The combination of trailer transport and exercise increases gastrointestinal permeability and markers of systemic inflammation in horses

Background 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 whi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Equine veterinary journal 2023-09, Vol.55 (5), p.853-861
Main Authors: McGilloway, Melissa, Manley, Shannon, Aho, Alyssa, Heeringa, Keisha N., Lou, Yanping, Squires, Eli James, Pearson, Wendy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biomarkers
Cross-Over Studies
Horse Diseases
Horses
Inflammation - veterinary
Iohexol
Lipopolysaccharides
Permeability
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Summary:Background 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. Objectives 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. Study design Controlled, randomised and cross‐over study. Methods 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. Results 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 
ISSN:0425-1644
2042-3306
DOI:10.1111/evj.13888