Reduced Nitric Oxide Bioavailability in Horses with Colic: Evaluation by ESR Spectroscopy
The pathogenesis of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of horses, which is caused by inflammation and oxidative stress, may be associated with a lack of nitric oxide, that controls various signaling pathways in the body. This study was aimed at determining the level of nitrites, metabolites of nitric oxide in horses with various intestinal diseases. The concentration of nitrite in blood serum was 3.60 ± 3.02 μM and 8.3 ± 6.0 μM in horses aged 7-26 years and 1-5 years, respectively. The sharp changes downwards in nitrite concentrations were observed in all horses with intestinal diseases (3.39 ± 2.85 μM), especially in horses with flatulence (0.6 ± 0.4 μM) and obstruction of the colon (0.81 ± 0.5 μM).