FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Journal of veterinary science2021; 22(5); e64; doi: 10.4142/jvs.2021.22.e64

Preliminary study on the effects of pergolide on left ventricular function in the horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.

Abstract: Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), a neurodegenerative disease leading to reduced dopamine production, is a common disease in aged horses. The treatment is based on administration of the dopamine agonist pergolide. This drug has been related to valvular fibrosis in humans, but the cardiovascular effect of this drug has not yet been investigated in horses. Objective: To determine whether pergolide induces valvular disease in horses or affects the cardiac function. Methods: Standard, tissue Doppler (TDE) and two-dimensional speckle tracking (STE) echocardiography were performed in horses with diagnosed PPID based on adrenocorticotropic hormone dosage. Measurements taken in horses treated with pergolide were compared with those from untreated horses with nonparametric -tests. Furthermore, measurements from follow-up examinations performed at least three months after the initial exam were compared with a Wilcoxon signed rank test for repeated measurements in each group. Results: Twenty-three horses were included. None of the 12 horses under treatment developed valvular regurgitation. Furthermore, no differences in the measurements of the left ventricular systolic or diastolic function could be seen between the group of horses with treatment and those without treatment. Measurements taken in the follow-up exam did not differ compared to those taken in the initial exam in both groups. Conclusions: No changes of the left ventricular function assessed by TDE and STE could be shown in a small population of horses with confirmed PPID. Treatment with pergolide did not affect the ventricular function nor induce valvular disease.
© 2021 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2021-09-24 PubMed ID: 34553515PubMed Central: PMC8460455DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2021.22.e64Google 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

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 investigates the impact of the drug pergolide on the functioning of the left ventricle in horses affected by Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), a neurodegenerative disease causing reduced dopamine production. The study concluded that the drug pergolide does not change the left ventricle function, nor does it cause valvular disease.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

The main goal of this study was:

  • To determine if the drug pergolide, a common treatment for PPID, causes valvular disease or impacts cardiac function in horses.

The research methods used to achieve this objective included:

  • The application of standard, tissue Doppler (TDE) and two-dimensional speckle tracking (STE) echocardiography on horses diagnosed with PPID. This diagnosis was based on adrenocorticotropic hormone dosage.
  • A comparison of measurements taken in horses treated with pergolide to those from untreated horses using nonparametric -tests.
  • Compare measurements from follow-up examinations performed at least three months after the initial exam using a Wilcoxon signed rank test for repeated measurements in each group.

Results of the Research

Findings from the research were as follows:

  • A total of 23 horses were included in this study.
  • None of the 12 horses under treatment developed valvular regurgitation.
  • There was no visible difference in the measurements of the left ventricular systolic or diastolic function between the group of horses with treatment and those without treatment.
  • Measurements taken in the follow-up exam did not differ compared to those taken in the initial exam in both groups.

Conclusion

In conclusion:

  • No changes in the left ventricular function assessed by TDE and STE were evident in a small population of horses with confirmed PPID.
  • Treatment with pergolide seems to have no negative effect on the ventricular function or cause valvular disease in horses suffering from PPID.

Cite This Article

APA
Gehlen H, Fisch J, Merle R, Trachsel DS. (2021). Preliminary study on the effects of pergolide on left ventricular function in the horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. J Vet Sci, 22(5), e64. https://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2021.22.e64

Publication

Journal of veterinary science
ISSN: 1976-555X
NlmUniqueID: 100964185
Country: Korea (South)
Language: English
Volume: 22
Issue: 5
Pages: e64
PII: e64

Researcher Affiliations

Gehlen, Heidrun
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Freie University Berlin, Berlin 14163, Germany.
Fisch, Judith
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Freie University Berlin, Berlin 14163, Germany.
Merle, Roswitha
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute for Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Freie University Berlin, Berlin 14163, Germany.
Trachsel, Dagmar S
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, Equine Clinic: Surgery and Radiology, Freie University Berlin, Berlin 14163, Germany. dagmarsenta.trachsel@fu-berlin.de.

