Research in veterinary science.
Publisher:
British Veterinary Association. London : British Veterinary Association
Frequency: Bimonthly
Country: England
Language: English
Author(s):
British Veterinary Association.
Start Year:1960 -
ISSN:
0034-5288 (Print)
1532-2661 (Electronic)
0034-5288 (Linking)
1532-2661 (Electronic)
0034-5288 (Linking)
Impact Factor
2.4
2022
| NLM ID: | 0401300 |
| (DNLM): | R25920000(s) |
| (OCoLC): | 01644503 |
| Coden: | RVTSA9 |
| Classification: | W1 RE231 |
Distal limb pathologic conditions in horses treated with sleeve-style digital cryotherapy (285 cases). Digital cryotherapy (DC) is frequently used as laminitis prophylaxis for horses. While DC with ice-water slurries is reported to be safe for up to 48 h, the safety of sleeve-style digital cryotherapy (SSDC) with ice in direct contact with the distal limb has not been evaluated. Our objective was to determine the incidence of distal limb pathologic conditions (DLPC) among horses treated with SSDC. A retrospective study of cases from 2011 to 2015 identified 285 horses treated with SSDC for a minimum of 12 h. Data collected from medical records included demographic, treatment, diagnostic, and...
Evaluation of the antiviral activities of Bacharis dracunculifolia and quercetin on Equid herpesvirus 1 in a murine model. Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a pathogen of high economic importance in equine breeding operations around the world. EHV-1 infection causes respiratory, neurologic and reproductive disease. The absence of an efficient therapy has caught the attention of the scientific community and the therapeutic activities of natural products with its antivirals effects might be effective for the disease's treatment. Herein it was evaluated the prophylactic and therapeutic potential of quercetin and ethanolic extracts of Bacharis dracunculifolia formulations compared to Penciclovir® in an in vivo EHV-1 inf...
DNA methylation patterns of the S100A14, POU2F3 and SFN genes in equine sarcoid tissues. Genetic and epigenetic alterations in the equine sarcoid, a locally invasive skin tumour of equids, are still poorly characterized. Numerous studies have provided reliable evidence for the relationship between the development of cancer and the loss of function of a number of tumour suppressor genes. In the present study, we assessed methylation levels in the promoter region of SFN, S100A14 and POU2F3 genes in sarcoid samples to clarify whether DNA methylation may be associated with previously identified changes in the expression level of these genes during the course of tumour progression. Usi...
Effect of two months whole body vibration on hoof growth rate in the horse: A pilot study. Hoof problems are commonly seen in veterinary practice and manipulation of hoof growth rate can be practical and beneficial for that matter. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of whole body vibration (WBV) on hoof growth rate of front feet in the horse. The study was an experimental, single subject, repeated measure design, with all horses serving as control and treatment. Ten horses were subject to WBV, 30 min, twice daily, five days a week, for 60 days in addition to their regular exercise routine. Hoof growth was measured from the reference hairline down to a horizo...
Time-dependent changes in gene expression induced in vitro by interleukin-1β in equine articular cartilage. Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory and degenerative joint disease commonly affecting horses. To identify genes of relevance for cartilage pathology in osteoarthritis we studied the time-course effects of interleukin (IL)-1β on equine articular cartilage. Articular cartilage explants from the distal third metacarpal bone were collected postmortem from three horses without evidence of joint disease. The explants were stimulated with IL-1β for 27 days and global gene expression was measured by microarray. Gene expression was compared to that of unstimulated explants at days 3, 9, 15, 21 and 27...
Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in healthy equine superficial digital flexor tendon: A study of the local inflammatory response. The superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is a structure frequently affected by injuries in high-performance athletic horses, and there are limited therapeutic options. Regenerative medicine has evolved significantly in treating different illnesses. However, understanding the cellular behaviour during mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in healthy tissues is not fully known yet. To address the inflammatory response induced by allogeneic MSC transplantation, this study evaluated the local inflammatory response after the application of allogeneic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal ste...
