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.
Cocco R, Sechi S, Rizzo M, Arrigo F, Giannetto C, Piccione G, Arfuso F.Due to the paucity of information on circus management effects on the welfare of horses, this study investigated the plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin, known to be indices of mental status, as well as the reactive oxygen metabolites (d-Roms) and the biological antioxidant potential (BAP), likely to denote the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium of organisms, in horses managed in different Italian circuses. For the study, 56 circus horses of different breeds and ages were enrolled and divided into six groups according to the horses' management (circus management, groups...
Hobbs KJ, Le Sueur ANV, Hallowell K, Martin E, Sheats MK, Ueda Y.An 8-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding was treated with extracorporeal hemoperfusion (HP) therapy for treatment of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) colitis-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The gelding developed C. difficile associated peracute colitis and severe SIRS as evidenced by a positive fecal C. difficile PCR and tachypnea, tachycardia, fever, neutropenia, altered mucous membrane color, and hyperlactatemia. Concurrent acute kidney injury in the horse limited the use of routine anti-inflammatory and anti-lipopolysaccharide treatments, including flunixi...
Poochipakorn C, Wonghanchao T, Sanigavatee K, Chanda M.Single-confinement housing can pose welfare risks to domestic horses. This study investigated horses' stress responses when confined to single stalls in different stable designs in a tropical savanna region to address a gap in the literature. In total, 23 horses were assigned to a stable with a central corridor and solid external walls (A) (N = 8), a stable with one side corridor and solid external walls (B) (N = 6), or a stable with a central corridor and no solid external walls (C) (N = 9). Air velocity, relative humidity, air temperature, and noxious gases were measured inside the stables, ...
Hobbs KJ, Cooper BL, Dembek K, Sheats MK.Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is fragmented extracellular DNA that is released from cells into various body fluids. Previously published data from adult horses supports cfDNA as a potential disease biomarker, but also shows that direct measurement in plasma is inaccurate due to matrix effect. It is currently unknown whether a similar matrix effect exists in foal plasma. Given this, the objectives of the current study were to investigate foal plasma for potential matrix effect during fluorescence measurement of cfDNA using a Qubit fluorometer, and to determine whether neat and/or extracted plasma cfDNA...
Chiara M, Mariaelena C, Alessandro C, Davide B, Lavinia C, Paola MM, Barbara L, Chiara DP, Flagiello F, Pia PM.The advanced-PRF+ (A-PRF+) is a platelet concentrate, showing a higher concentration of growth factors, an increased number of cells and looser structure of the fibrin clot than leukocyte-PRF. A high variability in the size of PRF associated with patients, haematological features and centrifugation protocols was reported. The aims of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of A-PRF+ production in the field and the correlation between haematological parameters, macroscopic and microscopic features in equine A-PRF+. Samples from twenty Standardbred horses (3-7 years) were harvested with gla...
Feijo LS, Wolfsdorf KE, Canisso IF, Parry S, Felippe MJB.Placental infection is an important cause of late-term pregnancy loss and neonatal diseases in horses. Detection of changes in blood parameters especially during early placentitis could improve the diagnostic accuracy, treatment decision, and potential outcomes. The objectives of this 2-part study were to identify differences in circulating immunological, inflammatory, and hormonal parameters between mares with natural ascending placentitis and control mares; evaluate each and combination of parameters as predictors of placentitis; and determine how these parameters indicate severity of placen...
Fedorka CE, Scoggin KE, El-Sheikh Ali H, Troedsson MHT.The interleukin (IL)-6 family of cytokines is grouped by a common receptor subunit (gp130), but functions in distinct but overlapping physiological activities, including regulation of acute phase reaction and the balance between effector and regulatory T cell populations-both of which play a role in successful pregnancy maturation. Methods: Here, we aim to assess the expression profiles of members of the IL-6 cytokine family throughout equine gestation. To do so, RNA Sequencing was performed on chorioallantois and endometrium of mares at 120, 180, 300, and 330 days of gestation (n = 4/stage), ...
Lomnicka I, Dubey S, Waller P, Vora D, Dirikolu L.The screening of drugs in plasma and urine often requires initial extraction (such as liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction) before the samples are submitted to instrumental analyses. These extraction procedures are often laborious and time-consuming. In this manuscript, a high-throughput automated assay based on liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) suitable for use as an initial testing procedure covering multiple classes of compounds prohibited in horse racing is described. The assay requires a 600-μL plasma aliquot, which is subjected to solid pha...
