OBJECTIVE To determine the intraocular pressure (IOP) in healthy dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). ANIMALS 24 clinically normal dromedary camels. PROCEDURES For each camel, the IOP of both eyes was measured with applanation tonometry. Three measurements with < 5% variance were obtained for each eye on the same day of the week for 3 consecutive weeks. Mean IOP was calculated for each eye on each day for comparison purposes. RESULTS Mean ± SD IOPs for the right (31.1 ± 2.1 mm Hg) and left (30.8 ± 1.9 mm Hg) eyes of immature camels were significantly higher than those for the right (27.1 ± 1.2 mm Hg) and left (28.2 ± 1.2 mm Hg) eyes of mature camels. Intra-assay and interassay coefficients of variation (CVs) for IOP measurements of the right and left eyes did not differ significantly between immature and mature camels. Interassay CVs of IOP measurements for the right and left eyes ranged from 1.5% to 12.1% and 1.2% to 10.3%, respectively, for immature camels and from 1.2% to 17.2% and 1.7% to 18.8%, respectively, for mature camels. Intra-assay CVs of IOP measurements for the right and left eyes ranged from 1.5% to 10.6% and 1.9% to 9.6%, respectively, for immature camels and from 2.8% to 16.9% and 2.7% to 12.4%, respectively, for mature camels. Age was negatively correlated (r = −0.403) with IOP. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results provided a reference and might aid in the diagnosis of glaucoma and uveitis during complete ophthalmic examinations of dromedary camels.

In horses, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance (insulin dysregulation) are associated with the development of laminitis. Although obesity is associated with insulin dysregulation, the mechanism of obesity-associated insulin dysregulation remains to be established. We hypothesized that oxidative stress in skeletal muscle is associated with obesity-associated hyperinsulinemia in horses. Thirty-five light breed horses with body condition scores (BCS) of 3/9 to 9/9 were studied, including 7 obese, normoinsulinemic (BCS ≥ 7, resting serum insulin < 30 μIU/mL) and 6 obese, hyperinsulinemic (resting serum insulin ≥ 30 μIU/mL) horses. Markers of oxidative stress (oxidative damage, mitochondrial function, and antioxidant capacity) were evaluated in skeletal muscle biopsies. A Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to determine relationships between markers of oxidative stress and BCS. Furthermore, to assess the role of oxidative stress in obesity-related hyperinsulinemia, markers of antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage were compared among lean, normoinsulinemic (L-NI); obese, normoinsulinemic (O-NI); and obese, hyperinsulinemic (O-HI) horses. Increasing BCS was associated with an increase in gene expression of a mitochondrial protein responsible for mitochondrial biogenesis (estrogen-related receptor alpha, ERRα) and with increased antioxidant enzyme total superoxide dismutase (TotSOD) activity. When groups (L-NI, O-NI, and O-HI) were compared, TotSOD activity was increased and protein carbonyls, a marker of oxidative damage, decreased in the O-HI compared to the L-NI horses. These findings suggest that a protective antioxidant response occurred in the muscle of obese animals and that obesity-associated oxidative damage in skeletal muscle is not central to the pathogenesis of equine hyperinsulinemia.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether plasma ACTH concentrations vary following administration of a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) solution prepared for research purposes and stored at −20°C (rTRH) or prepared by a compounding pharmacy and stored at room temperature (approx 22°C; cTRH). ANIMALS 34 adult horses. PROCEDURES The study consisted of 2 experiments. In experiment 1, each horse underwent 2 TRH stimulation tests separated by 24 hours; 10 horses were administered cTRH for the first test and rTRH for the second test (group 1), 10 horses were administered rTRH for the first test and cTRH for the second test (group 2), and 10 horses were administered rTRH for both tests (group 3). Plasma ACTH concentrations were measured at 0 (baseline) and 30 minutes after TRH administration and the delta ACTH responses (change in ACTH concentration after TRH administration) were calculated. In experiment 2, the design was the same as that for experiment 1 except there were 14 days between tests, ACTH was measured at 0 and 10 minutes after TRH administration, and 11, 9, and 10 horses were assigned to groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. RESULTS Adverse effects associated with TRH administration included transient coughing and yawning. In experiment 1, the median delta ACTH response for the second test was significantly lower than that for the first test for all groups. In experiment 2, the median delta ACTH response did not differ significantly between the first and second tests for any group, ACTH concentrations after rTRH administration were positively correlated (rs = 0.95) with those after cTRH administration, and the mean ± SD bias in post-TRH ACTH concentration between rTRH and cTRH was 2.9 ± 12.4 pg/mL. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that the TRH stimulation test should not be repeated within 24 hours, and cTRH solution stored at room temperature could be used to effectively perform TRH stimulation testing in horses.