Effects of grain species, genotype and starch quantity on the postprandial plasma amino acid response in horses. Postprandial alterations of plasma amino acid (PAA) levels partly reflect a temporal contribution of the feed. How cereal grains affect PAA levels is not known. We hypothesized that a meal of cereal grains causes a temporal increase of PAA, affected by grain species, grain genotype and meal size. Six mares were used in three consecutive trials, receiving four oats, barley and maize genotypes, respectively. Individual grain genotypes were provided as 3 meal sizes corresponding to 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 g starch/kg body weight. Meadow hay (1.5 kg/100 kg body weight) was offered daily. At the test...
Concepts and challenges in the use of mesenchymal stem cells as a treatment for cartilage damage in the horse. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of joint disease affecting humans and horses, is characterized by the advance and decline of cartilage and loss of function of the affected joint. The progression of OA is steadily accompanied with biochemical events, which interfere with the cytokines and proteolytic enzymes responsible for progress of the disease. Recently, regenerative therapies have been used with an assumption that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess the potential to prevent the advancement of cartilage damage and potentially regenerate the injured tissue with an ultimate goal o...
Expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 as transcript and protein in the healthy and diseased equine endometrium. The enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) acts immunomodulatory and restricts bacterial growth. In the uterus of women and mice, it likely contributes to tissue homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. Pregnancy failure in mares is often caused by endometritis and endometrosis. The pathogenesis of nonsuppurative endometritis and endometrosis is still uncertain. To the authors' knowledge, no information on IDO1 expression in the equine endometrium is published. Aim of this study was to examine the presence of IDO1 as transcripts and proteins in the healthy and diseased endometrium of 25 mare...
Changes in plasma 5-HT levels and equine leukocyte SERT expression in response to treadmill exercise. Serotonin (5-HT) is a neurohormone transported from plasma into platelets and leukocytes by a specific transporter (SERT). While it is known that the brain 5-HT system is modulated by physical exercise, the peripheral serotoninergic response to exercise is not yet fully elucidated. In particular, this study aimed to evaluate changes in plasma 5-HT levels and equine leukocyte SERT expression in response to treadmill exercise in untrained horses. Analyses were carried out pre- and post-treadmill exercise. 5-HT plasma levels were analysed by HPLC. Leukocytes and platelets were isolated to perform...
Stress level effects on sport performance during trotting races in Spanish Trotter Horses. The stress level is suggested to have a negative effect on horses during equestrian competitions, specifically in trotter racing. The main objectives of this study were to measure stress levels in Spanish Trotter Horse races with a reliable non-invasive method, and determining the threshold level of stress that leads to the best performance results and also shows when the stress perceived by the horse becomes distress. One hundred and thirty individuals were evaluated, measuring their performance (based on racing time per kilometre (TPK)) and their stress (based on eye temperature, assessed wi...
The contribution of total and free iodothyronines to welfare maintenance and management stress coping in Ruminants and Equines: Physiological ranges and reference values. In order to acquire a pattern of thyroid involvement in welfare maintenance in Ruminants and Equines, this review summarizes data concerning the reference values of total and free iodothyronines and their modifications in physiological conditions and in different management conditions (pregnancy, lactation, weaning, growth, isolation, restraint, shearing, confinement and transportation). Thyroidal and extrathyroidal tissues efficiently respond to management practices, giving a differentiated contribution to circulating iodothyronine changes. The hormonal response could be mainly attributed to ...
Serum bone biomarkers osteocalcin and pyridinoline in mares during pregnancy and lactation, and in foals during early post-natal life. Breeding mares typically foal yearly. Little is known about the dynamics of maternal bone stores during gestation and lactation, the timing of any maternal bone mobilisation, re-accretion post-foaling, or the dynamics of bone metabolism in foals. We measured serum osteocalcin (OC) and serum pyridinoline (PYD) concentrations in 18 mares monthly from 6months gestation to foaling, and in both mares and foals for 4months after birth. From 6 to 11months of gestation, there was no change in mean monthly OC. Serum PYD increased between 7months gestation and foaling. After foaling, mean serum OC was l...
