Activated charcoal application in gastric ulceration areas in horses: preliminary experimental study

Abstract

Gastric ulceration is frequent in adult horses, bringing significant economic and welfare implications to these animals. Treatment may employ several drugs, but adsorbents, such as activated charcoal, are not mentioned. Activated charcoal may be a valuable therapeutic option mainly because of its few adverse effects, fecal elimination, and low cost. This study aimed to evaluate the use of activated charcoal in experimentally induced gastric ulceration in horses and perform the microscopic characterization of charcoal particles in the injured epithelium. Five adult, undefined breed horses underwent a gastric ulcer induction protocol based on alternating fasting and free food access periods. Next, we performed a gastroscopic examination and applied activated charcoal diluted in water at the ulcers through a probe passed through the working channel of the gastroscope. The gastric mucosa was washed with water after a contact period of 5 min until the complete lack of macroscopic product visualization. Then, we performed a biopsy of the aglandular mucosa in erosive to ulcerative injury sites and a microscopic assessment of the fragments. Macroscopically, all animals presented ulcerative lesions in the greater or lesser gastric curvature along the margo plicatus and hyperkeratosis in the aglandular portion. Microscopically, all animals had hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, epithelial erosion, desquamated epithelial cells, inflammatory cells, and variable amounts of charcoal particles, either free or adhered to the epithelium. We concluded that activated charcoal remains adhered to aglandular gastric lesions in horses even after lavage with water and histological processing, allowing its microscopic visualization. Therefore, activated charcoal’s effectiveness as a therapy for equine gastric lesions warrants evaluation.