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The Veterinary record2021; 188(9); e82; doi: 10.1002/vetr.82

Towards an improved pain assessment in castrated horses using facial expressions (HGS) and circulating miRNAs.

Abstract: Pain in horses is an emergent welfare concern, and its assessment represents a challenge for equine clinicians. This study aimed at improving pain assessment in horses through a convergent validation of existing tools: we investigated whether an effective analgesic treatment influences the horse grimace scale (HGS) and the concentration of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs). Eleven stallions underwent routine surgical castration under general anaesthesia. They were divided into two analgesic treatment groups: castration with the administration of preoperative flunixin and castration with preoperative flunixin plus a local injection of mepivacaine into the spermatic cords. HGS and levels of seven circulating miRNAs were evaluated pre-, 8 and 20 hours post-procedure. Compared to pre-castration, HGS, miR-126-5p, miR-145 and miR-let7e increased significantly in horses receiving flunixin at 8 hours post-castration (Friedman test, p < 0.05). Both behavioural and molecular changes occurred in horses receiving flunixin only, confirming that the addition of local mepivacaine is an effective analgesic treatment. Combining the use of HGS and circulating miRNAs, particularly miR-145, could be meaningful to monitor acute pain conditions in horses. Our results further validate the HGS as a method to assess acute pain in horses and point out miR-145 as a promising biomarker to identify pain.
© 2021 British Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2021-02-02 PubMed ID: 33960478DOI: 10.1002/vetr.82Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

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The research article discusses a study aimed at improving methods for assessing pain in horses after castration, by using facial expressions and levels of specific microRNAs. The findings indicated that combining these methods, in particular the monitoring of microRNA miR-145, could enhance the monitoring of acute pain in horses.

Introduction

The research presented in the article focuses on enhancing the understanding and handling of pain in horses, particularly after surgical castration. This study investigates the usage of horses’ facial expressions and the levels of specific microRNAs within the circulation as indicators of pain. It recognizes the challenges faced by equine clinicians in pain management, pivoting towards equine welfare as an emerging area of interest.

Methodology

  • The study was conducted with a group of 11 stallions that underwent routine surgical castration under general anesthesia. The horses were then divided into two groups for analgesic treatment.
  • The first group of horses underwent castration with flunixin administered before the procedure.
  • The second group received not only the preoperative flunixin but also a local injection of mepivacaine into the spermatic cords.
  • Observations were taken before, 8 hours post-castration, and 20 hours post-castration. These observations were focused on the horse grimace scale (HGS) and the levels of seven specific circulating microRNAs.

Results

  • Horses that only received flunixin exhibited notable increases in HGS scores as well as miR-126-5p, miR-145, and miR-let7e levels 8 hours post-castration.
  • Behavioural and molecular changes were noticed only in horses that received flunixin, indicating that the addition of mepivacaine serves as an effective analgesic treatment, thereby suppressing the normally expected increase in HGS and miRNA levels.
  • Therefore, it was concluded that integrating the assessment of HGS and levels of certain circulating miRNAs, namely miR-145, could result in more efficient monitoring of acute pain conditions in horses.

Conclusion

The study reignites recognition of the HGS as a useful method for assessing acute pain in horses. It also introduces miR-145 as a potential biomarker for identifying pain in horses. This effort to improve pain assessment in horses feeds into a broader consideration of enhancing equine healthcare and welfare.

Cite This Article

APA
Dalla Costa E, Dai F, Lecchi C, Ambrogi F, Lebelt D, Stucke D, Ravasio G, Ceciliani F, Minero M. (2021). Towards an improved pain assessment in castrated horses using facial expressions (HGS) and circulating miRNAs. Vet Rec, 188(9), e82. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.82

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 2042-7670
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 188
Issue: 9
Pages: e82

Researcher Affiliations

Dalla Costa, Emanuela
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Dai, Francesca
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Lecchi, Cristina
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Ambrogi, Federico
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
Lebelt, Dirk
  • Equine Research and Consulting, Sencelles, Spain.
Stucke, Diana
  • Landratsamt Ravensburg, Ravensburg, Germany.
Ravasio, Giuliano
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Ceciliani, Fabrizio
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Minero, Michela
  • Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.

MeSH Terms

  • Acute Pain / diagnosis
  • Acute Pain / etiology
  • Acute Pain / veterinary
  • Analgesics / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Circulating MicroRNA / blood
  • Facial Expression
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Orchiectomy / adverse effects
  • Orchiectomy / veterinary
  • Pain Measurement / methods
  • Pain Measurement / veterinary
  • Reproducibility of Results

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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