Investigation of the effect of black walnut extract on in vitro ion transport and structure of equine colonic mucosa.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the secretory response (in the presence and absence of prostaglandin inhibition) in vitro and structural alterations of colonic mucosa in horses after intragastric administration of black walnut extract (BWE). ANIMALS: 14 adult horses. PROCEDURE: Seven horses were administered BWE intragastrically and monitored for 11 hours. Tissue samples were obtained from the right ventral, left ventral, and right dorsal colons (RVC, LVC, and RDC, respectively) of the 7 BWE-treated and 7 control horses. Tissue samples were examined via light microscopy, and the extent of hemorrhage, edema, and granulocytic cellular infiltration (neutrophils and eosinophils) was graded. Colonic mucosal segments were incubated with or without flunixin meglumine (FLM) for 240 minutes; spontaneous electrical potential difference and short-circuit current (Isc) were recorded and used to calculate mucosal resistance. RESULTS: Colonic tissues from BWE-treated horses (with or without FLM exposure) had an overall greater Isc during the 240-minute incubation period, compared with tissues from control horses. The resistance pattern in RVC, LVC, and RDC samples (with or without FLM exposure) from BWE-treated horses was decreased overall, compared with control tissues (with or without FLM exposure). Histologically, colonic mucosal tissues from BWE-treated horses had more severe inflammation (involving primarily eosinophils), edema, and hemorrhage, compared with tissue from control horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In horses, BWE administration appears to cause an inflammatory response in colonic mucosal epithelium that results in mucosal barrier compromise as indicated by decreased mucosal resistance with presumed concomitant electrogenic chloride secretory response, which is not associated with prostaglandin mediation.

Prostaglandin E2 and reactive oxygen metabolite damage in the cecum in a pony model of acute colitis.

The objective of this project was to determine early tissue biochemical events associated with increased colonic secretion during the acute stage of castor-oil-induced colitis by measuring cecal mucosal and submucosal malondialdehyde (MDA) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), levels in ponies. Intestinal tissue (inflamed or healthy) samples were obtained from 4 age- and sex-matched Shetland ponies. Biochemical methods were used to determine MDA and PGE2 levels in intestinal tissue samples from inflamed and healthy equine intestine. Inflamed tissue MDA and PGE2 levels increased with time after castor oil challenge and correlated with granulocyte infiltration, as determined by myeloperoxidase levels in a companion study. Elevated intestinal tissue MDA levels suggest that lipid peroxidation could be attributed to reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) released from stimulated, recruited, and resident granulocytes. Tissue levels of MDA and PGE2 suggest a role for granulocyte-derived mediators of intestinal inflammation in the massive secretory response in cases of acute equine colitis. Tissue MDA and PGE2 levels may be useful laboratory tools to quantify and characterize intestinal secretory inflammatory responses in acute inflammatory conditions in the equine colon.