Plasma concentrations of steroid precursors, steroids, neuroactive steroids, and neurosteroids in healthy neonatal foals from birth to 7 days of age.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research examines concentrations of various steroid compounds in newborn horses’ blood, aiming to identify those that could potentially aid in the diagnosis of neonatal maladjustment syndrome (NMS) and other newborn disorders. The study discovered that levels of pregnenolone and progesterone significantly dropped within the first 24 hours of life, and progesterone could potentially serve as a marker for identifying ongoing production of certain neuroactive steroids in sick foals.
Study Objective and Methodology
- The intent of this research was to identify any steroid compounds that are present in high concentrations at birth in healthy foals but decrease rapidly within their first week of life. Identifying these compounds could aid in diagnosing NMS and other newborn horse diseases.
- The study was designed as a prospective investigation involving ten healthy newborn Quarter Horse foals, with an equal distribution of males and females.
- Blood samples were collected from these foals at various time intervals within their first week of life, starting from 30 minutes after birth up to 168 hours of their age.
- The collected blood samples were then segregated to separate plasma, which was subsequently analyzed using a technique known as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This method allowed the researchers to identify and quantify the various steroid compounds present in the foals’ blood.
- To identify any decreasing steroid levels over time, a nonlinear regression model was used. The research considered the findings statistically significant if the calculated p-value was less than or equal to 0.05.
Research Findings
- They identified five steroid compounds: pregnenolone, progesterone, deoxycorticosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.
- They found that the concentrations of pregnenolone and progesterone reduced significantly by the time foals reached 24 hours of age and remained low throughout their first week of life. The half-life of these compounds was found to be short: 3.7 hours for pregnenolone and 4.5 hours for progesterone.
- The study noted no statistical differences between male and female foals in terms of these compound concentrations.
Conclusion
- The research concluded that progesterone might be able to serve as a useful marker for continuous endogenous production of neuroactive steroids in foals suspected of having NMS and other newborn diseases.
This conclusion suggests that monitoring progesterone levels in newborn foals could help in the early detection and prompt treatment of these neonatal diseases, thereby potentially improving their health outcomes.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
- Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
- Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn / blood
- Dehydroepiandrosterone / blood
- Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / blood
- Desoxycorticosterone / blood
- Female
- Horses / blood
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / physiology
- Male
- Pituitary-Adrenal System / physiology
- Pregnenolone / blood
- Progesterone / blood
- Prospective Studies
Conflict of Interest Statement
References
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Laurberg M, Saegerman C, Jacobsen S, Berg LC, Laursen SH, Hoeberg E, Sånge EA, van Galen G. Use of admission serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations as a marker of sepsis and outcome in neonatal foals. PLoS One 2023;18(5):e0285819.
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