The effect of neomycin on the kidney function of the horse.

The research investigates the impact of neomycin, a form of medication, on the kidney function of horses and concludes that it doesn’t harm the kidney function.

Research Design and Methodology

• The study involved a total of twelve horses which were randomly divided into three groups, each containing four horses. The grouping strategy was designed to facilitate controlled observations under varied conditions.
• The first group was treated with a dose of 10 mg/kg of neomycin twice a day for a total of 15 days before being euthanised. The kidney and liver samples were then examined, but no notable histopathological changes were observed.
• The second group was treated the same way as the first group with the dose of neomycin. Group three was used as a control group. Blood samples were taken from both neomycin treated and control horses at 8.00h and 20.00h daily. This repetitive routine enabled the researchers to monitor and track any alterations or trends over the course of treatment.

Key Findings

• The kidney functionality markers: serum creatinine, potassium, sodium and urinary creatinine remained consistent throughout the experimentation process.
• A notable change was observed on the 6th day of treatment where plasma urea decreased significantly to 5.6 +/- 2.0 mmol/L as compared with controls which was 8.0 +/- 2 mmol/L. This could imply a potential alteration in the horse’s metabolism or ability to regulate nitrogen waste due to the treatment.
• The Urinary excretion of Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) which could indicate liver disease or damage to the bile ducts, increased significantly on the third day of treatment and remained elevated throughout the entire experiment. This might suggest neomycin could have side effects on the liver or bile ducts.
• The (GGT)/(Cr)u ratio, a marker for certain types of liver diseases, also increased significantly on the 9th day of treatment and remained elevated for six days after treatment, which again suggests potential damage to the liver.
• Despite these changes, the research concluded that in the doses used for the study, neomycin did not present a harmful effect on the kidney function of the horses. The researchers also found that neomycin kinetics remained consistent during the treatment.