The study of cells in horses encompasses the examination of various cell types and their functions within the equine body. Cells are the basic structural and functional units of life, and in horses, they contribute to numerous physiological processes, including growth, repair, and immune responses. Different cell types, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and muscle cells, each perform specific roles that are vital for maintaining the health and homeostasis of the horse. This topic includes research on cellular mechanisms, cellular responses to disease or injury, and the application of cellular biology in equine medicine. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the structure, function, and significance of cells in equine biology and health.
Arrighi S, Romanello MG, Domeneghini C.The ultrastructure of the epithelial lining of the ductuli efferents and the ductus epididymis in the horse (Equus caballus) is described. Several types of cells can be distinguished: ciliated and non-ciliated cells make up the epithelium of the ductuli efferents, whereas principal, apical and basal cells are found in the ductus epididymis. The observations are compared with those made in other species, in particular in the donkey (Equus asinus), and the possible functional roles of the different cell types are discussed.
Nitta K, Tsuge H, Iwamoto H.Unfolding profiles of two calcium-binding lysozymes, equine milk lysozyme and pigeon egg-white lysozyme, were obtained by circular dichroism and proton NMR measurements. Equine lysozyme unfolds through a stable molten globule intermediate. The molten globule of equine lysozyme was characterized as more ordered than that of bovine alpha-lactalbumin. On the other hand, pigeon lysozyme unfolds by a two-state mechanism and the intermediate could not be observed in guanidine or thermal unfolding, the same as with conventional non-calcium-binding lysozymes. Thus, from the point of view of the unfold...
Hinrichs K, Schmidt AL, Friedman PP, Selgrath JP, Martin MG.The chromatin configuration of resting horse oocytes and the time course of in vitro oocyte maturation was characterized using a fluorescent, DNA-specific label. Oocytes were classified as having either compact (CP) or expanded (EX) cumuli at the time of collection. Centrifugation of oocytes was effective in allowing visualization of the germinal vesicle. Two main chromatin configurations were found in oocytes known to have a germinal vesicle: condensed chromatin (CC), in which the chromatin formed a dense mass surrounding the nucleolus; and fluorescing nucleus (FN), in which the entire nucleu...
Simmons TR, Cook JA, Moore JN, Halushka PV.Thromboxane (TX) A2 has been implicated as an important pathophysiologic mediator of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Monocytes synthesize TXA2 and it modulates their function. This study sought to characterize monocyte TXA2 receptors. Radioligand binding studies were performed on membranes prepared from equine peripheral blood monocytes using [125I]BOP, a TXA2 receptor agonist. [125I]BOP bound to a single class of binding sites (Kd = 1.0 +/- 0.3 nM and Bmax = 389 +/- 191 fmol/mg protein; n = 5). Several TXA2 receptor agonists and antagonists competed for binding with [125I]BOP. I-BOP pro...
Kramer J, Tornquist S, Erfle J, Sloeojan G.Large granular lymphocytes (LGL) occur as a leukemic or aleukemic neoplasia in humans,(1) rats,(2) cats,(3,4) dogs,(5) and horses.(6) The single case of equine LGL previously reported was aleukemic.(5) In contrast to this previous report of aleukemic equine LGL neoplasia, the leukemia in the case presented here established the antemortem diagnosis of LGL.
Lunn DP.Monoclonal antibody technology has allowed the recognition and study of numerous leucocyte antigens in man and laboratory animals for over a decade. Numerous advances in the understanding of immune responses and immunopathology have resulted. In recent years equine researchers have started to develop similar reagents, which now offer a powerful tool to investigators of equine immunology and disease.
Poole AW, Heath MF, Sage SO, Evans RJ.Equine platelets in platelet-rich plasma were incubated with the fluorescent indicator dye, Fura-2-AM (Fura-2-acetoxymethyl ester) and the degree of loading of the cells with the dye and the extent of hydrolysis of the ester was assessed by quantitative fluorimetry and by thin-layer chromatography respectively. Under these conditions the cells loaded poorly with Fura-2 to a concentration of 4 microM. The technique was validated by demonstrating adequate loading of human platelets with Fura-2, to a concentration of 250-300 microM, using the same method. The removal of plasma from the extracellu...
