Use of serial laminar tissue collection via biopsy in conscious healthy horses.

The research involves exploring the potential of performing multiple laminar and skin biopsies on sedated horses and evaluating if such a process influences nearby tissues.

Research Methodology

• The research was executed on six healthy, conscious horses that were sedated and provided with regional anesthesia. The conscious state was maintained so as to replicate real-world scenarios and thus ensure the applicability of the experiment.
• Laminar tissues were harvested via biopsy from the hoof wall of the horse. Eight specimens were collected at four different times within a day from a single hoof. Such a method allows for the observation of the immediate effects of the biopsy on the tissue, and monitoring these effects periodically over a day.
• The biopsy involved using a 6-mm-diameter biopsy punch to bore through the horny corium portion of the hoof wall, down to the stratum medium, a particular section of the hoof. Skin biopsy specimens were meanwhile collected from an area proximal, or closer, to the coronary band, an area near the top of the horse’s hoof.
• All collected tissues were then examined under a microscope. Simultaneously, total RNA was extracted and quantified to understand the cellular behavior in response to the biopsy. Furthermore, the expression analysis of two housekeeping genes and the inflammatory mediator cyclooxygenase-2 was performed.

Research Findings

• Laminar and skin biopsies provided suitable specimens for both histological examination and gene expression evaluation. This chemistry-based analysis helped to determine any alterations or damage at the cellular level due to the biopsy.
• There was no extension of inflammation or damage to adjacent tissues over the 24-hour studied period. The judgment was performed through histologic findings and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. As inflammation is one of the body’s responses to injury, its absence indicates that the tissue was not adversely impacted by the biopsy.
• Lameness and discomfort caused by the biopsy was minimal, proving the procedure to be relatively non-intrusive and feasible for use in real-world scenarios.

Conclusion

• Based on the research findings, laminar biopsy is concluded to be a satisfactory methodology for collecting tissue samples from horses. Its added benefit is that it allows serial sampling of individual horses, thereby offering a versatile tool for researchers and veterinarians.