The study of blood in horses encompasses the examination of its components, functions, and its role in equine health and disease. Blood consists of various elements, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, each serving specific functions such as oxygen transport, immune response, clotting, and nutrient distribution. Analyzing blood parameters can provide insights into the physiological and pathological states of horses. Common blood tests in equine medicine assess parameters like hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, and white cell counts to monitor health status, diagnose conditions, and guide treatment decisions. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the composition, function, and clinical applications of blood analysis in horses.
Li J, Zhao Y, Mi J, Yi Z, Holyoak GR, Wu R, Wang Z, Zhu Y, Zeng S.Endometritis is a common disease in donkeys that causes economic losses to donkey farms and the common cause is bacterial infection. Uterine flush fluid proteomics has been used to study protein biomarkers associated with endometritis in mares. As a convenient diagnostic tool, serum proteomics has not been studied yet in equine species with endometritis. This study is aiming to evaluate the serum proteomics in jennies with and without endometritis and identify potential proteins as biomarker for endometritis diagnosis. Nine donkeys recruited into this study were diagnosed of bacterial (Escheri...
El-Sherif MA, Nabil G, Ibrahim R, Mohamed N, Mohamed M, Jaheen AH.Based on the growing attention to the Arabian horses with a lack of records regarding their normal physiological parameters, which are critically vital for disease diagnosis &convenient drug administration, we give great attention to their thyroid gland normalcy. The thyroid gland is one of the key players in regulating many physiological processes. Therefore, we tackled thyroid biology & morphology in 14 Arabian stallions & 18 Arabian mares from the beginning of March to the middle of April on animals from 4 to 19Â years old. First, the blood samples taken from their jugular vein ...
Dirikolu L, Waller P, Malveaux K, Lucas CH, Lomnicka I, Pourciau A, Bennadji H, Liu CC.The TCO (total carbon dioxide) test is performed on the blood of racehorses as a means of combatting the practice of administering alkalizing agents. This study evaluated serum TCO concentrations and factors influencing concentration of TCO in Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses. The normality of data were evaluated with a Shapiro-Wilk test. Mann-Whitney tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used against different effects. When a fixed effect was detected, Dunn's post-hoc comparisons were performed. The median pre-race serum TCO concentration (32.20 mmol/L (interquartile range (IQR): 30.80-33.50)) w...
Midon M, Yamada DI, Zangirolami Filho D, Simionato GC, Feringer Junior WH, Conde G, Hofmeister EH.This study evaluated the agreement between invasive blood pressure (IBP) values measured in three different arteries and by an oscillometric device (NIBP) with the ones from the transverse facial artery (FA). Six horses (424.2 ± 40.7 kg) were sedated with xylazine (0.6 mg/kg IV), induced with ketamine (2 mg/kg IV) and midazolam (0.1 mg/kg IV), and maintained with isoflurane (1.2 MAC) for 90 minutes in lateral recumbency. FA, auricular artery (AA), lateral digital artery (LDA), and metatarsal artery (MA) were catheterized, and a standard adult cuff was placed on the tail. IBP and NIBP values w...
Johnson SA, Frisbie DD, Griffenhagen GM, King MR.Blood flow restriction (BFR) has become a key rehabilitative tool for human orthopaedic conditions. With modernised technology and evolution of clinical application, patient-specific delivery of occlusion percentages is now considered the standard of care in human patients due to improved therapeutic outcomes and minimised safety risks. Safety validation and limb occlusion pressure (LOP) data for horses, however, are lacking. Objective: (1) To determine if BFR exposure resulted in forelimb biomechanical gait dysfunction as safety validation and (2) to investigate inter-horse and inter-limb LOP...
Mattei D, Fenn MS, Caraguel C, Vinardell T.The characterization of the blood groups, antibody profiles, and its distribution pattern among different horse breeds and geographic locations, can be very useful in life-threatening situations where a blood transfusion is needed, and compatibility tests are not readily available. This study estimated the distribution of blood types and antibody profiles in Straight Egyptian Arabian horses from Qatar. A total of 20 Straight Egyptian Arabian horses, from multiple origins and genetic background were included. Venous blood from each horse was typed and screened for anti-red blood cell (RBC) hemo...
de Laat MA, Warnken T, Delarocque J, Reiche DB, Grob AJ, Feige K, Carslake HB, Durham AE, Sillence MN, Thane KE, Frank N, Brojer J, Lindase S....A glycemic challenge test is used for the diagnosis of insulin dysregulation (ID) in horses and ponies. Different forms of the test exist where the administrative route and dose of glucose vary, which makes interpretation of results challenging. Objective: To evaluate the palatability of, and blood glucose and insulin responses to, carbohydrate pellets fed as an oral glucose test (OGT), and to establish the diagnostic threshold for ID when using the pellets. Methods: University and privately-owned horses and ponies (n = 157) comprised of 31 breeds and both sexes. Methods: Multicenter cohort ...
