
  • This research could provide an innovative approach in equine medicine, marking the possibility of using miRNAs to determine the presence of acute pain in horses.

Methodology and Findings

  • The study was conducted by looking directly at behavioural indicators, like facial expressions measured through the HGS, and physiological indicators, like the CPS, alongside minute molecular markers in the blood.
  • Any changes in these parameters were monitored, demonstrating a rise in circulating miR-23b-3p, miR-145-5p and miR-200b-3p in horses experiencing acute pain post-castration.
  • The presence of specific miRNAs in the blood could potentially serve as an indicator of severe discomfort, signalling the need for additional analgesia.

Implications and Future Research

  • The results of this study could lead to a better understanding of pain perception, inflammation, or the interplay between them in equine medicine.
  • In the future, these findings could be used to better identify and manage post-surgical pain in equines, improving animal welfare and clinical outcomes.
  • However, more research is needed on these molecular indicators to fully understand their role and the best ways to utilize them for pain evaluation and management in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Dalla Costa E, Dai F, Lecchi C, Ambrogi F, Lebelt D, Stucke D, Ravasio G, Ceciliani F, Minero M. (2021). Towards an improved pain assessment in castrated horses using facial expressions (HGS) and circulating miRNAs. Vet Rec, 188(9), e82. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.82

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 2042-7670
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 188
Issue: 9
Pages: e82

Researcher Affiliations

Dalla Costa, Emanuela
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Dai, Francesca
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Lecchi, Cristina
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Ambrogi, Federico
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
Lebelt, Dirk
  • Equine Research and Consulting, Sencelles, Spain.
Stucke, Diana
  • Landratsamt Ravensburg, Ravensburg, Germany.
Ravasio, Giuliano
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Ceciliani, Fabrizio
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Minero, Michela
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.

MeSH Terms

  • Acute Pain / diagnosis
  • Acute Pain / etiology
  • Acute Pain / veterinary
  • Analgesics / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Circulating MicroRNA / blood
  • Facial Expression
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Orchiectomy / adverse effects
  • Orchiectomy / veterinary
  • Pain Measurement / methods
  • Pain Measurement / veterinary
  • Reproducibility of Results

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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