Advanced nutritional and stem cells approaches to prevent equine metabolic syndrome. Horses metabolic disorders have become an important problem of modern veterinary medicine. Pathological obesity, insulin resistance and predisposition toward laminitis are associated with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). Based on pathogenesis of EMS, dietary and cell therapy management may significantly reduce development of this disorder. Special attention has been paid to the diet supplementation with highly bioavailable minerals and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which increase insulin sensitivity. In nutrition, there is a great interests in natural algae enriched via biosorption process with...
Equine allogeneic chondrogenic induced mesenchymal stem cells: A GCP target animal safety and biodistribution study. The safety of the intra-articular use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is scarcely reported. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate the safety of a single intra-articular injection with allogeneic chondrogenic induced MSCs combined with equine plasma (=the investigational product: IVP) compared to a saline (0.9% NaCl) placebo control (=control product: CP). Sixteen healthy experimental horses were randomly assigned to receive a single intra-articular injection with either the IVP (n=8) or the CP (n=8) in the left metacarpophalangeal joint. All horses underwent a daily clinical as...
Determination of lipid profiles in serum of obese ponies before and after weight reduction by using multi-one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Obesity is a key component of equine metabolic syndrome, which is highly associated with laminitis. Feed restriction and/or exercise are known to alleviate the detrimental effects of insulin resistance in obese ponies. However, little is known about changes in the serum lipid patterns due to weight reduction and its association with disease outcomes. Therefore, the lipid patterns in the serum of 14 mature ponies before and after a 14-week body weight reduction program (BWRP) were investigated by multi-one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography (MOD-TLC). Additionally, sensitivity to insulin (SI...
Osteogenic differentiation of equine adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells using CaCl2. Adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) may be used to cure bone defects after osteogenic differentiation. In this study we tried to optimize osteogenic differentiation for equine ASCs using various concentrations of CaCl in comparison to the standard osteogenic protocol. ASCs were isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue from mixed breed horses. The osteogenic induction protocols were (1) the standard osteogenic medium (OM) composed of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid and β-glycerol phosphate; (2) CaCl based protocol composed of 3, 5 and 7.5mM CaCl. Differentiation and proliferatio...
Proteinase-activated receptor 2 distribution and expression in equine small intestine tracts following herniation through the epiploic foramen. Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor for trypsin and mast cell tryptase; it is highly expressed at the intestinal level with multiple functions, such as epithelial permeability and intestinal motility. The aim of the study was to evaluate the distribution and expression of proteinase-activated receptor 2 in the small intestine during herniation through epiploic foramen. In this prospective clinical study, eight horses admitted for colic and which underwent exploratory laparotomy were considered. During surgery, the jejunum or the ileum was sampled by enterectom...
Effect of transportation on the sympatho-adrenal system responses in horses. The objective of current study was to evaluate the effect of transportation stress on the circulating adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) responses of stallions, according to the different distances. Forty-two stallions were studied before and after road transportation of 100, 200 and 300km, for a period of 1-3h. An increase in plasma A after 100km (P<0.001) was observed. A similar result was seen in plasma NA after 100km (P<0.001), and 300km (P<0.001). Increases in plasma DA after 100 and 200km (P<0.0001) were observed, with a decrease after 300km (P<0.0001). S...
The effect of stable bedding materials on dust levels, microbial air contamination and equine respiratory health. The choice of bedding material affects the quality of air in a stable and, consequently, the respiratory health of horses and humans. The risk of respiratory problems can be mitigated by improving the quality of air in the stable. The choice of bedding material is particularly important in cold climate conditions where horses are kept indoors throughout the year. This study examined the impact of three bedding materials: straw (S), peat with shavings (PS), and crushed wood pellets (CWP). The investigated factors were air contamination, including dust contamination and microbial (bacterial and ...
