An investigation of the role of soluble CD14 in hospitalized, sick horses.

The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the effects of equine soluble CD14 (sCD14) and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to equine CD14 on lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) secretion from equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC); and to (2) determine serum concentrations of sCD14 in a population of horses with gastrointestinal diseases or other illnesses likely to result in endotoxemia. Equine PBMC isolated from 10 healthy horses were incubated with Escherichia coli LPS plus CD14 mAb or sCD14 and assayed for TNF-α activity. Pre-incubation with CD14 mAb did not inhibit LPS-induced TNF-α production, whereas use of sCD14 inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α production in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, blood samples from 55 ill and 23 healthy horses were used to determine serum concentrations of sCD14. Concentrations of sCD14 were positively correlated to respiratory rate, duration of clinical signs and band neutrophil count. Although serum sCD14 was significantly increased in the ill horses compared to healthy horses, sCD14 did not correlate with outcome. Results of this study indicate that release of sCD14 is increased in ill horses and that TNF-α production by PBMC is decreased when cells are treated with sCD14.

Efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii for treatment of horses with acute enterocolitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the viability of Saccharomyces boulardii after PO administration in clinically normal horses and its efficacy as a treatment for horses with acute enterocolitis. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 5 clinically normal horses and 14 horses with acute enterocolitis. PROCEDURE: Feces were collected from 5 clinically normal horses and submitted for microbial culture for 2 days prior to administration of a lyophilized form of S. boulardii (25 or 50 g, PO, q 12 h) for 10 days. Feces were collected for microbial culture 5 and 10 days after treament initiation and 10 days after treatment was discontinued. Fourteen horses with acute enterocolitis were randomly allocated to receive a placebo or S. boulardii (25 g), PO, every 12 hours for 14 days. RESULTS: S. boulardii was not detected in feces of clinically normal horses. After administration, yeast survived within the gastroinestinal tract but did not permanently colonize it. In horses with acute enterocolitis, the severity and duration of gastrointestinal tract disease during hospitalization were significantly decreased in horses receiving S. boulardii, compared with horses receiving the placebo. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Administration of S. boulardii may help decrease the severity and duration of clinical signs in horses with acute enterocolitis.