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Endotoxemia is a condition that sometimes follows a health challenge such as colic, pneumonia, or a severe infection. Horses with endotoxemia exhibit a serious inflammatory reaction that can lead to failure of vital organs and a collapse of the circulatory system. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are an important part of treating endotoxemia, but these drugs don’t completely stop the cell damage caused by the activation of inflammatory responses.

A study led by Simon Bailey, Ph.D., from the University of Melbourne in Australia looked at the effect of using clenbuterol to treat inflammation in horses. Clenbuterol targets the cytokines that trigger inflammation in some equine airway diseases, and Bailey theorized that the drug might be helpful in counteracting cytokine function in other inflammatory conditions.

Eight healthy adult horses were used in the study. In the first part of the trial, four of the horses were given an oral dose of clenbuterol and then all the horses were given a low dose of endotoxin. For the next six hours, the horses were monitored for changes in rectal temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate, and blood samples were collected for analysis. Six weeks later, the trial was repeated by switching the treatment and control horses.

Results showed that horses developed mild flu-like signs for a few hours after being given endotoxin. Horses treated with clenbuterol before receiving endotoxin had reduced clinical signs of endotoxemia as well as lower levels of cytokines in their blood. This study did not simulate the use of clenbuterol after horses had already developed endotoxemia, but Bailey has treated laboratory samples of toxin-laden equine blood with clenbuterol and has shown that the drug blocks the production of inflammatory cytokine mediators in this setting. More trials are planned to see if clenbuterol can help to minimize inflammation in horses being treated for endotoxemia.

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