Ayo JO, Ake AS, Abimbola AA.The study aimed to evaluate effects of packing (load-carrying) and trekking on hematological and biochemical parameters in donkeys during the hot-dry season. Ten pack donkeys, aged 2-3 years, weighing 93 ± 2.7 kg were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into two groups of five animals each. Group 1 donkeys were subjected to packing + trekking while group 2 trekked only. All the donkeys trekked 20 km thrice, 1-day apart. Blood was collected before and after packing or trekking for hematological evaluation; and serum analyzed for electrolyte concentrations, and aspartate aminotransfera...
Waller AP, Lindinger MI.Oral electrolyte supplementation may influence acid-base state during exercise due to the intestinal absorption of administered water and electrolytes used to mitigating sweat losses. This study examined the effect of pre-exercise electrolyte supplementation (3 and 8 L) on plasma acid-base variables at rest, during moderate intensity exercise and during recovery. It was hypothesized that electrolyte supplementation will result in improved acid-base state compared to the alkalosis typical of prolonged exercise. In randomized crossover fashion, four horses were administered 3 L or 8 L of a hypot...
Scalco R, Aleman M, Nogueira CEW, Freitas NB, Curcio BR.To report red cell distribution width (RDW) values, to calculate RDW-to-platelet ratio (RPR), and to investigate a possible correlation of RDW and RPR index values in neonatal foals classified as healthy or at risk based on clinical information from a population of foals up to 24Â hours of life. Methods: Retrospective study conducted from records and CBCs of foals born between June and November from 2018 to 2020 foaling seasons. Methods: Breeding farm. Methods: Three hundred and nine neonatal full-term Thoroughbred foals. Methods: None. Results: Foals were evaluated by a veterinarian within 15...
Massányi M, Halo M, Massányi P, Mlyneková E, Greń A, Formicki G, Halo M.Health state of animals undergoing experimental procedures is an important topic nowadays, as even the small changes can influence the outcome of entire outcomes. Main aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of horse training on variety of blood parameters including mineral profile, energy profile, hepatic profile and haematology. In the experiment, the studied group of horses underwent training programme which consisted of transportation, lounging, riding, jumping, racing, treadmill training and shoeing. Blood samples were collected and later evaluated at the beginning, in the middle a...
Knych HK, Weiner D, Harrison L, McKemie DS.Intra-articular corticosteroids, such as isoflupredone acetate, are commonly used in the treatment of joint inflammation, especially in performance horses. Following administration in a non-inflamed joints blood concentrations of isoflupredone were low and detectable for only a short period of time post-administration compared to synovial fluid concentrations. For some drugs, inflammation can affect pharmacokinetics, therefore, the goal of the current study was to describe the pharmacokinetics of isoflupredone acetate following intra-articular administration using a model of acute synovitis. S...
Sobral GG, Gomes Neto OC, Carneiro GF.The objective of this study was to determine whether supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae or β-glucan, in the maternal diet during late pregnancy affects the concentration of total IgG in the colostrum of mares and influences the concentration of IgG in its foals. A total of 21 pregnant mares were used, aged 6±2 years, 3±1 pregnancies, 450±50kg in weight, and they were distributed into three groups: the control group (n=7); the S. cerevisiae group (n=7), which received 10CFU of S. cerevisiae orally; and the β-glucan group (n=7), which received 0.35g of β-glucan orally. All group...
Hoffman M, Cheong SH, Stokol T.Liver analyte measurement is important in the evaluation of sick animals. Liver injury in horses is recognized by increased glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, whereas biliary pathology is identified by increased alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities or bilirubin concentrations. We have observed high GLDH, but not SDH, activities in neonatal foals admitted for conditions other than liver disease. Only one previous study have evaluated GLDH activity over time in healthy neonatal foals; however...
