Enzymes are biological catalysts that facilitate biochemical reactions in horses by lowering the activation energy required for these processes. They are involved in various physiological functions, including digestion, metabolism, and cellular repair. Common enzymes in equine biology include amylase, lipase, and lactate dehydrogenase, each playing a specific role in the breakdown of nutrients and energy production. The activity and concentration of these enzymes can vary in response to different physiological and pathological conditions, serving as potential indicators in veterinary diagnostics. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the function, regulation, and clinical implications of enzymes in equine health.
Gibb Z, Lambourne SR, Curry BJ, Hall SE, Aitken RJ.Although stallion spermatozoa produce significant quantities of reactive oxygen species, a lag between 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) adduction and the loss of motility in stallion spermatozoa suggests the presence of a robust aldehyde detoxification mechanism. Because there is a paucity of studies characterizing the role of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in sperm functionality, the aim of this study was to ascertain the relationship between 4HNE production and motility and ALDH expression by stallion spermatozoa. PCR analysis revealed the presence of the ALDH1A3, ALDH1B1, and ALDH2 isoforms in these ...
Kumar CS, Swamy MJ.The major protein of equine seminal plasma, HSP-1/2 exhibits chaperone-like activity and protects a variety of target proteins against thermal and chemical stress conditions. Here, we show that HSP-1/2 is able to protect enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase against H2O2 induced stress, clearly demonstrating that HSP-1/2 acts as a chaperone against oxidative stress. Further, the present studies show that HSP-1/2 also inhibits lipid (linoleic acid) peroxidation by hydroxyl radicals in vitro. These results are of great significance considering that so far l...
Mort JS, Beaudry F, Théroux K, Emmott AA, Richard H, Fisher WD, Lee ER, Poole AR, Laverty S.To characterize the initial events in the cleavage of type II collagen mediated by cathepsin K and demonstrate the presence of the resulting products in human and equine articular osteoarthritic cartilage. Equine type II collagen was digested with cathepsin K and the cleavage products characterized by mass spectrometry. Anti-neoepitope antibodies were raised against the most N-terminal cleavage products and used to investigate the progress of collagen cleavage, in vitro, and the presence of cathepsin K-derived products in equine and human osteoarthritic cartilage. Six cathepsin K cleavage sit...
Nakayama SM, Ikenaka Y, Hayami A, Mizukawa H, Darwish WS, Watanabe KP, Kawai YK, Ishizuka M.Research on drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics in large animal species including the horse is scarce because of the challenges in conducting in vivo studies. The metabolic reactions catalyzed by cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are central to drug pharmacokinetics. This study elucidated the characteristics of equine CYPs using diazepam (DZP) as a model compound as this drug is widely used as an anesthetic and sedative in horses, and is principally metabolized by CYPs. Diazepam metabolic activities were measured in vitro using horse and rat liver microsomes to clarify the species differences in enzy...
Rivero LA, Concepción JL, Quintero-Troconis E, Quiñones W, Michels PA, Acosta H.Trypanosoma evansi is a monomorphic protist that can infect horses and other animal species of economic importance for man. Like the bloodstream form of the closely related species Trypanosoma brucei, T. evansi depends exclusively on glycolysis for its free-energy generation. In T. evansi as in other kinetoplastid organisms, the enzymes of the major part of the glycolytic pathway are present within organelles called glycosomes, which are authentic but specialized peroxisomes. Since T. evansi does not undergo stage-dependent differentiations, it occurs only as bloodstream forms, it has been ...
Assenza A, Marafioti S, Congiu F, Giannetto C, Fazio F, Bruschetta D, Piccione G.The effect of two jumping competitions, performed in two consecutive weekends, on serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, creatinine (CREA) concentrations were evaluated in 12 healthy jumper horses. Methods: Blood sampling was performed before the 1(st) day of competition (T0), at the end of each show (J1, J2), on the day after the competition (T1); the same sampling plan was followed during the second weekend (J3, J4 and T2). Results: One-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed an increase in CPK at J1 and J2 respe...
