Elastin is a key extracellular matrix protein that provides elasticity and resilience to various tissues in horses, including skin, lungs, and blood vessels. It is essential for maintaining the structural integrity and function of these tissues, allowing them to withstand mechanical stress and return to their original shape after deformation. In equine biology, elastin is particularly important in the context of cardiovascular and respiratory health, as well as in the flexibility and durability of connective tissues. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the synthesis, degradation, and functional implications of elastin in equine physiology and pathology.
Endoh C, Matsuda K, Okamoto M, Tsunoda N, Taniyama H.Aortic rupture is a well recognized cause of sudden death in thoroughbred horses. Some microscopic lesions, such as those caused by cystic medial necrosis and medionecrosis, can lead to aortic rupture. However, these microscopic lesions are also observed in normal horses. On the other hand, a previous study of aortic rupture suggested that underlying elastin and collagen deposition disorders might be associated with aortic rupture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the structural components of the tunica media of the aortic arch, which is composed of elastin, collagen, smooth...
Thorpe CT, Karunaseelan KJ, Ng Chieng Hin J, Riley GP, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HR.Although the predominant function of all tendons is to transfer force from muscle to bone and position the limbs, some tendons additionally function as energy stores, reducing the energetic cost of locomotion. To maximise energy storage and return, energy-storing tendons need to be more extensible and elastic than tendons with a purely positional function. These properties are conferred in part by a specialisation of a specific compartment of the tendon, the interfascicular matrix, which enables sliding and recoil between adjacent fascicles. However, the composition of the interfascicular matr...
Saey V, Famaey N, Smoljkic M, Claeys E, van Loon G, Ducatelle R, Ploeg M, Delesalle C, Gröne A, Duchateau L, Chiers K.Thoracic aortic rupture and aortopulmonary fistulation are rare conditions in horses. It mainly affects Friesian horses. Intrinsic differences in biomechanical properties of the aortic wall might predispose this breed. The biomechanical and biochemical properties of the thoracic aorta were characterized in warmblood horses, unaffected Friesian horses and Friesians with aortic rupture in an attempt to unravel the underlying pathogenesis of aortic rupture in Friesian horses. Samples of the thoracic aorta at the ligamentum arteriosum (LA), mid thoracic aorta (T1) and distal thoracic aorta (T2) we...
De Cock HE, Van Brantegem L, Affolter VK, Oosterlinck M, Ferraro GL, Ducatelle R.Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) in horses, a disease of certain draught breeds, is associated with altered elastin metabolism. The characteristic lesions are seen in the skin of the lower (distal) limbs. This study was based on horses of susceptible breeds, with and without CPL, and on horses of a non-susceptible breed. Skin samples were obtained for examination from the neck (considered a non-affected region) and from the distal limb. The skin lesions were characterized histologically and the dermal elastic fibres were evaluated morphologically and quantitatively. In all horses the mean...
van Brantegem L, de Cock HE, Affolter VK, Duchateau L, Hoogewijs MK, Govaere J, Ferraro GL, Ducatelle R.Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) is a recently recognised disease of the lymphatic system characterised by lesions in the skin of the lower legs in several draught horse breeds, including the Belgian Draught hourse. Clinical signs slowly progress and result in severe disfigurement of the limbs. Ideally, supportive treatment should be started early in the disease process. However early diagnosis and monitoring progression of CPL is still a challenge. Objective: Elastin changes, characterised by morphological alterations as well as increased desmosine levels, in the skin of the distal limbs...
De Cock HE, Affolter VK, Farver TB, Van Brantegem L, Scheuch B, Ferraro GL.Chronic progressive lymphedema in Clydesdale and Shire draft horses causes severe disability of the limbs which leads to premature death of these horses. Since appropriate function of lymph vessels is dependent on the presence of viable elastin fibers, the goal of this study was to document differences in skin elastin fibers in affected horse breeds, compared to a nonaffected draft horse breed. Results: Biochemical analysis of cutaneous desmosine, a cross-linking amino acid found only in elastin, was used to measure elastin in the skin from 110 draft horses. This included 7 normal, 38 mildly a...
