Plasma serotonin in horses undergoing surgery for small intestinal colic
Sara C Torfs1, An A Maes1, Catherine J Delesalle1
1Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine and Clinical Biology (Torfs, Delesalle, Pardon, Deprez), Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biochemistry (Maes, Croubels), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820, Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, NL-3584 CL, Utrecht, The Netherlands (Delesalle).
Abstract:
This study compared serotonin concentrations in platelet poor plasma (PPP) from healthy horses and horses with surgical small intestinal (SI) colic, and evaluated their association with postoperative ileus, strangulation and non-survival. Plasma samples (with EDTA) from 33 horses with surgical SI colic were collected at several pre- and post-operative time points. Serotonin concentrations were determined using liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results were compared with those for 24 healthy control animals. The serotonin concentrations in PPP were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in pre- and post-operative samples from surgical SI colic horses compared to controls. However, no association with postoperative ileus or non-survival could be demonstrated at any time point. In this clinical study, plasma serotonin was not a suitable prognostic factor in horses with SI surgical colic.
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