Hussein H, Boyaka P, Dulin J, Bertone A.Cathepsin K (CatK) is an important enzyme regulating bone degradation and has been shown to contribute to the immune response. We have studied two inflammatory models in equine bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNCs); the LPS and the unmethylated CpG stimulation with the following objectives to: 1.determine whether CatK inhibition will alter the cytokine secretion by stimulated BMNCs; specifically IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and 2.determine the changes in BMNCs surface markers' expression and MHC II molecule under CatK inhibition. Cathepsin K inhibition promoted BMNCs viability and reduced cell apop...
Kozai K, Tokuyama S, Szóstek AZ, Toishi Y, Tsunoda N, Taya K, Sakatani M, Takahashi M, Nambo Y, Skarzynski DJ, Yamamoto Y, Kimura K, Okuda K.In mares, prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) secreted from the endometrium is a major luteolysin. Some domestic animals have an auto-amplification system in which PGF2α can stimulate its own production. Here, we investigated whether this is also the case in mares. In an in vivo study, mares at the mid-luteal phase (days 6-8 of estrous cycle) were injected i.m. with cloprostenol (250 µg) and blood samples were collected at fixed intervals until 72 h after treatment. Progesterone (P4) concentrations started decreasing 45 min after the injection and continued to decrease up to 24 h (P < 0.05). In t...
Berlin S, Spieckermann L, Oswald S, Keiser M, Lumpe S, Ullrich A, Grube M, Hasan M, Venner M, Siegmund W.Drug interactions often result from multiple pharmacokinetic changes, such as after rifampicin (RIF) and clarithromycin (CLA) in the treatment of abscessing lung diseases. Comedication of RIF may interact with CLA disposition by either induction of presystemic elimination processes and/or inhibition of uptake mechanisms because it regulates gene transcription and modulates function of various CYP enzymes, multidrug efflux and uptake transporters for which CLA is a substrate. To distinguish the transcriptional changes from the modulating interaction components upon CLA absorption and pulmonary ...
Jacobsen S, Ladefoged S, Berg LC.To investigate the role of the major equine acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) in inflammation of equine intraarticular tissues. Methods: Articular chondrocytes and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from 8 horses (4 horses/cell type). Methods: Chondrocytes and FLSs were stimulated in vitro for various periods up to 48 hours with cytokines (recombinant interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, or a combination of all 3 [IIT]) or with recombinant SAA. Gene expression of SAA, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and -3, and cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein...
Galvão A, Skarzynski D, Ferreira-Dias G.In the present work, we investigated the role of Nodal, an embryonic morphogen from the TGFβ superfamily in corpus luteum (CL) secretory activity using cells isolated from equine CL as a model. Expression pattern of Nodal and its receptors activin receptor A type IIB (ACVR2B), activin receptor-like kinase (Alk)-7, and Alk4, as well as the Nodal physiological role, demonstrate the involvement of this pathway in functional luteolysis. Nodal and its receptors were immune localized in small and large luteal cells and endothelial cells, except ACVR2B, which was not detected in the endothelium. Nod...
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...
Conway ED, Stiles J, Townsend WM, Weng HY.OBJECTIVE To evaluate species differences and effects of storage duration and temperature on the anticollagenase efficacy of canine, feline, and equine serum on in vitro corneal degradation. SAMPLES Corneas and serum from dogs, cats, and horses. PROCEDURES Clinically normal corneas from dogs, cats, and horses were harvested within 2 hours after euthanasia. Serum samples from dogs, cats, and horses were collected and pooled by species. Corneal specimens were incubated with collagenase derived from Clostridium histolyticum, 5mM calcium chloride in saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, and feline, canine,...
Bardell DA, Archer DC, Milner PI.Colic remains a life-threatening condition in the horse. Ischaemia and reperfusion following correction of small intestinal strangulation may produce oxidative stress. The ability to withstand oxidative stress depends on antioxidant levels and may be linked to horse survival. Objective: To measure peripheral antioxidant levels in horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy with small intestinal strangulation. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Blood and plasma were collected from horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for small intestinal strangulation and stored at -80°C. Controls involved...