Zinc silicate mineral-coated scaffold improved in vitro osteogenic differentiation of equine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. In current study we aimed to coat the PLLA scaffold with zinc (Zn) silicate mineral nanoparticles. Then, using equine adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) we intended to compare the osteogenic induction potency of Zn silicate mineral-coated PLLA scaffold with uncoated PLLA scaffold and tissue culture plastic (TCPS). Adipose tissues were collected from 3 horses, and isolation of ASCs was achieved by enzymatic digestion. PLLA scaffold was successfully prepared using a phase separation method and coated with Zn silicate mineral nanoparticles. The coating efficiency was then characterized by scanning...
Molecular cloning and functional expression of the K+ channel KV7.1 and the regulatory subunit KCNE1 from equine myocardium. The voltage-gated K-channel K7.1 and the subunit KCNE1, encoded by the KCNQ1 and KCNE1 genes, respectively, are responsible for termination of the cardiac action potential. In humans, mutations in these genes can predispose patients to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Objective: To characterize equine K7.1/KCNE1 currents and compare them to human K7.1/KCNE1 currents to determine whether K7.1/KCNE1 plays a similar role in equine and human hearts. Methods: mRNA encoding K7.1 and KCNE1 was isolated from equine hearts, sequenced, and cloned into expression vectors. The channel subunits ...
Antigenic characterization of 52-55kDa protein isolated from Trypanosoma evansi and its application in detection of equine trypanosomosis. Trypanosoma evansi is a haemo-protozoan parasite responsible for the disease surra, an economically important disease of wide range of domestic and wild animals. The present diagnostic methods using soluble antigens have inherent problems like lack of standardized and reproducible antigens, as well as ethical issues. This entails further efforts for search of defined antigenic molecules with satisfying sensitivity and specificity for sero-epidemiology of trypanosomosis. In present investigation, we have identified and purified 52-55kDa immuno-dominant protein cluster in molecular mass ranges b...
The relationship between the welfare quality and stress index in working and breeding horses. The aim of this observational study was to investigate if a relationship exists between the calculated overall individual welfare score (as an indicator of the welfare quality) and the neutrophil:lymphocyte (N:L) ratio (as a stress indicator) in working (draught) and reproduction horses (breeding stallions and broodmares), in two different seasons. The welfare of the horses was assessed by a protocol which included health and behavioural parameters. An individual welfare score was computed, the total and differential WBC count was established and the N:L ratio was calculated for each of the 14...
Phosphorylated neurofilament H (pNF-H) as a potential diagnostic marker for neurological disorders in horses. The current study aimed at the investigating the potential use of phosphorylated neurofilament H (pNF-H) as a diagnostic biomarker for neurologic disorders in the horse. Paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples (n=88) and serum only (n=30) were obtained from horses diagnosed with neurologic disorders and clinically healthy horses as control. The neurologic horses consisted of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) (38 cases) and cervical vertebral malformation (CVM) (23 cases). Levels of pNF-H were determined using an ELISA. The correlation between CSF and serum concentrations of p...
Role of muscarinic receptors in the contraction of jejunal smooth muscle in the horse: An in vitro study. Nonselective antimuscarinic drugs are clinically useful in several pathologic conditions of horses, but, blocking all muscarinic receptor (MR) subtypes, may cause several side effects. The availability of selective antimuscarinic drugs could improve therapeutic efficacy and safety. We aimed to enlighten the role of different MR subtypes by evaluating the effects of nonselective, and selective M, M and M MR antagonists on the contractions of horse jejunum. Segments of circular muscle of equine jejunum, were put into organ baths, connected to isotonic transducers, and the effects on ACh concentr...
The in vitro biocompatibility of d-(+) raffinose modified chitosan: Two-dimensional and three-dimensional systems for culturing of horse articular chondrocytes. The present study investigated the biocompatibility of chitosan films and scaffolds modified with d-(+)raffinose and their capability to support the growth and maintenance of the differentiation of articular chondrocytes in vitro. Primary equine articular chondrocytes were cultured on films and scaffolds of modified d-(+) raffinose chitosan. Their behavior was compared to that of chondrocytes grown in conventional bi- and three-dimensional culture systems, such as micromasses and alginate beads. Chitosan films maintained the phenotype of differentiated chondrocytes (typical round morphology) a...