Hassanpour A, Moghaddam S.Early detection of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals is essential for horse health and for veterinarians. Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of assessing the serum concentration of acute-phase proteins (APPs) in the early diagnosis of pneumonia. Methods: The study evaluated APPs in 19 Arabian foals with R. equi pneumonia and compared them with 18 normal Arabian foals in equestrian clubs in Tabriz, Iran. Affected foals were identified through history, clinical findings and bacterial culture of tracheal washing. Biochemical methods and polymerase chain reaction tests wer...
Dória RGS, Reginato GM, Hayasaka YB, Fantinato Neto P, Passarelli D, Arantes JA.Percutaneous decompression of the cecum is a procedure that could be considered for horses with cecal gas distension. The aim of this study was to identify complications such as peritonitis and clinically relevant peritonitis (CRP) after transabdominal cecal trocarization in healthy horses using a cattle trocar and a cecal needle. Mixed breed horses were assigned to three groups (n = 6): horses that underwent trocarization with a cecal needle (G1) or a cattle trocar (G2), and a control group (CG) without cecal trocarization. The same horses were used in each group, respecting a three-month was...
Cassano JM, Marycz K, Horna M, Nogues MP, Morgan JM, Herrmann DB, Galuppo LD, Vapniarsky N.No current treatments available halt osteoarthritis progression in horses or humans. Intra-articular injection of mitochondria is a novel treatment that has the potential to improve cell metabolism and decrease inflammation, but safety of this treatment has yet to be established in the horse. Autologous blood-derived mitochondria isolated using a commercially available kit were injected into the left carpus joint of 3 horses which were monitored for 28 days. Horses received physical examinations, video recorded gait evaluations, joint diameter measurement, synovial fluid collection, and blood ...
Thirumalapura NR, Livengood J, Beeby J, Wang W, Goodrich EL, Goodman LB, Erol E, Tewari D.Neorickettsia risticii, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the causative agent of Potomac horse fever (PHF). Diagnosis of PHF is based on demonstration of serum antibodies, isolation of N. risticii, and/or detection of nucleic acid by a PCR assay. An existing real-time PCR assay targeting the N. risticii 16S rRNA has been validated using blood samples from horses with colitis, and snails; to our knowledge, the performance of the assay for other sample types has not been reported. We describe here a modification of the 16S rRNA gene assay by the addition of a set of primers and probe targe...
Mowry KC, Thomson-Parker TL, Morales C, Fikes KK, Stutts KJ, Leatherwood JL, Anderson MJ, Smith RX, Suagee-Bedore JK.Rice bran oil and flaxseed oil contain omega-3 fatty acids with the potential to reduce post-exercise inflammation and muscle damage. This study measures plasma interleukin-1β and creatine kinase and fatty acid profiles in lightly worked, young horses (Equus caballus) undergoing an exercise test after 60 days (d) of oil consumption, where the oil replaced 25% of concentrate calories. Treatments consisted of CON (no oil), FLAX (flaxseed oil blend), and RICE (crude rice bran oil). Blood was collected pre-exercise, and again at 1 min, 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-IET. Data were analyzed by ...
Boakari YL, Legacki E, Alonso MA, Dos Santos ACF, Nichi M, Conley AJ, Fernandes CB.It is necessary to study hormonal patterns from mules to recognize alterations and neonatal maladaptation. Our objective was to evaluate concentrations of hormones in mule (n = 6) and equine foals (n = 6). Blood was collected at T0, 1, 6 and 12 h after birth. Hormone concentrations were evaluated using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Effects of time, group and interactions and regression analysis were evaluated (p < 0.05). There was a cubic and quadratic decline in mule and equine foals, respectively, for 3β,20α-dihydroxy-DHP. Mule foals were born with lower circulating 3Î...
Pagan JD, Hauss AA, Pagan EC, Simons JL, Waldridge BM.To assess the relationship between plasma and RBC fatty acid composition and incidence and severity of squamous gastric ulcers when altered by short-chain (SC) or long-chain (LC) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation. 13 fit Thoroughbred horses in training. Horses were evaluated by gastroscopy for squamous ulcer score, gastric pH, and blood fatty acid composition prior to supplementation (UNSUPP) and after 3 months of supplementation with a corn-flax oil blend of alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid (SC-PUFA) or a gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)-fish oil blend of GLA, eicosapentaenoic...