Rashmir-Raven A, Lavagnino M, Sedlak A, Gardner K, Arnoczky S.Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) is a genetic disorder of collagen resulting in fragile, hyper-extensible skin and ulcerative lesions. The predominance of skin lesions have been shown to occur on the dorsum of HERDA-affected horses. While this has been postulated to be due to increased exposure to sunlight of these areas, the precise pathological mechanism which causes this to occur is unclear. Objective: We hypothesized that an increase in collagenase activity, that has been associated with the exposure of dermal fibroblasts to sunlight, will significantly degrade the materi...
Bucci D, Giaretta E, Spinaci M, Rizzato G, Isani G, Mislei B, Mari G, Tamanini C, Galeati G.Alkaline phosphatase (AP) has been studied in several situations to elucidate its role in reproductive biology of the male from different mammalian species; at present, its role in horse sperm physiology is not clear. The aim of the present work was to measure AP activity in seminal plasma and sperm extracts from freshly ejaculated as well as in frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa and to verify whether relationship exists between AP activity and sperm quality parameters. Our data on 40 freshly ejaculated samples from 10 different stallions demonstrate that the main source of AP activity is semi...
Rapacz-Leonard A, Kankofer M, Leonard M, Wawrzykowski J, Dąbrowska M, Raś A, Paździor-Czapula K, Janowski T.In mammals, placenta separation at term may involve degradation of the extracellular matrix by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The activity of MMPs is modulated by TIMPs. We hypothesized that the placentas of mares that deliver fetal membranes physiologically and those that retain fetal membranes (FMR) differ in terms of histology; mRNA expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9; protein expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and TIMP-2; and the potential activity of both MMPs. Methods: Placenta biopsies were taken from mares (n = 9; 4 FMR, 5 controls) immediately after foal expulsion. Retention was defined as fail...
Mizukami T, Abe Y, Maki K.In this study, the equivalence of the kinetic mechanisms of the formation of urea-induced kinetic folding intermediates and non-native equilibrium states was investigated in apomyoglobin. Despite having similar structural properties, equilibrium and kinetic intermediates accumulate under different conditions and via different mechanisms, and it remains unknown whether their formation involves shared or distinct kinetic mechanisms. To investigate the potential mechanisms of formation, the refolding and unfolding kinetics of horse apomyoglobin were measured by continuous- and stopped-flow fluore...
Derochette S, Serteyn D, Mouithys-Mickalad A, Ceusters J, Deby-Dupont G, Neven P, Franck T.Excessive neutrophil stimulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production are involved in numerous human or horse pathologies. The modulation of the neutrophil NADPH oxidase (NOX) has a great therapeutic potential since this enzyme produces superoxide anion whose most of the other ROS derive. The measurement of NOX activity by cell-free systems is often used to test potential inhibitors of the enzyme. A major drawback of this technique is the possible interferences between inhibitors and the probe, ferricytochrome c, used to measure the activity. We designed the "EquiNox2", a new pharmacol...
Peffers MJ, Thornton DJ, Clegg PD.Osteoarthritis is characterized by a loss of extracellular matrix that leads to cartilage degradation and joint space narrowing. Specific proteases, including the aggrecanases ADAMTS-4 and matrix metalloproteinase 3, are important in initiating and promoting cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. This study investigated protease-specific and disease-specific cleavage patterns of particular extracellular matrix proteins by comparing new peptide fragments, neopeptides, in specific exogenous protease-driven digestion of a crude cartilage proteoglycan extract and an in-vitro model of early osteo...
Douglas HF, Southwood LL, Meyer-Ficca ML, Hart SK, Meyer RG.To evaluate the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) enzyme and its inhibition in horses and explore its potential as a novel therapeutic target for equine intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury by (1) identifying poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) as an indication of PARP1 activation in equine cells using available immunoblot analytical techniques, (2) inducing PARP1 activation in an in vitro oxidative DNA damage model, (3) and demonstrating the inhibition of PARP1 in equine cells using commercially available PARP1 inhibitors. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Blood samples were collected from sys...
Wang J, Li C, Xue J, Yang J, Zhang Q, Zhang H, Chen Y.Lactobacillus helveticus isolate H9 demonstrated high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity in previous research. Here, we evaluated the fermentation characteristics (pH, titratable acidity, free amino nitrogen, and viable bacterial counts), ACE-inhibitory activity, and contents of Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) and Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) peptides of stored yogurt (4°C for 28 d) fermented by L. helveticus isolate H9 (initially inoculated at 4 concentrations), from cow, mare, and soy milks. During storage, the pH and titratable acidity remained stable in yogurts produced from all milk types ...
