Effects of transrectal medicinal ozone in horses - clinical and laboratory aspects

ABSTRACT Ozone (O3) therapy has been used for medical procedures for centuries; however, there are no extensive studies on its utilization in horses. This study aimed to evaluate the application of transrectal O3 on horses by physical and laboratorial evaluation, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Sixteen healthy horses were separated in two groups: a control group (CG) and a group treated with O3 (TG). The TG animals received 1L of an oxygen and O3 mixture transrectally. The initial dose was 10µg/ml for the first two applications, 15μg/ml for the following two applications, and 20μg/ml for the next six applications. The CG animals received 1L of oxygen transrectally. In TG animals no variations in the physical examination were detected; furthermore, TG animals did not exhibit changes in biochemical evaluation results, fibrinogen concentrations, or ROS production. TG animals had increased red blood cell counts, hemoglobin concentrations, and packet cell volume values in comparison to the baseline and CG values. We could infer that O3 affected the red blood cell counts and improved rhetological properties of the blood. The transrectal application of O3 in horses is safe and can indirectly improve the oxygenation and metabolism of tissues.摘要 臭氧（Ozone, O3）疗法应用于临床医疗操作已有数百年历史，然而目前尚无针对其在马匹中应用的系统性研究。本研究旨在通过体格检查、实验室检测以及活性氧簇（reactive oxygen species, ROS）生成量检测，评估经直肠臭氧疗法在马匹中的应用效果。本研究将16匹健康马匹随机分为两组：对照组（control group, CG）与臭氧治疗组（O3 treatment group, TG）。治疗组马匹经直肠给予1升氧气与臭氧的混合气体：前两次给药的初始剂量为10μg/ml，后续两次给药剂量调整为15μg/ml，再之后六次给药剂量为20μg/ml。对照组马匹仅经直肠给予1升纯氧气。检测结果显示，治疗组马匹的体格检查未发现任何异常；其生化检测结果、纤维蛋白原浓度以及活性氧簇生成量均未出现明显变化。与基线水平及对照组相比，治疗组马匹的红细胞计数、血红蛋白浓度及红细胞压积均显著升高。据此可推断，臭氧疗法可影响红细胞计数，改善血液流变学特性。经直肠臭氧疗法在马匹中应用安全，且可间接改善组织氧合与代谢状态。