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Topic:Blood
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.
Exercise-induced changes in skin temperature and blood parameters in horses. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of training on haematological and biochemical blood parameters as well as on the changes in body surface temperature in horses. In order to identify the predictive value of surface temperature measurements as a marker of animal's performance, their correlations with blood parameters were investigated. The study was carried out on nine horses divided into two groups: routinely ridden and never ridden. Infrared thermography was used to assess surface temperature changes before (BT) and just after training (JAT) on a treadmill. Seven regions of int...
Pharmacokinetics and safety of repeated oral dosing of acetaminophen in adult horses. There are no published studies on the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen at the dosage used clinically (20 mg/kg), nor has the safety of multiple doses in horses been investigated. Objective: Define the pharmacokinetic parameters of oral acetaminophen at 20 mg/kg in adult horses as a single dose, and twice daily for 14 days to assess the safety of multiple dosing. Methods: Pharmacokinetic study, multiple dose safety study. Methods: Eight healthy Thoroughbred geldings were given acetaminophen (20 mg/kg; 500 mg tablets) orally as a single dose followed by doses every 12 h for 14 days. Seri...
The prevalence of elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activity in racing Thoroughbreds and their associations with viral infection. In racehorses, serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity is positively correlated with cumulative days in training and, when ≥100 IU/L, has been associated with poor performance. The prevalence of increased GGT activity in North American Thoroughbreds and its aetiopathogenesis are unknown. Four emerging viruses, pegivirus E (PgV E; equine pegivirus), hepacivirus A (HcV A; equine hepacivirus), pegivirus D (PgV D; Theiler's disease virus), and equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) have been identified in horses with clinical and subclinical hepatopathy. Available prevalence data indicate ...
Enterococcus infections in foals. Enterococci have been increasing in prevalence in foal sepsis over the past three decades. There are no published studies in the peer-reviewed literature documenting common sites of infection, antimicrobial susceptibility, or outcome specifically associated with enterococcal infections in foals. Our objectives were to evaluate the sites of origin, antimicrobial susceptibility, and survival outcome to discharge in foals with enterococcal infections compared with foals with sepsis of another bacterial etiology. Seventy-five foals 0-30 days of age with cultures positive for Enterococcus and 170 c...
Effects of Diet Versus Exercise on Morphometric Measurements, Blood Hormone Concentrations, and Oral Sugar Test Response in Obese Horses. Weight loss plans in horses typically use dietary restriction, but exercise may have additional benefits. This study aimed to compare the effects of a diet or exercise protocol resulting in comparable caloric restriction in obese horses. Ten obese horses were paired according to sex, age, and breed or breed type. One horse from each pair was randomly assigned to either diet (DIET)-intake restricted to approximately 85% of digestible energy requirements or exercise (EX)-exercised to expend approximately 15% of digestible energy requirements, resulting in 85% of requirements available, for 4 we...
Diagnostic value of noninvasive pulse pressure measurements in Warmblood horses with aortic regurgitation. Noninvasive blood pressures (NIBP) and pulse pressures (PP) have not been published in horses with aortic and mitral regurgitation (AR or MR). Objective: To investigate NIBP and PP in healthy Warmblood horses and horses with AR and MR and propose PP cutoffs to identify and stage AR severity. Methods: Seventy-three Warmblood horses (healthy, 10; AR, 31; MR, 32). Methods: Retrospective study. All horses had NIBP and an echocardiogram recorded. Cases were categorized based on severity of regurgitation. Pulse pressures were compared among healthy, MR, and AR groups and among AR severity groups. Cu...
Immunolocalization of Leptin and its Receptor (ObR-b) in Equine Placenta at Term and Plasma Level Measurement in the Late Gestation. Placental tissues from humans, rodents, and farm animal contain leptin and its receptor. Expression of leptin has already been described in horses, although there is no description about immunolocalization of leptin and its receptor. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence and distribution of leptin and ObR-b in the equine placenta at term by immunofluorescence staining, and the changes on plasma leptin concentrations during late gestation. The present study involved eight Criollo-type mares carrying healthy pregnancies. Blood samples were collected during the third trimes...