Costa MC, Silva G, Ramos RV, Staempfli HR, Arroyo LG, Kim P, Weese JS.The advance of new sequencing technologies has allowed more comprehensive characterization of complex microbial communities, including the ones inhabiting the intestinal tract. The presence of extreme environmental filters, such as low pH, digestive enzymes and anaerobic conditions along the tract, acts on the selection of unique bacteria in each compartment. The intestinal microbiota has an enormous impact on the maintenance of health. However, data about the bacteria present in the different intestinal compartments of horses are sparse. In this study, high throughput sequencing was used to c...
Elroy NN, Rogers J, Mafi GG, VanOverbeke DL, Hartson SD, Ramanathan R.Our objectives were to determine the non-enzymatic metmyoglobin reduction properties of bovine, porcine, and equine myoglobins and to characterize the effects of pre-incubation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) with myoglobins on non-enzymatic metmyoglobin reduction in vitro. Purified bovine, porcine, and equine metmyoglobins (0.05 mM) were reduced at pH 5.6 and 7.4 in the presence or absence of HNE. Rates of metmyoglobin reduction were monitored by spectrophotometry, and myoglobin adducts were characterized by high-resolution mass-spectrometry. Results showed that the species origins of individual...
Minguet G, Franck T, Joris J, Ceusters J, Mouithys-Mickalad A, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.Volatile anaesthestics have shown to modulate the oxidative response of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). We investigated the effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane on the degranulation of total and active myeloperoxidase (MPO) from horse PMNs and their direct interaction with MPO activity. Whole blood from horse was incubated in 1 and 2 minimal alveolar concentrations (MAC) of isoflurane or sevoflurane for 1h and PMNs were stimulated with cytochalasin B (CB) plus N-formyl-méthionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). After stimulation, the plasma was collected to measure total and active MPO by ...
Aitken JB, Naumovski N, Curry B, Grupen CG, Gibb Z, Aitken RJ.This study demonstrates for the first time the presence of an L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) enzyme in equine spermatozoa that is able to generate significant amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and create a state of oxidative stress. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the mRNA for this enzyme was present in the equine testis and spermatozoa, while immunocytochemical studies demonstrated that the mature LAAO protein was located in the sperm head, particularly in the acrosomal and postacrosomal domains. Experimental studies demonstrated that the aromatic amino acids (L-phenylalanine > L-tryptop...
Visser J, Levett PA, te Moller NC, Besems J, Boere KW, van Rijen MH, de Grauw JC, Dhert WJ, van Weeren PR, Malda J.Decellularized tissues have proven to be versatile matrices for the engineering of tissues and organs. These matrices usually consist of collagens, matrix-specific proteins, and a set of largely undefined growth factors and signaling molecules. Although several decellularized tissues have found their way to clinical applications, their use in the engineering of cartilage tissue has only been explored to a limited extent. We set out to generate hydrogels from several tissue-derived matrices, as hydrogels are the current preferred cell carriers for cartilage repair. Equine cartilage, meniscus, a...
Szarska E, Cywińska A, Ostaszewski P, Kowalska A.The purpose of this study was to compare the training methods used in two stables and their effects on selected blood parameters and race results. A total number of 36 thoroughbred race horses was examined in two groups, trained by two trainers. Twenty-four horses (group A) were trained at Sluzewiec and the remaining twelve horses (group B) were kept and trained in a private stable. The experiment lasted for five months. The activities of CPK (creatine phosphokinase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and the concentration of LA (lactic acid) were determined. The speed was controlled and rec...
Rossi TM, Smith SA, McMichael MA, Wilkins PA.To evaluate the degree of activation of the contact pathway in citrated equine whole blood over holding times ≤ 30 minutes and assess effects of contact activation on recalcification-initiated thromboelastometry. Methods: 11 healthy adult mixed-breed horses. Methods: Blood was collected by atraumatic jugular venipuncture into prewarmed evacuated siliconized glass tubes containing citrate anticoagulant and held at 37°C for ≤ 30 minutes. Thromboelastometry was performed with an in vitro viscoelasticity (thromboelastometry) monitoring system. Factor XII and factor XI procoagulant activities ...
