Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Comparative Study
Comparative studies in equine research involve the systematic analysis of different horse breeds, management practices, or physiological responses to identify variations and similarities. These studies are instrumental in understanding how different factors influence health, performance, and behavior in horses. Common areas of comparison include genetic traits, nutritional requirements, disease resistance, and response to training. By evaluating these differences, researchers can develop targeted strategies for breeding, healthcare, and training. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that focus on the methodologies, findings, and implications of comparative studies in the context of equine science.
Identification of a core bacterial community within the large intestine of the horse. The horse has a rich and complex microbial community within its gastrointestinal tract that plays a central role in both health and disease. The horse receives much of its dietary energy through microbial hydrolysis and fermentation of fiber predominantly in the large intestine/hindgut. The presence of a possible core bacterial community in the equine large intestine was investigated in this study. Samples were taken from the terminal ileum and 7 regions of the large intestine from ten animals, DNA extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA 454-pyrosequenced. A specific group of OTUs clustered...
Reduced-size microchips for identification of horses: response to implantation and readability during a six-month period. In this study, readability of reduced-size microchips in horses and the response to implantation were analysed. It was hypothesised that small microchips can be implanted stress-free but are less readable than larger microchips. Adult mares (n=40) were implanted with a reduced-size microchip (10.9×1.6 mm) at the left side of the neck (size of conventional microchips 11.4×2.2 mm). Microchips were identified with three different scanners (A, B, C) immediately, and at 6, 12 and 28 weeks after implantation. Twelve out of the 40 mares were submitted to microchip implantation and control treatment...
S100A7 in the Fallopian tube: a comparative study. The oviduct is a dynamic organ in which final gamete maturation, fertilization and early embryo development take place. It is considered to be a sterile site; however the mechanism for sterility maintenance is still unknown. S100A7 is an anti-microbial peptide that has been reported in human reproductive tissues such as prostate, testicle, ovary, normal cervical epithelium and sperm. The current work reports the presence of S100A7 in the Fallopian tube and its localization at the apical surface of epithelial cells. For comparison, porcine S100A7 was used for antibody development and search for...
Horse spleen segmentation technique as large animal model of preclinical trials. The parenchymal distribution of the splenic artery was studied in order to obtain anatomical basis for partial splenectomy. Thirty two spleens were studied, 26 spleens of healthy horses weighing 320 to 450 kg, aged 3 to 12 years and 6 spleens of fetus removed from slaughterhouse. The spleens were submitted to arteriography and scintigraphy in order to have their vascular pattern examined and compared to the external aspect of the organ aiming establish anatomo-surgical segments. All radiographs were photographed with a digital camera and the digital images were submitted to a measuring system ...
Training-induced changes in clotting parameters of athletic horses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of training on prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen (Fb) concentrations in horses to assess potential adaptive response to training. Fifteen clinically healthy horses were enrolled in the present study and equally divided into three groups. Group A completed an intense training program, group B participated in a light training program, and group C included sedentary horses. After 5 weeks, group B was subjected to the same training program completed by group A and renamed group B1. Blood samples were col...
[Comparison of different electrocardiographic techniques for the detection of arrhythmias in horses]. The aim of the study was to extend the range of the electrocardiographic examination in horses, evaluating the practicability of special electrocardiographic techniques (exercise- and Holter-ECG) and comparing these with more common techniques (resting-ECG) in equine medicine. Methods: Electrocardiographic examination (resting-ECG for 1 minute, exercise-ECG and Holter-ECG) was performed in 20 horses without any clinical or echocardiographic findings and in 80 patients with abnormal findings (valvular regurgitation and/or atrial fibrillation). Results: In comparison with the resting-ECG, the ex...
Species-specificity of equine and porcine Lawsonia intracellularis isolates in laboratory animals. Lawsonia intracellularis infection causes proliferative enteropathy (PE) in many mammalian species, with porcine and equine proliferative enteropathy (PPE and EPE) known worldwide. Hamsters are a well-published animal model for PPE infection studies in pigs. There is no laboratory animal model for EPE infection studies and it is not known whether there is species-specificity for equine or porcine isolates of L. intracellularis in animal models. The objective of this study was to determine whether it is possible to generate typical EPE lesions in hamsters after inoculation with an equine strain...
