Oxytocin in horse saliva: validation of a highly sensitive assay and a pilot report about changes in equine gastric ulcer syndrome.
Authors: Botía María, Muñoz-Prieto Alberto, Martínez-Subiela Silvia, Martín-Cuervo María, Hansen Sanni, Manteca Xavier, Cerón José Joaquín, López-Arjona Marina
Journal: BMC veterinary research
Summary
# Editorial Summary Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) significantly impacts quality of life and performance in affected horses, yet current diagnostic and monitoring approaches remain limited. Researchers validated a highly sensitive AlphaLISA-based immunoassay to measure salivary oxytocin—a peptide with known gastric antisecretory and antiulcer properties—and applied it to 102 horses stratified into five groups: 25 with concurrent squamous and glandular disease (ESGD and EGGD), 23 with isolated EGGD, 21 with isolated ESGD, 19 with other diseases, and 14 healthy controls. Salivary oxytocin concentrations differed significantly between disease states and healthy animals, suggesting the biomarker's potential utility in characterising the pathophysiology of EGUS and potentially identifying horses at risk of ulcer development through stress-related gastric dysfunction. Given oxytocin's documented protective effects against stress-induced changes in gastric secretion, measuring salivary oxytocin may offer equine professionals a non-invasive screening tool to monitor welfare status and gastric health in performance horses, whilst also opening avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions in animals showing depleted oxytocin levels.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Salivary oxytocin measurement offers a non-invasive method to assess stress and gastric health status in horses with or at risk of EGUS
- •This biomarker could help identify horses predisposed to gastric ulceration before clinical signs develop, enabling earlier intervention
- •Monitoring oxytocin levels may provide objective data to evaluate welfare and stress management effectiveness in affected horses
Key Findings
- •A highly sensitive AlphaLISA-based immunoassay was successfully validated for quantification of salivary oxytocin in horses
- •Salivary oxytocin concentrations differed between healthy horses, EGUS-affected horses, and horses with other diseases
- •Oxytocin in saliva may function as a biomarker for equine gastric ulcer syndrome and welfare status