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Topic:Biochemistry
The study of biochemistry in horses encompasses the chemical processes and substances that occur within equine organisms. This field investigates the molecular interactions and pathways that are fundamental to horse physiology, including metabolism, enzyme activity, and genetic expression. Key areas of interest include the examination of metabolic disorders, nutrient absorption, and the biochemical basis of muscle function and energy production. Researchers utilize biochemical analysis to understand health and disease mechanisms in horses, contributing to the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. This page gathers peer-reviewed studies and scholarly articles that explore various biochemical processes and their implications for equine health and performance.
Equine Endometrial Explants Undergo Significant Degenerative Changes in Culture. This study evaluated equine endometrial explants following 12, 24, and 48 hr in culture. Measurement of an indicator of cell death in explant supernatant, light microscopy, and gene expression of biomarkers of endometrial function and cellular stress were used to compare the effect of six different media on explant viability and morphology. Viability of explants was assessed indirectly through measuring LDH activity in the culture supernatant. Regardless of culture medium composition, a significant increase in LDH activity was observed within 12 hr of culture, indicating occurrence of cell dam...
Submaximal exercise training improves mitochondrial efficiency in the gluteus medius but not in the triceps brachii of young equine athletes. We tested the hypothesis that, similar to humans and rodents, exercise training would enhance mitochondrial (Mt) biogenesis and function in skeletal muscle of young horses. Twenty-four Quarter Horse yearlings were randomly assigned to either submaximal exercise training or no forced exercise (untrained). Biopsies were collected from the gluteus medius and triceps brachii before and after 9 wk of treatment. Citrate synthase activity was lower (P < 0.0001) and cytochrome c oxidase activity per Mt unit was higher (P < 0.0001) in gluteus compared to triceps, but neither changed over ...
The effect of sodium bicarbonate and validation of beckman coulter AU680 analyzers for measuring total carbon dioxide (TCO2) concentrations in horse serum. This study evaluated the usage of Beckman Coulter AU680 analyzers for measurement of TCO in horse serum, and the effect of sodium bicarbonate administrations on serum TCO levels in resting horses. Treatment of horses with sodium bicarbonate did not result in any adverse events. Mean TCO concentration was significantly higher from 1 to 8 h in the sodium bicarbonate-treated horses compared to the untreated controls. Within an hour, administration of sodium bicarbonate increased the TCO level from 31.5 ± -2.5 (SD) to 34.0 ± 2.65 (SD) mmol/L and at 2-8 h post-administration, the TCO l...
Biochemical analysis of some serum trace elements in donkeys and horses in Eastern region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Little is known about the serum levels of trace elements in donkeys and horses in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate the levels of some trace elements in these two species in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia and to compare the obtained results with the reference values. Methods: Seventeen Arabian horses and twenty eight Hassawi donkeys were randomly selected for this study. All of the studied healthy animals were kept under a uniform feeding protocol without any minerals supplementations. Atomic absorption spectrometer is used to estimate the serum concentrations of selenium (Se),...
Steroidogenic enzyme activities in the pre- and post-parturient equine placenta. Steroidogenic enzymes in placentas shape steroid hormone profiles in the maternal circulation of each mammalian species. These include 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-4 isomerase (3βHSD) and 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase cytochrome P450 (P450c17) crucial for progesterone and androgen synthesis, respectively, as well as aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom) that converts Δ4-androgens to estrogens. 5α-reductase is another important enzyme in equine placentas because 5α-dihydroprogesterone (DHP) sustains pregnancy in the absence of progesterone in the second half of equine pregnancy. DHP a...
Identification of Equid herpesvirus 2 in tissue-engineered equine tendon. Incidental findings of virus-like particles were identified following electron microscopy of tissue-engineered tendon constructs (TETC) derived from equine tenocytes. We set out to determine the nature of these particles, as there are few studies which identify virus in tendons , and their presence could have implications for tissue-engineering using allogenic grafts. Virus particles were identified in electron microscopy of TETCs. Virion morphology was used to initially hypothesise the virus identity. Next generation sequencing was implemented to identify the virus. A pan herpesvirus PCR ...