Heaton CP, Cavinder CA, McClure EN, Smith T, Smith WB, Liburt N, Krotky A, Harris P.Insulin dysregulation (ID), core to equine metabolic syndrome, may present without obesity. Testing for ID risk is commonly based on breed and obese phenotype but might be valuable for non-obese stock-type horses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ID in non-obese stock-type horses and evaluate if morphometric neck measurements (MNM) correlate with ID. Sixty-two, non-obese (BCS 5, range 2.5-6/9) stock-type horses were assessed for MNM: neck circumference at 25%, 50% (NC50), and 75% (NC75) length, and crest height. An oral sugar test (OST; 0.15 mL/kg BW corn syrup) was performed wi...
Leguillette R, McCrae P, Massie S, Filho SA, Bayly W, David F.Swimming has been used empirically for rehabilitation and conditioning of horses. However, due to challenges imposed by recording physiological parameters in water, the intensity of free swimming effort is unknown. Objective: Measure the physiological workload associated with untethered swimming in horses. Five fit Arabian endurance horses were assessed while swimming in a 100 m-long indoor pool. Horses were equipped with a modified ergospirometry facemask to measure oxygen consumption (V̇O) and ventilatory parameters (inspired/expired volumes, V, V; peak inspiratory/expiratory flows, PkV, P...
Renaud B, Kruse CJ, François AC, Cesarini C, van Loon G, Palmers K, Boemer F, Luis G, Gustin P, Votion DM.Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is a severe rhabdomyolysis syndrome primarily caused by hypoglycin A (HGA) and methylenecyclopropylglycine protoxins. This study aimed to refine diagnostic and prognostic criteria for AM while exploring apparently healthy cograzers. Blood samples from 263 horses, including AM cases (n= 95), cograzers (n= 73), colic horses (n= 19), and controls (n= 76), were analyzed for HGA, its toxic metabolite, and acylcarnitines profile. Diseased horses exhibited alterations in acylcarnitines that strongly distinguished them from controls and colic horses. Regression analyses i...
Yoshida S, Matsuda A, Iwata E, Ono T, Hisaeda K, Ohzawa E, Hiasa Y, Kitagawa H.Noma horses are native Japanese horses. Health checkups revealed that many Noma horses developed dermatitis during summer, which subsided in winter. Seasonal development and signs of itching, suggestive of allergic dermatitis, were observed. In this study, allergen-specific IgE was measured using blood samples collected from 15 Noma horses in summer and winter to identify allergens highly associated with dermatitis. The presence of dermatitis in the subject individuals was recorded during blood sample collection. White blood cell and eosinophil counts, serum total IgE concentration, and serum ...
Jebbawi F, Chemnitzer A, Dietrich M, Pantelyushin S, Lam J, Rhiner T, Keller G, Waldern N, Canonica F, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most frequent skin allergy of horses and is highly debilitating, especially in the chronic phase. IBH is caused by IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to culicoides midge bites and an imbalanced immune response that reduces the welfare of affected horses. Unassigned: In the present study, we investigated the pathological mechanisms of IBH, aiming to understand the immune cell modulation in acute allergic skin lesions of IBH horses with the goal of finding possible biomarkers for a diagnostic approach to monitor treatment success. Unassigned: By qPC...
Goodrich EL, Webb JL.Previous hematologic and serum biochemistry reference interval (RI) values have been established for donkeys in various geographic regions, life-stages, or for specific donkey breeds. The last extensive investigation establishing RIs for adult donkeys in the United States (U.S.) was published over three decades ago. We aimed to establish updated robust RIs using a reference population of apparently healthy adult donkeys from across the U.S. Standard sized ( = 102), miniature ( = 17), and mammoth ( = 1) donkeys from four different states were enrolled, with 20% of the study population including...
Arrigo F, Aragona F, Faggio C, Giudice E, Giannetto C, Piccione G, Rizzo M, Arfuso F.The aim of this study was to assess the changes of pro-inflammatory interleukins in 10 horses subjected to road transport practices (distance of 150 km) from the training site (Messina, Sicily) to the competition centre in Syracuse (Sicily). Blood sampling and interleukins analysis were performed during a round trip transportation (transport 1 and transport 2). In particular, blood samples were collected before the transport took place (Pre), five minutes later (Post) and one hour later (Post 1 h), for each transport, in order to assess the serum concentration of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2 and IL-...
