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Effect of dexamethasone on serum osteocalcin and metacarpal mineral content in horses
Author(s) -
GEOR R.,
WALSER MARY,
KLASSEN JOAN,
PIELA SUZANNE,
KING VICKY,
MURPHY M.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb04971.x
Subject(s) - dexamethasone , bone mineral content , medicine , endocrinology , saline , osteocalcin , serum concentration , horse , chemistry , zoology , bone mineral , biology , osteoporosis , alkaline phosphatase , biochemistry , paleontology , enzyme
Summary The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of 1) dexamethasone (DEX) on serum osteocalcin concentration (OC) in untrained and trained horses and 2) DEX, administered weekly, on serum OC and metacarpal bone mineral content in horses during training. In experiment 1 , the baseline concentrations of OC and endogenous Cortisol (COR) were determined every 2 h during a 24 h period. In experiment 2 , DEX (0.2 mg/kg bwt i.v.) was administered before and after 6 weeks of exercise training. In experiment 3 , horses received either 0.2 mg/kg bwt i.v. DEX (n=5) or saline (n=5) i.v. on a weekly basis for 8 weeks, with the horses exercising 5 times per week. Metacarpal mineral content was measured weekly on each forelimb by photon absorptiometry. In experiment 1 , serum COR concentration fluctuated between mean (± s.e.) 82 ± 4 (0800 h) and 22 ± 2 (2000 h) ng/ml, but significant variations in serum OC were not detected. In experiment 2 , serum OC was decreased between 6 and 36 h after DEX treatment both pre‐ and post training. In experiment 3 , serum OC was not different at any sampling time during any 7 day period after saline administration. In contrast, each week after DEX, serum OC was decreased between 6 and 48 h. However, differences in serum OC (P=0.055) and bone mineral content (P=0.055) between treatment and control groups were not detected over the 8‐week period. It was concluded that dexamethasone administered weekly to horses in exercise training altered the pattern of serum osteocalcin, but there was no change in metacarpal bone mineral content.