Large or Food Animal and Equine Medicine Commons^™

Hordenine : Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics And Behavioural Effects In The Horse, M. Frank, T. J. Weckman, T. Wood, W. E. Woods, Chen L. Tai, Shih-Ling Chang, A. Ewing, J. W. Blake, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Hordenine is an alkaloid occurring naturally in grains, sprouting barley, and certain grasses. It is occasionally found in post race urine samples, and therefore we investigated its pharmacological actions in the horse. Hordenine (2.0 mgkg bodyweight [bwt]) was administered by rapid intravenous (iv) injection to 10 horses. Typically, dosed horses showed a tlehmen response and defecated within 60 secs. All horses showed substantial respiratory distress. Respiratory rates increased about 250 per cent and heart rates were approximately double that of resting values. All animals broke out in a sweat shortly after iv injection, but basal body temperature was not affected. …