Equine Endocrine Disease Flashcards
1
Q
Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)
A
- Hairy horse, most common endocrinopathy
- dopamine from hypothalamus controls melnotrops
- disruption of dopamine = too much ACTH and cortisol
2
Q
Pituitary gland
A
- Three distinct lobes
- Pars distalis
- Pars intermedia
- Pars nervosa
3
Q
Pars intermedia
A
- melanotrop => proopiomelancortin (POMC)
- POMC =>
- alpha - MSH
- beta - Endorphin
- corticotrophin - like intermediate lobe peptide (CLIP)
- some ACTH
- POMC =>
4
Q
Pars distalis
A
- Corticotrophs => different POMC peptides than PI
- POMC => ACTH
5
Q
Positive control of melanotrophs
A
- controlled by THR
- which releases MSH (this increases in the fall-prep for winter)
6
Q
Dysfunction of Pars Intermedia
A
- Loss of dopaminergic inhibition of PI
- Neurons in hypothalamus degenerate = dec dopamine conc
- => neurodegeneration root cause
- Pars intermedia enlarges => compresses remaining gland structures
- hypertrophy => hyperplasia => adenoma formation
- benign hyperplastic process
- secretes a small amount of ACTH (more than a normal horse)
- POMC derived peptides accentuate actions of ACTH
- => more cortisol made by adrenal gland
- POMC derived peptides accentuate actions of ACTH
7
Q
Etiology PPID
Clinical Signs
A
- Etiology
- Older horses more likely to acquire PPID
- Clinical Signs
- Hirsutism (long curly hair that fails to shed)
- PU/PD
- Laminitis
- Muscle wasting/weight loss
- Bulging eyes/perioorbital swelling
- hyperhidrosis (even clipped)
- Immunospuression (skin eye inf, subsolar abscesses, sinusitus)
- Inc apetite
- lethargy
- blindness
- infertility
8
Q
Early Clinical Signs PPID
A
- Delayed haircoat shedding
- Shift in metabolism
- Regional adiposity
- +/- Fertility problems
9
Q
PPID Diagnostic testing
A
- HIRSUTISM
- Endogenous ACTH
- Dexamethasone Suppression Test
- TRH stimulation test
10
Q
Things that later ACTH concentration
A
- EVERYTHING
- Stress
11
Q
Dexamethasone Suppression test
A
- ACTH secreted by PI doesn’t respond to normal feedback in PPID
- exogenous steroids don’t reduce cortisol production
- Antemortem ‘gold standard’
- requires 2 farm visits (overnight test)
- misses early cases
- not 100% sensitive/specific
- perceived risk of laminitis
- seasonal variations
12
Q
Endogenous ACTH
A
- morning, single blood draw
- seasonal effect
- less sensitive than DST
- EDTA tube, spin down, ship on ice, sample good for 12 hours
13
Q
TRH Stimulation Test
A
- Admin TRH (I mg IV), then take blood sample to measure ACTH
- affected horses: sig inc ACTH and cortisol (45-90 min post adm)
- Can also measure a MSH respones to TRH stim
- Avoids conplications from dexamethasone admin
- TRH available as compounded med
- needs to be validated in larger pops and in fall
14
Q
Other PPID tests
Tests that aren’t accurate
A
- Other tests
- screen for insulin resistence in PPID positives
- Not useful
- single/multiple cortisol conc (too many other things affect this)
- Diurnal ‘cortisol rhythm’ concentrations
- Urinary cortisol:creatinine ratio
- Insuline concentration
15
Q
PPID Treatment
Goal
Drugs
A
- Goals: increase dopaminergic control of pituitarty
- Reduce or minimize clinical signs
- Avoid laminitis / founder
- Dx and manage insulin resistence
- Improve fertility…?
- Drugs
- Dopamine agonists
- Serotonin antagonists
16
Q
PPID treatment with Pergolide
A
- Pergolide: dopamine agonists (1 mg/horse)
- now available as Prascend
- Assess response in 30 days
- Primary side effects
- depression
- anorexia