Abstract: To evaluate the short-term ophthalmic effects of vatinoxan, a peripherally selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, in detomidine-sedated horses. Methods: Seven healthy horses without ophthalmic disease in a randomized, masked, two-period crossover study design, with a ≥ 7-day rest period. Methods: After a bilateral palpebral block (lidocaine 40 mg) and baseline data collection, horses received intravenous detomidine (20 μg/kg [DET]) or DET with vatinoxan (200 μg/kg [DET-VAT]). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured from the left eye while tear production (Schirmer tear test -1; STT) and vertical pupil diameter (VPD) were measured from the right eye at pre-determined intervals until 25 min post-treatment. Comparisons within and between treatments were analyzed with Student's t-tests (for IOP and VPD) or Wilcoxon's Rank Sum tests (for STT) followed by the Holm-Bonferroni post hoc adjustment. Results: The overall post-treatment IOP across time points was lower after DET (15.7 ± 1.9 [mean ± standard deviation] mmHg) than DET-VAT (16.9 ± 2.0 mmHg) (p = 0.01). IOP remained significantly (p < 0.05) lower than baseline after DET for the whole 25 min observational period, while for DET-VAT the corrected pairwise comparisons to baseline did not reach significance. The median (range) STT increased from baseline 17 (13-25) mm/min to 24 (18-35) mm/min (p = 0.022) at 25 min after DET and from 18 (11-35) mm/min to 30 (18-35) mm/min (p = 0.022) after DET-VAT, respectively. VPD did not differ significantly from baseline after either treatment. Conclusions: Vatinoxan alleviated detomidine-associated early decrease in IOP in healthy horses.
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Summary
This study investigated how vatinoxan, a drug that blocks peripheral alpha2-adrenoceptors, affects eye parameters in horses sedated with detomidine.
The research focused on short-term effects on intraocular pressure, tear production, and pupil diameter to assess vatinoxan’s ability to reduce detomidine’s impact on the eyes.
Introduction and Purpose
Detomidine is a commonly used sedative in horses that acts on alpha2-adrenoceptors but can have side effects on the eyes, including decreased intraocular pressure (IOP).
Vatinoxan is a peripherally selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, meaning it can block some peripheral side effects of drugs like detomidine without affecting sedation.
The purpose was to evaluate if vatinoxan can prevent or alleviate detomidine-induced ophthalmic changes in healthy horses.
Study Design and Methods
Seven healthy horses without known eye disease participated in a randomized, masked two-period crossover study spaced by at least 7 days.
Each horse received two treatments in random order:
Detomidine alone (DET) at 20 μg/kg IV
Detomidine plus vatinoxan (DET-VAT) at doses of 20 μg/kg and 200 μg/kg IV respectively
A bilateral palpebral nerve block with lidocaine was applied before data collection to reduce blinking interference.
Outcome measures were taken on different eyes for clarity:
Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in the left eye at multiple intervals up to 25 minutes post-treatment.
Tear production was assessed in the right eye using the Schirmer tear test-1 (STT).
Vertical pupil diameter (VPD) was also measured in the right eye.
Statistical tests used included:
Student’s t-test for comparing IOP and VPD
Wilcoxon Rank Sum test for STT data
Holm-Bonferroni method for post hoc adjustment of multiple comparisons
Results
Intraocular Pressure (IOP):
IOP was significantly lower after detomidine alone (mean 15.7 mmHg) compared to detomidine with vatinoxan (mean 16.9 mmHg), indicating that vatinoxan mitigated the IOP decrease caused by detomidine.
IOP remained significantly below baseline for the entire 25 minutes after detomidine alone.
For the combination treatment (DET-VAT), changes in IOP compared to baseline were not statistically significant, implying vatinoxan prevented sustained IOP reduction.
Tear Production (STT):
STT values increased over time after both treatments, showing increased tear production.
After DET, median STT rose from 17 mm/min at baseline to 24 mm/min at 25 min.
After DET-VAT, STT increased from 18 mm/min to 30 mm/min at 25 min.
Both increases were statistically significant (p = 0.022).
Vertical Pupil Diameter (VPD):
No significant changes from baseline were observed in either treatment group.
Suggests neither detomidine nor the addition of vatinoxan affected pupil size in this short-term period.
Conclusions
Vatinoxan effectively counteracted the early decrease in intraocular pressure typically seen with detomidine sedation in healthy horses.
Both treatments increased tear production, which may be relevant for maintaining eye moisture during sedation.
Pupil diameter remained stable, indicating no acute impact on pupil size from these sedation protocols.
This suggests that vatinoxan could be a useful adjunct to improve ophthalmic safety during equine sedation with detomidine by preserving normal eye pressure.
Cite This Article
APA
Mustikka MP, Karikoski NP, Raekallio MR, Teppo ES, Pot SA, Honkavaara J.
(2026).
The Early Ophthalmic Effects of Vatinoxan in Healthy Detomidine-Sedated Horses.
Vet Ophthalmol, 29(4), e70206.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vop.70206
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