Glucose transport in the equine hoof.

Summary

# Glucose transport in the equine hoof Insulin resistance is implicated in laminitis development, yet the mechanisms by which glucose uptake fails in hoof tissues remain poorly characterised. Asplin and colleagues investigated glucose transport mechanisms in equine hooves by examining insulin-responsive glucose transporters and their distribution across different hoof structures, using tissue samples from clinically normal horses. The research identified functionally active glucose transporters in the laminar tissue, with findings suggesting that impaired glucose uptake—potentially resulting from insulin resistance—could compromise energy supply to the metabolically demanding structures that anchor the distal phalanx. These findings support glucose starvation as a plausible pathophysiological pathway in laminitis, shifting focus beyond simple vascular compromise. For equine practitioners, this work underscores why horses displaying metabolic syndrome and insulin dysregulation warrant aggressive preventive management, and provides a cellular-level rationale for nutrition and exercise interventions that improve whole-body insulin sensitivity in at-risk populations.

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Key Findings

• •Insulin resistance is associated with several laminitis conditions in horses
• •Glucose uptake mechanisms in the hoof are not well understood
• •Glucose starvation is proposed as a possible mechanism in laminitis pathogenesis
• •Insulin-responsive glucose transport proteins may be involved in hoof glucose uptake

Conditions Studied