Hemodynamic Response to Lipopolysaccharide Infusion and Effect of Meloxicam Administration on Cardiac Function in Donkeys.
Authors: Mendoza Francisco J, Buzon-Cuevas Antonio, Aguilera-Aguilera Raul, Gonzalez-De Cara Carlos A, De Las Heras Adelaida, Perez-Ecija Alejandro
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in donkeys—triggered by conditions such as colic, diarrhoea or pleuropneumonia—can precipitate serious secondary complications including cardiac dysfunction and haemodynamic instability, yet the specific cardiovascular effects of endotoxaemia in donkeys remain poorly characterised compared to equine data. Researchers administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intravenously to six healthy adult female donkeys and monitored systemic and cardiac parameters over six hours, including blood pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations and echocardiographic indices, with half the cohort receiving meloxicam treatment. LPS infusion induced significant cardiac injury (elevated cTnI), systemic hypotension, reduced stroke volume and cardiac output, and measurable deterioration in ultrasonographic markers of ventricular function; meloxicam administration substantially attenuated these responses, preventing cTnI elevation and preserving haemodynamic stability and contractile parameters. These findings suggest that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy—specifically meloxicam—may offer genuine protective effects on the donkey myocardium during endotoxaemic states, warranting consideration as part of the therapeutic strategy in clinical SIRS cases. Given that donkeys appear increasingly prevalent in equine veterinary practice yet often receive protocols extrapolated from horse data, this evidence of a therapeutic intervention that limits cardiac derangement during systemic inflammation has direct relevance for practitioners managing inflammatory or infectious disease in donkey patients.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Donkeys with SIRS (secondary to colic, diarrhea, or pleuropneumonia) experience significant cardiac dysfunction similar to horses, including reduced cardiac output and ventricular dysfunction
- •Early meloxicam administration in donkeys with SIRS may protect cardiac function and prevent hemodynamic collapse by preventing troponin elevation and maintaining stroke volume
- •Echocardiography and cardiac troponin monitoring could help identify donkeys at risk for cardiac complications during SIRS management
Key Findings
- •LPS infusion in donkeys induced elevated cardiac troponin I, hypotension, reduced central venous pressure, and decreased stroke volume and cardiac output
- •LPS caused impairment of ultrasonographic ventricular function parameters including reduced cardiac index
- •Meloxicam administration prevented cTnI elevation, hypotension, reduction in stroke volume and cardiac output, and ultrasonographic signs of ventricular dysfunction
- •Meloxicam may be effective in controlling hemodynamic and cardiac derangements in donkeys with SIRS