Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience includes scientists, veterinarians, industry professionals, horse trainers, and owners. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Efforts includs experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students that work on the animal and lab work phases of the research projects.For example, undergraduate students have the ability to gain knowledge of equine research techniques, and students gain hands-on experience with horse handling, sample collection, and laboratory analyses. Graduate students involved in the studies are also obtaining specific laboratory skills relating to ELISAs in order to quantify markers of collagen synthesis, degradation, and other factors including inflammatory prostaglandins that may influence the homeostatic balance of cartilage metabolism in young horses. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Publication and presentation of findings through both scientific journals and professionalmeetings, as well as extension programs to extend knowledge to industry professionals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to investigate differing training protocols and dietary strategiesto optimize skeletal health and longevity of young horses. Prepare manuscripts for publication. Gather synovial fluid from arthritic and age-matched controls and begin cartilage marker analyses.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common conditions affecting performance and pleasure horses. Surveys estimate that up to 60% of lameness is related to OA, a progressive and permanent deterioration of articular cartilage, with effects ranging from stiffness and discomfort to pain and lameness in the horse. Horse owners list lameness as their most important health concern and it represents a major economic source of loss to the equine industry. Pharmaceutical treatments for OA are directed toward controlling the pain and inflammation associated with OA; however, long-term use of these products often have undesirable side-effects such as gastric ulceration and renal toxicity. Therefore, novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that enable early detection and potential intervention to prevent or slow the progression of the disease are a priority. Objectives: Evaluate alterations in dietary components and their effects on joint inflammation and cartilage metabolism in response to an intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Major activities completed include the investigation of dietary mineral source (organic vs. inorganic) on bone and cartilage metabolism in weanling horses challenged with an intra-articular lipopolysaccharide. Data collection included growth parameters (body weight, hip height, and wither height), blood and synovial trace mineral concentrations, as well as, synovial fluid to measure markers of inflammation and cartilage metabolism in young horses undergoing an acute, transient intra-aricular LPS challenge. Results from this study indicate the intra-articular LPS challenge was sufficient in inducing inflammation, cartilage turnover in the young horse, thus allowing for the determination of dietary impact on these synovial fluid biomarkers. Compared to inorganic mineral sources, these data suggest that supplemental intake of an organic source may support turnover of cartilage in response to an LPS challenge as evidenced by an increase in type II collagen degradation. Additional research is needed to fully understand the impact of trace minerals and their physiological role within the joint and the ability of trace mineral supplementation to delay the onset of joint disease in young horses. These data have created a change in knowledge and indicate that acute joint inflammation altered synovial fluid concentrations of trace minerals and that dietary source impacted the resulting degree of response. Thus, data reported here are a preliminary exploration and do not fully explain the potential role of complex changes of trace minerals in joint inflammation. These data ultimately provide a foundation for the development of further in-depth studies evaluating specific mechanisms regarding interaction networks of trace minerals under inflammatory conditions within the joint of the young growing horse. Determine the influence of early forced exercise and type of exercise on serum and synovial fluid biomarkers of young horses. These samples will provide insights as to the effects of conditioning on joint inflammation and cartilage/bone turnover. Major activities include the completion of a study were to determine the influence of early forced exercise and type of exercise on serum and synovial fluid biomarkers of young horses, and to provide insight into the effects of conditioning on joint inflammation and cartilage/bone turnover. Furthermore, to investigate the effects of differing conditioning programs on joint inflammation, cartilage metabolism, and bone mineralization when transitioned from a moderate to an advanced workload on a dry surface. Data collected included growth parameters (body weight, hip height, and wither height) and blood and synovial fluid. These biological samples were utilized to measure proteins indicative of joint inflammation, cartilage metabolism, and bone synthesis and breakdown. The results indicate that walking, whether in a dry or aquatic environment, is likely insufficient force to alter molecular regulation of joint metabolism. Early forced exercise, whether in a dry or aquatic environment, was beneficial in producing consistent bone metabolism, while non-exercised horses exhibited incongruent bone turnover in order to maintain a similar bone mineral density. However, there were no negative effects of buoyancy on joint development in yearling horses transitioned to an advanced workload, when water was set at 60% of wither height. The impact of this research creates a change in knowledge and a change in action surrounding the appropriate preparation of young horses for sales and competitive events. Lameness due to joint disease is both common and costly, regardless of athletic discipline. The incidence of osteoarthritis is higher in older performance horses, but damage to the joint begins in early training, often resulting in osteoarthritis as an adult. Identifying conditioning practices in young horses that lessen joint damage may help prevent osteoarthritis in the adult. Furthermore, utilizing biomarkers indicative of joint damage that can be easily measured in blood or synovial fluid could lead to early diagnosis of joint damage in young horses before catastrophic injury occurs. Compare relative time course and concentrations of biomarkers in young horses to identify a range in age in which a modification in exercise protocol may make the greatest impact to reduce the potential for musculoskeletal injuries. Major activities of this objective have centered on study design and implementation to best describe potential modifications to existing exercise protocols. While previous research has examined the use of biomarkers in serum and synovial fluid, there has not been research investigating the use of circular exercise in young horses. Data collection is scheduled for 2021. Data to be collected include blood and synovial fluid. This proposed project is innovative in its approach to examine both biochemical and physical parameters of joint damage relative to type of exercise performed. While previous research has examined the use of biomarkers in serum and synovial fluid, there has not been research investigating the use of circular exercise in young horses. The ultimate goal of this research will be to assist in preparing the equine athlete to perform to their full potential in competitive events. Evaluate the utility of metabolomic analysis as a tool for biomarker discovery in serum and synovial fluid for early OA diagnosis. Major activities of this objective have been the collection of synovial fluid from healthy and horses that have been previously diagnosed with osteoarthritis. A repository of samples are currently being generated before further statistical analysis may be completed. Furthermore, a study is being designed to test the hypothesis that osteoarthritic and healthy control horses differ with regard to serum and synovial metabolites, inflammatory lipids, and markers of cartilage metabolism. Current data collected have included radiographs, blood, and synovial fluid from mature horses with osteoarthritis as well as from age matched controls. Summary statistics are yet to be determined due to small, yet increasing sample number. Key outcomes of this research is to identify a distinct metabolomic profile of equine serum and synovial fluid that would represent a reliable and clinically-significant means to monitor the development and progression of equine osteoarthritis.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Millican, A.A., J.L. Leatherwood, J.A. Coverdale, C.E. Arnold, A.N. Bradbery, C.K. Larson, E.D. Lamprecht, S.H. White, C.B. Paulk, T.H. Welsh, Jr., and T.A. Wickersham. 2020. Evaluation of a dietary trace mineral source supplementation in young horses challenged with intra-articular lipopolysaccharide. Trans. Anim. Sci. 4(2):1-16.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Silvers, B.L., J.L. Leatherwood, C.E. Arnold, B.D. Nielsen, C.J. Huseman, B.J. Dominguez, K.G. Glass, R.E. Martinez, M.L. Much, A.N. Bradbery. 2020. Effects of aquatic conditioning on bone and cartilage metabolism in young horses. J. Anim. Sci. 98(8):1-10.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Silvers, B.L., J.L. Leatherwood, B.D. Nielsen, C.E. Arnold, B.J. Dominguez, K.G. Glass, C.J. Huseman, M.L. Much, R.M. Martinez, and A.N. Bradbery. 2020. Effects of aquatic conditioning on cartilage and bone metabolism in young horses. Proc. Am. Assoc. Equine Pract. 66(332-333).
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