Effects of grazing system, season, and forage carbohydrates on glucose and insulin dynamics of the grazing horse. Rotational grazing is a recommended practice for grazing livestock, but little is known about its benefits with respect to grazing horses. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of continuous (CON) and rotational (ROT) grazing on forage nutrient composition and whether those concentrations influenced circulating glucose and insulin concentrations in the grazing horse. Twelve mature Standardbred mares were paired by age and weight and randomly assigned to 1 replicate of either a 1.5 ha cool-season grass CON or ROT system for a total of 3 mares in each system. Mares on CON we...
Safety and efficacy of three trypanocides in confirmed field cases of trypanosomiasis in working equines in The Gambia: a prospective, randomised, non-inferiority trial. Globally, working equines have a continued and growing socioeconomic role in supporting the livelihoods of between 300-600 million people in low income countries which is rarely recognised at a national or international level. Infectious diseases have significant impact on welfare and productivity in this population and equine trypanosomiasis is a priority disease due to its severity and prevalence. Strategies are required to improve the prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment of trypanosomiasis in equines and more data are required on the efficacy and safety of current trypanocidal dr...
Molecular evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Theileria equi coinfection in horses from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The present study aims to determine the frequencies of Theileria equi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum antibodies among horses from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and to detect the presence of DNA of these pathogens through molecular methods. A total of 98 serum samples of horses from the municipality of Seropedica were tested by indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) to detect anti-A. phagocytophilum and anti-T. equi IgG antibodies. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to detect these pathogens in the DNA extracted from the whole blood and buffy coat of horses. Bivar...
Pharmacokinetics, metabolism and excretion of celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, in horses. Celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is frequently used to treat arthritis in humans with minimal gastrointestinal side effect compared to traditional NSAIDs. The primary aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of celecoxib-a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor in horses. Six horses were administered a single oral dose of celecoxib at 2 mg/kg (body weight). After oral dosing, the drug reached a maximum concentration (mean ± SD) in blood of 1,088 ± 324 ng/ml in 4.58 hr. The elimination half-life was 13.60 ± 3.18 hr, and the area under th...
Equine platelet concentrate preparation and validation. Development of equine platelet concentrate (PC) would aid management of cases requiring transfused platelets (PLTs), where adminstration of whole-blood or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) might be contraindicated. Objective: To test and validate a method for production of an equine PRP-PC product. Methods: Six healthy Thoroughbred geldings from a research herd. Methods: In this prospective experimental study, whole blood was collected and processed through multiple centrifugation steps to yield 120 mL of PC. The PC was stored at 22°C and gently and continuously agitated. Measurements of PLT count...
Cardiac Monitoring in Horses. Monitoring variables of cardiac performance in horses is challenging owing to patient size, temperament, and anatomic peculiarities. Blood pressure is a major determinant of afterload, but it is not a reliable surrogate of cardiac performance and tissue perfusion. Cardiac output, together with arterial and venous oxygen content, provides insight as to the adequacy of delivery of blood and oxygen to the body as a whole and can be used to gauge the fluid responsiveness and cardiovascular status of the patient. Measurement of intracardiac pressures serves to assess cardiac filling pressures, myoc...
Assessment of the CoaguChek-XS portable prothrombin time point-of-care analyzer for horses. Coagulopathies in horses are common and potentially life-threatening. In equine field medicine, a portable point-of-care (POC) prothrombin time (PT) testing device could be useful to identify early changes in extrinsic clotting. The CoaguChek-XS (Roche Diagnostics) is a small, portable POC PT analyzer used in human medicine. Our preliminary study assessed the suitability of CoaguChek-XS for testing PT in horses and established the PT reference interval (PT RI) in healthy horses using this instrument. Blood samples collected from 102 healthy and ill horses were analyzed with the CoaguChek-XS an...
Effects of dietary L-arginine supplementation to early pregnant mares on conceptus diameter-Preliminary findings. The importance of the amino acid L-arginine (ARG) for conceptus growth and litter size has been demonstrated in various species. L-arginine is part of embryo-derived polyamines, a substrate for nitric oxide synthase and stimulates protein synthesis by the embryo. In the present study, we have investigated whether dietary L-arginine supplementation stimulates early conceptus growth in mares. Warmblood mares with singleton pregnancies received either an arginine-supplemented diet (approximately 0.0125% of body weight, n = 12) or a control diet (n = 11) from days 15 to 45 after ovulation. Dia...
