Assistant Professor University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Abstract:
Background: In critically ill humans with sepsis, trauma, ischemia/reperfusion, and prolonged hyperglycemia, often lead to diffuse glycocalyx alterations that are linked to endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) information in healthy horses or horses with colitis is lacking.
Objective: Determine the blood concentrations of EG degradation markers in healthy horses and horses with colitis. Animals: 19 healthy horses and 70 horses with acute colitis (52 survivors and 18 non-survivors).
Methods: Prospective case control study. Serum heparan sulfate (HS), syndecan-1 (Syn-1), and Angiopoeitin-2 (Ang-2) concentrations were determined on admission and compared among groups. Horses were classified as SIRS and non-SIRS based on alterations in body temperature, heart and respiratory rate and total white blood cells.
Results: Serum Ang-2 concentrations were significantly higher in colitis (n=23; 820 pg/ml, 476 – 1562) than healthy (n=9; 502 pg/ml, 370 – 534) horses (P=0.04). Serum HS concentrations were numerically, but not statistically, higher in colitis (n=70, median: 32 ng/ml, range: 21 – 45) than healthy (n=19; 23 ng/ml, 10– 42] horses (P=0.06). Serum concentrations of EG degradation markers were not significantly different in surviving and non-surviving horses with colitis or SIRS and non-SIRS horses (P>0.05). A significant positive correlation between HS and Syn-1 was identified in horses with colitis (r=0.37, P< 0.0001).
Conclusions: Horses with colitis had glycocalyx injury and endothelial activation biomarkers, but an association between EG degradation markers and mortality was not identified. Investigation of the impact of therapies aiming to preserve EG integrity in horses with colitis are warranted.
