A Proton-Pump Inhibitor Modifies the Concentration of Digestion Biomarkers in Healthy Horses

To determine the concentration of various blood biomarkers associated with digestion in healthy horses treated with different doses of omeprazole (OMPZ), four Arabian horses without gastric ulcers were selected and distributed in one factorial with four oral treatments (Control; OMPZBOLUS; OMPZ4mg/kg; OMPZ1mg/kg). Control did not receive any treatment. OMPZBOLUS were given 4 mg/kg of omeprazole in a single dose on the day before blood sampling. In the OMPZ4mg/kg and OMPZ1mg/kg treatments, horses were treated over 11 days. All treatments were performed 16 hours before morning feeding. The “washout” period was 21 days between rounds. After an overnight fasting period, blood samples were collected from all animals (T1), after which the animals received supplementation, and blood samples were collected after 30 minutes (T2), 1.0 hours (T3), 1.5 hours (T4), 2.0 hours (T5), 3.0 hours (T6), 4.0 hours (T7), 5.0 hours (T8), 6.0 hours (T9), and 7.0 hours (T10). Blood samples were analyzed for total plasma protein (TPP), glucose, urea, creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. The results showed differences between treatments for urea, cholesterol, uric acid; between phases for glucose; and between phase and treatment for creatinine, triglycerides, phosphorus, and magnesium; however, there was no difference for TPP and calcium between treatment and between phases. Oral administration of OMPZ in healthy equines interfered with the metabolism of digestion biomarkers of lipid, mineral, and protein metabolism, although the animals were treated for a maximum of 11 days. Horses treated with a proton-pump inhibitor need to be evaluated regularly to avoid significant modification in their metabolic parameters.