MeSH Terms

  • Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Dopamine Agonists / pharmacology
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Horses
  • Pergolide / pharmacology
  • Pituitary Diseases / drug therapy
  • Pituitary Diseases / veterinary
  • Pituitary Gland, Intermediate / drug effects
  • Pituitary Gland, Intermediate / pathology
  • Ventricular Function, Left / drug effects
  • Ventricular Function, Left / physiology

Grant Funding

  • Freie Universitu00e4t Berlin

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

This article includes 39 references
  1. Ireland JL, McGowan CM. Epidemiology of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction: A systematic literature review of clinical presentation, disease prevalence and risk factors.. Vet J 2018 May;235:22-33.
    pubmed: 29704935doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.03.002google scholar: lookup
  2. Traub-Dargatz JL, Long RE, Bertone JJ. What is an “old horse” and its recent impact?. Equine Geriatric Medicine and Surgery 2006; Chapter 1, pp. 1–4.
  3. Schott HC 2nd. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction: equine Cushing's disease.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2002 Aug;18(2):237-70.
    pubmed: 15635907doi: 10.1016/s0749-0739(02)00018-4google scholar: lookup
  4. McFarlane D. Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2011 Apr;27(1):93-113.
    pubmed: 21392656doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2010.12.007google scholar: lookup
  5. Durham AE. Therapeutics for Equine Endocrine Disorders.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2017 Apr;33(1):127-139.
    pubmed: 28190613doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2016.11.003google scholar: lookup
  6. Antonini A, Poewe W. Fibrotic heart-valve reactions to dopamine-agonist treatment in Parkinson's disease.. Lancet Neurol 2007 Sep;6(9):826-9.
    pubmed: 17706566doi: 10.1016/s1474-4422(07)70218-1google scholar: lookup
  7. Baseman DG, O'Suilleabhain PE, Reimold SC, Laskar SR, Baseman JG, Dewey RB Jr. Pergolide use in Parkinson disease is associated with cardiac valve regurgitation.. Neurology 2004 Jul 27;63(2):301-4.
    pubmed: 15277624doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000129842.49926.07google scholar: lookup
  8. Zanettini R, Antonini A, Gatto G, Gentile R, Tesei S, Pezzoli G. Valvular heart disease and the use of dopamine agonists for Parkinson's disease.. N Engl J Med 2007 Jan 4;356(1):39-46.
    pubmed: 17202454doi: 10.1056/nejmoa054830google scholar: lookup
  9. Tran T, Brophy JM, Suissa S, Renoux C. Risks of Cardiac Valve Regurgitation and Heart Failure Associated with Ergot- and Non-Ergot-Derived Dopamine Agonist Use in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.. CNS Drugs 2015 Dec;29(12):985-98.
    pubmed: 26585874doi: 10.1007/s40263-015-0293-4google scholar: lookup
  10. Jähnichen S, Horowski R, Pertz HH. Agonism at 5-HT2B receptors is not a class effect of the ergolines.. Eur J Pharmacol 2005 Apr 25;513(3):225-8.
    pubmed: 15862804doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.03.010google scholar: lookup
  11. Bayram NA, Ersoy R, Aydin C, Gul K, Keles T, Topaloglu O, Durmaz T, Bozkurt E, Cakir B. Assessment of left ventricular functions by tissue Doppler echocardiography in patients with Cushing's disease.. J Endocrinol Invest 2009 Mar;32(3):248-52.
    pubmed: 19542743doi: 10.1007/bf03346461google scholar: lookup
  12. Baykan M, Erem C, Gedikli O, Hacihasanoglu A, Erdogan T, Kocak M, Kaplan S, Kiriş A, Orem C, Celik S. Assessment of left ventricular diastolic function and Tei index by tissue Doppler imaging in patients with Cushing's Syndrome.. Echocardiography 2008 Feb;25(2):182-90.
