Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Collecting Saliva and Measuring Salivary Cortisol and Alpha-amylase in Frail Community Residing Older Adults via Family Caregivers
Published on: December 18, 2013
Salivary alpha-amylase activity and cortisol in horses with acute abdominal disease: a pilot study
María Dolores Contreras-Aguilar1, Damián Escribano1,2, María Martín-Cuervo3
1Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis (Interlab-UMU), Veterinary School, Campus of Excellence Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
Background:
The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), considered a non-invasive biomarker for sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, and salivary cortisol as possible pain-induced stress biomarker, in horses with acute abdominal disease. Therefore, a prospective observational study was performed in which both biomarkers were analyzed in a group of horses with acute abdomen syndrome, and compared with a group of healthy control horses by an unpaired Student's t-test. In addition, the possible relationship between both biomarkers, the score in Equine Acute Abdominal Pain scales version 1 (EAAPS-1 scale), Heart Rate (HR) and Respiratory Rate (RR), plasma lactate, the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration was assessed by a Spearman correlation test.
Results:
A total of 30 horses were included in the study, 19 with acute abdominal disease diagnosed as large colon displacements, simple impactions of the pelvic flexure, spasmodic colics and enteritis and 11 healthy ones. sAA activity (24.5 median-fold, P < 0.0001) and salivary cortisol (1.7 median-fold, P < 0.01) were significantly higher in horses with acute abdomen than in healthy horses. sAA activity was significantly correlated with EAAPS-1 scale (r = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-0.89, P < 0.001) and SIRS score (r = 0.49, 95% CI 0.03-0.78, P < 0.05). Neither sAA nor salivary cortisol correlated with HR, RR, plasma lactate and SAA.
Conclusions:
Although this study should be considered as preliminary one, alpha-amylase measurements in saliva could be a biomarker of pain-induced stress in horses with acute abdominal disease.
Related Concept Videos
Pilot and Numeric Relaying
Salivary Glands and Saliva
Abdominal Aorta
The celiac trunk, a singular artery, divides into the left gastric artery, which...
Acute Pyelonephritis II: Diagnostic Studies and Management
Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
Carbohydrate Digestion