Oikawa M, Katayama Y, Yoshihara T, Kaneko M, Yoshikawa T.The morphology of the arteries in the uterine wall was studied in three multiparous aged mares that had suffered repeated pregnancy failure. The uterine wall arteries exhibited elastosis of the intima or adventitia, or both, resembling "physiological pregnancy sclerosis". In areas affected by elastosis, degeneration of the pre-existing elastic fibres and increased glycosaminoglycans were frequently observed. Newly formed elastic fibres were not evident. Delayed resorption due to disordered metabolic turnover of the elastin was thought to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of the arteri...
Stick JA, Slocombe RF, Derksen FJ, Scott EA.Esophageal healing was studied in 12 ponies after cervical esophagotomy. The esophagus was sutured, feed and water were withheld for 48 hours, and then all ponies were permitted to eat. In group I (n = 6), a longitudinal esophagotomy was made. In group II (n = 6), a rotational esophagotomy was made with the mucosal incision 180 degrees away from the incision in the esophageal muscle. Three ponies in each group were fed a soft diet ad libitum for 9 days, and then were allowed access to hay and grain. The remaining ponies were fed hay and grain. The esophagotomies of all hay-fed ponies dehisced ...
Barnard K, Leadon DP, Silver IA.Collagen, elastin and structural glycoprotein content of the lungs of 38 fetal and neonatal foals, 8 of which were showing dysmaturity or convulsive syndrome, were measured by standard biochemical means. Glycoprotein content showed little or no change between 100 and 340 days of gestation; elastin remained constant from 100 to about 260 days when there was an exponential increase up to the time of birth, while collagen content rose linearly from 100 days to birth. In dysmature animals there was significantly less collagen in the lungs at birth but the difference in elastin content between the ...
Koj A, Chudzik J, Dubin A.Two proteinases (2A and 2B) purified from the granular fraction of horse blood leucocytes degrade casein (Km values 12.8 and 6mg/ml respectively) with maximum activity at pH 7.4 and in the presence of 2m-urea. Urea-denatured haemoglobin, fibrinogen, albumin and resorcin/fuchsin-stained elastin are digested at a slower rate. The enzymes hydrolyse synthetic substrates of elastase, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine 4-nitrophenyl ester (Km 0.114 and 0.178 mM) and N-acetyl-tri-L-alanine methyl ester (Km 5.55 and 0.98 mM), but they do not hydrolyse synthetic substrates of trypsin, chymotrypsin and throm...
Thorpe CT, Karunaseelan KJ, Ng Chieng Hin J, Riley GP, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HR.Although the predominant function of all tendons is to transfer force from muscle to bone and position the limbs, some tendons additionally function as energy stores, reducing the energetic cost of locomotion. To maximise energy storage and return, energy-storing tendons need to be more extensible and elastic than tendons with a purely positional function. These properties are conferred in part by a specialisation of a specific compartment of the tendon, the interfascicular matrix, which enables sliding and recoil between adjacent fascicles. However, the composition of the interfascicular matr...
De Cock HE, Van Brantegem L, Affolter VK, Oosterlinck M, Ferraro GL, Ducatelle R.Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) in horses, a disease of certain draught breeds, is associated with altered elastin metabolism. The characteristic lesions are seen in the skin of the lower (distal) limbs. This study was based on horses of susceptible breeds, with and without CPL, and on horses of a non-susceptible breed. Skin samples were obtained for examination from the neck (considered a non-affected region) and from the distal limb. The skin lesions were characterized histologically and the dermal elastic fibres were evaluated morphologically and quantitatively. In all horses the mean...
Koj A, Chudzik J, Dubin A.Two proteinases (2A and 2B) purified from the granular fraction of horse blood leucocytes degrade casein (Km values 12.8 and 6mg/ml respectively) with maximum activity at pH 7.4 and in the presence of 2m-urea. Urea-denatured haemoglobin, fibrinogen, albumin and resorcin/fuchsin-stained elastin are digested at a slower rate. The enzymes hydrolyse synthetic substrates of elastase, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine 4-nitrophenyl ester (Km 0.114 and 0.178 mM) and N-acetyl-tri-L-alanine methyl ester (Km 5.55 and 0.98 mM), but they do not hydrolyse synthetic substrates of trypsin, chymotrypsin and throm...
van Brantegem L, de Cock HE, Affolter VK, Duchateau L, Hoogewijs MK, Govaere J, Ferraro GL, Ducatelle R.Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) is a recently recognised disease of the lymphatic system characterised by lesions in the skin of the lower legs in several draught horse breeds, including the Belgian Draught hourse. Clinical signs slowly progress and result in severe disfigurement of the limbs. Ideally, supportive treatment should be started early in the disease process. However early diagnosis and monitoring progression of CPL is still a challenge. Objective: Elastin changes, characterised by morphological alterations as well as increased desmosine levels, in the skin of the distal limbs...