Larsdotter S, Nostell K, von Euler H.Serum thymidine kinase (sTK) activity is a tumour marker used as a prognostic indicator for lymphoma in humans, dogs and cats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of sTK as a biomarker for lymphoma in horses. Serum samples were collected from clinically normal horses (n = 37), horses with lymphoma (n = 23), horses with non-haematopoietic neoplasia (n = 9) and horses with inflammatory disease (n = 14). sTK was measured using a radioenzyme assay. A reference cut-off value of <2.7 U/L (mean + 2 standard deviations, SDs) was established using data fro...
Ly HGT, Parac-Vogt TN.A recent study [Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 7391-7394] has shown that horse heart myoglobin (HHM) is selectively hydrolyzed by a range of zirconium(IV)-substituted polyoxometalates (POMs) under mild conditions. In this study, the molecular interactions between the Zr-POM catalysts and HHM are investigated by using a range of complementary techniques, including circular dichroism (CD), UV/Vis spectroscopy, tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy, and H and P NMR spectroscopy. A tryptophan fluorescence quenching study reveals that, among all examined Zr-POMs, the most reactive POM, 2:2 Zr -...
Chen SS, Engel PC.1. The inactivation of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in phosphate buffer, pH8, at 10 degrees C was investigated. Activity declines to a minimum value determined by the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate concentration. The maximum inactivation in a single treatment is 75%. This limit appears to be set by the ratio of the first-order rate constants for interconversion of inactive covalently modified enzyme and a readily dissociable non-covalent enzyme-modifier complex. 2. Reactivation was virtually complete on 150-fold dilution: first-order analysis yielded an estimate of the r...
Strambini GB, Gonnelli M.The inactivation of equine liver alcohol dehydrogenase by guanidine hydrochloride and urea has been studied by monitoring the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and phosphorescence emission. The use of triplet-state lifetimes to probe the flexibility of protein structure at the site of tryptophan-314 reveals a distinct behavior between the two denaturants. At predenaturational concentrations, the loss of enzyme activity in guanidine hydrochloride is associated with a loosening of intramolecular interactions resulting in a greater fluidity of the interior region of the macromolecule. In contrast...
Fazio F, Aragona F, Piccione G, Pino C, Giannetto C.Cardiac biomarkers are useful to identify cardiac muscle variations in human and equine medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effect of a bout of show jumping training on serum activity of cardiac and muscular biomarkers in healthy athletic horses to include cardiac troponin (cTnI), myoglobin (MB), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Serum samples were collected from seven Italian Saddle horses (three geldings and four mares; 10 ± 3 years; mean body weight 480 ±70 kg), regular...
Hammond RA, Hannon R, Frean SP, Armstrong SJ, Flower RJ, Bryant CE.To determine the amount of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) enzymes induced in vitro in equine alveolar macrophages in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Sample Population-Alveolar macrophages obtained from 12 horses. Methods: Alveolar macrophages were collected by bronchoalveolar lavage from 12 horses and incubated for 6 hours with LPS (0.001 to 10 microg/ml) or vehicle. Total RNA was extracted and purified. After first-strand cDNA synthesis, mRNA induction was measured, using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique for COX-2, iNOS, and glyceraldehyde...
Martinuk SD, Manning AW, Black WD, Murphy BD.The sialylation of eCG was examined to determine its influence on the in vivo metabolism and biological activity of the molecule. Sialic acid was decrementally removed from eCG by incubation with agarose-linked neuraminidase for varying time periods. Pharmacokinetic parameters for the disappearance of 4,000 IU (267 micrograms) of three desialylated eCG preparations (20%, 53%, and 80% sialic acid removed) and control eCG were determined in sheep. The clearance rate of eCG increased (p less than 0.05) with each decrement of sialic acid. The removal of 53% sialic acid enhanced the distribution of...