Salloum RM, Duckworth D, Madison JB, Souba WW.The sodium-dependent transporter system responsible for L-glutamine uptake by brush border membrane vesicles prepared from equine jejunum was characterized. Vesicle purity was ascertained by a 14- to 17-fold increase in activity of the brush border enzyme markers. Glutamine uptake was found to occur into an osmotically active space with negligible membrane binding. The sodium-dependent velocity represented approximately 80% of total uptake and demonstrated overshoots. Kinetic studies of sodium-dependent glutamine transport at concentrations between 5 microM and 5 mM revealed a single saturable...
Leach DH.Cells of the intertubular horn of the stratum medium of the equine hoof wall are joined by three types of junctions. Desmosomes and gap junctions were present in all strata. Septate-like junctions and an intercellular line were seen in the distal stratum spinosum subsequent to extrusion of the contents of membrane-coating granules. At a later stage of keratinization, non-membrane-bound acid phosphatase reaction product appeared to leak into the intercellular space except into areas occupied by septate-like junctions and the intercellular line. It is proposed that the formation of septate-like ...
Pelegrino JL, Vázquez S, Morier L, Castillo A, Guzmán MG, Kourí G.We present the results attained in the identification of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus isolations in Vero and XL-2 cell systems, using a double-antibody ELISA technique and the indirect immunofluorescence method. The results attained through these two techniques coincided by 100% with identification through neutralization. With the former, the virus was detected within 6-8 hours after inoculation. Better results were attained with XL-2 cells.
Cummings JF, de Lahunta A, Summers BA, Mohammed HO, Divers TJ, Valentine BA, Trembicki-Graves K.Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a sporadic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that has been identified recently in horses of different breeds in North America. The cause is unknown. Pathologic changes which occur in spinal and certain brain stem motor neurons include chromatolysis, swelling, neurofilamentous accumulation, and development of eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions. Punctate eosinophilic inclusions, the type usually encountered in degenerating neurons, resembled Bunina bodies at the light microscopic level, but differed in their ultrastructural composition. These and less...
Griffiths IR, Lusk SA, Kyriakides E, Smith S.Neurofilaments (NF) are composed of three polypeptides of differing molecular size, termed NF-L, NF-M and NF-H. The NF-H and, to a lesser degree, NF-M components are phosphorylated. In the majority of normal neurones, the location of phosphorylated NF is confined to neuronal processes, particularly the axon, and excluded from the perikaryon. Cell bodies of autonomic neurones of the rat do not contain phosphorylated NF. In many disease states, phosphorylated NF accumulate in the neuronal cell body and therefore in most circumstances their presence indicates abnormality. This paper reports that ...
Knospe C, Budras KD.To answer the many open questions concerning the development of the horse's ovary, first the prenatal development was investigated. It resulted that follicles derive from the germinal epithelium and its cords, whereas the Leydig cells and the rete blastema originate from the mesonephros. In the second third of pregnancy the Leydig cells undergo an enormous proliferation, in the last third they degenerate. However this degeneration is not connected with the postnatal development of the ovulation groove.
Vickers PJ, O'Neill GP, Mancini JA, Charleson S, Abramovitz M.To identify regions of 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP) important for the function of the protein and the binding of leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors, we performed a cross-species analysis of FLAP. FLAP from all 10 mammalian species analyzed (human, monkey, horse, pig, cow, sheep, rabbit, dog, rat, and mouse) were immunologically cross-reactive and specifically bound leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors with high affinity. Using the polymerase chain reaction, cDNA clones for FLAP from six species (monkey, horse, pig, sheep, rabbit, and mouse) were isolated and sequenced. The deduced ...
Kotzé SH, Soley JT.Spirally arranged bundles of sub-endothelial smooth muscle enfold the small to medium-sized submucosal veins in the equine ileocecal junction. The muscle bundles, accompanied by the endothelial lining, bulge into the lumen of the vessels, partly occluding the latter. Transmission electron microscopy of the muscle cells reveals features consistent with vascular smooth muscle ultrastructure. It is proposed that the throttling effect of the muscle bundles causes engorgement of the submucosal venous plexus, which then assists in the closing of the ileocecal orifice.
Leong LM, Tan BH, Ho KK.Nonheme iron proteins can be visualized as blue bands in native polyacrylamide gels using a staining method that is both simple and rapid. The reaction of potassium ferricyanide with protein-bound iron atoms to form royal blue complexes occurs almost instantaneously and is sensitive enough to detect 1 microgram of analytical-grade ferritin and 2 micrograms of purified ferredoxin from cyanobacteria. No special treatment of reagents or apparatus was necessary. On comparison, this stain was found to be more specific than the Ferene S stain, not detecting bovine serum albumin even when present as ...
