Clinical Research Abstracts of the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress 2015.
Authors: Delesalle C J G, Callens C, Van Colen I, Lefebvre R A
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Prucalopride and similar selective 5-HT₄ receptor agonists have proven effective as prokinetic agents in human medicine by enhancing acetylcholine release from intestinal cholinergic neurons through cAMP-mediated mechanisms, yet their application in equine practice remains poorly understood. Delesalle and colleagues reviewed four existing in vitro studies examining serotonergic function in equine gastrointestinal tissue, finding that none had successfully demonstrated evidence of functional neuronal 5-HT₄ receptors in horses. The critical limitation across all four studies was methodological inconsistency with established human research protocols, meaning the absence of detected 5-HT₄ receptors may reflect technical shortcomings rather than genuine species differences in receptor expression or function. This gap in evidence is clinically significant for equine professionals managing cases of impaired gut motility, as it prevents informed extrapolation of human prokinetic strategies to equine patients. Rigorous in vitro work using standardised, human-equivalent methodology is required before 5-HT₄ agonists can be reliably evaluated as therapeutic options for equine colic or post-operative ileus.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Prucalopride and similar 5-HT4 agonists show promise as prokinetic agents in horses, but current equine research has not yet conclusively demonstrated the receptors responsible for this effect
- •Further research using standardized protocols comparable to human studies is needed before these drugs can be reliably recommended for equine gastrointestinal motility disorders
- •Practitioners should await more definitive evidence before adopting 5-HT4 agonists as first-line treatments for postoperative ileus or chronic intestinal dysfunction in horses
Key Findings
- •Four in vitro studies on 5-HT in horses failed to provide evidence for neuronal 5-HT4 receptors
- •None of the equine studies used the same protocol as human studies investigating 5-HT4 receptor function
- •5-HT4 receptor agonists like prucalopride work via cAMP generation after activation of adenylyl cyclase-linked receptors
- •Study protocol standardization may be necessary to demonstrate 5-HT4 receptor presence in equine intestinal tissue