A one-health approach to identifying and mitigating the impact of endocrine disorders on human and equine athletes

Abstract

Endocrinopathies affect multiple species in ever-increasing percentages of their populations, creating an opportunity to apply one-health approaches to determining creative preventative measures and therapies in athletes. Obesity and alterations in insulin and glucose dynamics are medical concerns that play a role in whole-body health and homeostasis in both horses and humans. The role and impact of endocrine disorders on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems are of particular interest to the athlete. Elucidation of both physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in disease processes, starting in utero, is important for development of prevention and treatment strategies for the health and well-being of all species. This review focuses on the unrecognized effects of endocrine disorders associated with the origins of metabolic disease; inflammation at the intersection of endocrine disease and related diseases in the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems; novel interventions; and diagnostics that are informed via multiomic and one-health approaches. Readers interested in further details on specific equine performance conditions associated with endocrine disease are invited to read the companion Currents in One Health by Manfredi et al, JAVMA, February 2023.

Equine Endothelial Cells Show Pro-Angiogenic Behaviours in Response to Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 but Not Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

“…This process is important for normal tissue maintenance and repair and is disordered in disease states where endothelial dysfunction is prevalent [ 1 ]. Despite growing interest in the horse as a large animal model for a range of diseases, including various musculoskeletal conditions [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ], neoplasia [ 6 ], cardiac disease [ 7 ], retinal disease [ 8 ], pulmonary conditions [ 9 , 10 ], endocrinopathies [ 11 ], and Raynaud’s disease [ 12 ], and the recognition that this species has utility for investigating wound healing [ 13 ], regenerative medicine [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], reproductive [ 17 ], immunological [ 18 ], and stem cell [ 16 ] research, alongside the horse’s extreme athletic ability [ 19 ], equine EC biology has received minimal scientific attention.…”