Donaldson WL, Oriol JG, Plavin A, Antczak DF.Between days 36-38 of pregnancy equine trophoblastic cells of the chorionic girdle migrate and form endometrial cups. Just prior to invasion, the chorionic girdle cells express high levels of polymorphic, paternally inherited, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens. Their descendents, the mature, invasive trophoblast cells of the endometrial cups, however, express low or undetectable levels of MHC class I antigens by day 44 of pregnancy. Experiments with MHC compatible pregnancies, the study of residual chorionic girdle cells that had failed to invade the endometrium and remai...
Nixon AJ, Lust G, Vernier-Singer M.Equine articular chondrocytes were isolated from explant cartilage cultures by digestion in a 0.075% collagenase solution for 15 to 19 hours. Cartilage from late-term fetal and neonatal foals resulted in mean chondrocyte yield of 51.99 x 10(6) cells/g of cartilage (wet weight), compared with a yield of 17.83 x 10(6) cells/g for foals 3 to 12 months old. Propagation of chondrocytes in monolayer and 3-dimensional culture was accomplished, using Ham's F-12 as the basal medium, with supplements of fetal bovine serum (10%), ascorbic acid, alpha-ketoglutarate, and L-glutamine. The medium was buffere...
Atwal OS, Singh B, Staempfli H, Minhas K.The pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs) have been described in several species of animals. This study demonstrates for the first time that the equine lung has PIMs as resident phagocytes in its microvasculature. Their salient features such as globular surface coat, structures of the endocytic pathway, and related cell organelles closely resemble those of the calf, goat, and sheep. The exquisite organization of the coat globules in the form of a linear chain was structurally similar to the lipolytic lipase and the heparin-sensitive globular coat from PIMs of calf, goat, and sheep. Monast...
MacDonald MH, Stover SM, Willits NH, Benton HP.Explant cultures were set up, using articular cartilage obtained from metatarsophalangeal joints of 11 horses. Explants from 2 horses were used to determine culture conditions appropriate for tissue viability. The cartilage explants maintained steady-state metabolism of proteoglycans during a 13-day evaluation period. The metabolic response of equine articular cartilage to incubation with recombinant human interleukin 1 (0.01 to 100 ng/ml) was studied, using cartilage obtained from the remaining 9 horses, age of which ranged from 3 months to 20 years. Interleukin 1 induced a dose-dependent rel...
Wang Z, Yu M, Robinson NE, Broadstone RV, LeBlanc PH, Derksen FJ.The modulatory role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was examined in pony tracheal smooth muscle strips. Although exogenous PGE2 inhibited the contractile response to both electrical field stimulation (EFS) and acetylcholine (ACh) in a dose-dependent manner, the concentration required to inhibit the response to EFS (10 nM) was less than that required to inhibit the response to ACh (0.1 microM). Cyclooxygenase inhibition with aspirin or meclofenamate had no effect on either the response to EFS or to ACh even though PGE2 production was inhibited. Our results demonstrate that in ponies as in other spec...
Malark JA, Peyton LC, Galvin MJ.Peritoneal fluid and blood was collected from 8 healthy adult horses. Four 1-ml aliquots of peritoneal fluid from each horse were then contaminated with 0 ml (normal), 0.05 ml (1 drop), 0.10 ml (2 drops), and 0.20 ml (4 drops) of blood from the same horse. Samples were analyzed for RBC count, nucleated blood cell count, total protein concentration, and nucleated cell differential count. Statistical analysis revealed no significant changes in nucleated cell number, nucleated cell differential, or total protein concentration in peritoneal samples contaminated with blood. The RBC count significan...
Fitzpatrick JL, Bailey M, Harbour DA, Stokes CR.Adult ponies which were fed ovalbumin (OVA) daily for 2 weeks had significantly greater serum anti-OVA IgG (P = 0.001) and antigen specific lymphocyte responses (P = 0.031) after intramuscular injection with OVA given with saponin than control ponies which had not been fed the antigen. This suggests that, despite the lack of evidence of B- or T-cell activation in peripheral blood during the period of OVA feeding, the animals were primed for an active secondary immune response. Adult ponies were challenged with equine rotavirus, strain H-2, but no statistically significant differences were foun...