    pubmed: 18269563doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8175.2007.00572.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  13. Yiu KH, Marsan NA, Delgado V, Biermasz NR, Holman ER, Smit JW, Feelders RA, Bax JJ, Pereira AM. Increased myocardial fibrosis and left ventricular dysfunction in Cushing's syndrome.. Eur J Endocrinol 2012 Jan;166(1):27-34.
    pubmed: 22004909doi: 10.1530/eje-11-0601google scholar: lookup
  14. Pongratz MC, Graubner C, Wehrli Eser M. Equine Cushing's syndrome: long-term effect of pergolide therapy. Pferdeheilkunde 2010;26(4):598–603.
  15. Bradarić Z. Investigation on the equine Cushing syndrome and evaluation of the efficacy of Vitex agnus castus (chaste berry) in the treatment of the equine Cushing syndrome. 2012; doctoral thesis, Freie Universität Berlin.
  16. Düe M, Hertsch B, Hoffmann G, Miesner K, Veltjens-Otto-Erley C, Zeeb K. Richtlinien für Reiten und Fahren- Haltung, Fütterung, Gesundheit und Zucht. 1997; vol. 4, Warendorf: FNVerlag.
  17. Stadler P. Echocardiography in the horse. Pferdeheilkunde 1988;4(3):111–115.
  18. Stadler P, Robine F. B-mode echocardiographic measurement of heart dimensions in warm blooded horses without heart disease. Pferdeheilkunde 1996;12(1):35–43.
  19. Gehlen H, Stadler P. Atrial fibrillation in warmblood horses – echocardiography, therapy, prognosis and outcome in 72 cases. Pferdeheilkunde 2002;18(6):530–536.
  20. Slater JD, Herrtage ME. Echocardiographic measurements of cardiac dimensions in normal ponies and horses.. Equine Vet J Suppl 1995 Sep;(19):28-32.
    pubmed: 8933066doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb04986.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  21. Gehlen H, Neukirch S. Tissue Doppler imaging and two-dimensional speckle tracking of left ventricular function in horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction before and after clenbuterol treatment. J Equine Vet Sci 2014;34(4):471–478.
  22. Gehlen H, Bildheim LM. Evaluation of age-dependent changes of myocardial velocity using pulsed wave and colour tissue Doppler imaging in adult warmblood horses.. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2018 Dec;102(6):1731-1742.
    pubmed: 30027679doi: 10.1111/jpn.12962google scholar: lookup
  23. Gehlen H, Neukirch S. Tissue Doppler imaging and two-dimensional speckle tracking of left ventricular function in healthy horses after clenbuterol application. J Equine Vet Sci 2013;33(12):1076–1081.
  24. Gehlen H, Bildheim LM. Speckle-tracking analysis of myocardial deformation in correlation to age in healthy horses.. J Vet Sci 2018 Sep 30;19(5):676-682.
    pmc: PMC6167342pubmed: 29695144doi: 10.4142/jvs.2018.19.5.676google scholar: lookup
  25. Reef VB, Bonagura J, Buhl R, McGurrin MK, Schwarzwald CC, van Loon G, Young LE. Recommendations for management of equine athletes with cardiovascular abnormalities.. J Vet Intern Med 2014 May-Jun;28(3):749-61.
    pmc: PMC4895474pubmed: 24628586doi: 10.1111/jvim.12340google scholar: lookup
  26. Young LE, Rogers K, Wood JL. Heart murmurs and valvular regurgitation in thoroughbred racehorses: epidemiology and associations with athletic performance.. J Vet Intern Med 2008 Mar-Apr;22(2):418-26.
    pubmed: 18346144doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2008.0053.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  27. Muiesan ML, Lupia M, Salvetti M, Grigoletto C, Sonino N, Boscaro M, Rosei EA, Mantero F, Fallo F. Left ventricular structural and functional characteristics in Cushing's syndrome.. J Am Coll Cardiol 2003 Jun 18;41(12):2275-9.
    pubmed: 12821259doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(03)00493-5google scholar: lookup
  28. Pereira AM, Delgado V, Romijn JA, Smit JW, Bax JJ, Feelders RA. Cardiac dysfunction is reversed upon successful treatment of Cushing's syndrome.. Eur J Endocrinol 2010 Feb;162(2):331-40.