Diel de Amorim M, Bramer SA, Rajamanickam GD, Klein C, Card C.Our objectives were to examine changes in endometrial and luteal gene expression during estrus, diestrus, pregnancy and treatments to induce luteolysis and putatively induce luteostasis. Groups were: Diestrus (DIEST), Estrus (ESTR), Pregnant (PREG), Oxytocin (OXY), Carbetocin (CARB), and Meclofenamic acid (MFA). Blood was obtained from day (D)12 to D15 for measurement of oxytocinase, also referred to as leucyl-cysteinyl aminopeptidase (LNPEP) and progesterone. Luteal biopsies were obtained on D12 and D15 and an endometrial biopsy on D15. Real-time RT-PCR was performed for the following genes: ...
Thurston CC, Stefanovski D, MacKinnon MC, Chapman HS, Richardson DW, Levine DG.The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic ability of serum amyloid A (SAA) and fibrinogen for early detection of surgical site infection (SSI) after equine internal fixation. Horses undergoing internal fixation for fracture, arthrodesis, or osteotomy with internal fixation for limb deformity were included in the study. SAA and fibrinogen were measured on blood samples preoperatively and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14 postoperatively. Statistical analysis included use of Spearman's rank correlation, logistic regression, and calculating the area under the receiver operating cha...
Sibthorpe PEM, Fitzgerald DM, Chen L, Sillence MN, de Laat MA.To determine the effect of a starch-rich treat, added to the daily diet of ponies for 10 days, on enteroinsular responses to meal consumption. 10 mixed-breed adult ponies owned by Queensland University of Technology were used in the study. Six ponies were metabolically healthy, and 4 were insulin dysregulated at the start of the study, according to the results of an in-feed oral glucose test. A bread-based treat was offered twice daily for 10 days, adding 0.36 ± 0.04 g/kg body weight (BW) carbohydrates to the daily diet. Before and after treatment, the intestinal capacity for simple carbohydr...
Newcombe JR, Wilsher S, Cuervo-Arango J.Mares are seasonally polyoestrous breeders. Therefore, the first ovulation of the season, following winter anoestrus, is the only cycle in which mares ovulate without the presence of an old CL from the previous cycle. The objective of this study was to compare the length of oestrous behaviour, and plasma progesterone concentrations during the early post-ovulatory period between mares after the first and second ovulation of the breeding season. Overall, 38 mares and 167 oestrous periods were used in the study. From those, 11 mares were used during the first and subsequent oestrous period to mea...
Ghaeli T, Karimi B, Kojouri GA, Dehkordi RR, Ahadi AM.One of the initial responses of the host's innate immunity of newborns against pathogens is the use of oxidative enzymes. This study aimed to evaluate changes in serum xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) activity, the leukocyte myeloperoxidase (MPO) and XOR genes expression, and some biochemical parameters in healthy Darehshuri newborn foals up to 60 days of life. Blood samples were collected from 16 foals at 1, 7, 15, 30, and 60 days and used for detecting XOR activity, biochemical parameters, and also gene expression by real-time RT-PCR. High activity of XOR was observed at birth, explained by phy...
Hanis F, Chung ELT, Kamalludin MH, Idrus Z.The high prevalence of abnormal oral behavior (AOB) in working horses has been linked to management issues and the pathophysiology of this behavior remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the blood profile, hormones, and telomere length responses between low and high levels of AOB among different horse working groups. A total of 207 healthy horses from various breeds were initially selected from four working groups (leisure riding, equestrian, endurance, and patrolling) and observed for the time spent on AOB. Then, six horses each with higher and lower AOB than the population ...
Santos MM, Benvenuto GV, Ramos GV, Titotto AC, Adão MDS, de Lacerda LCC, Lisbôa JAN, Lacerda-Neto JC.During exercise, equines can suffer severe water and electrolyte imbalances depending on the intensity and duration. In this sense, conditioning aims to promote adaptations to the organism in order to maintain cardiovascular and thermoregulatory stability during exertion. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of conditioning guided by lactate minimum speed (LMS) test on the blood osmolality of horses. We hypothesized that after conditioning the blood osmolality would vary less during exercise and that LMS could be used in equine conditioning program. Ten Arabian horses were evaluated before ...