The Use of Infrared Thermography (IRT) as Stress Indicator in Horses Trained for Endurance: A Pilot Study. The aim of this pilot study was to document the effects of endurance training at different intensities on heart rate (HR), blood count, serum cortisol, and maximal temperatures of different body locations, namely eye, crown, pastern pasterns, and muscle (, measured by infrared thermography technique (IRT) in horses trained for endurance. Possible associations among the studied parameters were also investigated. Our hypothesis was that temperature, measured by IRT after endurance training of different intensities would vary depending on the intensity and would be positively correlated with HR...
Evaluation of pulse co-oximetry to determine haemoglobin saturation with oxygen and haemoglobin concentration in anaesthetized horses: a retrospective study. This study compared the values of variables measured by pulse co-oximetry (Masimo Radical 7; Masimo Europe Limited, UK) with those measured by a co-oximeter-enabled blood gas analyser (Siemens Rapid-point 500; Siemens Healthcare Limited, UK) in anaesthetized horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: A total of 30 anaesthetized horses. Methods: In total, 47 heparinized arterial blood samples were collected for blood gas analysis to determine haemoglobin concentration (tHb, g L) and percentage of haemoglobin saturation with oxygen (SaO). Arterial haemoglobin saturation with oxygen was deter...
Genetic Diversity of Theileria equi From Horses In Different Regions of Brazil Based On the 18S rRNA Gene. Equine piroplasmosis stands out among the diseases that affect Equidae in Brazil and the world. It is caused by the protozoa Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. The objective of the present study was to carry out the molecular characterization of T. equi using equine blood samples collected in the 5 geographic regions of Brazil. Samples from all over the country were tested for the presence of T. equi by real-time PCR. The 18S rRNA sequences (∼1,600 bp) obtained from 23 samples taken from naturally infected horses were characterized by sequencing and analyzed to identify the genotypes and th...
Effects of ventilation mode and blood flow on arterial oxygenation during pulse-delivered inhaled nitric oxide in anesthetized horses. OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of mechanical ventilation (MV) and perfusion conditions on the efficacy of pulse-delivered inhaled nitric oxide (PiNO) in anesthetized horses. ANIMALS 27 healthy adult horses. PROCEDURES Anesthetized horses were allocated into 4 groups: spontaneous breathing (SB) with low ( 70 mm Hg. Data were collected after a 60-minute equilibration period and at 15 and 30 minutes during PiNO administration. Variables included Pao, arterial oxygen saturation and content, oxygen delivery, and physiologic dead space-to-tidal volume ratio. Data were analyzed with Shapiro-Wilk, ...
Detection of ESAs in equine urine and blood by SAR-PAGE. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have been used in horses for doping purposes to increase the performance of these animals in endurance sports. Currently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and mass spectrometry methods are used to detect ESA abuse in equines. However, the sarcosyl polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis (SAR-PAGE) technique could also be used, since its application in human doping control is well established and has proven to be more sensitive. In this work, the SAR-PAGE method was used to detect recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO), novel erythropoiesis stimul...
Subtourniquet pressures generated by application of wide-rubber tourniquets in standing, sedated horses. To determine the influence of location and movement on subtourniquet pressure (STP) generated by application of a wide-rubber tourniquet (WRT) on equine limbs. Methods: Randomized experimental cross-over design. Methods: Six standing, sedated horses. Methods: Horses were sedated with detomidine hydrochloride (0.2 μg/kg IV), and 4 investigators applied WRTs to the antebrachium (AB), gaskin (GK), and midmetacarpus (MC) of each horse in a predetermined, randomized order. Subtourniquet pressure was consequently measured at 10-minute intervals (T0, T10, T20, T30) for 30 minutes. Indirect systo...
Comparison of two portable clinical analyzers to one stationary analyzer for the determination of blood gas partial pressures and blood electrolyte concentrations in horses. Portable blood gas analyzers are used to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of disorders related to disturbances of acid-base and electrolyte balance in the ambulatory care of equine patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether 2 portable analyzers produce results in agreement with a stationary analyzer. Blood samples from 23 horses hospitalized for various medical reasons were included in this prospective study. Blood gas analysis and electrolyte concentrations measured by the portable analyzers VetStat and epoc were compared to those produced by the cobas b 123 analyzer via conco...
