ABSTRACT. To evaluate clinical usefulness of xylazine (1.0 mg/kg)-midazolam (20 µg/kg)-propofol (3.0 mg/kg) anesthesia in horses, 6 adult Thoroughbred horses were examined. The quality of induction varied from poor to excellent and 5 out of 6 horses presented myotonus in the front half of the body. However, paddling immediately after induction observed in other reports of equine propofol anesthesia was not observed. Recovery time was 35.3 ± 9.3 min and the quality of recovery was calm and smooth in all horses. Respiration rate decreased after induction and hypoxemia was observed during lateral recumbency. Heart rate also decreased after induction, however mean arterial blood pressure was maintained above approximately 100 mmHg. KEY WORDS: equine, intravenous anesthesia, propofol.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 65 (7): [805][806][807][808] 2003 The intravenous anesthetic, propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) has been widely used for total intravenous anesthesia of human beings [12,20,22] and some animals [9,11,13]. The drug is characterized by short duration of action with little cumulative effects, easiness of anesthetic depth control and rapid recovery [4,12]. There is a number of reports of anesthesia using propofol also in horses [1,3,[15][16][17][18], in many of these reports, undesirable anesthesia-induction characteristics, i.e., excitement, increased muscle activities and paddling in the early recumbent phase were observed [3,[15][16][17]. For anesthesia induction in horses, safety of both personnel and horse is an important subject. Therefore, establishment of the anesthesia method without such undesirable characteristics is necessary for the clinical application of propofol to horses.In this research, midazolam, a benzodiazepine derivative, was used together with xylazine for premedication of propofol anesthesia of a horse, and the behavior of horses during anesthetic induction and recovery and their effects on the cardiopulmonary function were characterized.Six male 2-years-old (28 ± 1 months of age) healthy Thoroughbred horses trained for rearing weighing 469 ± 24 kg were used. Horses were fasted for 12 hr before anesthesia and freely given water. The experiments were conducted according to the guidelines established by the Experimental Animal Committee, Japan Racing Association.Five min after premedication with xylazine (1.0 mg/kg; Celactar, Bayer, Tokyo, Japan) follwed by midazolam (20 µg/kg; Dormicum, Yamanouchi, Tokyo, Japan) 10 min later, horses received a 3 min in duration intravenous injection of 1% propofol (3.0 mg/kg; Rapinovet, Mallinckrodt Veterinary, Mundelein, U.S.A.) solution.Horses were restrained by a swing-door induction system and propofol was administred. After the horses attained a sternal recumbency, the swing-door was opened and horses were turned to lateral recumbency. Following endotracheal intubation, horses were transported to the recovery room by hoist. In the recovery room, horses were placed in right lateral recumbency on a mat and spontaneously inhaled room air. After appearance of the ...

The effect of several vitamin K homologs on plasma vitamin K concentration was determined to assess their potential as a vitamin K supplement for adult horses. Sixteen Thoroughbred horses consisting of 8 mares and 8 geldings, aged 8.4 ± 3.6 yr and weighing 520.8 ± 36.1 kg, were allocated to 4 groups (n = 4). Each group was given phylloquinone, menaquinone-4, or menadione at 58 µmol/d, or no vitamin K supplement for 7 d. Plasma samples were collected before feeding, and 2, 4, and 8 h after feeding on d 7, and plasma concentrations of phylloquinone and menaquinone-4 were determined. Plasma phylloquinone concentration was greater in the phylloquinone group than in the other groups (P < 0.001). The phylloquinone concentration quadratically increased (P < 0.001) after feeding in the phylloquinone group but no changes in the plasma phylloquinone concentration were observed after feeding in the other groups. Plasma menaquinone-4 concentration was greater (P < 0.001) in the menadione group than the other groups, including the menaquinone-4 group. Menaquinone-4 concentration did not change (P = 0.192) after feeding in each group. Menaquinone-4 has been considered the most potent vitamin K homolog for bone metabolism; therefore, the present experiment indicates that menadione is a good source of vitamin K for bone health in horses because it is the only vitamin K homolog that increased the plasma concentrations of menaquinone-4.

The distribution and relative frequency Qf gut endQcrine cells were studied in nectarivorous bats ， Anoura caudifer and frugi − nectarivorous bats ， Carollia perspicillata by immunohistochemistry ， Five kinds of endocrine cells immunoreactive for either serotonin ， somatostatin ， gastrin ， enteroglucagon or bovine pancreatic polypeptide(BPP) ，were observed in the stomach ． Serotonin − inlmunoreactive (IR)cells were abundant in the cardiac ， fundic and pyloric glands， whereas gastrin − IR cells were very numerous and somatostatin ・ ・ IR cel 工 s were abundant in the pyloric glands ． A few enteroglucagon − and BPP − IR cells were found only in the fundic and cardiac glands， respectively ． In addition to the five immunoreactive cell types observed in the stomach ， endocrine cells immunoreactive for motilin ， ga＄tric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and neurotensin were detected in the intestine ． SerotQnin ． ． IR ce11s were most abundant a1Dng the Iength of the intestine ． Serotonin − ， sQmatostatin − ， gastrin − and BPP − IR cells also were found in Brunner ' s glands ． Key Words ： gut endocrine cell， digestlve tract ， lmmunohistochemistry ， PhyllQstomid bats ， Chiroptera 125