Theophylline does not potentiate the effects of a low dose of dexamethasone in horses with recurrent airway obstruction.
Abstract: Theophylline has been shown to have corticosteroid-sparing effects for the treatment of human asthma. A similar effect, if present in horses, would allow diminishing the dose of corticosteroids administered to equine patients with inflammatory airway diseases. Objective: To evaluate whether theophylline potentiates the effects of a low dose of dexamethasone when treating horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Objective: Theophylline has steroid-sparing effects in horses with RAO. Methods: Ten mature mixed breed horses in clinical exacerbation of RAO were studied. Using an incomplete crossover design and 3 experimental periods of 7 days duration, horses were distributed randomly in 5 treatment groups; and administered dexamethasone s.i.d., at either 0.05 mg/kg bwt i.v. or per os, or 0.02 mg/kg bwt alone or combined with theophylline at 5 mg/kg bwt per os b.i.d. A fifth group was treated with theophylline alone at the above dosage. Lung function was evaluated prior to drug administration and then 3 and 7 days later. Results: Oral administration of dexamethasone alone or combined with theophylline failed to improve lung function significantly in RAO affected horses. Theophylline alone also failed to improve lung function in all treated horses. Conversely, dexamethasone administration at 0.05 mg/kg bwt i.v. resulted in a significant improvement in lung function starting on Day 3. Conclusions: Oral theophylline for 7 days did not improve the effects of a low dose of dexamethasone for the treatment of horses with RAO.
Publication Date: 2006-11-28 PubMed ID: 17124849DOI: 10.2746/042516407x153048Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
Summary
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The research article focuses on understanding whether theophylline, a drug used to treat respiratory diseases, can enhance the effects of a low dosage of dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, in treating horses suffering from recurrent airway obstruction (RAO).
Objectives and Methods
The study investigates if theophylline has corticosteroid-sparing effects in horses similar to how it behaves in the treatment of human asthma. The issue at hand is relevant as such an effect would allow the reduction in corticosteroid doses administered in cases of inflammatory airway diseases in horses.
- Ten mature mixed breed horses showing clinical signs of RAO were chosen for the study.
- An incomplete crossover design was employed, comprising of three experimental periods that lasted for seven days each.
- The horses were randomly distributed into five treatment groups and subjected to different treatments, where some received dexamethasone alone, others were given dexamethasone combined with theophylline, while another group was treated with theophylline alone.
- Each horse’s lung function was evaluated before and after drug administration, i.e., on the third day and the seventh day post-treatment initiation.
Results and Conclusions
The outcomes of the research provided interesting observations.
- Neither the oral administration of dexamethasone on its own nor in combination with theophylline led to any significant improvement in lung function among horses affected by RAO.
- Theophylline administered separately couldn’t make a positive impact on the animals’ lung function.
- On a contrasting note, dexamethasone, if administered intravenously at 0.05 mg/kg bwt, was effective in improving lung function starting from the third day onwards.
The findings suggested that administering theophylline orally for seven days did not enhance the effects of a low dose of dexamethasone while treating horses with recurrent airway obstruction.
Cite This Article
APA
Cesarini C, Hamilton E, Picandet V, Lavoie JP.
(2006).
Theophylline does not potentiate the effects of a low dose of dexamethasone in horses with recurrent airway obstruction.
Equine Vet J, 38(6), 570-573.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516407x153048 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Département des Sciences Cliniques, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, CP 5000, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S7C6, Canada.
MeSH Terms
- Administration, Oral
- Animals
- Bronchodilator Agents / therapeutic use
- Cross-Over Studies
- Dexamethasone / therapeutic use
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Female
- Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Injections, Intravenous / veterinary
- Lung Diseases, Obstructive / drug therapy
- Lung Diseases, Obstructive / veterinary
- Male
- Recurrence
- Theophylline / therapeutic use
- Time Factors
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Mainguy-Seers S, Lavoie JP. Glucocorticoid treatment in horses with asthma: A narrative review. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jul;35(4):2045-2057.
- de Wasseige S, Picotte K, Lavoie JP. Nebulized dexamethasone sodium phosphate in the treatment of horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2021 May;35(3):1604-1611.
- Orard M, Hue E, Couroucé A, Bizon-Mercier C, Toquet MP, Moore-Colyer M, Couëtil L, Pronost S, Paillot R, Demoor M, Richard EA. The influence of hay steaming on clinical signs and airway immune response in severe asthmatic horses. BMC Vet Res 2018 Nov 15;14(1):345.
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