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Topic:Animal Science
Animal Science and horses encompass the study of equine biology, physiology, and management practices aimed at understanding and improving horse health, welfare, and performance. This field integrates various scientific disciplines, including genetics, nutrition, reproduction, and behavior, to address the needs of horses in diverse contexts such as sports, work, and companionship. Research in this area often focuses on optimizing feeding strategies, enhancing breeding programs, and developing effective health management protocols. Additionally, studies explore the genetic factors influencing traits such as athleticism and disease resistance, as well as the impact of environmental and management conditions on horse behavior and welfare. This page gathers peer-reviewed research and scholarly articles that investigate the scientific principles underpinning equine science and their practical applications in horse care and management.
A subpopulation of morphologically normal, motile spermatozoa attach to equine oviductal epithelial cell monolayers. Attachment of spermatozoa to oviductal epithelial cells (OEC) may be a prefertilization event in some species. We tested the hypothesis that spermatozoa that attach to equine OEC monolayers are a selected subpopulation of the initial inseminate, containing a higher proportion of morphologically normal, motile cells than the inseminate. Washed stallion spermatozoa were cocultured with monolayers of OEC or monolayers of Vero cells, and controls were incubated in wells coated with basement membrane extract (Matrigel [Mgel]) or in plastic (uncoated) wells. Unattached spermatozoa were removed by ri...
Models of the three-dimensional structures of echidna, horse, and pigeon lysozymes: calcium-binding lysozymes and their relationship with alpha-lactalbumins. Similarities in amino acid sequences, three-dimensional structures, and the exon-intron patterns of their genes have indicated that c-type lysozymes and alpha-lactalbumins are homologous proteins, i.e., descended by divergent evolution from a common ancestor. Like the alpha-lactalbumins, echidna milk, horse milk, and pigeon eggwhite lysozymes all bind Ca(II). Models of their three-dimensional structures, based on their amino acid sequences and the known crystal structures of domestic hen eggwhite and human lysozymes and baboon and human alpha-lactalbumins, have been built. The several structur...
Characteristics of cyclicity in maiden thoroughbred mares in the United Kingdom. The characteristics of the cyclicity of 12 maiden thoroughbred mares kept in two groups were studied over a total of 58 cycles. On average, oestrus lasted 5.3 days and in 60 per cent of the cycles ovulation occurred in the last two days of oestrus. Oestrus and ovulation tended to be synchronised in each group of mares. The mean diameter of single-ovulating preovulatory follicles on the day before ovulation was 41.5 mm and during the seven days before ovulation they grew 2.5 mm/day. More than one follicle ovulated in 19 (33 per cent) of the cycles (seven double ovulations and 12 dioestrous ovul...
Denervation atrophy in three horses with fibrotic myopathy. Three horses with fibrotic myopathy were examined for neuromuscular disease. In 2 horses, concentric needle electromyography was performed. Dense spontaneous activity suggestive of denervation, was found in multiple thigh muscles of 1 of the 2 horses. All 3 horses were euthanatized. Histochemical and histologic examination of tissue specimens was performed. All horses had degenerative lesions in peripheral and intramuscular nerves. Angular atrophy of type-1 and type-2 muscle fibers, indicative of denervation atrophy, was seen in multiple muscle specimens from all 3 horses. One horse was found ...
Polymorphic expression of an equine T lymphocyte and neutrophil subset marker. This report describes the further characterization of a group of antibodies which have been assigned to Workshop Cluster 1 by the First International Workshop on Equine Leucocyte Antigens. These antibodies recognize a 22 kDa antigen, which is present on a large subset of T lymphocytes and neutrophils, and on medullary thymocytes. The antigen is polymorphic in its expression, and three equine phenotypes could be identified using the described antibodies. The function and homology of the antigen recognized by these antibodies are unknown.
Haematological, bone marrow and clinical chemical changes in neonatal foals given canine recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. Five Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse cross foals were given 20 micrograms canine recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (rcG-CSF) per kg bwt intramuscularly (i.m.) on the day of birth and 10 micrograms rcG-CSF/kg for 13 additional days. During this time and for an additional 21 days haematology, bone marrow and clinical chemical analyses were performed. After one day of rcG-CSF administration leucocyte and neutrophil counts increased from 9.16 x 10(9)/l to 23.44 x 10(9)/l and from 6.45 x 10(9)/l to 19.61 x 10(9)/l, respectively. The counts continued to increase for the next 3-4 days ...
