Serum immunoreactive gastrin activity in horses: basal and postprandial values

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Physiology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Gastrin plays a crucial role in regulating gastric acid secretion and gastrointestinal motility.
• Understanding gastrin dynamics in horses is essential for diagnosing and managing gastrointestinal disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure serum immunoreactive gastrin activity in horses under controlled feeding conditions.
• To compare basal and post-prandial gastrin levels in equine subjects.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected from five normal horses over a seven-hour period, including a 24-hour fasting phase.
• Serum immunoreactive gastrin was quantified using commercially available diagnostic reagents.
• Sampling occurred at 15-minute intervals for the initial two hours, during a 15-minute feeding period, and for two hours post-feeding, with additional hourly samples.

Main Results:

• Basal serum gastrin levels in horses ranged from 7.0 to 13.8 pg/ml, significantly lower than reported in other mammals.
• Gastrin immunoreactivity showed significant elevations at 30, 60, and 75 minutes post-feeding (17.4, 19.8, and 18.2 pg/ml, respectively).
• A late significant elevation in gastrin was observed five hours after feeding (19.4 pg/ml).

Conclusions:

• Equine serum gastrin concentrations may be inherently lower than in other mammalian species.
• The observed post-feeding elevations indicate a physiological response to food intake.
• Further research may be needed to confirm these findings and explore potential limitations in current detection methods for equine gastrin.