title: Pulmonary function measurements immediately after exercise are correlated with neutrophil percentage in tracheal aspirates in horses with poor racing performance.
abstract: Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is common in racehorses, and is a cause of wastage in the industry. IAD has been diagnosed by measurement of percent neutrophils (N%) in tracheal aspirates (TA). The aim of this study was to investigate whether spirometric indices of pulmonary function were correlated with N% in TAs. Limits to breathing were measured by analyses of relationships between relative times and relative respiratory gas flows during inspiration and expiration in individual breaths recorded after exercise. Horses with higher N% had significantly lower relative gas flows at the same relative times during inspiration and expiration, suggesting a limit to breathing. These findings confirm a physiological basis for the measurement of N% in TA after exercise for diagnosis of IAD. Spirometric pulmonary function testing using analyses of individual breaths after exercise has application for assessment of pulmonary function and poor exercise performance.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. evans.david4@gmail.com
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kiddell
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000662:veterinary*