Comparison of clinical examinations of back disorders and humans’ evaluation of back pain in riding school horses. Questionnaires are a common tool to assess people's opinion on a large scale or to sound them out about their subjective views. The caretakers' opinion about animals' "personality" has been used in many studies. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the owners' subjective evaluation was effective to detect back disorders. Back disorders have been shown to have a high prevalence in working horses. Caretakers from 17 riding schools (1 caretaker/school, 161 horses) were given a questionnaire about their horses' health status, including back disorders. Out of these 161 horses, 59 were...
The influence of age on serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I: results in rats, monkeys, and commercial sera. Cardiac troponins serve as serum biomarkers of myocardial injury. The current study examined the influence of age on serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI). An ultrasensitive immunoassay was used to monitor cTnI concentrations in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and Erythrocebus patas monkeys of different ages. The mean cTnI concentrations were highest in 10-day-old rats compared to 25-, 40-, and 80-day-old SD rats. Cardiomyocyte remodeling was apparent in hearts from 10-day-old SD rats as evident by hypercellularity, irregularly shaped nuclei, and moderate numbers of myocytes undergoing mi...
Identification and characterization of platelet α2-adrenoceptors and imidazoline receptors in rats, rabbits, cats, dogs, cattle, and horses. This study aimed to pharmacologically identify and characterize α2-adrenoceptors and imidazoline (I) receptors (I1- and I2-subtype) on canine, feline, bovine, equine, murine, and leporine platelet membranes. Saturation binding studies with both (3)H-yohimbine and (3)H-clonidine showed that α2-adrenoceptors were expressed on canine, leporine, feline, and murine platelets but not on bovine and equine platelets. In competition studies, the rank order of affinity of 6 compounds for canine platelet α2-adrenoceptors was similar to that of potency at α2A-subtype reported in human platelets. Satur...
Evaluation of a broad range real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for the diagnosis of septic synovitis in horses. Septic synovitis is a potentially debilitating and life-threatening disorder in horses. We hypothesized that a universal bacterial real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assay would have improved sensitivity and decreased turn-around time for detection of bacteria in synovial fluid (SF) samples. Forty-eight SF samples were collected from 36 horses that presented to two referral institutions with suspected septic synovitis. Universal RT-PCR, bacterial culture and SF analysis were performed on all samples, and an interpretation on the sample being septic or not was derived by three board certified specialists f...
Comparison of the influence of two different constant-rate infusions (dexmedetomidine versus morphine) on anaesthetic requirements, cardiopulmonary function and recovery quality in isoflurane anaesthetized horses. Twenty adult healthy horses undergoing elective surgery were involved in this prospective, blinded, clinical study. Horses were randomly allocated to receive a constant rate infusion (CRI) of morphine or dexmedetomidine. After induction, anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in oxygen/air and mechanical ventilation applied. The end-tidal isoflurane concentration (FÉISO) was initially set at 0.9% and adjusted by the anaesthetist, to maintain a light surgical plane of anaesthesia, according to an objective flow-chart. The cardiopulmonary function was only minimally different between groups...
Ancient trade routes shaped the genetic structure of horses in eastern Eurasia. Animal exchange networks have been shown to play an important role in determining gene flow among domestic animal populations. The Silk Road is one of the oldest continuous exchange networks in human history, yet its effectiveness in facilitating animal exchange across large geographical distances and topographically challenging landscapes has never been explicitly studied. Horses are known to have been traded along the Silk Roads; however, extensive movement of horses in connection with other human activities may have obscured the genetic signature of the Silk Roads. To investigate the role o...
Validation of a novel translumbar ultrasound technique for measuring renal dimensions in horses. A reliable method for obtaining renal ultrasonographic measurements in the horse is important for diagnosis and monitoring of clinical renal disease. The aims of this prospective study were to develop and validate a novel translumbar ultrasound technique for measuring renal dimensions in horses. Six Thoroughbred or Thoroughbred part bred horses were recruited. All horses were scheduled for euthanasia due to reasons unrelated to the kidneys. Two observers recorded renal length, width, and depth; and dimensions of the cortex, medulla, pyramids, and pelvis for both kidneys in each horse using nov...