Lin J, Jing H, Wang J, Lucien-Cabaraux JF, Yang K, Liu W, Li X.The nutritional benefits of mare milk are attracting increasing consumer interest. Limited availability due to low yield poses a challenge for widespread adoption. Although lysine and threonine are often used to enhance protein synthesis and muscle mass in horses, their impact on mare milk yield and nutrient composition remains underexplored. This study investigated the effects of lysine and threonine supplementation on 24 healthy Yili mares, mares at day 30 of lactation, over a 120-day period. The mares were divided into control and three experimental groups (six mares each) under pure grazin...
Safaee Firouzabadi MS, Paidar Ardakani A.Many studies have shown a strong correlation between Hindgut Acidosis (HGA) and the occurrence of laminitis in horses; therefore, the early diagnosis of HGA is essential. In this study, we investigated changes in the plasma concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) as inflammatory markers in horses with laminitis. Sixteen healthy male Arabian horses that had cecal cannulation without visible laminitis or general symptoms were randomly divided into two groups. The horses were fed two different diets in a forage-to-concentrate ratio. Blood samples were ...
Iranmanesh M, Sato AF, Tenney W, Brinker EJ, Cortez K, Mazan M.A 1-year-old Miniature Horse filly was presented for chronic lethargy and hyporexia. Elevated liver enzymes, bile acids, and ammonia were noted on bloodwork. The primary differential diagnosis was a portosystemic shunt (PSS). Three-phase computed tomographic angiography findings were consistent with a transhepatic portosystemic shunt. Percutaneous liver biopsy confirmed severe diffuse hepatic changes, most likely due to chronic pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicosis, and medical management was elected. Based on an extensive literature review, this is the first report of a transhepatic portosystemic ...
Satué K, Fazio E, Velasco-Martínez MG, Fauci D, Cravana C, Medica P.Catecholamines (CATs) are neurotransmitters and allostatic hormones whose plasma concentrations are physiologically modified in various species such as human, rats, mice and donkeys, with advancing age. However, currently these mechanisms are less well elucidated in horses and more specifically in mares. The hypothesis of this study was that, as in afore mentioned species, the CATs could experience physiological changes with advancing age. The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) in mares of differ...
Grob AJ, Delarocque J, Feige K, Warnken T.In insulin dysregulation, hyperinsulinemia (HI) can be accompanied by peripheral insulin resistance (IR) in horses, which can be diagnosed with an insulin-tolerance test (ITT). The administration of 0.1 IU/kg body weight of recombinant regular human insulin (RHI) should elicit a 50 % reduction of the initial blood glucose concentration at 30 min after insulin administration in insulin sensitive horses. Compared to RHI, porcine zinc insulin (PZI) is veterinary-approved and therefore easier accessible for many practitioners. The aim of this study was to compare the insulin and glucose dynami...
Animal welfare has become an increasingly important concern regarding equids working as carriage animals. In the present study, the changes in the markers of stress and inflammatory responses as a result of the work performed by tourism carriage horses under real working conditions in Sicily (Italy) were investigated. Twenty-two Standardbreds performed a normal working day in the carriage tourism business during the months of May, June and July 2022, consisting of one day of work for each month. Blood samples were collected in the stables at rest before the tour route (Pre; 07.00 AM) and withi...
Paranjape VV, Knych HK, Berghaus LJ, Giancola S, Cathcart J, Reed RA.Anatomical location-dependent differences in transdermal opioid penetration are well described in human patients. Although this has been investigated in horses with fentanyl, there is no literature available on location-dependent plasma buprenorphine concentrations when administered as a transdermal matrix-type patch. Unassigned: This study aims to compare the plasma concentrations achieved from the matrix-type transdermal buprenorphine patches placed at different anatomical sites (metacarpus, gaskin, and ventral tail base) in healthy adult horses. Unassigned: This is a randomized experimental...
