The opioid haemorphin-7 in horses during low-speed and high-speed treadmill exercise to fatigue.
Abstract: The opioid neuropeptide haemorphin-7 was measured, by immunoreactivity, in Standardbred horses during low-speed (7 m/s) and high-speed (10 m/s) endurance exercises, lasting 49-58 and 12-16 min respectively. In parallel, heart rate, muscle temperature and plasma lactate concentrations were measured. The profile of the low-speed exercise showed significantly increased heart rate after 10 min [154 beats per minute (bpm)]. After the exercise, muscle temperature (42.1 degrees C) and plasma lactate (4.8 mmol/l) were significantly increased. The profile of the high-speed exercise was comparatively characterized by a higher increase of heart rate after 5 min (194 bpm) and higher increases of muscle temperature (43.2 degrees C) and lactate levels (15.8 mmol/l) after the exercise. The horses were probably exhausted by glycogen depletion in the low-speed exercise and by muscle pH decrease in the high-speed exercise. Haemorphin-7 increased significantly during the high-speed exercise (274.8 fmol/ml) but not during low speed (108.3 fmol/ml), coincident with the results of lactate. These results suggest that plasma haemorphin-7 is measurable in the horse by immunoreactivity, and that intense exercise stimulates release of this opioid. Such endogenous opioids are most likely involved in regulatory functions associated with pain, physical effort, inflammation, and blood pressure variation in horses, as have been established in other species.
Publication Date: 2005-05-11 PubMed ID: 15882399DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0442.2005.00712.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study investigates the changes in the levels of the opioid neuropeptide haemorphin-7 in Standardbred horses during low and high speed endurance exercises. It found that intense exercise stimulates the release of this opioid, which is likely involved in regulating pain, physical effort, inflammation, and blood pressure variation in horses.
Exercise Parameters and Observations
- Horses were subjected to two different endurance exercises, one at low speed (7 m/s) lasting 49-58 minutes and another at high speed (10 m/s) lasting 12-16 minutes.
- During both exercises, heart rate, muscle temperature, and plasma lactate concentrations were measured.
- In the low-speed exercise, there was a notable increase in heart rate after just 10 mins, measuring at 154 bpm. After the exercise, muscle temperature and plasma lactate had increased significantly.
- On the other hand, during high-speed exercise, researchers noticed an even higher increase in heart rate – 194 bpm after just 5 mins; muscle temperature and plasma lactate also showed higher increases post-exercise.
Probable Causes of Fatigue
- The fatigue the horses experienced during the low-speed exercise was probably due to glycogen depletion while it was likely due to a decrease in muscle pH during the high-speed exercise.
Haemorphin-7 Levels
- Haemorphin-7 levels showed significant increase during the high-speed exercise (measured at 274.8 fmol/ml) whereas there was no significant change during the low-speed exercise (measured at 108.3 fmol/ml).
- The changes were concurrent with the results of lactate levels. This implies that intense exercise could stimulate the release of haemorphin-7.
- Haemorphin-7, an endogenous opioid, is likely connected with regulatory functions associated with pain, physical effort, inflammation, and blood pressure variation in horses. This has been observed in other species as well.
Significance of the Study
- This research is important because it suggests that plasma haemorphin-7 is measurable in horses by immunoreactivity, providing a valuable tool for further investigations into the physiological responses of horses (and possibly other animals) to physical exertion.
- Understanding the regulatory functions of endogenous opioids like haemorphin-7 could have implications in managing pain, effort, inflammation, and blood pressure in animals, particularly those subjected to high levels of physical activity.
Cite This Article
APA
Collinder E, Nyberg F, Sanderson-Nydahl K, Gottlieb-Vedi M, Lindholm A.
(2005).
The opioid haemorphin-7 in horses during low-speed and high-speed treadmill exercise to fatigue.
J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med, 52(4), 162-165.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0442.2005.00712.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 16, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. eje.collinder@mtc.ki.se
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Female
- Heart Rate / physiology
- Hemoglobins
- Horses / blood
- Horses / physiology
- Lactic Acid / blood
- Male
- Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
- Opioid Peptides / blood
- Peptide Fragments / blood
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Gomes I, Dale CS, Casten K, Geigner MA, Gozzo FC, Ferro ES, Heimann AS, Devi LA. Hemoglobin-derived peptides as novel type of bioactive signaling molecules.. AAPS J 2010 Dec;12(4):658-69.
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