Ranz AI, Miguet JG, Anaya C, Venteo A, Cortés E, Vela C, Sanz A.A panel of 32 hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV-4) has been developed. Four of the MAbs recognized the major core antigen VP7, twenty recognized the outer capsid protein VP2 and eight reacted with the non-structural protein NS1. With the VP7-specific MAbs a rapid and sensitive double antibody sandwich immunoassay has been developed to detect viral antigen in infected Vero cells and in spleen tissue from AHSV-infected horses. The sensitivity of the assay is 10 ng viral antigen per 100 microliters. The NS1-speci...
Roperto F, Damiano S, De Vico G, Maiolino P, Restucci B.This paper presents some ultrastructural details of cilia from the ciliated tracheal epithelium of healthy horses. By using a new fixation method, the Authors were able to describe minute details, some of which have been only rarely observed in other species and mostly by means of the freeze-etch technique (i.e. electron dense particles of ciliary necklace). The Authors justify the need to investigate the ultrastructural details of cilia in various species since the minute morphological differences might be functionally significant.
Bermúdez VM, Miller RB, Rosendal S, Fernando MA, Johnson WH, O'Brien PJ.The cytopathic effects induced by five strains of Mycoplasma equigenitalium for cells of equine uterine tube explants were tested by measuring changes in cellular and extracellular concentrations of calmodulin (CaM). Calmodulin concentrations in samples of total homogenate (TH) and total homogenate supernates (THS) of the infected equine uterine tube explants were significantly lower than respective measurements on noninfected controls. In tissue culture medium fractions (TCM) of some infected explants, CaM concentrations were significantly higher than noninfected controls (p > 0.95). The r...
Weiss DJ, Geor RJ, Burris SM, Smith CM.Pentoxifylline has been reported to improve peripheral vascular circulation by altering the flow properties of blood. To determine if the hemorrheological effects of pentoxifylline were mediated by alterations in neutrophil function and/or flow properties, we evaluated the drug's effects on equine neutrophils in vitro. Pentoxifylline, at a concentration of 1 x 10(-1) M, but not at concentrations of 1 x 10(-6) M to 1 x 10(-2) M, markedly suppressed neutrophil superoxide production, zymosan phagocytosis and adherence to nylon wool. Pentoxifylline failed to improve neutrophil filterability throug...
Pfeiffer CJ, Dabareiner RM.Investigation of the duodenal submucosal glands of Brunner in the horse for the first time at the ultrastructural level has clarified some of the unique features of these equine glands. The horse is one of the very few mammals in which Brunner's glands are comprised of both mucous and serous tubuloacinar glands. Although the ultrastructural differences between the serous and mucous cell types are marked, particularly with respect to secretory granules and rough endoplasmic reticula, these cell types closely correspond to serous and mucous cells in the upper digestive system of other mammals. A...
Parma AE, Cerone SI, Sansinanea SA, Ghezzi M.C3 was detected bound in vivo to the opaque cornea of horses inoculated with killed Leptospira interrogans. Employing epithelial corneal cells isolated from a monolayer in tissue culture, we proved that C3 is fixed in vitro to the intact cell surface after incubation with a fresh equine anti-Leptospira serum. These findings, in addition to the infiltration of cornea with neutrophils and lymphocytes, may explain the mechanisms of tissue damage in recurrent uveitis of horses with leptospirosis.
Freeman KP, Roszel JF, Slusher SH.Inclusions and cellular changes were seen in cytologic specimens from 1 healthy horse, 6 horses hospitalized because of respiratory problems, and 1 horse hospitalized because of colic and hepatitis. Two bronchial aspirates contained detached ciliated cytoplasmic tufts and cytoplasmic inclusions characteristic of the specific degenerative process called ciliocytophthoria. These changes and inclusions resembled those seen in bronchial aspirates from human beings with parainfluenza virus infection. Four bronchial aspirates and 2 serous fluid specimens had nuclear inclusions resembling those seen ...
Barton MH, Darden JE, Clifton S, Vandenplas M.To validate primer sets for use in reverse transcription quantitative PCR assays to measure gene expression of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase 1 (mPGES1) in equine mononuclear cells and determine the effects of firocoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on COX-2, cPLA2, and mPGES1 gene expression following incubation of mononuclear cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: 8 healthy adult horses. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and incubated at 37°C with medium alone, f...
