Sucrose concentration in blood: a new method for assessment of gastric permeability in horses with gastric ulceration.

The research focuses on a new method to assess gastric permeability in horses suffering from gastric ulcers by evaluating serum sucrose concentration. It suggests that this method could be a non-invasive way to identify and monitor horses with visible gastric ulcers especially in those involved in high-performance activities like racing.

Overview of the Study

• The research study is conducted on 12 adult horses with naturally occurring gastric ulcers.
• After an enforced period of not eating for 20 hours, each horse is given 250 grams of sucrose (table sugar) through a nasogastric tube.
• Blood samples are taken at regular intervals – starting from the time of administering sucrose up until 90 minutes after.
• Finally, the horses undergo gastroscopy 4 hours post sucrose administration.

Scoring and Analysis Method

• The severity of gastric ulceration in the horses is determined using a 4-point ulcer scoring system.
• This scoring evaluation is then compared with the serum sucrose concentration of each horse, drawn from their blood samples.
• For this, a linear mixed-effects model analysis is utilized.
• Moreover, the serum sucrose concentration is measured by liquid chromatography operating in conjunction with electrospray mass spectrometry.

Findings of the Study

• The findings reveal that at 30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes after the intake of sucrose, the horses suffering from moderate to severe gastric ulceration have a significant spike in serum sucrose concentration compared to the earlier times.
• The peak sucrose concentration is observed at 45 minutes and is found to be directly influenced by the severity of the ulceration, as measured by Spearman’s rank correlation co-efficient.
• The correlation between ulcer severity and serum sucrose concentration was significant (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient = 0.898, P < .05).
• Overall, the results suggest that the measurement of sucrose concentration in horse serum can be a useful tool to identify and monitor horses with visible gastric ulceration. This method can potentially be used as a noninvasive test for screening and monitoring horses, particularly those in high-stress activities like racing.