Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Equine Vet J. 2023 Sep;55(5):853-861. doi: 10.1111/evj.13888. Epub 2022 Nov 9.
Leaky gut syndrome (LGS) is an idiopathic disorder characterised by alterations in intestinal permeability and low-grade systemic inflammation. Factors contributing to development of LGS are not well-understood but physiological stressors such as exercise and transport may play a role which may be of pathophysiological relevance in horses.
To characterise the combined effect of transport stress and exercise on gastrointestinal permeability, and to determine whether these effects are associated with increased inflammatory biomarkers in plasma.
Controlled, randomised and cross-over study.
Horses (n = 8 per group) were given a gastrointestinal permeability tracer (iohexol; 5.6% solution; 1 ml/kg bwt) via nasogastric entubation prior to being assigned to a stressed (EX; 1 h of trailer transport immediately followed by 30 min moderate intensity exercise; n = 4) or sedentary control (CON; n = 4) group. Plasma samples were obtained prior to iohexol administration (P1), after transport (P2), at exercise cessation (P3), and at 1 (P4), 2 (P5), 4 (P6) and 8 (P7) hours after cessation of exercise and were analysed for iohexol, inflammatory biomarkers (SAA, LPS, IFABP and LBP) and tight junction proteins (zonulin). Faecal samples were collected at times corresponding to before and after stress from both groups and analysed for zonulin. Data were analysed using a 2-way RM ANOVA.
In EX horses, a significant increase in iohexol was observed at P2 (1.5 ± 0.24 μg/ml; p = 0.03), P3 (2.1 ± 0.29 μg/ml; p < 0.001), P4 (2.1 ± 0.17 μg/ml; p < 0.001) compared with P1 (0.7 ± 0.21 μg/ml); iohexol was significantly higher in EX than CON horses at P3 (p < 0.001), P4 (p < 0.001) and P5 (p = 0.003). LPS and SAA were significantly higher in EX than CON at P4 (p < 0.001) and P6 (p = 0.04), respectively.
Data from our small sample size may not be generalisable to the larger equine population.
Combined transport and exercise increases gastrointestinal permeability and systemic SAA and LPS. The model described herein may be useful in further studies on the role of alterations in gastrointestinal permeability in equine disease.
肠漏综合征（LGS）是一种以肠道通透性改变和低度全身炎症为特征的特发性疾病。导致 LGS 发展的因素尚不清楚，但生理应激因素，如运动和运输，可能发挥作用，这在马中可能具有病理生理学意义。
描述运输应激和运动对胃肠道通透性的综合影响，并确定这些影响是否与血浆中炎症生物标志物的增加有关。
对照、随机和交叉研究。
马匹（每组 8 匹）通过鼻胃管给予胃肠道通透性示踪剂（iohexol；5.6%溶液；1ml/kg bwt），然后分配到应激组（EX；立即进行 1 小时拖车运输，然后进行 30 分钟中等强度运动；n=4）或安静对照组（CON；n=4）。在给予 iohexol 之前（P1）、运输后（P2）、运动停止时（P3）以及运动停止后 1（P4）、2（P5）、4（P6）和 8（P7）小时时采集血浆样本，并分析 iohexol、炎症生物标志物（SAA、LPS、IFABP 和 LBP）和紧密连接蛋白（zonulin）。在应激前后的相应时间从两组中采集粪便样本，并分析 zonulin。使用 2 因素 RM ANOVA 分析数据。
在 EX 马中，P2（1.5±0.24μg/ml；p=0.03）、P3（2.1±0.29μg/ml；p<0.001）和 P4（2.1±0.17μg/ml；p<0.001）时，iohexol 显著增加与 P1（0.7±0.21μg/ml）相比；与 CON 马相比，P3（p<0.001）、P4（p<0.001）和 P5（p=0.003）时，EX 马中的 iohexol 显著更高。与 CON 相比，P4（p<0.001）和 P6（p=0.04）时，LPS 和 SAA 分别在 EX 中显著升高。
我们的小样本量的数据可能不适用于更大的马种群。
运输和运动的联合增加了胃肠道通透性和全身 SAA 和 LPS。本文描述的模型可能有助于进一步研究胃肠道通透性改变在马疾病中的作用。
