Projects
Can iso-PGs indicate the need for surgery and predict survival in colic horses?
Colic or abdominal pain is one of the most common and potentially devastating conditions encountered by equine veterinarians. The most severe triggers of colic can be caused by impaired intestinal perfusion resulting in inflammation that is characterised by oxidative stress and increased production of isoprostanes. In some cases, surgical intervention may ultimately be curative but may be delayed because of a lack of accurate diagnostic tests. The delay of surgery may lead to even more severe illness. In other cases of colic, surgery may be unnecessary, and the onset of postoperative complications can be devastating and expensive. For this reason, reliable indicators (biomarkers) of intestinal injury are needed to objectively predict the need for exploratory abdominal surgery.
This research will consider if isoprostanes can serve as a biomarker (indicator) for surgical intervention in horses with colic and serve potentially as a future therapeutic target to minimise bowel damage secondary to perfusion impairment and to prevent potential sequalas as re-perfusion injury and laminitis, the second highest mortality factor of horses after colic.
This research will consider if isoprostanes can serve as a biomarker (indicator) for surgical intervention in horses with colic and serve potentially as a future therapeutic target to minimise bowel damage secondary to perfusion impairment and to prevent potential sequalas as re-perfusion injury and laminitis, the second highest mortality factor of horses after colic.