Zahoor J, Kashif M, Nasir A, Bakhsh M, Qamar MF, Sikandar A, Rehman A.Trypanosomiasis is one of the severe pathogenic infections, caused by several Trypanosoma species, affecting both animals and humans, causing substantial economic losses and severe illness. The objective of this study was to determine the molecular diagnosis and the risk factors associated with trypanosomiasis in District Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan. For this purpose, blood samples were randomly collected from 200 horses. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect data on risk factors before the sample collection. The microscopy examination through Giemsa staining, formol gel test and PCR tec...
Hoeberg E, Haga HA, Lervik A.To investigate whether morphine causes a change in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) heart rate (HR) and oxygen extraction (OE) rate in healthy horses anesthetized with isoflurane and a dexmedetomidine infusion. Unassigned: The study design was prospective clinical, randomized, blinded two groups including 33 horses. All horses were sedated with romifidine IV, and anesthesia was induced with midazolam IV and ketamine IV and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen and medical air and a dexmedetomidine infusion. As a baseline venous and arterial blood, HR and MAP were sampled. Thereafter either mo...
Bueno AC, Cornick-Seahorn J, Seahorn TL, Hosgood G, Moore RM.To determine the cardiopulmonary and sedative effects of medetomidine hydrochloride in adult horses and to compare those effects with effects of an equipotent dose of xylazine hydrochloride. Methods: 10 healthy adult female horses. Methods: 5 horses were given medetomidine (4 microg/kg of body weight, i.v.), and the other 5 were given xylazine (0.4 mg/kg, i.v.). Heart rate, respiratory rate, arterial blood pressures, pulmonary arterial blood pressures, and cardiac output were recorded, and sedation and ataxia scores were assigned before and every 5 minutes after drug administration for 60 minu...
Wang L, Luo DK, Pan ZY.The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between glucocorticoid receptors and steroid‑induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH). Healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=16/group); the normal (no treatment), control (horse serum injections) and treatment (horse serum and methylprednisolone injections) groups. Methylprednisolone and horse serum injections were used to establish a SANFH model in rabbits; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathological analysis were used to evaluate the SANFH rabbit model. Total cholesterol an...
Mitchell G, Fuller A, Maloney SK, Rump N, Mitchell D.Selective brain cooling (SBC) is defined as the lowering of brain temperature below arterial blood temperature. Artiodactyls employ a carotid rete, an anatomical heat exchanger, to cool arterial blood shortly before it enters the brain. The survival advantage of this anatomy traditionally is believed to be a protection of brain tissue from heat injury, especially during exercise. Perissodactyls such as horses do not possess a carotid rete, and it has been proposed that their guttural pouches serve the heat-exchange function of the carotid rete by cooling the blood that traverses them, thus pro...
Riond B, Weissenbacher S, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Lutz H.The Sysmex pocH-100iV Diff is an impedance hematology analyzer recently introduced for point-of-care use in veterinary practices in Europe. Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate the pocH-100iV Diff for analysis of blood samples from dogs, cats, horses, and cattle. Methods: Fresh EDTA-blood samples from healthy and ill dogs (115), cats (94), horses (91), and cattle (78) were analyzed on the pocH-100iV Diff and the Cell-Dyn 3500. Results of the automated WBC differential counts were compared with the manual differential counts for 77 dogs, 65 cats, 40 horses, and 46 cattle. HCT we...
Bayly WM, Gabel AA, Barr SA.Seven healthy, unexercised, previously trained, adult Standardbred horses were allotted to 2 groups and trained 78 days on a treadmill set at a 7 degree 30' angle. The groups were trained on different schedules, and the effects of training on heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume, arteriovenous oxygen difference, systemic blood pressure, and venous lactic acid were determined. Measurements were made at rest, during exercise on the treadmill at rates of 55 m/min, 75 m/min, 100 m/min, and 154 m/min, and at 5 minutes after exercise (standardized exercise test). Heart rate and cardiac output d...
López C, Alvarez ME, Carmona JU.The aims were (1) to evaluate the bacteriostatic effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-rich gel (PRG), leukocyte-poor plasma (LPP), leukocyte-poor gel (LPG), plasma, and heat-inactivated plasma (IP) on both methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) over a period of 24 h; (2) to determine and to compare the concentrations and degradation over time of platelet factor 4 (PF-4), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β 1), and platelet-derived growth factor isoform BB (PDGF-BB); and (3) to identify any correlations between...