Oikawa M, Katayama Y, Yoshihara T, Kaneko M, Yoshikawa T.The morphology of the arteries in the uterine wall was studied in three multiparous aged mares that had suffered repeated pregnancy failure. The uterine wall arteries exhibited elastosis of the intima or adventitia, or both, resembling "physiological pregnancy sclerosis". In areas affected by elastosis, degeneration of the pre-existing elastic fibres and increased glycosaminoglycans were frequently observed. Newly formed elastic fibres were not evident. Delayed resorption due to disordered metabolic turnover of the elastin was thought to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of the arteri...
Endoh C, Matsuda K, Okamoto M, Tsunoda N, Taniyama H.Aortic rupture is a well recognized cause of sudden death in thoroughbred horses. Some microscopic lesions, such as those caused by cystic medial necrosis and medionecrosis, can lead to aortic rupture. However, these microscopic lesions are also observed in normal horses. On the other hand, a previous study of aortic rupture suggested that underlying elastin and collagen deposition disorders might be associated with aortic rupture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the structural components of the tunica media of the aortic arch, which is composed of elastin, collagen, smooth...
Stick JA, Slocombe RF, Derksen FJ, Scott EA.Esophageal healing was studied in 12 ponies after cervical esophagotomy. The esophagus was sutured, feed and water were withheld for 48 hours, and then all ponies were permitted to eat. In group I (n = 6), a longitudinal esophagotomy was made. In group II (n = 6), a rotational esophagotomy was made with the mucosal incision 180 degrees away from the incision in the esophageal muscle. Three ponies in each group were fed a soft diet ad libitum for 9 days, and then were allowed access to hay and grain. The remaining ponies were fed hay and grain. The esophagotomies of all hay-fed ponies dehisced ...
Saey V, Famaey N, Smoljkic M, Claeys E, van Loon G, Ducatelle R, Ploeg M, Delesalle C, Gröne A, Duchateau L, Chiers K.Thoracic aortic rupture and aortopulmonary fistulation are rare conditions in horses. It mainly affects Friesian horses. Intrinsic differences in biomechanical properties of the aortic wall might predispose this breed. The biomechanical and biochemical properties of the thoracic aorta were characterized in warmblood horses, unaffected Friesian horses and Friesians with aortic rupture in an attempt to unravel the underlying pathogenesis of aortic rupture in Friesian horses. Samples of the thoracic aorta at the ligamentum arteriosum (LA), mid thoracic aorta (T1) and distal thoracic aorta (T2) we...
De Cock HE, Affolter VK, Farver TB, Van Brantegem L, Scheuch B, Ferraro GL.Chronic progressive lymphedema in Clydesdale and Shire draft horses causes severe disability of the limbs which leads to premature death of these horses. Since appropriate function of lymph vessels is dependent on the presence of viable elastin fibers, the goal of this study was to document differences in skin elastin fibers in affected horse breeds, compared to a nonaffected draft horse breed. Results: Biochemical analysis of cutaneous desmosine, a cross-linking amino acid found only in elastin, was used to measure elastin in the skin from 110 draft horses. This included 7 normal, 38 mildly a...
Barnard K, Leadon DP, Silver IA.Collagen, elastin and structural glycoprotein content of the lungs of 38 fetal and neonatal foals, 8 of which were showing dysmaturity or convulsive syndrome, were measured by standard biochemical means. Glycoprotein content showed little or no change between 100 and 340 days of gestation; elastin remained constant from 100 to about 260 days when there was an exponential increase up to the time of birth, while collagen content rose linearly from 100 days to birth. In dysmature animals there was significantly less collagen in the lungs at birth but the difference in elastin content between the ...
