Short-term incubation of equine laminar veins with cortisol and insulin alters contractility in vitro: possible implications for the pathogenesis of equine laminitis

This study investigated the effects of cortisol and insulin, hormones that affect
both glycaemic status and vascular function, on the in vitro contractility of
isolated healthy equine small laminar veins. Small veins (150–500 lm)
draining the digital laminae from healthy horses or ponies were investigated
by wire myography. Concentration response curves were constructed for noradrenaline (NA), phenylephrine (PE), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and 5 hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the presence of either cortisol (106M) or insulin (1000 lIU/mL).