Real time RT-PCR analysis of inflammatory mediator expression in recurrent airway obstruction-affected horses. The goal of the present study was to investigate mRNA expression levels of several cytokines and inflammatory mediators in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and respiratory epithelium in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-affected horses. RAO, also called heaves, is a common, performance-limiting, equine respiratory disease with clinical signs and pathophysiological similarities to human asthma, and characterized by bronchospasm, neutrophilic infiltration and increased mucus in the airways. Six RAO-affected horses were examined twice within 15 days and seven clinically healthy horses were ex...
Localization of alkali-labile sites in donkey (Equus asinus) and stallion (Equus caballus) spermatozoa. The presence of constitutive alkali-labile sites (ALS) has been investigated using a protocol of DNA breakage detection-fluorescence in situ hybridization and comet assay in spermatozoa of donkey (Equus asinus) and stallion (Equus caballus). These results were compared with those obtained using a similar experimental approach using somatic cells. The relative abundance of ALS was of the order of four times more in spermatozoa than in somatic cells. Alkali-labile sites showed a tendency to cluster localized at the equatorial-distal regions of the sperm. The amount of hybridized signal in the AL...
Comparison of tulathromycin, azithromycin and azithromycin-rifampin for the treatment of mild pneumonia associated with Rhodococcus equi. The objectives of the present study were to determine the relative efficacy of tulathromycin, azithromycin, or azithromycin with rifampin for the treatment of pulmonary abscesses on a farm with endemic infections caused by Rhodococcus equi. Foals with ultrasonographic evidence of pulmonary abscesses (abscess score 8.0-15 cm; n=120) were randomly allocated in four equal treatment groups: (1) tulathromycin intramuscularly; (2) azithromycin monotherapy, orally; (3) azithromycin with rifampin, orally; (4) saline intramuscularly as a placebo. Physical examination and thoracic ultrasonography were p...
Force and pressure distribution beneath a conventional dressage saddle and a treeless dressage saddle with panels. The objective of this study was to compare forces and pressure profiles beneath a conventional dressage saddle with a beechwood spring tree and a treeless dressage saddle without a rigid internal support and incorporating large panels and a gullet. The null hypothesis was that there is no difference in the force and pressure variables for the two saddles. Six horses were ridden by the same rider using the conventional dressage saddle and the treeless dressage saddle in random order and pressure data were recorded using an electronic pressure mat as the horses trotted in a straight line. The da...
Release of free DNA by membrane-impaired bacterial aerosols due to aerosolization and air sampling. We report here that stress experienced by bacteria due to aerosolization and air sampling can result in severe membrane impairment, leading to the release of DNA as free molecules. Escherichia coli and Bacillus atrophaeus bacteria were aerosolized and then either collected directly into liquid or collected using other collection media and then transferred into liquid. The amount of DNA released was quantified as the cell membrane damage index (ID), i.e., the number of 16S rRNA gene copies in the supernatant liquid relative to the total number in the bioaerosol sample. During aerosolization by ...
Glucose homeostasis and the enteroinsular axis in the horse: a possible role in equine metabolic syndrome. One of the principal components of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is hyperinsulinaemia combined with insulin resistance. It has long been known that hyperinsulinaemia occurs after the development of insulin resistance. But it is also known that hyperinsulinaemia itself can induce insulin resistance and obesity and might play a key role in the development of metabolic syndrome. This review focuses on the physiology of glucose and insulin metabolism and the pathophysiological mechanisms in glucose homeostasis in the horse (compared with what is already known in humans) in order to gain insight ...
Identification of potential platelet alloantigens in the Equidae family by comparison of gene sequences encoding major platelet membrane glycoproteins. Platelet alloantigens in horses may play an important role in the development of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT). Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate genes encoding major platelet glycoproteins within the Equidae family in an effort to identify potential alloantigens. Methods: DNA was isolated from blood samples obtained from Equidae family members, including a Holsteiner-Oldenburg cross, a Quarter horse, a donkey, and a Plains zebra (Equus burchelli). Gene sequences encoding equine platelet membrane glycoproteins IIb, IIIa (integrin subunits αIIb and β3), Ia (...
The rabbit as an infection model for equine proliferative enteropathy. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the susceptibility of rabbits to Lawsonia intracellularis obtained from a case of clinical equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE). This is a preliminary step toward developing a rabbit infection model for studying pathogenesis and therapy of EPE in horses. Nine does were equally assigned to 3 groups. Animals in 2 groups (Group 1 and Group 2) were orally inoculated with different doses of cell-cultured L. intracellularis. Controls (Group 3) were sham-inoculated. Feces and blood were collected before the rabbits were infected and at 7, 14, and 21 da...
