NitrOxide...Relief for Horses Suffering from
Laminitis or Founder!
The
Science:
Laminitis or Founder, is a devastating disease that can quickly destroy
a horse’s career or end its life through euthanasia. Reduced blood
supply to the foot is a crucial factor in laminitis, resulting in severe
pain and cell death.
Laminitis is usually preceded by stress of some type. Stress depletes
the body of chemicals called “neurotransmitters.” Certain
neurotransmitters are needed for blood vessels to dilate and remain
fully open.
Without sufficient amounts of these neurotransmitters, blood vessels
tend to stay constricted, which reduces blood supply to a horse’s feet.
Nitric Oxide is a gaseous neurotransmitter that is involved in relaxing
the walls of blood vessels. Nitric Oxide maintains blood vessels in an
open state and enhances blood supply.
Nitric Oxide stimulates the release of cyclic GMP, which results in
vasodilation. Insufficient functioning of the Nitric Oxide-cyclic GMP
pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of conditions such as
erectile dysfunction, myocardial ischemia, and asthma. Previously,
attending such conditions required the use of pharmaceutical agents that either
donate Nitric Oxide directly (i.e. nitroglycerin), or inhibit the
enzymatic breakdown of cyclic GMP, (i.e. Viagra/sildenafil).
However, such pharmaceutical agents are incapable of increasing
endogenous synthesis of Nitric Oxide. Thus, pharmaceutical agents
utilized to compensate for insufficient Nitric Oxide production are
incapable of correcting the underlying deficiency for which they are
commonly prescribed. Rather than attempting to inhibit the breakdown of
cyclic GMP or donating Nitric Oxide itself, a logical alternative
strategy would be to promote increased synthesis of Nitric Oxide. |
1.JPG)