Brown KA, Gregorio EN, Barot D, Usimaki A, Linardi RL, Missanelli JR, You Y, Robinson MA, Ortved KF.To determine the effects of prolonged administration of the oral NSAIDs phenylbutazone and firocoxib on concentrations of cytokines and growth factors in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and autologous protein solution (APS). Methods: 6 adult University owned horses. Methods: Horses were randomized to receive phenylbutazone (1 g, orally, q 12 h) or firocoxib (57 mg, orally, q 24 h) for 6 days. Blood was obtained and processed for APS (Pro-Stride) and PRP (Restigen) before the administration of NSAIDs and at 7 days (1 day following cessation of NSAIDs). Horses underwent a two-week washout period, dur...
Dupont J, Roman Dura B, Salciccia A, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.To study the changes in dynamic compliance (C), ventilation/perfusion (V˙/ Q˙) mismatch and haemodynamic variables in hypoxaemic anaesthetized horses whose PaO increased following salbutamol inhalation. Methods: Retrospective, clinical, cohort study. Methods: A group of 73 client-owned horses treated with salbutamol when PaO <100 mmHg (13.3 kPa) during anaesthesia. Methods: Horses were divided into two groups: responders (R), where PaO after salbutamol ≥1.2 PaO before treatment (i.e. ≥20% increase), and non-responders (NR), where PaO after salbutamol <1.2 PaO before treatment. Demographi...
Furukawa R, Tozaki T, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Takahashi Y, Fukui E, Kakoi H.Gene doping is prohibited in horse sports and can involve the administration of exogenous genes, called transgenes, to postnatal animals. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods have been developed to detect gene doping; however, these generally require DNA extraction from the plasma prior to qPCR. In this study, we developed two methods, direct droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and nested ddPCR, to detect the equine erythropoietin (EPO) transgene without DNA extraction. Direct ddPCR used pretreated plasma and PCR to detect the EPO transgene spiked at 10 copies/μL. Nested ddPCR utilis...
Amiri Roudbar M, Rosengren MK, Mousavi SF, Fegraeus K, Naboulsi R, Meadows JRS, Lindgren G.Elite performing exercise requires an intricate modulation of the blood pressure to support the working muscles with oxygen. We have previously identified a genomic regulatory module that associates with differences in blood pressures of importance for elite performance in racehorses. This study aimed to determine the effect of the regulatory module on the protein repertoire. We sampled plasma from 12 Coldblooded trotters divided into two endothelial regulatory module haplotype groups, a sub-elite performing haplotype (SPH) and an elite performing haplotype (EPH), each at rest and exercise. Th...
Ignácio FS, Garcia LV, de Souza GG, Amatti LZ, de Barros LD, Bergfelt DR, Camargo GS, de Meira C, de Almeida BFM.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represent one of the most commonly used classes of drugs in both human and veterinary medicine. However, many clinical side effects have been observed, especially when treatment has been prolonged. While the anti-inflammatory efficacy and safety of repeated administration of firocoxib (Previcox®), which is a selective NSAID COX-2 inhibitor, has been evaluated for short-term use (one to fourteen days), its clinical relevance for longer-term use is not known. As a preliminary study, healthy, adult male and female horses (n = 7) were treated with fi...
Asahi Y, Arai T, Tanaka Y.In older horses, basal metabolic rate decreases, and plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations related to energy metabolism change. The occurrence of age-related diseases, which increases in old animals, may enhance inflammatory reactivity (inflammaging). Finding the appropriate treatment for inflammaging at an early stage may prevent various age-related diseases. Changes in metabolite and hormone concentrations and enzyme activities involved in energy metabolism in the plasma of clinically healthy riding horses of various ages were measured to identify biomarkers of inflammaging (persisten...
Dupont J, Mignini B, Salciccia A, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.To compare the efficacy of inhaled salbutamol with salmeterol for the treatment of arterial hypoxaemia in anaesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective, randomized, clinical study. Methods: A total of 108 client-owned horses (American Society of Anesthesiologists status I-V) anaesthetized for elective and emergency procedures. Methods: Horses were premedicated with acepromazine [intramuscularly 0.1 mg kg or intravenously (IV) 0.05 mg kg] and xylazine (0.6 mg kg IV). Midazolam (0.06 mg kg IV) and ketamine (2.2 mg kg IV) were combined to induce anaesthesia, and isoflurane in oxygen/air mixture (ins...
