Echocardiographic evaluation in arabian horses submitted to stress test in high speed treadmill

• Grant number: 19/21786-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: José Corrêa de Lacerda Neto
• Grantee: Gabriel Vieira Ramos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The importance of horses in the Brazilian scenario is growing, with emphasis on equestrian sports, demanding more trained professionals in the field. With this, new techniques are constantly developed and improved to better monitor the athletic career of animals. The cardiovascular system stands out over other organic systems to ensure maximum performance to horses and constant cardiac monitoring is necessary. Because of this, echocardiography is becoming increasingly prominent as a diagnostic tool, as well as being a scientific method often used for the evaluation of organic alterations induced, for example, by exercise in several species. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the influence of a stress test (TStress) on cardiac variables calculated by the echocardiographic examination. For this, 10 purebred Arabian horses (PSH) will be used, untrained and previously adapted to the treadmill present at the Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory (ESML). Prior to the test, each animal will be submitted to the Doppler echocardiographic examination using a commercial ultrasound system (Evus8, SAEVO, Brazil). To obtain the images, the right parasternal window will be used allowing the visualization of the long and short axes. Minor changes in probe layout and orientation can be made for the purpose of improving image quality. The following modes will be used to measure the variables: 1) M - mode, 2) Pulsed Flow Doppler and 3) Tissue Doppler. After all measurements are completed, the Tstress will be started, with two high-speed periods (7.5 and 8.5 m / s, respectively) between which there will be a longer duration and lower speed maintenance period. After T-stress is completed, the new echocardiographic measurements will be performed after 15 minutes. Statistical analysis will include analysis of variance (ANOVA) with comparisons between data made by Tukey test at 5% significance.