Summer pastures appear to induce metabolic responses in some ponies, leading to expression of the prelaminitic phenotype, which includes hypertension as well as insulin resistance. Signs of this metabolic syndrome may not be apparent in affected ponies during periods of grazing winter pasture. Understanding this syndrome may enable improved countermeasures to be devised to prevent laminitis.

Nonobese ponies predisposed to develop laminitis had compensated insulin resistance, and this phenotype was revealed by feeding plant fructan carbohydrate or by dexamethasone administration.

BackgroundTo date, risk factors for equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) have not been described in Thoroughbred racehorses.ObjectivesTo determine management factors associated with EGGD, identify clinical signs in affected horses, and compare these to equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD).AnimalsThe study was carried out on 109 Thoroughbred racehorses from 8 training yards (3 in the United Kingdom and 5 in Australia).MethodsGastroscopic examination alongside a questionnaire regarding management, feeding, exercise, and health.ResultsManagement factors and clinical signs were different for EGGD versus ESGD. Exercising ≥5 days per week was associated with a 10.4 times (95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.34‐26.9) increased risk of EGGD. Horses racing below expectation were 3.7 times (95% CI: 1.1‐16.7) more likely to have EGGD. Trainer was also identified as a risk factor for EGGD. Time in work ≤6 weeks was associated with a decreased risk of ESGD (odds ratio [OR] 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1‐0.99). Horses aggressive to humans were less likely to have ESGD (OR 0.12; 95% CI: 0.03‐0.54). Horses with stereotypies were more likely to have ESGD (OR 5.0; 95% CI: 1.6‐15.9).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe findings of our study further support the notion that EGGD should be considered as a distinct disease entity to ESGD. Exercising ≤4 days per week could reduce the risk of EGGD. Horses with EGGD are more likely to perform below expectation and, as such, EGGD might be performance limiting in some affected individuals. Stress minimization could reduce the risk of EGGD.

Summary Background Previous studies have demonstrated a poor response to healing of gastric glandular lesions with oral omeprazole and other medications. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of two novel treatments (misoprostol [M] and combined omeprazole‐sucralfate [OS]) in horses for gastric glandular disease. Study design Prospective, clinical study. Methods Sixty‐three sports horses with grade >1/4 glandular disease were identified by gastroscopy. Horses received either 5 μg/kg of misoprostol per os BID 1 h prior to feeding or a combination of 4 mg/kg enteric coated omeprazole per os SID and 12 mg/kg sucralfate per os BID where drugs were given 1 h prior to feeding and sucralfate given 60 min after omeprazole; allocation was dependent upon centre. Gastroscopy was repeated at 28–35 days. Evaluators of the gastroscopy images were blinded to the treatments the horses received and images were reviewed independently. Results The most common presenting sign in both treatment groups was poor performance (Overall – 65.1%; M – 60.5% and OS – 75%). Overall healing (P<0.001; OR = 11 [2.8–45]) and improvement (P = 0.006; OR = 11 [1.9–59]) of lesions were associated with resolution of clinical signs. Misoprostol was shown to be superior to combined omeprazole‐sucralfate both for healing (M – 72% [95% CI 43–67] and OS – 20% [95% CI 7–41]; P<0.001) and improvement (M – 98% [95% CI 90–100] and OS – 65% [95% CI 43–83]; P<0.001). Main limitations Relatively small, clinical study, reliance on client questionnaire data, clients not blinded to the treatments the horse received, diet could have affected drug pharmacodynamics although mimics clinical practice and no validated scoring system available for glandular lesions. Conclusions These results suggest that gastric glandular disease does indeed result in clinical signs. In this population of horses, misoprostol was superior to omeprazole and sucralfate and warrants further evaluation in a large scale, multi‐centre trial.

LGD-4033 is one of a number of selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) that are being developed by the pharmaceutical industry to provide the therapeutic benefits of anabolic androgenic steroids, without the less desirable side effects.Though not available therapeutically, SARMs are available for purchase online as supplement products. The potential for performance enhancing effects associated with these products makes them a significant concern with regards to doping control in sports. The purpose of this study was to investigate the metabolism of LGD-4033 in the horse following oral administration, in order to identify the most appropriate analytical targets for doping control laboratories. LGD-4033 was orally administered to two Thoroughbred horses and urine, plasma and hair samples were collected and analysed for parent drug and metabolites. LC-HRMS was used for metabolite identification in urine and plasma. Eight metabolites were detected in urine, five of which were excreted only as phase II conjugates, with the longest detection time being observed for di-and tri-hydroxylated metabolites. The parent compound could only be detected in urine in the conjugated fraction. Seven metabolites were detected in plasma along with the parent compound where mono-hydroxylated metabolites provided the longest duration of detection. Preliminary investigations with hair samples using LC-MS/MS analysis indicated the presence of trace amounts of the parent compound and one of the mono-hydroxylated metabolites. In vitro incubation ofLGD-4033 with equine liver microsomes was also performed for comparison, yielding 11 phase I metabolites. All of the metabolites observed in vivo were also observed in vitro.