Luciane Maria Laskoski

Effect of passive pneumoperitoneum on oesophageal pressure, cardiovascular parameters and blood gas analysis in horses

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Standing surgical procedures are being employed to an ever-greater extent in horses. Pneumoperitoneum during abdominal surgery might adversely affect the work of breathing. OBJECTIVES To determine whether development of pneumoperitoneum during abdominal surgery adversely influences the work of breathing. METHODS Eight healthy mature horses were equipped with carotid artery and thoracic vena cava catheters and an intraluminal manometry system. The following measurements were obtained before and at +5, +10, +15 and +30 min following establishment of pneumoperitoneum by paralumbar puncture using an 8 gauge needle: vital signs, oesophageal pressure, gastric pressure, arterial and central venous blood pressures, and arterial and mixed venous blood gas analyses. RESULTS Significant changes in oesophageal pressure, central venous pressure and results of arterial and mixed venous blood gas analysis were not detected. Arterial diastolic and mean pressures and rectal temperature increased slightly (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Passive pneumoperitoneum did not adversely affect breathing mechanics or haemodynamic variables under experimental conditions. Changes in arterial pressure could have occurred as a response to the passive pneumoperitoneum or be related to handling stress. Subtle variations in rectal temperature were not clinically relevant and likely resulted from stress associated with restraint. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE It is unlikely that mature horses will develop signs of respiratory difficulty as a result of the development of passive pneumoperitoneum during standing laparoscopy.

Morphological abnormalities and apoptosis in lamellar tissue of equines after intestinal obstruction and treatment with hydrocortisone

Four experimental groups of equines were used in order to study morphological abnormalities and apoptosis in lamellar tissue. Group Cg (control) was composed of animals without any surgical procedure; group Ig (instrumented), animals that underwent enterotomy; group Tg (treated), animals that were subjected to intestinal obstruction and were treated with hydrocortisone; and group Ug (untreated), animals that were subjected to intestinal obstruction without treatment. The lamellar tissue was analyzed regarding the presence of tissue abnormalities and apoptosis. No morphological abnormalities were observed in animals of surgical groups, and no difference in apoptosis was observed between groups. It was concluded that intestinal obstruction allowed laminitis to develop, probably by systemic activation, and that the maneuvers performed in the enterotomy aggravated the process. Hydrocortisone did not aggravate the lesions of the lamellar tissue

Use of gastric balloon manometry for estimation of intra-abdominal pressure in horses

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Standing laparoscopic procedures, facilitated by abdominal insufflation with carbon dioxide, are being employed to an increasingly greater extent in horses. However, a sustained increase in abdominal pressure may be life-threatening. A practical method for intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) assessment is imperative. Although indirect methods for estimating IAP have been extensively studied in man, little work has been performed in veterinary medicine. OBJECTIVES To investigate the utility of gastric manometry for purposes of evaluating IAP in horses. METHODS Gastric pressure (P(ga) ) was estimated by balloon manometry in 8 healthy, mature horses, before and during a 30 min passive pneumoperitoneum induced by right paralumbar puncture. The balloon manometer was positioned within the gastric lumen and inflated using 2 separate volumes of air: 10 and 50 ml. P(ga) Gastric pressure was determined at baseline (0) and 5, 15 and 30 min after induction of passive pneumoperitoneum. Intra-abdominal pressure was measured directly by right paralumbar puncture using an 8 gauge needle at baseline and immediately following establishment of passive pneumoperitoneum. RESULTS Baseline IAP values were negative and increased (P≤0.05) during development of passive pneumoperitoneum. However, recorded P(ga) measurements for both inflation volumes were positive before (baseline) and during the course of the passive pneumoperitoneum. Measured P(ga) values did not correlate with IAP at any time. CONCLUSIONS AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE Our results suggest that the indirect method used in human patients for estimating IAP by P(ga) is not applicable for horses.

Alterações morfológicas de tecido laminar do casco e parâmetros clínicos e laboratoriais de equinos com síndrome cólica letal

The gastrointestinal diseases of horses are aggravated by complications such as laminitis. The laminitis etiopathogeny are connected with lamellar basement membrane degradation by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Inflammatory cytokines and leukocytes enzymes can active MMPs. The object of this study was to evaluate morphological changes on lamellar tissue of horses with colic syndrome and its association with clinical and laboratorial parameters. It was observed intensive destruction of lamellar architecture, mainly on animals with severe physical and laboratorial alterations, such as delayed capillary refill time, congested mucous membrane, tachycardia, hemoconcentration and low count of platelet and leukocytes. The results sign to the most likely moment of development of lamellar tissue injuries in horses with colic syndrome, which can be adopted preventive measures against laminitis.

Atresia anal, fístula uretrorretal congênita, bolsa escrotal acessória e pseudo-hermafroditismo em bezerro mestiço

In this study, the case of a newborn calf, which presented type 2 anal atresia, congenital urethrorectal fistula, bifid scrotum and male pseudohermafroditism is described. The main clinical sign was the elimination of feces by the prepucial ostium, an unusual finding in cases of urethrorectal fistula in male animals. Although anal atresia is relatively common in bovines, the other congenital defects found in this case are uncommon.

Expression of matrix metalloproteases-2 and -9 in horse hoof laminae after intestinal obstruction, with or without Hydrocortisone treatment

Twenty horses were used in the experiment, for composed control group, (Cg) instrumented group, (Ig;without intestinal obstruction), treated group (Tg;submitted to intestinal obstruction and hydrocortisone treatment) and non-treated group (Ntg;submitted to intestinal obstruction without treatment). Immunohistochemistry and zymography techniques were used for researches on MMPs 2 and 9 in horse hoof laminae. There was an increase in the expression of MMP-2 in animals of Tg and Ntg. MMP-9 increased on animals from groups Ntg and Ig, however there was no rise of this MMP on the Tg when compared to the other groups in the immunohistochemistry analysis. Based on the results, it was observed that the intestinal injury caused by enterotomy and intestinal obstruction raise the quantities of MMPs in the hoof laminae.

Lipocalina associada à gelatinase de neutrófilos (NGAL) e calprotectina no tecido laminar de equinos após obstrução jejunal, tratados ou não com hidrocortisona

Laminitis is a severe hoof condition in horses that may cause intense suffering. In this study, leukocyte infiltration in hoof laminar tissue was investigated in horses subject to intestinal obstruction using immunohistochemistry to detect calprotectin, and zymography to detect neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL). There were four groups: the Control Group (Gc), with seven horses, without surgical procedures; the Sham-operated Group (Gi), with five horses that were subjected to surgical procedure without intestinal obstruction; the No Treat group (Gnt), with four horses subjected to intestinal obstruction (jejunal distention using an intraluminal balloon) without treatment; and Treated group (Gt), with four horses subjected to intestinal obstruction and treated with hydrocortisone. Positive calprotectin imunostaining was detected in all experimental groups, with increase cell counts in horses of the distended group compared with the control group. NGAL expression was increased in Gd compared with Gc e Gi. The Gt did not differ from the others. In conclusion, small intestine distension can promote leukocyte infiltration in equine hoof laminar tissue, and NGAL zymography was considered a useful method for leukocyte tissue detection in horses. New studies will be conducted to verify the possible beneficial anti-inflammatory effects of hydrocortisone in hoof of horses with intestinal obstruction.