Equine Laminitis and Associated Hypertension: A Review

doubt that severe cardiovascular alterations accompany laminitis , although hemodynamic changes associated with laminitis have not been definitively quan- titated .HISTAMINE RELEASE , vasoconstriction , vasodilatation , tory laminitis than in acute laminitis .There is little endotoxin release , disturbances in keratin chemistry , 15 and blood coagulation have been offered as causes of equine laminitis .Each of these theories might be partially correct and contribute , in part , to the complex mosaic of equine laminitis . 5The common denominator of previous research is the fact that signs of circulatory disturbances occurred concomitantly with laminitis .As early as 1931 , it was suspected that horses with laminitis were hypertensive .Histologic changes at the epidermaldermal interface of the hoof wall and sensitive laminae have been described and correlated with the onset of acute laminitis , which could have resulted from compromised perfusion.18Early epidermal histopathologic changes in acute laminitis have been suspected to result from decreased incorporation of the disulfidecontaining amino acids , cysteine and methionine , into the keratin precursor.15These conclusions were based on demon- stration of decreased arteriovenous gradient in injected radiocysteine and radiomethionine .Profound angiographic alterations in perfusion of the digit have been described . Because of the many variables associated