Serial-omics characterization of equine urine. Horse urine is easily collected and contains molecules readily measurable using mass spectrometry that can be used as biomarkers representative of health, disease or drug tampering. This study aimed at analyzing microliter levels of horse urine to purify, identify and quantify proteins, polar metabolites and non-polar lipids. Urine from a healthy 12 year old quarter horse mare on a diet of grass hay and vitamin/mineral supplements with limited pasture access was collected for serial-omics characterization. The urine was treated with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and methanol to partition into...
Influences of different dietary contents of macrominerals on the availability of trace elements in horses. In this study, influences of a reduced macromineral intake on the trace element metabolism in horses at maintenance were investigated. Background of this study is the revised recommendation on the macromineral supply for horses (GfE ). Balance studies on three adult pony geldings with body weights of 405 / 348 / 384 kg were performed to obtain data on apparent digestibility (aD), retention and serum concentrations of different trace elements (Cu, Zn, Se) at different dietary macromineral levels. A mineral supplement or a complementary feed-with a reduced macromineral content-was added to a ha...
A novel surface plasmon resonance biosensor based on the PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform for horse IgG detection. Herein we report a novel polydopamine-silver nanoparticle-polydopamine-gold (PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au) film based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor for horse IgG detection. The PDA-AgNPs-PDA-Au film sensing platform was built on Au-film via layer-by-layer self-assembly. Ag ion was reduced in situ to AgNPs in presence of PDA. The top PDA layer can prevent AgNPs from being oxidized and connect with antibody via Schiff alkali reaction directly. The morphology and thickness of the modified gold film were characterized using scanning electron microscope and Talystep. Experimental results show that ...
Encapsulation of Equine Endothelial Colony Forming Cells in Highly Uniform, Injectable Hydrogel Microspheres for Local Cell Delivery. A common challenge in cell therapy is the inability to routinely maintain survival and localization of injected therapeutic cells. Delivering cells by direct injection increases the flexibility of clinical applications, but may cause low cell viability and retention rates due to the high shear forces in the needle and mechanical wash out. In this study, we encapsulated endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) in poly(ethylene glycol)-fibrinogen (PF) hydrogel microspheres using a custom-built microfluidic device; this system supports rapid encapsulation of high cell concentrations (10 million c...
Rapid Communication: Dietary selenium improves skeletal muscle mitochondrial biogenesis in young equine athletes. Exercise is known to promote mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle as well as enhance mitochondrial function and efficiency in human and rodent models. These adaptations help to decrease exercise-associated production of reactive oxygen species, which can negatively affect health and performance if antioxidant mechanisms are overwhelmed. Little is known about the adaptations of mitochondria in response to exercise training in the growing horse or if supplementation with a dietary antioxidant can improve mitochondrial function. To evaluate the separate and combined effects of selenium (Se...
A comparison of progesterone assays for determination of peripheral pregnane concentrations in the late pregnant mare. During the latter half of gestation in mares, there is a complex milieu of pregnanes in peripheral blood. Progesterone concentrations are often assessed by immunoassay during late gestation as a measure of pregnancy well-being; however, interpretation of results is complicated by the numerous cross-reacting pregnanes present in high concentrations during late gestation. Further, many mares are supplemented with an exogenous progestin, altrenogest, which may also cross-react with existing assays and further confound interpretation. The objectives of this study were: 1) to compare differences in...
Impact of supplementation of semen extender with antioxidants on the quality of chilled or cryopreserved Arabian stallion spermatozoa. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of semen extender with various non-enzymatic antioxidants on the quality of cooled or cryopreserved Arabian stallion spermatozoa. Semen collected from four pure Arabian stallions was centrifuged at 600g for 15 min. Spermatozoa were then diluted in INRA-82 extender supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA; 0, 10, 15 and 20 mg/mL) or trehalose (0, 75, 100 and 150 mM) or zinc sulphate (0, 100, 150 and 200 μM). The diluted semen was then either cooled at 5 °C or cryopreserved in 0.5-ml plastic straws. After cooli...
Inhibition of microsomal prostaglandin E-synthase-1 (mPGES-1) selectively suppresses PGE2 in an in vitro equine inflammation model. Inhibition of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production effectively limits inflammation in horses, however nonspecific prostaglandin blockade via cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition elicits deleterious gastrointestinal side effects in equine patients. Thus, more selective PGE2 targeting therapeutics are needed to treat inflammatory disease in horses. One potential target is microsomal prostaglandin E-synthase-1 (mPGES-1), which is the terminal enzyme downstream of COX-2 in the inducible PGE2 synthesis cascade. This enzyme has yet to be studied in equine leukocytes, which play a pivotal role in equine inf...
