Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Oxidative stress markers linked to colic type and survival in horses
By Bindi, Francesca et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Department of Veterinary Science, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of oxidative stress and antioxidant defense biomarkers in healthy and colic horses: correlation with type of colic and outcome.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A group of 61 horses suffering from colic were studied to understand how oxidative stress affects their health and survival. The research found that horses with colic had different levels of certain biomarkers compared to healthy horses. Specifically, higher levels of a biomarker called AREase were linked to better survival rates, while lower levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were associated with worse outcomes. The type of colic also mattered, with non-strangulating colic showing different biomarker patterns than strangulating colic. These findings suggest that measuring specific biomarkers could help veterinarians predict which horses are more likely to recover from colic.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Colic is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in horses, with oxidative stress implicated in its pathophysiology. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Evaluate biomarkers (BIOs) of oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in healthy horses and those with non-strangulating colic (NSC) and strangulating colic (SC) and assess correlations with survival. ANIMALS: Seventy-one adult horses: 10 healthy and 61 colic-affected (42 NSC, 19 SC) admitted to 3 veterinary teaching hospitals. METHODS: Prospective, multicenter cohort study. Blood samples were collected at admission (T0) and up to 96 h post-admission. Biomarkers measured included arylesterase (AREase), paraoxonase (POase), lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), butyrylcholinesterase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistics and generalized linear mixed models. RESULTS: Compared with healthy horses, colic-affected horses had higher AREase (P = .01), GST (P = .001), and GPx (P = .001), and lower POase (P < .001) and TAC (P = .02). Survival was associated with higher AREase (coefficient [coef.] 106.65 kU/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.70-188.60; P = .01), lower SOD (coef. -0.38 U/mL; 95%CI, -0.76 to -0.06; P = .03), and lower TAC (coef. -3.37 μmol/mL; 95%CI, -5.49 to -1.25; P = .01). Colic type also influenced results, with NSC (vs SC) associated with lower LPO (coef. -1.24 malondialdehyde [MDA]/μL; 95%CI, -2.81 to -0.32; P = .01), higher SOD (coef. 0.42; 95%CI, 0.03-0.81; P = .04), and higher TAC (coef. 1.21; 95%CI, 0.10-2.98; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Results emphasize the association between oxidative stress BIOs and colic in horses, suggesting that specific BIOs, particularly AREase, may have prognostic utility.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742576/