Oliva R, Núñez I, Segunda MN, Peralta OA.Equine adult bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) may be induced into the tenogenic lineage after exposure with bone morphogenetic protein-12 (BMP-12). Despite fetal BM-MSCs have showed a greater differentiation potential compared to adults, the tenogenic differentiation capacity of equine fetal BM-MSC have not been reported. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro tenogenic differentiation potential of equine fetal BM-MSCs under the effect of BMP-12. Equine fetal BM-MSCs were exposed to three concentrations of BMP-12 (25, 50 and 100 ng/mL) during a 21-day culture period....
Ekfalck A, Funkquist B, Jones B, Obel N.An in vitro method has been designed and used to study the incorporation of 75Se-cystine into matrix fragments from hooves and claws of healthy horses and cattle. Tissue fragments from the zone of keratinisation were incubated with L-75Se-cystine in a tissue culture medium for 4 to 6 h, during which time there was continuous incorporation of the labelled selenocystine. The incorporation was greatly decreased by adding L-cystine to the incubation mixture. It is concluded that the incorporation of 75Se-cystine depends on the presence of a specific receptor for cystine in the tissue fragments stu...
May SA, Hooke RE, Lees P.Equine thymocytes, which respond to equine monocyte supernatants, do not respond to stimulation with recombinant human interleukin-1 alpha and beta, and equine synovial fibroblasts show a limited response in the form of prostaglandin E2 production without any evidence of neutral metalloproteinase production. Human interleukin-1 beta was about three to ten times as active on equine synovial cells as human interleukin-1 alpha in terms of prostaglandin E2 production. This preliminary evidence would suggest that there are qualitative and quantitative differences in the way recombinant human interl...
BMC research notesNovember 8, 2012
Volume 5 626 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-5-626
Boudko SP, Ishikawa Y, Lerch TF, Nix J, Chapman MS, Bächinger HP.Hyperelastosis cutis is an inherited autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder. Affected horses are characterized by hyperextensible skin, scarring, and severe lesions along the back. The disorder is caused by a mutation in cyclophilin B. Results: The crystal structures of both wild-type and mutated (Gly6->Arg) horse cyclophilin B are presented. The mutation neither affects the overall fold of the enzyme nor impairs the catalytic site structure. Instead, it locally rearranges the flexible N-terminal end of the polypeptide chain and also makes it more rigid. Conclusions: Interactions of...
Montgomery JB, Hamblin B, Suri SS, Johnson LE, New D, Johnston J, Kelly J, Wilson DG, Singh B.Ischemia followed by reperfusion leads to release of toxic molecules into the circulation, and these molecules may cause injury in remote organs such as the lung. Horses commonly suffer from episodes of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) due to intestinal twisting/strangulation followed by repair. Because there is no evidence of lung injury associated with IR in horses, we designed a study to characterize the intestinal IR-associated lung inflammation and determine the effect of lidocaine on lung inflammation in IR horses. Lung tissues were collected from non-anesthetized (n=4) and anestheti...
Dean MF, Lee YW, Dastjerdi AM, Lees P.The basal rate of in vitro proteoglycan (PG) synthesis in explants of equine articular cartilage was subject to considerable variation in animals of the same age but was greater in younger than older animals. Synthesis of PGs in explant cultures was stimulated by a synthetic link peptide, identical in sequence to the N-terminus of the link protein (LP) of PG aggregates, in a similar manner to that demonstrated previously for human articular cartilage [Biochem. Soc. Trans. 25 (1997) 427; Arthritis Rheum. 41 (1998) 157]. Stimulation occurred in tissue from animals ranging from 1 to 30 years old ...
Rahnama S, Spence R, Vathsangam N, Baskerville CL, Bailey SR, de Laat MA, Anderson ST, Pollitt CC, Sillence MN.Although it is understood that equine endocrinopathic laminitis can be triggered by high concentrations of insulin, it is unclear whether this represents a direct action on lamellar tissue via insulin receptors (InsR), an interaction with IGF-1 receptors (IGF-1R), or some other, indirect action. This uncertainty is because of the reported scarcity of InsR in lamellar tissue and the low affinity of insulin for equine IGF-1R. In the present study, the effects of insulin and IGF-1 (as a positive control) were examined using lamellar explants isolated from the hooves of healthy horses and incubate...