Stallion spermatozoa surviving freezing and thawing experience membrane depolarization and increased intracellular Na. In order to gain insight of the modifications that freezing and thawing cause to the surviving population of spermatozoa, changes in the potential of the plasma membrane (Em) and intracellular Na content of stallion spermatozoa were investigated using flow cytometry. Moreover, caspase 3 activity was also investigated and the functionality of the Na -K ATPase pump was investigated before and after freezing and thawing. Cryopreservation caused a significant (p < 0.001) increase in the subpopulation of spermatozoa with depolarized sperm membranes, concomitantly with an increase (p < 0.0...
Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) effects on developmental competence of equine preantral follicles in short-term culture. The effect of different concentrations of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) on the development and morphology of preantral follicles, as well as the proliferative activity of granulosa cells, was assessed after short-term culture. Ovaries (n = 5) of five seasonal anestrous mares were harvested in a local abattoir. At the laboratory, nine ovarian fragments (5 × 5 × 1 mm) from each animal were used. One fragment was immediately fixed in Bouin and subjected to histological and immunohistochemistry (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA) analyses (noncultured group; D0 = day 0). The other eigh...
A Brief Account of the Discovery of the Fetal/Placental Unit for Estrogen Production in Equine and Human Pregnancies: Relation to Human Medicine. The role of steroids in human medicine is well recognized, but the major contributions made by the large domestic animals as a source of material in the discovery, isolation, and determination of the structure of the steroid hormones is less well appreciated. After a brief reminder of the early efforts to obtain a reliable source of steroids for clinical use, the narrative here is to outline one example where success was ultimately achieved for estrogen replacement therapy. Whereas knowledge of the high concentrations of estrogens in urine of pregnant women and mares dates from the late 1920s,...
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 ...
The relative isotopic abundance (δ13C, δ15N) during composting of agricultural wastes in relation to compost quality and feedstock. Variations in the relative isotopic abundance of C and N (δC and δN) were measured during the composting of different agricultural wastes using bench-scale bioreactors. Different mixtures of agricultural wastes (horse bedding manure + legume residues; dairy manure + jatropha mill cake; dairy manure + sugarcane residues; dairy manure alone) were used for aerobic-thermophilic composting. No significant differences were found between the δC values of the feedstock and the final compost, except for dairy manure + sugarcane residues (from initial ratio of -13.6 ± 0.2 ‰ t...
Protocol for Robust In Vivo Measurements of Erythrocyte Aggregation Using Ultrasound Spectroscopy. Erythrocyte aggregation is a non-specific marker of acute and chronic inflammation. Although it is usual to evaluate this phenomenon from blood samples analyzed in laboratory instruments, in vivo real-time assessment of aggregation is possible with spectral ultrasound techniques. However, variable blood flow can affect the interpretation of acoustic measures. Therefore, flow standardization is required. Two techniques of flow standardization were evaluated with porcine and equine blood samples in Couette flow. These techniques consisted in either stopping the flow or reducing it. Then, the se...
Lipidomics of equine amniotic fluid: Identification of amphiphilic (O-acyl)-ω-hydroxy-fatty acids. Amniotic fluid is essential for the growth and maturation of the fetus prior to parturition. While our knowledge of human amniotic fluid is extensive, current data for equine amniotic fluid is limited. We therefore undertook a detailed lipidomics analysis of equine amniotic fluid. Using a non-targeted high-resolution mass spectrometric lipidomics analysis of equine amniotic fluid, we were able to characterize a diverse array of individual lipids. This non-biased analytical approach detected, for the first time, the presence of (O-acyl)-ω-hydroxy-fatty acids (OAHFA) with up to 52 carbon chain ...
Serum-free human MSC medium supports consistency in human but not in equine adipose-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell culture. For clinical applications of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), serum-free culture is preferable to standardize cell products and prevent contamination with pathogens. In contrast to human MSCs, knowledge on serum-free culture of large animal MSCs is limited, despite its relevance for preclinical studies and development of veterinary cellular therapeutics. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of a commercially available serum-free human MSC medium for culturing equine adipose-derived MSCs in comparison with human adipose MSCs. Enzyme-free isolation by explant technique and e...