Temporal changes in concentrations of amino acids in plasma and whole blood of healthy neonatal foals from birth to two days of age. Temporal changes, as well as differences in distribution, in concentrations of 24 amino acids in plasma and whole blood of neonatal foals were determined from birth to 2 days of age. In addition, differences in concentrations of amino acids in plasma between mare and foal pairs were determined at birth. Significant (P < 0.05) hypoaminoacidemia existed for 15 amino acids in plasma of foals at birth, compared with mares (paired t-test). Concentrations of 7 amino acids (aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, hydroxyproline, phenylalanine, proline) in plasma of foals were higher (P 0.05). S...
Sensory nerve conduction velocity of the caudal cutaneous sural and medial cutaneous antebrachial nerves of adult horses. Maximal conduction velocities of compound action potentials evoked by stimuli of 2 times threshold in the caudal cutaneous sural (CCSN) and medial cutaneous antebrachial (MCAN) nerves were determined by averaging potentials evoked and recorded through percutaneous needle electrodes. Mean maximal conduction velocities of compound action potentials were: CCSN = 61.3 +/- 2.0 meters/second (m/s) and MCAN = 56.4 +/- 2.8 m/s. To confirm accuracy of our percutaneous recordings, compound action potentials were recorded through bipolar chlorided silver electrodes from the exposed surfaces of fascicles ...
Variation in expression of MHC class II antigens on horse lymphocytes determined by MHC haplotype. A panel of monoclonal antibodies was used to characterize the expression of equine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II antigens on lymphocytes of horses of different MHC types. MHC class II antigen expression was compared between adult horses and foals, and the level of expression of MHC class II antigens on horse T cell subpopulations was also determined. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from young and adult healthy horses of different MHC haplotypes were labeled with the antibodies and assayed by single- and two-color immunofluorescence flow cytometry. A variation in the expres...
Exercise-induced hyperthermia as a possible mechanism for tendon degeneration. Mathematical modelling of tendon thermodynamics predicted that the temperature of the central core of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon would plateau at 11 degrees C above the tendon surface temperature during a sustained gallop. A mean temperature differential (between tendon core and surface) of 5.4 (S.E. +/- 1.0) degrees C was demonstrated in vivo in four horses. Peak intra-tendinous temperatures in the range 43-45 degrees C were recorded. Temperatures above 42.5 degrees C are known to result in fibroblast death in vitro [Hall (1988) Radiobiology for the Radiologist, 3rd Edn., pp...
Maternal influences on growth and development of full-sibling foals. Six pairs of full-sibling Quarter Horse foals were produced by non-surgical embryo transfer and immediate rebreeding of donor mares. Each pair of donor/recipient mares consisted of one multiparous (donor) and one nulliparous (recipient) mare of similar body type and size. Milk yield was determined within 2 d of 8, 15, 22, 29 d (early lactation); 45, 60 d (midlactation); and 90, 120 d (late lactation) postpartum by the weigh-suckle-weigh method. On the following day, milk samples were collected, and foals were weighed and measured for wither height, heart girth, metacarpal length, metatarsal le...
P2 protamines are phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C, whereas P1 protamines prefer cAMP-dependent protein kinase. A comparative study of five mammalian species. P1 protamines isolated from ejaculated human, stallion, bull, boar and ram spermatozoa and P2 protamines from human and stallion spermatozoa were subjected, after alkaline phosphatase treatment, to in vitro phosphorylation reactions using cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC). All P1 protamines were phosphorylated by PKA, whereas P2 protamines were phosphorylated only by PKC. In addition, human, stallion and boar, but not bull and ram, P1 protamines were phosphorylated by PKC. After phosphoamino acid analysis, the protamines showing positive signals for phosphoserine (...
An investigation of the proteoglycan metabolism of mature equine articular cartilage and its regulation by interleukin-1. The effect of human recombinant interleukin-1 beta (rhIL-1 beta) on proteoglycan metabolism was investigated in cultures of full thickness explants of articular cartilage from horses 3-21 years of age. Proteoglycan synthesis was inhibited at all ages but no alteration in the hydrodynamic size or electrophoretic heterogeneity was observed in proteoglycan isolated from rhIL-1 beta stimulated cartilage. The sulphation pattern of the newly synthesised proteoglycan molecules was, however, significantly affected by the presence of the peptide regulatory factor. Interleukin-1 had no effect on the rat...