Lea RG, Stewart F, Allen WR, Ohno I, Clark DA.Endometrial tissue from the gravid uterine horn of pregnant mares was examined by northern analysis and in situ hybridization for mRNA that hybridized to cDNA and RNA probes generated from a mouse TGF-beta 2 1.2 kb cDNA clone. The mouse cDNA probe hybridized to characteristic TGF-beta 2 mRNA transcripts on a northern blot of total RNA isolated from horse endometrium collected at day 45 of gestation. Two major 4.0 and 3.5 kb transcripts and possibly a minor 1.6 kb transcript were observed, consistent with specific hybridization to equine TGF-beta 2 mRNA. By in situ hybridization, riboprobes tra...
Lillich JD, Ray-Miller W, Silver KS, Davis EG, Schultz BD.To determine hyaluronan concentrations in peritoneal fluid from healthy horses and horses with sudden signs of severe abdominal pain and to identify the cellular sources of hyaluronan within the peritoneal cavity. Methods: 7 client-owned horses that were evaluated for sudden signs of severe abdominal pain, 6 healthy teaching horses, and 13 euthanized horses (11 with no abdominal disease and 2 that had undergone abdominal surgery 2 weeks previously for a different study). Methods: Abdominal fluid was collected from the client-owned and teaching horses. Hyaluronan concentrations were determined ...
Ebert DW, Bertone AL, Roberts C.To determine whether irradiation with a low-intensity diode laser, which produces radiation at a wavelength of 810 nm, will induce nonthermal enhancement of chondrocyte metabolism. Methods: 144 grossly normal articular cartilage explants aseptically harvested from the femoral condyles of 6 adult horses. Methods: Treated cartilage explants were irradiated with a diode laser at 1 of 7 fluence levels that ranged from 8 to 1,600 J/cm2. Explants were incubated for 24 or 72 hours, labeled for 24 hours with [35S]Na2SO4, and assayed for newly synthesized sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG; measured incor...
Ząbek T, Witarski W, Semik-Gurgul E, Szmatoła T, Kowalska K, Bugno-Poniewierska M.We investigated the activity of chondrogenic markers and variation of methylation patterns in equine cartilaginous cells cultivated in monolayer. The transcriptional and epigenetic effect of the long-term culture of chondrocytes has been evaluated using several passages of chondrocyte cell-lines derived from equine articular cartilage. Using 3 genes as endogenous control we tested the expression of 7 genes important for different stages of chondrocyte differentiation and maturation. CpG islands in RUNX3 locus were inspected for the evaluation of differential methylation state of passaged cell-...
Mok CH, MacLeod JN.Within developing synovial joints, interzone and anlagen cells progress through divergent chondrogenic pathways to generate stable articular cartilage and transient hypertrophic anlagen cartilage, respectively. Understanding the comparative cell biology between interzone and anlagen cells may provide novel insights into emergent cell-based therapies to support articular cartilage regeneration. The aim of this study was to assess the kinetics of gene expression profiles in these skeletal cell lines after inducing chondrogenesis in culture. Interzone and anlagen cells from seven equine fetuses w...
Blanch EW, Morozova-Roche LA, Hecht L, Noppe W, Barron LD.Vibrational Raman optical activity (ROA) spectra of the calcium-binding lysozyme from equine milk in native and nonnative states are measured and compared with those of the homologous proteins hen egg white lysozyme and bovine alpha-lactalbumin. The ROA spectrum of holo equine lysozyme at pH 4.6 and 22 degrees C closely resembles that of hen lysozyme in regions sensitive to backbone and side chain conformations, indicating similarity of the overall secondary and tertiary structures. However, the intensity of a strong positive ROA band at approximately 1340 cm(-1), which is assigned to a hydrat...
Van de Water E, Oosterlinck M, Duchateau L, Pille F.The purpose of this study was to determine whether the scil Vet abc Plus(+) (SCIL Animal Care Company, Altorf, France), an impedance hematology analyzer, can accurately quantify and differentiate nucleated blood cells (NBCs) in equine synovial fluid. Synovial fluid samples (n=242) in different stages of experimentally induced inflammation were analyzed with and without hyaluronidase pretreatment and compared to manual hemocytometer counts and smear reviews. No significant effect of hyaluronidase pretreatment was observed. Total nucleated cell counts of the scil Vet abc Plus(+) were significant...
