Influence of Obesity on Histological Tissue Structure of the Cardiovascular System in Horses

Siwińska, Natalia; Janus, Izabela; Żak, Agnieszka; Noszczyk-Nowak, Agnieszka

doi:10.3390/ani12060732

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Similar associations between obesity and cardiovascular disease have been reported in canines and felines [123]. Siwinska reported architectural changes in the heart muscle of obese horses, as well as an increase in the pericardial and cardiac fat [80]. While cardiovascular disease is considered rare in horses [124], it is possible that more cases may be identified due to the incidence of obese horses.…”

Section: Other Consequences Of Obesitysupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Obesity is also associated with susceptibility of developing laminitis [74][75][76] and reduced survival rate in laminitis cases [76][77][78]. Equine obesity was also found to cause accumulation of adipose tissue around key internal organs such as the kidneys and the heart, which may interfere with their functions [79,80]. Obesity also appears to affect reproduction in horses, in particular it appears to cause mares to continue cycling during the winter months, instead of going into anestrus [81], likely as a result of altered metabolic and other endocrine signals [82].…”

Section: Health Risks Of Adipositymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impacts of Adiposity on Exercise Performance in Horses

Pratt-Phillips

Munjizun

2023

Animals

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There is ample research describing the increased risk of health concerns associated with equine obesity, including insulin dysregulation and laminitis. For athletes, the negative effect of weight carriage is well documented in racing thoroughbreds (i.e., handicapping with weight) and rider weight has been shown to impact the workload of ridden horses and to some degree their gait and movement. In many groups of competitive and athletic horses and ponies, obesity is still relatively common. Therefore, these animals not only are at risk of metabolic disease, but also must perform at a higher workload due to the weight of their adipose tissue. Excess body weight has been documented to affect gait quality, cause heat stress and is expected to hasten the incidence of arthritis development. Meanwhile, many equine event judges appear to favor the look of adiposity in competitive animals. This potentially rewards horses and ponies that are at higher risk of disease and reinforces the owner’s decisions to keep their animals fat. This is a welfare concern for these animals and is of grave concern for the equine industry.

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Section: Other Consequences Of Obesitysupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Health Risks Of Adipositymentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Adiposity on Exercise Performance in Horses

Pratt-Phillips

Munjizun

2023

Animals

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“…Excessive adiposity has its own potential health risks and can negatively impact exercise performance (see [ 32 ] for a review). Briefly, equine obesity has been found to cause an accumulation of adipose tissue around internal organs such as the kidney and heart [ 76 , 77 ]. Excess adipose tissue contributes to the weight of horses, and weight carriage has a clear impact on the effort required to exercise during both race-type events [ 78 ] and non-racing exercise [ 79 , 80 , 81 ].…”

Section: Obesity and Insulin Resistance In Horsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Exercise Conditioning on Countering the Effects of Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Horses—A Review

Pratt-Phillips

2024

Animals

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Obesity is an important health concern in horses, along with humans and companion animals. Adipose tissue is an inflammatory organ that alters the insulin-signaling cascade, ultimately causing insulin dysregulation and impaired glucose metabolism. These disruptions can increase the risk of metabolic disease and laminitis in horses and may also impact energy metabolism during exercise. A single bout of exercise, along with chronic exercise conditioning, increases insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal via both contraction- and insulin-mediated glucose uptake pathways. Regular exercise also increases calorie expenditure, which can facilitate weight (as body fat) loss. This paper explores the metabolic pathways affected by adiposity, as well as discusses the impact of exercise on insulin metabolism in horses.

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“…Obesity in horses has been associated with metabolic alterations and diseases, including insulin resistance [ 22 ], alterations of adipose tissue and cardiovascular function [ 23 , 24 ], low-grade inflammation [ 25 ] and weakened immunity [ 26 ], equine metabolic syndrome [ 27 ], and laminitis [ 28 ], as well as changes in the composition [ 29 ] and function [ 30 ] of the gut microbiota. Obesity can also negatively impact sports performances [ 31 ], as well as the physiological response to exercise and locomotion symmetry [ 32 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obesity during Pregnancy in the Horse: Effect on Term Placental Structure and Gene Expression, as Well as Colostrum and Milk Fatty Acid Concentration

Robles,

Rousseau-Ralliard,

Dubois

et al. 2023

Veterinary Sciences

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In horses, the prevalence of obesity is high and associated with serious metabolic pathologies. Being a broodmare has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. In other species, maternal obesity is known to affect the development of the offspring. This article is a follow-up study of previous work showing that Obese mares (O, n = 10, body condition score > 4.25 at insemination) were more insulin resistant and presented increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy compared to Normal mares (N, n = 14, body condition score < 4 at insemination). Foals born to O mares were more insulin-resistant, presented increased systemic inflammation, and were more affected by osteoarticular lesions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of maternal obesity on placental structure and function, as well as the fatty acid profile in the plasma of mares and foals, colostrum, and milk until 90 days of lactation, which, to our knowledge, has been poorly studied in the horse. Mares from both groups were fed the same diet during pregnancy and lactation. During lactation, mares were housed in pasture. A strong heat wave, followed by a drought, occurred during their 2nd and 3rd months of lactation (summer of 2016 in the Limousin region, France). In the present article, term placental morphometry, structure (stereology), and gene expression (RT-qPCR, genes involved in nutrient transport, growth, and development, as well as vascularization) were studied. Plasma of mares and their foals, as well as colostrum and milk, were sampled at birth, 30 days, and 90 days of lactation. The fatty acid composition of these samples was measured using gas chromatography. No differences between the N and O groups were observed for term placental morphometry, structure, or gene expression. No difference in plasma fatty acid composition was observed between groups in mares. The plasma fatty acid profile of O foals was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an altered placental lipid metabolism between birth and 90 days of age. These results are in line with the increased systemic inflammation and altered glucose metabolism observed until 18 months of age in this group. The colostrum fatty acid profile of O mares was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an increased transfer and/or desaturation of long-chain fatty acids. Moreover, O foals received a colostrum poorer in medium-chain saturated fatty acid, a source of immediate energy for the newborn that can also play a role in immunity and gut microbiota development. Differences in milk fatty acid composition indicated a decreased ability to adapt to heat stress in O mares, which could have further affected the metabolic development of their foals. In conclusion, maternal obesity affected the fatty acid composition of milk, thus also influencing the foal’s plasma fatty acid composition and likely participating in the developmental programming observed in growing foals.

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Influence of Obesity on Histological Tissue Structure of the Cardiovascular System in Horses

Cited by 5 publications

References 55 publications

Impacts of Adiposity on Exercise Performance in Horses

Impacts of Adiposity on Exercise Performance in Horses

Effect of Exercise Conditioning on Countering the Effects of Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Horses—A Review

Obesity during Pregnancy in the Horse: Effect on Term Placental Structure and Gene Expression, as Well as Colostrum and Milk Fatty Acid Concentration

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