Benbarek H, Deby-Dupont G, Caudron I, Grülke S, Deby C, Lamy M, Serteyn D.In horses, the mechanisms of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of isolated neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species remain unknown. We re-investigated this problem by monitoring the luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) produced by LPS-stimulated equine neutrophils. The neutrophils were isolated from horse blood by discontinuous density gradient centrifugation (> or = 99% neutrophils; viability > or = 98%). Increasing concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) LPS (from 0.01-10 microg ml(-1)) were used to activate the neutrophils. When LPS was used directly, without another ...
Mumford JA, Rossdale PD.Racehorses perform badly for many different reasons. Trainers often expect clinicians to determine the cause in individual cases and, more especially, where most of the immates of the stable are apparently affected by loss of form. Clinical examinations may reveal signs including fever, serous nasal discharge and the occasional cough. Haematology and blood biochemistry are commonly used aids to diagnosis in the field and may be helpful, but there is a need for facilities for virological investigations to be made readily available for use by clinicans as an adjunct to more commonplace laborator...
Gard GP, Shorthose JE, Weir RP, Walsh SJ, Melville LF.Over 700 arboviruses were recovered between 1981 and 1987 from the blood of sentinel livestock near Darwin. Twenty-three isolates were made from sheep, goats, swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and horses, and the remainder were from cattle. The isolates have been typed as 27 separate viruses belonging to the bluetongue, epizootic haemorrhagic disease, Palyam, Simbu, bovine ephemeral fever, Tibrogargan and alphavirus groups. Ten of these viruses have not been isolated elsewhere in Australia and four have been isolated only in Darwin. Considerable annual variations in virus activity and in the dur...
The aim of our study was to analyze circadian rhythm of the hematological profile of horses housed in a loose box and paddock during the different seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). Blood samples were performed every 4 h for 48 consecutive hours. Red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets (PLTs), and leukocyte subpopulations (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes) were analyzed, and, at the same time, environmental conditions were recorded. A statistically significant effect of housing conditions ( < 0...
Räsänen LA, Lampinen KJ, Pösö AR.To study whether end products of 2 pathways of anaerobic energy metabolism, lactate and purines, that accumulate in the blood after intense exercise indicate any relation to exercise performance. Methods: Venous blood samples were taken within 1 and 15 minutes after a trotting race of 2,100 m. Methods: 16 Clinically healthy Standardbred trotters. Methods: Blood and plasma lactate concentrations were measured by enzymatic analyzer, and purines, uric acid and allantoin, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of metabolites were then correlated to racing tim...
Bertone AL.Wound healing can be divided into immediate (zero to 1 hour), early (1 to 24 hours), intermediate (1 to 7 days), and late (greater than 7 days) stages. Many physical and physiologic events occur simultaneously and sequentially during these stages to produce the final wound scar. The processes of skin retraction, scab formation, would debridement, wound contraction, epithelial migration and proliferation, fibroplasia, and collagen maturation all must occur for healing to be successful. Many factors affect the size and shape of the resulting scar, including anatomic location and skin tension for...
Nemec Svete A, Vovk T, Bohar Topolovec M, Kruljc P.The effects of antioxidant supplements on exercise-induced oxidative stress have not been investigated in untrained leisure horses. We investigated the effects of 14-day supplementation with vitamin E (1.8 IU/kg/day), coenzyme Q (CoQ; ubiquinone; 800 mg/day), and a combination of both (the same doses as in mono-supplementation) on the blood levels of CoQ, vitamin E, and oxidative stress parameters in untrained leisure horses subjected to acute moderate exercise. Correlations between lipid peroxidation and muscle enzyme leakage were also determined. Forty client-owned horses were included in th...
Matthews NS, Peck KE, Mealey KL, Taylor TS, Ray AC.Five donkeys and three horses were given guaifenesin, intravenously, by gravity administration, until recumbency was produced. The time and dose required to produce recumbency, recovery time to sternal and standing were recorded. Blood samples were collected for guaifenesin assay at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 min, and 2, 3, 4 and 6 h after guaifenesin administration. Serum was analysed for guaifenesin using HPLC and pharmacokinetic values were calculated using a computer software package (RSTRIP). In donkeys, heart and respiratory rates and blood pressures were recorded before and at 5-min interva...