Bugno-Poniewierska M, Jankowska M, Raudsepp T, Kowalska K, Pawlina-Tyszko K, Szmatola T.Chromosomal abnormalities occur in the equine population at a rate of approximately 2%. The use of molecular cytogenetic techniques allows a more accurate identification of chromosomal abnormalities, especially those with a low rate of abnormal metaphases, demonstrating that the actual incidence in equine populations is higher. Objective: Estimation of the number of carriers of karyotypic abnormalities in a sample from a population of young horses of various breeds, using molecular cytogenetic techniques. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Venous blood samples were collected from 500 young hor...
Massoco C, Palermo-Neto J.Benzodiazepines (BDZ) are among the most frequently used class of psychotropic drugs employed in veterinary medicine in Brazil and worldwide due to their anxiolytic, muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant effects [J. Clin. Pharmacol. 33 (1993) 124]. Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) sites were described in peripheral organs, endocrine steroidogenic tissues and immune organs and cells. Midazolam is a mixed-type agonist of PBRs. The present study is focused on the effects of midazolam on equine peripheral blood neutrophils, peritoneal macrophages and cortisol levels in plasma. Adult horses we...
Ropka-Molik K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Żukowski K, Piórkowska K, Gurgul A, Bugno-Poniewierska M.Arabian horses are believed to be one of the oldest and most influential horse breeds in the world. Blood is the main tissue involved in maintaining body homeostasis, and it is considered a marker of the processes taking place in the other tissues. Thus, the aim of our study was to identify the genetic basis of changes occurring in the blood of Arabian horses subjected to a training regimen and to compare the global gene expression profiles between different training periods (T: after a slow canter phase that is considered a conditioning phase, T: after an intense gallop phase, and T: at the e...
Vieira RF, Vidotto O, Vieira TS, Guimaraes AM, Santos AP, Nascimento NC, Santos NJ, Martins TF, Labruna MB, Marcondes M, Biondo AW, Messick JB.The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of hemoplasmas in a rural Brazilian settlement's population of human beings, their dogs and horses, highly exposed to tick bites; to identify the tick species parasitizing dogs and horses, and analyze factors associated with their infection. Blood samples from 132 dogs, 16 horses and 100 humans were screened using a pan-hemoplasma SYBR green real-time PCR assay followed by a species-specific TaqMan real-time PCR. A total of 59/132 (44.7%) dog samples were positive for hemoplasmas (21 Mycoplasma haemocanis alone, 12 ' Candidatus Mycoplasma...
Krishnan A, Wilson A, Sturgeon J, Siedlecki CA, Vogler EA.A systematic study of water-air (liquid-vapor, LV) interfacial tension gamma(lv) of blood plasma and serum derived from four different mammalian species (human, bovine, ovine and equine) reveals nearly identical concentration-dependence (dgamma(lv)/dlnC(B); where C(B) is plasma/serum dilution expressed in v/v concentration units). Comparison of results to a previously-published survey of purified human-blood proteins further reveals that dgamma(lv)/dlnC(B) of plasma and serum is surprisingly similar to that of purified protein constituents. It is thus concluded that any combination of blood-pr...
Pritchard JC, Burn CC, Barr AR, Whay HR.Dehydration is a serious welfare concern in horses working in developing countries. Identification of a valid and practical indicator of dehydration would enable more rapid treatment and prevention. Objective: To examine changes in bodyweight, clinical and blood parameters during rehydration of working horses, identify a 'gold standard' criterion for dehydration and use this to validate a standardised skin tent test, drinking behaviour and mucous membrane dryness as potential field indicators. Methods: Fifty horses with a positive skin tent test, working in environmental temperatures of 30-44 ...
Arfuso F, Giudice E, Panzera M, Rizzo M, Fazio F, Piccione G, Giannetto C.The monitoring of endocrine and immunologic markers during exercise is of paramount importance to assess and/or maintain the physical well-being of athletes as well as to optimize the athletic performance. This study aimed to investigate the linkage between acute stress response and immune status in Thoroughbred horses competing in an official 1300-m race. From 10 horses blood was collected 1 week before the day of the race (1W-BEFORE), before (REST) and immediately after the race to assess the cortisol, Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), total proteins, white blood cells (WBC), red b...
