Effect of Delayed Digital Hypothermia on Lamellar Inflammatory Signaling in the Oligofructose Laminitis Model

BACKGROUND: In the oligofructose (OF) model of sepsis‐related laminitis (SRL), digital hypothermia (“cryotherapy”) initiated before the onset of clinical signs is reported not only to limit lamellar injury, but also to cause marked inhibition of lamellar inflammatory signaling. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Because hypothermia also has been reported to be protective when not initiated until the onset of lameness in the OF model of SRL, we hypothesized that the lamellar protection conferred by hypothermia is caused by local lamellar inhibition of inflammatory signaling as described when hypothermia was initiated earlier in the disease process. ANIMALS: Eight Standardbred geldings aged 3–11 years with no lameness and no abnormalities of the feet detectable by gross or radiographic examination. METHODS: Using the OF model of SRL, lamellar mRNA concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and endothelial adhesion proteins were compared between samples from treated limbs (CRYO, submerged in ice water for 36 hour starting at the onset of lameness), untreated limbs (NON‐CRYO, opposite limb from CRYO limbs maintained at ambient temperature), and untreated limbs from normal horses in which laminitis was not induced (CON). RESULTS: Although OF administration resulted in increases in lamellar mRNA concentrations of several inflammatory mediators in NON‐CRYO limbs (vs CON), digital hypothermia had no significant effect on these increases. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The lack of inflammatory inhibition in lamellar tissue samples in our study indicates that the protective effects of digital hypothermia instituted at the onset of clinical signs of laminitis do not arise from inhibition of inflammatory pathways.