    pubmed: 19933822doi: 10.1530/eje-09-0621google scholar: lookup
  29. Gehlen H, Lagershausen HL. Influence of age on echocardiographic B- and M-mode parameters in juvenile German warmblood horses. Pferdeheilkunde 2017;33(3):231–241.
  30. Kloch-Badelek M, Kuznetsova T, Sakiewicz W, Tikhonoff V, Ryabikov A, González A, López B, Thijs L, Jin Y, Malyutina S, Stolarz-Skrzypek K, Casiglia E, Díez J, Narkiewicz K, Kawecka-Jaszcz K, Staessen JA. Prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in European populations based on cross-validated diagnostic thresholds.. Cardiovasc Ultrasound 2012 Mar 19;10:10.
    pmc: PMC3351014pubmed: 22429658doi: 10.1186/1476-7120-10-10google scholar: lookup
  31. Kuznetsova T, Thijs L, Knez J, Cauwenberghs N, Petit T, Gu YM, Zhang Z, Staessen JA. Longitudinal changes in left ventricular diastolic function in a general population.. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2015 Apr;8(4).
    pubmed: 25873723doi: 10.1161/circimaging.114.002882google scholar: lookup
  32. Decloedt A, Verheyen T, Sys S, De Clercq D, van Loon G. Quantification of left ventricular longitudinal strain, strain rate, velocity, and displacement in healthy horses by 2-dimensional speckle tracking.. J Vet Intern Med 2011 Mar-Apr;25(2):330-8.
    pubmed: 21382074doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0663.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  33. Decloedt A, Verheyen T, Sys S, De Clercq D, van Loon G. Tissue Doppler imaging and 2-dimensional speckle tracking of left ventricular function in horses exposed to lasalocid.. J Vet Intern Med 2012 Sep-Oct;26(5):1209-16.
    pubmed: 22845660doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2012.00972.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  34. Decloedt A, Ven S, De Clercq D, Rademakers F, van Loon G. Assessment of left ventricular function in horses with aortic regurgitation by 2D speckle tracking.. BMC Vet Res 2020 Mar 20;16(1):93.
    pmc: PMC7085189pubmed: 32197611doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02307-5google scholar: lookup
  35. Schwarzwald CC, Schober KE, Bonagura JD. Methods and reliability of tissue Doppler imaging for assessment of left ventricular radial wall motion in horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2009 May-Jun;23(3):643-52.
    pubmed: 19645848doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0287.xgoogle scholar: lookup
  36. Decloedt A, Verheyen T, Sys S, De Clercq D, van Loon G. Evaluation of tissue Doppler imaging for regional quantification of radial left ventricular wall motion in healthy horses.. Am J Vet Res 2013 Jan;74(1):53-61.
    pubmed: 23270346doi: 10.2460/ajvr.74.1.53google scholar: lookup
  37. Gehlen H, Iversen C, Stadler P. Tissue Doppler imaging in the horse. Pferdeheilkunde 2009;25(1):4–10.
  38. Koenig TR, Mitchell KJ, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Ventricular Function in Healthy Horses and in Horses with Heart Disease Using Pulsed-Wave Tissue Doppler Imaging.. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Mar;31(2):556-567.
    pmc: PMC5354014pubmed: 28109132doi: 10.1111/jvim.14641google scholar: lookup
  39. Wittschorek J. Myocardial function in horses during general anaesthesia evaluated by echocardiography. 2015; Inaugural Dissertation, Freie Universität Berlin; pp. 122–124.

Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Menzies-Gow NJ. Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction. Vet Sci 2025 Aug 20;12(8).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci12080780pubmed: 40872730google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,970 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.