Zink MC, Yager JA, Smart NL.Of 131 cases of Corynebacterium equi infection in horses submitted for necropsy to the Ontario Veterinary College or Veterinary Laboratory Services, OMAF, Guelph, Ontario from 1958 to 1984, 115 were diagnosed as suppurative pneumonia, and of these 55 had associated ulcerative enterocolitis. Only five animals had intestinal involvement without pulmonary lesions. The remaining 11 cases included arthritis/cellulitis, skin abscesses and submandibular lymphadenitis. While the lung, intestine and associated lymph nodes yielded C. equi most frequently, in 21% of cases C. equi was also cultured from p...
Lapointe JM, Vrins A, McCarvill E.Sixty Standardbred horses, aged 3 to 10 years, were examined endoscopically for exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) 1 h after racing, on at least 3 occasions. Racing time, finishing position and post exercise venous lactate concentrations were also recorded. Horses positive for tracheal blood on endoscopy were classified as having either grade 1 EIPH (one or a few spots of blood in the trachea), or grade 2 (stream of blood). Air temperature, relative humidity and air pollutant levels were recorded on each examination day. Of the 60 horses, 52 (87%) were EIPH-positive on at least one ...
Robinson CS, Singer ER, Piviani M, Rubio-Martinez LM.Synovial sepsis in horses is life threatening and accurate diagnosis allowing prompt treatment is warranted. This study assessed the diagnostic value of serum amyloid A (SAA) and D-lactate in blood and synovial fluid (SF) as diagnostic markers of synovial sepsis in horses and correlated them with total nucleated cell count (TNCC), percentage of neutrophils (%N) and total protein (TP) in SF. Blood and SF SAA and D-lactate concentrations were determined in a case-control observational study including 112 horses (38 with synovial contamination or sepsis (SCS), 66 with non-septic intra-synovial pa...
Barrey E, Mucher E, Robert C, Amiot F, Gidrol X.Genomics using cDNA microarrays could provide useful information about physiological adaptations and metabolic disorders in endurance horses. Objective: In order to show that genes are modulated in leucocytes in relationship with performance and clinical status of the horses, gene expression in leucocytes, haematological and biochemical parameters were compared between successful and disqualified endurance horses. Methods: Blood samples were collected at rest (TO) and just after a 140-160 km endurance race (T1) in 2 groups of horses: 10 continuing successful (S) and 10 disqualified horses stop...
Redaelli V, Luzi F, Mazzola S, Bariffi GD, Zappaterra M, Nanni Costa L, Padalino B.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...
Fritz D.Positive PCR results for piroplasms were obtained on EDTA blood samples from 166 dogs and 111 horses between March 2006 and March 2008. The organisms were initially identified using common primers, followed by restriction enzyme profiles to determine the species and types of Babesia/Theileria. In 27 dogs and eight horses with positive results, the size of the specimen was insufficient to separate species/types. We identified Babesia canis canis in 105 of the 166 dogs (63%) and Theileria equi in 89 of the 111 horses (80%). Babesia caballi was also present, but rare, in only two Babesia/Theileri...
Amin TM, Sirs JA.A comparative study has been made of the blood rheology, and its component factors, in horse, sheep, cattle, goat, camel, pig, dog, rabbit and man. The erythrocyte flexibility of horse red cells is high relative to man, that of pig, dog, camel and rabbit comparable, but less flexible, and sheep, cattle and goat relatively inflexible. The erythrocyte flexibility of horse, sheep, cattle and goats does not vary with the plasma fibrinogen level, as occurs with human and rabbit cells. Washing erythrocytes and then suspending them in isotonic saline makes the erythrocytes of all species relatively i...
Carrick JB, Begg AP.Assessment of peripheral blood leukocytes is the most common clinical pathology test in equine practice. It is always a part of complete body function assessment and frequently is used alone, or in conjunction with, fibrinogen to monitor response to treatment.
de Moffarts B, Kirschvink N, Art T, Pincemail J, Lekeux P.The oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium of trained thoroughbred horses (n = 40) was assessed on three occasions during a period of three months under field conditions by blood antioxidant markers analysis, i.e. plasma ascorbic acid (AA), plasma antioxidant capacity of water-soluble components (ACW), whole blood (GSH) and oxidised (GSSG) glutathione, plasma alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene, plasma antioxidant capacity of lipid-soluble components (ACL), red blood cell superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-peroxidase activity (GPx) and plasma trace-elements, i.e. selenium (Se), copper (Cu), zi...
