title: The preventive effects of two nutraceuticals on experimentally induced acute synovitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutraceuticals are often used in the management of equine osteoarthritis, but scientific evidence of their efficacy is lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the preventive effects of two new nutraceuticals after the experimental induction of synovitis in comparison with positive and negative control treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blinded, controlled, randomised experiment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four healthy Standardbred horses were randomly allocated to supplement AT (multi-ingredient, 28 days), supplement HP (collagen hydrolysate, 60 days), meloxicam (4 days) or placebo (60 days). Synovitis was induced in the right intercarpal joint by intra-articular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli while treatments were continued. Blood and synovial fluid were sampled before treatment, immediately prior to LPS injection, and at 8, 24 and 48 h post-injection. Synovial fluid samples were analysed for total nucleated cell count (TNCC), total protein (TP) and selected biomarkers (prostaglandin E2[PGE2], interleukin-6 [IL-6], glycosaminoglycans [GAGs], type II collagen synthesis [CPII], matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]). Lameness was scored by visual examination and pressure plate analysis immediately prior to LPS injection, and at 8, 24 and 48 h post-injection. Clinical examinations were performed before treatment, immediately prior to LPS injection, at 2, 4 and 6 h post-injection, and then twice per day during the test period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before treatment and intra-articular challenge, there were no statistically significant differences among the treatment groups for any of the parameters. After intra-articular challenge, the placebo group showed significantly higher synovial fluid TP, TNCC and PGE2compared with the meloxicam group, although the model did not induce a relevant amount of lameness. Both nutraceuticals resulted in significantly lower synovial fluid TP, TNCC and PGE2compared with placebo. No statistical differences in IL-6, GAGs, CPII or MMPs were observed among treatment groups. No adverse effects were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite evidence of synovitis, lameness was too mild to detect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preventive administration of these nutraceuticals showed anti-inflammatory effects in this validated synovitis model. Therefore, further studies of their clinical applicability are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van de Water
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oosterlinck
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dumoulin
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Korthagen
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: van Weeren
authors.affiliation: Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van den Broek
authors.affiliation: Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Everts
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pille
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.|Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.|Equivado, Equine Nutrition Consultancy, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: van Doorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006736:Horses; D015850:Interleukin-6; D000077239:Meloxicam; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D013585:Synovitis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D013843:Thiazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; D013843:Thiazines; D013844:Thiazoles; D003094:Collagen; D000077239:Meloxicam
keywords: 
  LPS
  ; arthritis; biomarkers; horse; pressure plate