Characterization of the inflammatory response to anthelmintic treatment of ponies with cyathostominosis

• Published in: The veterinary journal (1997) 2013-11, Vol.198 (2), p.457-462
• Main Authors: Nielsen, Martin K., Betancourt, Alejandra, Lyons, Eugene T., Horohov, David W., Jacobsen, Stine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute-Phase Proteins - genetics; Acute-Phase Proteins - metabolism; amyloid; Animals; Anthelmintic; anti-inflammatory activity; Antinematodal Agents - immunology; Antinematodal Agents - pharmacology; Benzimidazoles - immunology; Benzimidazoles - pharmacology; blood serum; Cyathostomin; Cyathostominae; Cytokines - genetics; Cytokines - metabolism; drugs; edema; fecal egg count; Feces - parasitology; Female; fibrinogen; Gene Expression Regulation; genes; haptoglobins; hematology; Horse; Horse Diseases - blood; Horse Diseases - drug therapy; Horse Diseases - immunology; Horses; Inflammation; interferon-gamma; interleukins; iron; large intestine; Macrolides - immunology; Macrolides - pharmacology; Male; moxidectin; mucosa; necrosis; oxibendazole; parasites; protein depletion; pyrantel; Pyrantel Pamoate - immunology; Pyrantel Pamoate - pharmacology; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; Strongyle; Strongylida Infections - blood; Strongylida Infections - drug therapy; Strongylida Infections - immunology; Strongylida Infections - veterinary; Strongyloidea - immunology; tumor necrosis factor-alpha
• ISSN: 1090-0233; 1532-2971
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.08.012

Cyathostomins can cause a severe inflammation of equine large intestine characterized by substantial ventral edema and pronounced protein loss. Anthelmintic treatment of horses can result in a localized inflammatory response in the colonic mucosa of clinically normal horses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the systemic inflammatory response of ponies naturally infected with cyathostomins to single dose representatives of three anthelmintic drug classes, namely, oxibendazole, pyrantel pamoate, and moxidectin. Thirty ponies aged between 1 and 18years of age were allocated to one of three anthelmintic treatments groups. Anthelmintic efficacy was evaluated using the fecal egg count reduction test performed weekly between 2 and 8weeks post-treatment. Inflammatory responses were evaluated on days 0, 1, 3, 5, and 14 after treatment using hematology, measurement of the acute phase inflammatory markers serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, haptoglobin, and iron, and real-time PCR measurement of expression of the genes for interleukins 1-β and −10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ. There were subtle inflammatory responses to treatment, but cytokine expression was significantly associated with the interaction term between treatment group and anthelmintic efficacy (P