Patton Molly E, Andrews Frank M, Bogers Sophie H, Wong David, McKenzie Harold C, Werre Stephen R, Byron Christopher R
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2023 Aug 4;13(15):2518. doi: 10.3390/ani13152518.
Ileus is a common life-threatening problem in horses, and currently available treatments may be ineffective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether bit chewing, a form of sham feeding, decreases the gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and total orocecal transit time (OCTT) in clinically normal horses in a prospective crossover study. Nine healthy horses were acclimated and fed a standardized diet. Following 24 h of fasting, self-contained video endoscopy capsules and acetaminophen were administered into the stomach via a nasogastric tube. Each horse underwent experimental (bit chewing for 20 min every 6 h) or control (no bit chewing) conditions, with a 3-week minimum washout period between conditions. The horses were enrolled in either part of the study until all video capsules were retrieved and/or 30 days lapsed. The video capsules were recovered from manure, and GET, SITT, and OCTT were determined from a video analysis. Bit chewing significantly decreased OCTT ( = 0.015) compared to the control conditions. Bit chewing decreased GET and SITT, but the differences were not significant. The mean (median) times determined via the video capsule analysis for the bit-chewing conditions were as follows: GET, 2.34 h (2.86 h); SITT, 3.22 h (3.65 h); and OCTT, 5.13 h (6.15 h), and for the control conditions, they were as follows: GET, 3.93 h (5 h); SITT, 3.79 h (4.4 h); and OCTT, 8.02 h (9.92 h). Bit chewing decreased OCTT in healthy horses. Because this segment of the gastrointestinal tract is frequently affected by ileus, bit chewing may be a safe and inexpensive intervention for that condition in horses. Further investigation in clinical patients with ileus is warranted.
肠梗阻是马匹常见的危及生命的问题，目前可用的治疗方法可能无效。本研究的目的是在前瞻性交叉研究中，确定咀嚼衔铁（一种假饲形式）是否能缩短临床正常马匹的胃排空时间（GET）、小肠转运时间（SITT）以及总口腔至盲肠转运时间（OCTT）。九匹健康马匹进行了适应期并给予标准化饮食。禁食24小时后，通过鼻胃管将自带视频内镜胶囊和对乙酰氨基酚注入胃内。每匹马分别接受实验条件（每6小时咀嚼衔铁20分钟）或对照条件（不咀嚼衔铁），两种条件之间至少有3周的洗脱期。马匹参与研究的任意一部分，直至所有视频胶囊被取出和/或30天过去。从粪便中回收视频胶囊，并通过视频分析确定GET、SITT和OCTT。与对照条件相比，咀嚼衔铁显著缩短了OCTT（P = 0.015）。咀嚼衔铁使GET和SITT缩短，但差异不显著。通过视频胶囊分析确定的咀嚼衔铁条件下的平均（中位数）时间如下：GET为2.34小时（2.86小时）；SITT为3.22小时（3.65小时）；OCTT为5.13小时（6.15小时），对照条件下的时间如下：GET为3.93小时（5小时）；SITT为3.79小时（4.4小时）；OCTT为8.02小时（9.92小时）。咀嚼衔铁可缩短健康马匹的OCTT。由于胃肠道的这一部分经常受肠梗阻影响，咀嚼衔铁可能是马匹该病症的一种安全且廉价的干预措施。有必要对肠梗阻临床患者进行进一步研究。
