ArticleBMC veterinary research2025
Effects of long-term high-dose prednisolone in Beagle dogs on structural and functional responses of the HPA Axis.
Article in BMC veterinary research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLong-term glucocorticoid administration can suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing the risk of adrenal insufficiency upon withdrawal, with an unpredictable recovery timeline. This study provides a standardized evaluation of a > 200-day prednisolone administration regimen in dogs by assessing its effect on HPA axis through adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation tests, ACTH dynamics monitoring, and adrenal ultrasonography. Four healthy Beagle dogs received once-daily oral prednisolone from days 1–181 (median dose: 2 mg/kg for days 1–150; median dose: 0.25 mg/kg for days 151–181). From days 182–208, prednisolone (median dose: 0.25 mg/kg) was given on alternate days before discontinuation on day 209.
resultsAll dogs developed clinical signs of hypercortisolism after 150 days of high-dose prednisolone administration. The ACTH stimulation test indicated a reduced cortisol response after 150 days of high-dose administration, though only one dog exhibited cortisol levels below 138 nmol/L. Unexpectedly, endogenous ACTH concentrations were significantly increased on day 150 but had returned to baseline levels by day 183. ACTH curves showed a short-lived suppression, with levels declining within 6 h of each prednisolone dose and rebounding to baseline by 12 h. Ultrasonography revealed significant adrenal downsizing by day 150, with a reduction in the maximal diameter of the caudal pole of both adrenal glands (left: 15–42%, right: 13–26%). By day 211, adrenal size had significantly re-increased compared to day 150.
conclusionsProlonged, once-daily high-dose prednisolone administration caused overt clinical hypercortisolism and pronounced adrenal shrinkage in dogs; however, most retained a normal functional reserve despite these structural changes. The rapid normalization of ACTH and only mild reduction in cortisol responsiveness indicate that once-daily dosing may allow sufficient off-drug intervals to maintain near-intact HPA function. Nevertheless, the absence of a twice-daily comparison group limits any definitive conclusions about the role of dosing frequency in preventing severe HPA axis suppression.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.