Therapeutic plasma concentrations of epsilon aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid in horses. Antifibrinolytic drugs such as epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) and tranexamic acid (TEA) are used to treat various bleeding disorders in horses. Although horses are hypofibrinolytic compared to humans, dosing schemes have been derived from pharmacokinetic studies targeting plasma concentrations in humans. Objective: We hypothesized therapeutic plasma concentrations of antifibrinolytic drugs in horses would be significantly lower than in humans. Our objective was to use thromboleastography (TEG) and an in vitro model of hyperfibrinolysis to predict therapeutic concentrations of EACA and TEA in...
Inflammatory effects of autologous, genetically modified autologous, allogeneic, and xenogeneic mesenchymal stem cells after intra-articular injection in horses. To compare the clinical and inflammatory joint responses to intra-articular injection of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) including autologous, genetically modified autologous, allogeneic, or xenogeneic cells in horses. Methods: Six five-year-old Thoroughbred mares had one fetlock joint injected with Gey's balanced salt solution as the vehicle control. Each fetlock joint of each horse was subsequently injected with 15 million MSC from the described MSC groups, and were assessed for 28 days for clinical and inflammatory parameters representing synovitis, joint swelling, and pain...
Breed Differences in Dopamine Receptor D4 Gene (DRD4) in Horses. Genetic polymorphisms in genes related to neurotransmitters or hormones affect personality or behavioral traits in many animal species including humans. In domestic animals, the allele frequency of such genes has been reported to be different among breeds and it may account for breed differences in behavior. In this study, we investigated breed differences in horses in the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4), which has been reported to affect horse personality. We collected samples from seven horse breeds including those native to Japan and Korea, and compared the sequence of the DRD4 exon3 regio...
Evaluation of the PATHFAST Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay for Measuring Progesterone in Whole Blood and Serum of Mares. Evaluation of a new chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay, the PATHFAST assay system (PATHFAST), for measurement of circulating progesterone in mares was performed. Five mares at the mid-luteal stage were administrated a single i.m. injection of prostaglandin F2α analog (PGF2α; cloprostenol 250 μg/ml), and then blood samples were collected from the jugular vein at 0, 15, 30 and 45 min, at one-hour intervals until 24 and at 48 hr via a catheter in the jugular vein. To monitor the physiological changes in circulating progesterone in mares after induced luteolysis, concentrations of progesterone...
Accuracy of MRI technique in measuring tendon cross-sectional area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has commonly been applied to determine tendon cross-sectional area (CSA) and length either to measure structural changes or to normalize mechanical measurements to stress and strain. The ability to reproduce CSA measurements on MRI images has been reported, but the accuracy in relation to actual tendon dimensions has never been investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare tendon CSA measured by MRI with that measured in vitro with the mould casting technique. The knee of a horse was MRI-scanned with 1.5 and 3 tesla, and two examiners measured the pate...
Accumulating mutations in series of haplotypes at the KIT and MITF loci are major determinants of white markings in Franches-Montagnes horses. Coat color and pattern variations in domestic animals are frequently inherited as simple monogenic traits, but a number are known to have a complex genetic basis. While the analysis of complex trait data remains a challenge in all species, we can use the reduced haplotypic diversity in domestic animal populations to gain insight into the genomic interactions underlying complex phenotypes. White face and leg markings are examples of complex traits in horses where little is known of the underlying genetics. In this study, Franches-Montagnes (FM) horses were scored for the occurrence of white fac...
Saddle pressure distributions of three saddles used for Icelandic horses and their effects on ground reaction forces, limb movements and rider positions at walk and tölt. Icelandic horse riding practices aim to place the rider further caudally on the horse's back than in English riding, claiming that a weight shift toward the hindquarters improves the quality of the tölt (e.g. giving the shoulder more freedom to move). This study compared saddle pressure patterns and the effects on limb kinetics and kinematics of three saddles: an Icelandic saddle (S(Icel), lowest point of seat in the hind part of the saddle), a treeless saddle cushion (S(Cush)) and a dressage-style saddle (S(Dres)). Twelve Icelandic horses were ridden with S(Icel), S(Cush) and S(Dres) on an i...