FTIR analysis of the interaction of azide with horse heart myoglobin variants. The interaction of azide with variants of horse heart myoglobin (Mb) has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy and by molecular modeling calculations. Distal histidine variants (His64Thr, His64Ile, His64Lys) and charged surface variants (Val67Arg, Lys45Glu, Lys45Glu/Lys63Glu) were included in this study. All variants, with the exception of Val67Arg, have a lower azide affinity than the wild-type protein. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the FTIR spectra (277-313 K) revealed that the wild-type ...
Sequence of a cDNA encoding horse growth hormone. A cDNA encoding horse growth hormone (ecGH) was isolated and sequenced. The coding sequence resembles a typical mammalian GH pre-protein and contains a 3' untranslated region of 101 nucleotides carrying two contiguous polyadenylation signals.
Demographics of companion animals in South Africa. A survey conducted in 1992, using a standardised, stratified sample was used to determine companion animal numbers in South Africa as a single geographical entity. The results indicated that there were 3.93 million dogs, 0.97 million cats, 0.98 million birds, 0.22 million other companion animals and 0.1 million horses in South African households. Thirty-seven per cent of households keeping companion animals, kept dogs; cats (13.4%); birds (4.8%); other companion animals (1.1%) and horses (2%). These results may provide information about possible markets in terms of numbers of species kept.
Protein and nitrogen composition of equine (Equus caballus) milk during early lactation. Separation of whey protein from casein in equine milk was achieved by adjustment of pH to 4.3 without addition of calcium, and by ultracentrifugation at 189,000 g for 1 hr. True protein, whey protein, and casein decreased significantly during the first 28 days of lactation with the magnitude of decrease being greatest for whey protein. The proportion of nitrogen in whey protein:casein decreased from 85:15 to 54:46 during the 28 day time period. The concentration of non-protein nitrogen remained relatively constant at 500 mg nitrogen/l but increased in proportion from 2 to 13% of the total nitr...
Blood protein polymorphisms in the donkey (Equus asinus). Transferrin, albumin, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and vitamin D-binding protein polymorphisms were detected in 242 feral and domesticated Australian donkeys by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, starch gel electrophoresis, autoradiography, immunoblotting with specific antisera and activity staining. All four TF and two ALB variants were donkey specific while only one of the PGD variants was donkey specific. The two GC variants were electrophoretically identical to the Equus caballus F and S proteins. Available evidence suggested that the TF, ALB, PGD and GC systems are controlled by co-d...
[The “lethal white foal” syndrome]. The lethal white foal syndrome (congenital intestinal aganglionosis) was diagnosed by history, clinical signs and pathological findings in a female foal, born in March 1992, that was an offspring of two overo-spotted paint horses. The syndrome is a congenital innervation defect of the gastrointestinal tract. A literature review of this condition, relatively unknown in Germany, is given.
Measurements of heart scores and heart weights in horses of two different morphic body types. Heart scores (the arithmetic mean of the QRS durations of the three bipolar limb leads for 10 cycles) and heart weights were determined from five draft type horses and five racing type horses, and evaluated for relationships between heart score and heart size within and between the two different types of horses. Horses were killed using a captive bolt gun, and actual heart weights were recorded using an electronic digital scale. The linear regression equation for heart weight versus heart score had a significant (P < 0.05) negative slope for racing types. The regression coefficients for heart ...
Mechanism of reduction in alveolar-arterial PO2 difference by helium breathing in the exercising horse. Previous work has shown that replacing N2 in air with He at the same inspired O2 fraction reduces the exercise-induced alveolar-arterial PO2 difference (AaPO2) in horses but has provided no mechanism explaining this effect. We sought to distinguish among possible causes by using the multiple inert gas elimination technique. Six horses were studied on a high-speed treadmill while they breathed either ambient air or normoxic He-O2. O2 uptake reached 138.0 ml.min-1.kg-1 and was not affected by He-O2. Temperature-corrected arterial PO2 was 76.7 Torr (air) and 86.9 Torr (He-O2) (P < 0.01). Corre...
Population genetics of Great Basin feral horses. The genetic make-up of Great Basin wild (feral) horses was investigated by blood typing studies. Blood samples of 975 feral horses from seven trap sites in Nevada and Oregon were tested by serological and electrophoretic techniques for genetic markers at 19 polymorphic loci. The average number of variants for the seven feral populations [72.1 +/- 3.2 (SEM), range 62-85] was not significantly different from that of 16 domestic breeds (75.0 +/- 11.5, range 58-105). The expected average frequency of heterozygotes per locus (average heterozygosity) for the feral populations (0.402 +/- 0.009, range...