Whetter L, Archambault D, Perry S, Gazit A, Coggins L, Yaniv A, Clabough D, Dahlberg J, Fuller F, Tronick S.A full-length molecular clone of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) was isolated from a persistently infected canine fetal thymus cell line (Cf2Th). Upon transfection of equine dermis cells, the clone, designated CL22, yielded infectious EIAV particles (CL22-V) that replicated in vitro in both Cf2Th cells and an equine dermis cell strain. Horses infected with CL22-V developed an antibody response to viral proteins and possessed viral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, as determined by polymerase chain reaction assays. In addition, horses infected with CL22-V became persistently infe...
Hoffmann B, Landeck A.To gain further information on gonadal function of the stallion, concentrations of testicular steroids in blood plasma (bpl) and seminal plasma (spl) and their distribution in the ejaculate were determined. Blood and semen samples from a total of 11 stallions were collected from November to July. Estrone (E1), estrone sulfate (E1S), estradiol-17beta (E2beta) and testosterone (T) were determined in bpl and spl, and in addition androstenedione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5alpha-DHT) were measured in spl. At certain points of time, aliquots of an ejaculate w...
Franck T, Grulke S, Deby-Dupont G, Deby C, Duvivier H, Peters F, Serteyn D.Equine inflammatory disease is accompanied by a neutrophil activation resulting in the release of granulocytic enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO). To measure MPO in horse plasma as marker of neutrophil activation, the authors purified equine neutrophil MPO and developed a specific enzyme immunoassay using 2 specific polyclonal antibodies obtained from rabbit (primary antibody) and guinea pig (secondary antibody). The sandwich complex "primary antibody-MPO-secondary antibody" was detected using a goat anti-guinea pig immunoglobulin antibody conjugated to alkaline phosphatase. The enzyme-linked immuno...
The PC/LPC ratio of blood serum is increasingly considered to represent an important clinical parameter that reflects various kinds of diseases. Here, a simple and fast method of lipid analyses of "intact" blood serum (i.e. without extraction) by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is described. The novel procedure allows the accurate determination of the PC/LPC ratio, utilizing only a tiny amount of blood. The serum is diluted with distilled water and directly applied onto the MALDI target and, after drying, covered by a thin layer of the matrix solution (either 9-aminoacridine or 2,5-dihydroxybenzoi...
Hawkins E, Kock R, McKeever D, Gakuya F, Musyoki C, Chege SM, Mutinda M, Kariuki E, Davidson Z, Low B, Skilton RA, Njahira MN, Wamalwa M, Maina E.The role of equine piroplasmosis as a factor in the population decline of the Grevy's zebra is not known. We determined the prevalence of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in cograzing Grevy's zebras (Equus grevyi) and donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) in northern Kenya and identified the associated tick vectors. Blood samples were taken from 71 donkeys and 16 Grevy's zebras from March to May 2011. A nested PCR reaction using 18s ribosomal (r)RNA primers on 87 blood spots showed 72% (51/71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 60.4-81.0%) of donkeys and 100% (16/16; 95% CI, 77.3-100%) of Grevy's zebra...
Patton KM, McGuire TC, Fraser DG, Hines SA.The goal of this research was to examine the role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in the control of Rhodococcus equi and specifically to determine if R. equi-specific CD8+ CTL occurred in the blood of immune horses. Equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with antigen-presenting cells either infected with R. equi or exposed to soluble R. equi antigen lysed R. equi-infected target cells. Lysis was decreased to background by depletion of either CD2+ or CD3+ cells, indicating that the effector cell had a T-lymphocyte, but not NK cell, phenotype. Stimulation induced an increased perc...
Nagel C, Erber R, Bergmaier C, Wulf M, Aurich J, Möstl E, Aurich C.The mechanisms leading to parturition in the horse in many aspects differ from those in other species. Pregnancy is maintained not by progesterone but by 5α-pregnanes and the progestin precursor pregnenolone originates from the fetus. As parturition approaches, the fetal adrenal switches from pregnenolone to cortisol synthesis but it is not known whether cortisol crosses the placenta. We hypothesized that in parallel to fetal cortisol release, cortisol in the maternal circulation increases before foaling and this increase can be determined in both saliva and plasma. In addition, maternal, fet...