Jenkinson DM, Nimmo MC, Jackson D, McQueen L, Elder HY, Mackay DA, Montgomery I.Lanthanum injected intradermally in vivo into the skin of cattle, sheep, goats and ponies penetrated the intercellular spaces of the sweat glands. It was not, however, detected in the glandular lumen either visually or by electron probe microanalysis even at elevated ambient temperatures when the animals were sweating. It is concluded that the luminal intercellular connections between epithelial cells in these glands are tight junctions, which remain so during sweating despite the occurrence of cell death and extrusion into the lumen.
Del Campo MR, Donoso X, Parrish JJ, Ginther OJ.Equine oocytes (n = 537) were collected from slaughterhouse ovaries (n = 118 mares) by scraping the internal follicular wall. Preculture record was made of the appearance of oocyte investments (no cumulus, corona radiata only, compact cumulus, expanded cumulus), appearance of cytoplasm (homogeneous, condensed heterogeneous/fragmented), and nuclear maturation stages (germinal vesicle, germinal-vesicle breakdown, metaphase I, metaphase II, degenerated). There was no difference between follicles > 30 mm and follicles < or = 30 mm in the preculture frequency distribution among the 5 nuclear ...
Zerbe H, Castilho LF, Engelke F, Mattos RC, Schuberth HJ, Klug E, Leibold W.Sufficient numbers of functionally competent polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMN) seem to be of major importance during the course of equine endometritis. In this study, we wanted to establish a method for cryopreservation of functionally competent neutrophils for an intended local endometritis therapy in mares. The separation of leucocytes by hypotonic lysis of whole blood from clinically healthy mares was superior to the separation by dextrose sedimentation. After suspension of the cells in the cryoprotective solution [equine plasma with 5% (v/v) dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)], the l...
Muyan M, Roser JF, Dybdal N, Baldwin DM.The objective of the present study was to determine whether the testicular steroids, i.e., testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and estrone sulfate (E1SO4), play a physiological role in regulating LH release in the male horse by direct actions at the anterior pituitary gland. Enzymatically dispersed anterior pituitary cells from stallions (n = 4) or geldings (n = 3) were cultured for 48 h in alpha-modified Eagle's medium containing 10% steroid-free horse medium. To determine the effects of the steroids on the LH response to GnRH, the cells were incubated f...
Toscano WA, Toscano JS, Toscano DG, Gross MK.The soluble calmodulin-sensitive isoform of adenylyl cyclase isolated from equine sperm is unique because it requires Mn(2+) rather than Mg(2+) for activity. To gain insight into the molecular action of metals on sperm adenylyl cyclase, the kinetics of Mn(2+) and ATP effect was examined. A biphasic response to increases in ATP concentration was observed when metal was held constant. When [Mn(2+)] exceeded [ATP], however, greatly enhanced enzyme activity was observed. The kinetic profiles were consistent with allosteric activation of adenylyl cyclase by Mn(2+). Linear transformation of the data...
Chiesa OA, Vidal D, Domingo M, Cuenca R.Percutaneous washes of the guttural pouches were obtained from two groups of 15 clinically normal horses, one lightly exercised and the other heavily exercised. Microbiological and cytological studies showed a wide variation in the differential cell counts. The cytological pattern of the normal lavages (< 5 per cent neutrophils) was characterised by a large proportion of ciliated columnar epithelial cells, a few non-ciliated cuboidal epithelial cells, and less than 1 per cent monocytes, lymphocytes, and eosinophils. Abnormal lavages (with more than 5 per cent neutrophils) had higher levels ...
Choi YH, Chung YG, Seidel GE, Squires EL.The objective was to compare culture media for in vitro maturation of equine oocytes and for in vitro culture of zygotes produced from IVF of partially zona-removed oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes from slaughterhouse-derived ovaries were washed in m-Dulbecco's PBS and cultured in TCM-199, F10-DMEM or c-F10-DMEM (50% F10-DMEM + 50% F10-DMEM conditioned medium from culture of an equine trophoblast monolayer for 3 or 4 days). All media included FSH, LH, E2, and 10% FCS. After 28 to 30 h maturation, cumulus expansion was scored from 0 (no expansion) to 4 (fully expanded). Oocytes with a 1st pola...
