1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: May 11, 2012
For more information, please contact:
Patrick Lawless, PhD
Biological Prospects / Equithrive
(866) 721-1412
Marian Carpenter
WonderWords at Carpenter & Co.
(806) 683-8269
Two New Research Projects Study Resveratrol's Effects on EMS
Lexington, KY and Middleburg, VA – In similar but unrelated studies, researchers at the University of
Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center and Virginia Tech's MARE Center have launched research
projects to look at the potentially positive effects of resveratrol on horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome
– the “easy keepers” - and its implications for targeted treatment and better health for EMS individuals.
The UK project is specifically looking at the effects of resveratrol on insulin resistance and inflammation in
adult mares and geldings diagnosed with EMS. The Virginia Tech study is focused on EMS broodmares
and the effects resveratrol may have on fertility and other health factors. Virginia Tech also will be looking
at young horses in a follow-up study.
Equithrive, a subsidiary of Biological Prospects, is based in Nicholasville, KY is providing the specific
formulations needed for both projects, as well as the placebo compounds. The product being used is
Equithrive RSV(TM), a veterinary paste containing microencapsulated resveratrol. However, research
funding and any results garnered are completely independent of the Equithrive company's involvement
and remain the sole proprietorship of the two universities involved. “We are honored to contribute in any
way to research that has the potential to improve the health and welfare of horses,” said Patrick Lawless,
PhD, president of Biological Prospects. “These research projects hold great promise for eventual
therapeutic applications.”
Heading the research study at UK is Associate Professor Amanda Adams, PhD, who was awarded the
2011 Young Investigator Grant from the American Quarter Horse Association for her work. “There is a
growing need to understand the mechanisms responsible and pathways involved with EMS,” Adams said,
“as these horses, usually obese, suffer from a variety of health challenges, in particular laminitis, a
devastating condition of the hoof that often leads to euthanasia of the horse. Discovering a therapy for
EMS horses is of great interest in order to improve the quality of life for the EMS horse.
“What is really exciting about resveratrol is that it appears to mimic the effects of caloric restriction,” she
explained. “At present, just about the only recourse for treatment of EMS horses is to reduce feed intake
and increase exercise, which can be difficult to do and may have limited results.”
- more -

2. (New research EMS & resveratrol – page 2)
Adams and her team are working with 16 Quarter Horse-type individuals, eight given resveratrol and the
other eight a placebo, over 60 days. Blood and tissue samples are taken to look at insulin levels,
inflammation and other factors. Overall body condition and the percentage of fat also is being measured.
“Our working hypothesis,” said Adams, “is that administration of a SIRT1-activator, resveratrol, to EMS
horses will increase insulin sensitivity, and decrease inflammation and adiposity (obesity), while food
intake and exercise remain the same.”
Rebecca Splan, PhD, an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech, is conducting one of the first studies
involving resveratrol and its relationship to both EMS and equine reproduction. Her project is funded, in
part, by a recent grant from the Virginia Horse Industry Board, and is a collaborative effort with Holly
Spooner, PhD, of West Virginia University. “Obese or EMS broodmares can face additional challenges
such as the disruption of the estrus cycle and reduced conception rates,” Splan said. “Recently, it has
been suggested that resveratrol may play a tole in reproductive biology, both through activation of SIRT1
and its ability to bind to estrogen receptors present in a variety of tissues. We are exploring these
mechanisms in an effort to better understand the relationship between metabolic and reproductive
dysfunction and ultimately improve broodmare health and productivity.”
Over three consecutive estrous cycles, Splan's group will collect blood and tissue samples, along with
ultrasound data, from 21 Warmblood mares. Fourteen of the mares will begin the trial in an obese
condition, with half of these getting resveratrol and half receiving a placebo. The remaining seven mares
on the study will be maintained in a normal body condition and receive placebo only.
“We are excited about the potential applications of a resveratrol product for EMS horses,” said Splan.
“The findings from this study will help improve our understanding of the complex interactions between
nutrition, reproduction and energy metabolism, and assess the potential of a promising new approach to
managing broodmares at high risk for obesity and EMS.”
Equithrive(TM) is the first equine product line to contain a purified form of the therapeutic compound
resveratrol. Resveratrol is a natural molecule that: reduces gene expression of inflammatory mediators;
relieves soreness; speeds recovery; and does not cause ulcers. Biological Prospects, 1042 Elizabeth St.,
Suite 1, Nicholasville, KY 40356. (866)721-1412. www.equithrive.com.
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