According to research published this year and following high interest in human medical research, an enzyme called AMPK becomes an attractive new target for the control of laminitis. AMPK is a master regulator of energy metabolism/ balance which senses changes in rest and exercise and works to store and release energy. It changes the body from an energy producing state to an energy consuming state as is required to sustain life and health. It is found in the brain, liver and muscle. It modulates the release of insulin by the liver and stimulates the breakdown of fats and the uptake of glucose to the muscle, just to name a few of its important and unique roles in producing the perfect energy balance.
It has been reported that Equine Metabolic Syndrome is now the biggest cause of laminitis and has been termed endocrinopathic laminitis because of the association with Insulin Resistance. When a horse is Insulin Resistant the liver and skeletal muscle are not able to respond to control or uptake the glucose and insulin circulating in the blood. The muscles become metabolically inflexible, unable to switch between glucose and fatty acid use, this eventually leads to continuously high levels of circulating insulin and glucose termed Insulin Resistance.
The liver has an important role in the whole body energy metabolism and AMPK is again the master regulator of energy through the control of glucose.
AMPK is an attractive target for drug development as when active, AMPK restores balance and normal insulin/glucose uptake and may even be able to reverse the symptoms of EMS.
During this study the researchers found that the laminae were not insulin resistant therefore not lacking in glucose (as previously thought) when given a high starch diet. This study also found that there was a decrease in P-AMPK which points strongly to the fact that there is unlikely to be a lack of blood supply to the foot preceding the onset of Endocrinopathic Laminitis. It is therefore more likely that the liver and skeletal muscle both contribute to the onset of insulin resistance. The laminitis event in EMS is a result of circulating high levels of glucose and insulin as the result of defective uptake from both liver and muscle.
It may take some time for a drug to be developed and come to the market, however in the meantime the natural compound alkaloid, berberine has been found to strongly support the activation of AMPK. It occurs in the wild in Berberis vulgaris, (also known as European barberry, Ambarbaris, Barbery, Holy Thorn, Jaundice berry, Pepperidge Bush, Sowberry) is a tall, herbaceous shrub of the Berberidaceae (Barberry) family that’s native to central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia, but which has been naturalized in northern Europe and Britain and is now considered a native. Because it is an alkaloid it can be toxic if consumed in high doses, berberine is also found in many evergreen tree barks, holly in particular contains safe doses. Look out for a new product from us in the spring containing a safe and non toxic form of this compound formulated for horses of course…… — at frozen holly berries