Platt D, Bayliss MT.The effect of human recombinant insulin-like growth factor 1 (rhIGF-1) on proteoglycan (PG) metabolism of full thickness equine articular cartilage explants was investigated. PG synthesis was stimulated at all ages, but higher concentrations of rhIGF-1 were required for maximal stimulation of adult cartilage. There were no changes in the hydrodynamic size, electrophoretic heterogeneity or composition of proteoglycans isolated from rhIGF-1-stimulated cartilage. rhIGF-1 reduced the rate of turnover of both newly synthesized and endogenous proteoglycans in all ages of cartilage investigated. The ...
Mas M, Mañé N, Fernández F, Gallego D, Pumarola M, Jiménez M.In the equine large intestine, the knowledge of the basic mechanisms underlying motility function is crucial to properly treat motility disorders. P2Y1 receptors are responsible for mediating purinergic colonic relaxation in several species. In vitro experimental studies of the circular muscle from the equine pelvic flexure (n = 6) were performed to characterize inhibitory and excitatory neuromuscular transmission. Electrophysiological studies showed that electrical field stimulation (EFS) evoked biphasic inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) in smooth muscle cells: a fast IJP (IJPf) follo...
Reyner CL, Winter RL, Maneval KL, Boone LH, Wooldridge AA.To investigate the effects of recombinant equine IL-1β on function of equine endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) in vitro. Methods: ECFCs derived from peripheral blood samples of 3 healthy adult geldings. Methods: Function testing was performed to assess in vitro wound healing, tubule formation, cell adhesion, and uptake of 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3' tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate-labeled acetylated low-density lipoprotein (DiI-Ac-LDL) by cultured ECFCs. Cell proliferation was determined by 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide assay. Effects o...
Fikes KK, Coverdale JA, Leatherwood JL, Campbell JM, Welsh TH, Hartz CJ, Goehring M, Millican AA, Bradbery AN, Wickersham TA.Twenty-seven mature Quarter horses were used in a randomized design to determine the effects of bioactive protein supplementation on gait kinematics and systemic inflammatory markers in a 34-d trial. Treatments consisted of oral doses of 230 g/d of pelleted supplements containing 0 g (CON; = 9), 40 g of bioactive protein (40BP; = 9; LIFELINE, APC, LLC, Ankeny, IA), and 80 g of bioactive protein (80BP; = 9) daily. Horses were fed a commercial concentrate at 0.5% BW (as-fed) and received coastal bermudagrass () hay daily. On day 33, horses consistent in exercise (CON, = 6; 40BP, = 8; 80BP,...
Pérez-Marín CC, Vizuete G, Vazquez-Martinez R, Galisteo JJ.Few studies have been published about cryopreservation and embryo assessment in horses and donkeys. Objective: To evaluate the viability of embryos collected from mares and jennies that were cryopreserved by slow freezing or by vitrification. Methods: Randomised controlled experiment. Methods: Horse (n=19) and donkey (n=16) embryos (≤300 μm) were recovered on days 6.5-7.5 post-ovulation and assigned to control or cryopreservation protocols of slow freezing or vitrification. For slow freezing, 1.5 mol/L ethylene glycol (EG) was used. For vitrification, horse embryos were exposed to 1.4 mol/L...
Schumacher J, Chambers M, Hanselka DV, Morton LD.Eighteen stored split thickness meshed skin grafts were applied to surgically created lesions on the metacarpal and metatarsal regions of six horses. Donor skin was harvested from the sternal region, meshed and stored at 4 degrees C in a cell culture medium containing 10% serum. Stored grafts were applied to the wounds at 1, 2, and 3 week intervals. Acceptance of the grafts stored for 1 week was generally poor (1 of 6 grafts), whereas that of the 2 and 3 week old grafts was generally excellent (10 of 12 grafts). Poor acceptance of the 1 week old grafts was attributed to streptococcal infection...
Weers JG, Maki AH.Triplet-singlet energy transfer has been studied in the complex formed between auramine O (AO) and horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase with optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectroscopy. The results show that Trp-15 and Tyr residues transfer triplet energy mainly by a trivial process, whereas Trp-314 transfers triplet energy by a Förster process with two observed lifetimes at 77 K of 170 and 50 ms. The different Förster energy-transfer lifetimes are ascribed either to quenching of the two Trp-314 residues of the dimer by a single asymmetrically bound AO or to two distinct conformat...