Effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on horses with experimentally induced endotoxemia.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of preinduction hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in ameliorating signs of experimentally induced endotoxemia in horses.

ANIMALS

18 healthy adult horses.

PROCEDURES

Horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 equal-sized treatment groups to receive normobaric ambient air and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), HBOT and LPS, or HBOT and physiologic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Horses were physically examined, and blood was obtained for a CBC and to determine concentration or activity of plasma tissue necrosis factor-α, blood lactate, and blood glucose before the horses were treated with HBOT and then intermittently for 6 hours after administration of LPS or physiologic saline solution.

RESULTS

All LPS-treated horses developed signs and biochemical and hematologic changes consistent with endotoxemia. Treatment with HBOT significantly ameliorated the effect of LPS on clinical endotoxemia score but did not significantly improve other abnormalities associated with endotoxemia.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The protective effect of HBOT was minimal, and results did not support its use as a treatment for horses prior to development of endotoxemia.