Latshaw H, Fessler JF, Whistler SJ, Geddes LA.Indirect mean arterial pressure was obtained from the tails of 78 anaesthetised and unanaesthetised normotensive and hypotensive horses. Data were obtained to determine the optimum cuff width in relation to tail circumference. A cuff that is too wide under-estimates and a cuff that is too narrow over-estimates blood pressure. With the optimum cuff width, which is slightly in excess of about one-fifth of the tail circumference, indirect mean blood pressure was obtained consistently in normotensive and hypotensive animals with mean blood pressures of 40 mmHg and frequently in animals with pressu...
Art T, Anderson L, Woakes AJ, Roberts C, Butler PJ, Snow DH, Lekeux P.The changes induced by exercise on the mechanics of breathing, as well as the simultaneous changes occurring in arterial blood gas tensions and in respiratory gas exchange were investigated in 6 healthy thoroughbred horses, performing a treadmill exercise of increasing intensity. Respiratory airflow and tidal volume (VT) were measured with ultrasonic flowmeters. Pleural pressure changes were measured by an oesophageal balloon catheter. Gas concentration of the expired air was analysed with a mass spectrometer; the oxygen consumption (VO2) and the carbon dioxide output (VCO2) were computed brea...
Holman PJ, Frerichs WM, Chieves L, Wagner GG.Culture of horse blood for Babesia caballi identified four carrier horses among nine previously infected horses. Three of the carriers had no detectable parasitemias on stained blood smears, and sera from two carrier horses were complement fixation test negative. Three cultures were continuously cultivated. Cryopreserved fourth-passage B. caballi was successfully reestablished in vitro. Blood from a 10th horse previously subinoculated with blood from a suspected carrier was cultured, with negative results.
Jörg A, Portmann P, Fellay G, Dreyer JL, Meyer J.An improved and short method is described for the isolation of intact eosinophilic leukocytes from horse blood with high yield (1--1.5 g/20 l). Viability and purity of the preparations were verified by light and electron microscopy and by the trypan blue exclusion test. Isolated eosinophils were 98--100% pure, intact and viable, and they could be shown to phagocytise immune-complexes.
van der Meulen K, Caij B, Pensaert M, Nauwynck H.In vitro studies demonstrated that most equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1)-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) do not expose viral envelope proteins on their surface. This protects them against antibody-dependent lysis. We examined whether viral envelope proteins are also undetectable on infected PBMC during cell-associated viremia. Further, surface expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I was examined, since MHC-I assists in making infected cells recognizable for cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). Four ponies, previously exposed to EHV, and two ponies that had no contact wi...
McDonell WN, Hall LW, Jeffcott LB.Studies in conscious and anaesthetised ponies demonstrated that starvation, anaesthesia and changes in body position influence the radiographic appearance of the lungs in the lateral and dorsoventral views. Radiographic appearances could not be closely correlated with blood gas values, but they suggested that the volume of the lowermost lung of the laterally recumbent animal is greatly reduced.
Nagel C, Trenk L, Aurich J, Wulf M, Aurich C.In this study, peripartum changes in complete blood count, plasma electrolyte concentrations, blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) were determined in pregnant Warmblood mares (n = 10). Blood was collected from Days 245 to 330 of gestation (phase A), 2Days 3 to 1 before foaling (phase B), repeatedly within 12 hours after foaling (phase C), and on Days 1 to 3 postpartum (phase D). On the same days as blood collection, blood pressure and cardiac beat-to-beat intervals were measured and time domain HRV variables were calculated. Blood pressure decreased during the past 3...
Brummer M, Hayes S, Dawson KA, Lawrence LM.Selenium plays a role in the antioxidant mechanism via the selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Change in Se status because of Se depletion or supplementation is associated with a change in GSH-Px activity and could potentially affect antioxidant status. This study evaluated the impact of change in Se status on measures of antioxidant status and oxidative stress in adult horses. Twenty-eight horses were blocked by age and gender and were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatment groups: low Se (LS), adequate Se (AS), high organic Se (SP), and high inorganic Se (SS). For 196 d, LS...