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...
Surface glycan pattern of canine, equine, and ovine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The use of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for clinical and experimental studies is increasing, but full characterization of MSCs in veterinary species is hindered by the variability in species-specific cell surface marker expression and antibody cross reactivity. Recent studies demonstrated that the glycans in the glycocalyx of MSCs are promising candidates as cell biomarkers. In the present study, we analyzed the glycocalyx of canine MSCs (cMSCs), ovine MSCs (oMSCs), and equine MSCs (eMSCs) using a cell microarray procedure in which MSCs were spotted on microarray slides an...
Glucocorticoid assessment in the domestic horse: The impacts of time and climatic variables on sample integrity. Assessment of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) offers a noninvasive method of monitoring adrenal activity in domestic horses. Samples are collected on an opportunistic basis and, if they are not fresh or have been exposed to the elements before they are identified, may not accurately reflect FGM concentrations. Objective: To explore the impact of a range of environmental conditions upon the integrity of FGM levels in equine faeces. Methods: In vitro experiment. Methods: Equine faeces were exposed to six controlled environmental conditions intended to simulate a range of weather and seas...
Equine fetal adrenal, gonadal and placental steroidogenesis. Equine fetuses have substantial circulating pregnenolone concentrations and thus have been postulated to provide significant substrate for placental 5α-reduced pregnane production, but the fetal site of pregnenolone synthesis remains unclear. The current studies investigated steroid concentrations in blood, adrenal glands, gonads and placenta from fetuses (4, 6, 9 and 10 months of gestational age (GA)), as well as tissue steroidogenic enzyme transcript levels. Pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were the most abundant steroids in fetal blood, pregnenolone was consistently higher bu...
A lectin histochemical study to detect variation in glycosylation at the feto-maternal interface in three interbreeding equine species. In this study, we compare glycosylation at the fetomaternal interface in 3 equine species: horse, donkey and zebra, all of which can interbreed to produce hybrids, to assess their glycan similarities and differences. Methods: Sections cut from 3 specimens of horse (Equus caballus) placenta (50, 200 and 280 days gestation), one donkey (Equus asinus) placenta (65 cm crown-rump length) and 5 specimens of zebra (Equus quagga) placentae (81-239 days gestation) were stained with a panel of 24 biotinylated lectins using an avidin-peroxidase revealing system. Results: There were only slight quantitat...
C2K77 ELISA detects cleavage of type II collagen by cathepsin K in equine articular cartilage. Develop a species-specific ELISA for a neo-epitope generated by cathepsin K cleavage of equine type II collagen to: (1) measure cartilage type II collagen degradation by cathepsin K in vitro, (2) identify cytokines that upregulate cathepsin K expression and (3) compare cathepsin K with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) collagenase activity in stimulated cartilage explants and freshly isolated normal and osteoarthritic (OA) articular cartilages. A new ELISA (C2K77) was developed and tested by measuring the activity of exogenous cathepsin K on equine articular cartilage explants. The ELISA was the...
Identification of hypoglycin A binding adsorbents as potential preventive measures in co-grazers of atypical myopathy affected horses. Intestinal absorption of hypoglycin A (HGA) and its metabolism are considered major prerequisites for atypical myopathy (AM). The increasing incidence and the high mortality rate of AM urgently necessitate new therapeutic and/or preventative approaches. Objective: To identify a substance for oral administration capable of binding HGA in the intestinal lumen and effectively reducing the intestinal absorption of the toxin. Methods: Experimental in vitro study. Methods: Substances commonly used in equine practice (activated charcoal composition, di-tri-octahedral smectite, mineral oil and activat...
Serum amyloid A protein (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp) and selected hematological and biochemical parameters in wild mares before and after parturition. The aim of the study was to evaluate physiological changes in hematological and biochemical parameters in mares in perinatal period. Blood samples were collected from 24 pregnant Polish Konik breed mares which were divided into two groups. The first group (Group - I, n=12) comprised mares living in the wild, in the reserve. The second group (Group - II, n=12) consisted of mares kept in stables. The blood was collected 2 weeks prior to the parturition, then 24 hours after the delivery, and then at the 7th and 21st day after foaling. When comparing the two groups before the parturition, no signi...