Serum amyloid A in equine health and disease. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is the major acute phase protein in horses. It is produced during the acute phase response (APR), a nonspecific systemic reaction to any type of tissue injury. In the blood of healthy horses, SAA concentration is very low, but it increases dramatically with inflammation. Due to the short half-life of SAA, changes in its concentration in blood closely reflect the onset of inflammation and, therefore, measurement of SAA useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease and response to treatment. Increases in SAA concentration have been described in equine digestive, reprodu...
Effects of body weight gain on insulin and lipid metabolism in equines. The objective of this study was to illuminate the changes in serum NEFA concentrations during a combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT) and basal serum triacylglycerides (TGs) with increasing BW in Shetland ponies and warmblood horses. Therefore, basal blood samples were taken during fasting and a CGIT was performed in 19 healthy equines (10 Shetland ponies, 9 warmblood horses) (t0). After one (t1) and two (t2) year(s) of receiving 200% of their maintenance metabolizable energy requirement, procedures were repeated in the same equines. Sixteen of 19 equines had no signs of insulin dysregulation c...
Intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate and its effect on horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking. Trigeminal-mediated headshaking results from low-threshold firing of the trigeminal nerve resulting in apparent facial pain. Magnesium may have neuroprotective effects on nerve firing that potentially dampen signs of neuropathic pain. This hypothesis has not been investigated in horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking. Objective: To investigate head-shaking behavior in affected horses after IV magnesium sulfate infusion. Methods: Six geldings with trigeminal-mediated headshaking. Methods: Prospective randomized crossover study. Horses were controlled for diet and infused IV with 5% dextros...
Novel lipoprotein density profiling in laminitic, obese, and healthy horses. Lipoproteins are water-miscible macromolecules enabling the transport of lipids in blood. In humans, altered proportions of lipoproteins are used to detect and classify metabolic diseases. Obesity and obesity-related comorbidities are common in horses. The pathophysiology of obesity is poorly understood and likely multifactorial. Development of new diagnostic tests to identify horses at risk of developing obesity to implement preventative measures is critical; however, a necessary first step to accomplish this goal is to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of disease. Thus, the ob...
The first molecular detection and genetic diversity of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in horses of Gansu province, China. Equine piroplasmosis, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is an economically important tick-borne disease worldwide. In the current study, 242 blood samples were randomly collected from horses in Zhangye city of Gansu province, China. The presence and genetic diversity of piroplasms were evaluated with a nested PCR assay, gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that seventy-five (31.0%) samples were positive for piroplasms. Sequences analysis showed that seventy-three (30.2%) were positive for T. equi, and seven (2.9%) for B. caballi, five of which (2.1%) were i...
Influence of Incubation Time and Incubation Tube on the Cytokine and Growth Factor Concentrations of Autologous Conditioned Serum in Horses. Autologous conditioned serum (ACS) is commonly used for the treatment of human and equine osteoarthritis (OA). The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of incubation time and incubation tube on concentrations of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in ACS of horses with and without OA. Blood samples of 7 control horses and 6 horses with naturally occurring OA were obtained. The concentration of serum IL-1ra, IL-1β, and IGF-1 was determined after 12, 24, and 36 hours of incubation using commercial ...
Phenylbutazone blood and urine concentrations, pharmacokinetics, and effects on biomarkers of inflammation in horses following intravenous and oral administration of clinical doses. Phenylbutazone (PBZ) is a potent mon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used commonly in performance horses. The objectives of the current study were to describe blood and urine concentrations and the pharmacokinetics of PBZ and its metabolites following intravenous (IV) and oral administration and to describe the duration of pharmacodynamic effect. To that end, 17 horses received an IV administration and 18 horses an oral administration of 2 g of PBZ. Blood and urine samples were collected prior to and for up to 96 hours post drug administration. Whole blood samples were collected at various t...
Reference intervals for haematological parameters in the Lusitano horse breed. The Lusitano horse is an autochthonous Portuguese breed with a growing worldwide expansion. Our objective was to establish reference intervals for haematological parameters using the haematological cell counter LaserCyte (IDEXX). For this purpose, blood samples from 100 healthy adult horses (13 females and 87 males, ranging from 3 to 25 years of age) were analysed. The reference intervals were estimated following the ASVCP guidelines with the Reference Value Advisor software. The obtained reference intervals were 6.4-10.1 × 1012/L for red blood cells, 30.6-45.1% for haematocrit, 11.6-17.1 g/d...
