Laminitis occurring in association with hyperinsulinemia is frequently encountered in today's equine population. New evidence suggests that hyperinsulinemia is the direct cause of this form of laminitis, rather than insulin resistance per se. The mechanism by which elevated serum insulin concentrations result in lamellar dysfunction is currently under investigation by many researchers and the use of a new insulin infusion model for investigating the pathogenesis of insulin-associated laminitis will doubtless enhance progress in this field of research. By focusing on the metabolic and vascular actions of insulin in the lamellar microenvironment, our research group is trying to gain an insight into the pathophysiological processes involved in this complex problem, in order to better understand the disease.
Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.