The effects of corticosteroid administration on the migration, phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity of equine neutrophils.

This research investigates the impact of a corticosteroid, hydrocortisone sodium succinate, on the function of neutrophils in horses. The results suggest that while the drug can increase neutrophil migration, it doesn’t affect their ability to consume and destroy harmful bacteria.

Objective of the Research

The purpose of this study was to examine how the administration of hydrocortisone sodium succinate, a type of corticosteroid, affects the functionality, specifically the movement (migration), bacteria-eating (phagocytosis), and bacteria-killing capacity of neutrophils in the immune system of horses.

Methodology

• Six clinically healthy adult horses were selected to be part of the experiment.
• The horses were given one dose of hydrocortisone sodium succinate equivalent to 1mg/kg of their body weight.
• The researchers evaluated the neutrophil functions like migration, phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity before and after 3-6 hours of administration.
• The migration study included a random migration and a stimulated migration in response to zymosan-activated serum.

Results

• After the administration of hydrocortisone sodium succinate, the mean indices of stimulated migration (including net migration and migration ratio) were significantly greater than before the administration of the corticosteroid.
• However, the corticosteroid treatment did not bring any change to the random migration, bacterial phagocytosis and the bacteria-killing capabilities of the neutrophils.

Conclusion

• This research concludes that the migration of equine neutrophils were influenced but not impaired by a dose of hydrocortisone sodium succinate.
• The corticosteroid did not impact the ability of equine neutrophils to phagocytize and eliminate the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.