Müller TM, Hopster K, Bienert-Zeit A, Rohn K, Kästner SBR.Standing surgery, especially dental procedures, are commonly performed in horses. This leads to an increasing demand for reliable sedation protocols. Therefore, it was the purpose of this study to investigate the influence of butorphanol, midazolam or ketamine on romifidine based sedation in horses during cheek tooth removal. Methods: Forty horses presented for tooth extraction were divided in four groups using matched pair randomization. Group R was sedated with romifidine (bolus 0.03 mg/kg, followed by a constant rate infusion (CRI) 0.05 mg/kg/h) and group RB with romifidine (same dose) an...
Figueiredo MD, Moore JN, Vandenplas ML, Sun WC, Murray TF.To evaluate proinflammatory effects of the second-generation synthetic lipid A analogue E5564 on equine whole blood and isolated monocytes and to determine the ability of E5564 to prevent LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced procoagulant activity (PCA); tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production; and mRNA expression of TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and IL-10 by equine monocytes. Methods: Venous blood samples obtained from 19 healthy horses. Methods: Whole blood and monocytes were incubated with Escherichia coli O111:B4 LPS, E5564, or E5564 plus E coli O111:B4 LPS. Whole blood and cell...
Burgess EC.Blood samples from Wisconsin horses and cows suspected of having clinical disease due to Borrelia burgdorferi infection were submitted by veterinary practitioners. All serum, milk, colostrum, and synovial samples were tested for B. burgdorferi antibodies by immunofluorescence. Whole blood, milk, colostrum, and synovial fluid samples were cultured for B. burgdorferi. Records were kept on the clinical signs of antibody-positive animals, date of sample, and location of the animal by county. Of the samples tested for antibodies 282/430 cow sera, 118/190 horse sera, 5/10 cow synovial fluids, 3/6 ho...
Billinghurst RC, Brama PA, van Weeren PR, Knowlton MS, McIlwraith CW.To determine whether serum concentrations of biomarkers of skeletal metabolism can, in conjunction with radiographic evaluation, indicate severity of osteochondrosis in developing horses. Methods: 43 Dutch Warmblood foals with varying severity of osteochondrosis. Methods: 24 foals were monitored for 5 months and 19 foals were monitored for 11 months. Monthly radiographs of femoropatellar-femorotibial and tibio-tarsal joints were graded for osteochondral abnormalities. Serial blood samples were assayed for 8 cartilage and bone biomarkers. At the end of the monitoring period, foals were examined...
Valberg SJ, Macleay JM, Billstrom JA, Hower-Moritz MA, Mickelson JR.Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) is a distinct cause of exertional rhabdomyolysis in Quarter Horses that results in glycogen and abnormal polysaccharide accumulation. The purpose of this study was to determine if excessive glycogen storage in PSSM is due to a glycolytic defect that impairs utilisation of this substrate during exercise. Muscle biopsies, blood lactates and serum CK were obtained 1) at rest from 5 PSSM Quarter Horses, 4 normal Quarter Horses (QH controls) and 6 Thoroughbreds with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (TB RER) and 2) after a maximal treadmill exercise test in ...
Takahashi H, Nakaya T, Nakamura Y, Asahi S, Onishi Y, Ikebuchi K, Takahashi TA, Katoh T, Sekiguchi S, Takazawa M, Tanaka H, Ikuta K.It is believed that Borna disease virus (BDV), an etiological agent of progressive polioencephalomyelitis in horses and sheep, is closely associated with psychiatric disorders in humans since the prevalence of BDV is higher in psychiatric patients than in blood donors. We investigated whether or not BDVs in humans are derived from infected domestic animals, by characterizing the BDVs in blood donors and horses derived from the same region of Hokkaido island, Japan. The seroprevalences (2.6 to 14.8%) of BDV were significantly higher in the blood donors from four regions where most horse farms a...
Newton JR, Lakhani KH, Wood JL, Baker DJ.Young Thoroughbred racehorses (222 yearlings entering training and 246 2-year-old horses already in training) from eight flat-training yards in Newmarket, UK were used to monitor serological responses to vaccination with an inactivated influenza virus vaccine. Blood samples taken prior to and after vaccination were tested by single radial haemolysis (SRH) to determine antibody titres (expressed as area of haemolysis in mm(2)). Prior to vaccination, yearlings had mean antibody titres (64+/-4 mm(2)) that were approximately half of those of 2-year-olds (115+/-3 mm(2)) and 89% of yearlings and 73%...