Harris RC, Marlin DJ, Snow DH.To define the metabolic response to maximal exercise in the thoroughbred horse under field conditions, muscle biopsies and venous blood samples were taken from five horses after a single 800-m gallop and from four horses after a single 2,000-m gallop. Muscle and blood samples were also collected during 60 min of recovery. After exercise muscle ATP contents were decreased by 30 +/- 7 (SD) and 47 +/- 3% after the 800- and 2,000-m gallops, respectively. As indicators of purine catabolism, ammonia and uric acid increased in plasma, the accumulation being greater after the 2,000-m gallop. Blood amm...
Pusterla N, Hussey SB, Mapes S, Johnson C, Collier JR, Hill J, Lunn DP, Wilson WD.Recrudescence of latent equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) with subsequent viral shedding via nasal secretions is a potential source of infection for susceptible horses and has been implicated in outbreaks occurring in closed populations. Objective: To describe the viral kinetics of reactivated EHV-1 in blood and nasal secretions from latently infected horses after administration of corticosteroids, and to study the infectious nature of reactivated EHV-1 to sentinel horses. Methods: Eight healthy horses. Methods: Four horses infected 4 months previously with EHV-1 received dexamethasone on 5 consecu...
Russell CM, Axon JE, Blishen A, Begg AP.To assist correct decision-making about antimicrobial treatment of equine neonates with septicaemia. Methods: Retrospective study of microbial blood culture results obtained from foals less than 7 days of age. Methods: Microbial blood culture results from foals less than 7 days of age admitted to an intensive care unit between July 1999 and December 2004 were reviewed. Antimicrobial sensitivity was assessed by the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Antimicrobials were defined as an effective first-line choice antimicrobial if greater than 70% of isolates were susceptible. Multiple drug resista...
Delesalle C, Dewulf J, Lefebvre RA, Schuurkes JA, Proot J, Lefere L, Deprez P.Intestinal hypoperfusion can lead to increased lactate concentrations in plasma and peritoneal fluid of horses with colic. Objective: The purposes of this study were to (1) evaluate the reliability of the Accusport analyzer to assess peritoneal fluid lactate (PFL) concentrations in healthy horses and those with colic, (2) identify clinical features associated with abnormal blood plasma lactate (BPL) and PFL concentrations, and (3) evaluate the prognostic value of BPL and PFL. Methods: BPL and PFL were determined in 20 healthy horses and in 106 horses with colic. Results: The Accusport was reli...
Almeida J, Ball BA, Conley AJ, Place NJ, Liu IK, Scholtz EL, Mathewson L, Stanley SD, Moeller BC.Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily of growth and differentiation factors, is expressed in granulosa cells of preantral and small antral ovarian follicles. In humans, AMH appeared to regulate recruitment and growth of small ovarian follicles. Furthermore, circulating AMH concentrations were elevated in women with granulosa-cell tumors (GCT). In the horse, GCTs are the most common tumor of the ovary, and a variety of endocrine assays have been used to diagnose presumptive GCTs. The objectives of the present study were to validate a heterologo...
Castelijns G, Crawford A, Schaffer J, Ortolano GA, Beauregard T, Smith RK.Platelet preparations have become a treatment for soft tissue injuries in horses. This study evaluated a novel filter-based system to concentrate platelets and assesses its value in the treatment of suspensory ligament branch desmitis. Methods: Filtered platelet concentrate was prepared from 55 ml of venous blood obtained from 21 normal horses. Platelets and white blood cells in whole blood and filtered platelet concentrate were measured, as was platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) release. Eleven horses with 18 focal acute suspensory ligament br...
Frank N, Elliott SB, Chameroy KA, Tóth F, Chumbler NS, McClamroch R.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a risk factor for pasture-associated laminitis, which follows a seasonal pattern. Objective: Hormonal responses to season differ between PPID and unaffected horses. Methods: Seventeen horses aged 8-30 years (14 horses ≥ 20 years of age). Methods: Longitudinal observational study. Blood was collected monthly from August 2007 until July 2008 after pasture grazing and again after overnight stall confinement. Blood hormone and metabolite concentrations were measured and pasture grass samples were analyzed to determine carbohydrate content. Analysis...
