The influence of exercise on serum enzyme levels in the horse.

The research study explored how strenuous exercise affects serum enzyme levels in horses and found that certain enzyme levels increased post-exercise and normalized within 72 hours, suggesting physical exercise influences cell membrane’s permeability.

Study Methodology

• The study was conducted on a group of clinically normal horses which were subjected to controlled strenuous exercise.
• The researchers then monitored the serum enzyme levels of these horses specifically looking at lactic dehydrogenase, aldolase, creatine kinase, and serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase.
• The researchers also conducted a test where prednisolone was administered to the horses before exercising.

Study Findings

• Post-exercise, the researchers observed elevated serum concentrations of lactic dehydrogenase, aldolase, and creatine kinase. These elevations, however, didn’t significantly change the level of serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase.
• These changes in enzyme levels decreased with repeated exposure to exercise suggesting that these changes could serve as a measure of fitness in horses, particularly the creatine kinase levels.
• Administering prednisolone to the horses before exercising also reduced these enzymatic changes.
• The serum enzyme concentrations returned to normal within 72 hours after exercising. The researchers hypothesized that this was due to a temporary selective change in the cell membrane permeability and not due to tissue necrosis as the cytoplasmic enzyme glutamic oxalacetic transaminase was not released from the tissues.

Conclusion and Implications

• The findings of this research suggested that strenuous exercise caused temporary increases in certain serum enzyme levels in horses and this change was related to a selective alteration in cell membrane permeability rather than tissue damage.
• This discovery of elevated enzyme levels following exercise could be a crucial metric for assessing fitness levels in horses and understanding physical impacts on them for better healthcare and training strategies.