Iqbal J, Bird JL, Hollander AP, Bayliss MT.This study was carried out to investigate the effect of two enzymes (collagenase and chondroitinase) and two cytokines/metabolites (interleukin-1beta and retinoic acid) of known catabolic activity on the expression of cartilage metabolism/phenotype in equine articular cartilage. Articular cartilage explants from 11 horses (5-13 years old) were treated for 48 h and assayed for total sulphated glycosaminoglycan (GAG), the incorporation of 35S-sulphate, collagen degradation and mRNA expression of the proteoglycans collagen II, collagen IIA, collagen III, collagen IX, collagen X, collagen XI and g...
Mungall BA, Kyaw-Tanner M, Pollitt CC.Utilizing an in vitro laminitis explant model, we have investigated how bacterial broth cultures and purified bacterial proteases activate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and alter structural integrity of cultured equine lamellar hoof explants. Four Gram-positive Streptococcus spp. and three Gram-negative bacteria all induced a dose-dependent activation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and caused lamellar explants to separate. MMP activation was deemed to have occurred if a specific MMP inhibitor, batimastat, blocked MMP activity and prevented lamellar separation. Thermolysin and streptococcal pyrogenic ex...
Böse R, Daemen K.Babesia caballi-infected or normal equine erythrocytes were solubilized in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) buffer and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting. Antigens were allowed to react with sera from horses experimentally or field-infected with B. caballi and with sera from non-infected horses. Major babesial antigens recognized by immune sera had apparent mol. wts of 141, 112, 70, 50, 48, 34, and 30 kDa. The polypeptides at 50 and 48 kDa were recognized earliest and throughout infection, but also weakly by 3/100 equine sera tested negative and 1/33...
Mack SJ, Kirkby K, Malalana F, McGowan CM.Hereditary muscular disease is well described in racehorses, yet little is known about traumatic muscle disease associated with unaccustomed exercise or training. The objective of the study was to compare sedentary horses, racehorses undergoing training for the first time (unaccustomed exercise), and experienced racehorses during a training season (accustomed exercise) to investigate the effect of exercise and training on serum muscle enzyme activities and other variables. Horses were sampled prior to exercise for serum activities of aspartate amino transferase (AST), creatine kinase and other...
Desmet J, Van Dael H, Van Cauwelaert F, Nitta K, Sugai S.The enthalpy change of the binding of Ca2+ and Mn2+ to equine lysozyme was measured at 25 degrees C and pH 7.5 by batch microcalorimetry: delta H degrees Ca2+ = -76 +/- 5 kJ mol-1, delta H degrees Mn2+ = -21 +/- 10 kJ mol-1. Binding constants, log KCa2+ = 6.5 +/- 0.2 and log KMn2+ = 4.1 +/- 0.5, were calculated from the calorimetric data. Therefore, delta S degrees Ca2+ = -131 +/- 20 JK-1 mol-1 and delta S degrees Mn2+ = 8 +/- 44 JK-1 mol-1. Removal of Ca2+ induces small but significant changes in the circular dichroism spectrum, indicating the existence of a partially unfolded apo-conformatio...
Bucci D, Giaretta E, Spinaci M, Rizzato G, Isani G, Mislei B, Mari G, Tamanini C, Galeati G.Alkaline phosphatase (AP) has been studied in several situations to elucidate its role in reproductive biology of the male from different mammalian species; at present, its role in horse sperm physiology is not clear. The aim of the present work was to measure AP activity in seminal plasma and sperm extracts from freshly ejaculated as well as in frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa and to verify whether relationship exists between AP activity and sperm quality parameters. Our data on 40 freshly ejaculated samples from 10 different stallions demonstrate that the main source of AP activity is semi...
Sipahutar H, Sourdaine P, Moslemi S, Plainfossé B, Séralini GE.High levels of plasma estrogens constitute an endocrine peculiarity of the adult stallion. This is mostly due to testicular cytochrome p450 aromatase, the only irreversible enzyme responsible for the bioconversion of androgens into estrogens. To identify more precisely the testicular aromatase synthesis sites in the stallion, testes from nine horses (2-5 years) were obtained during winter or spring. Paraplast-embedded sections were processed using rabbit anti-equine aromatase, followed by biotinylated goat anti-rabbit antibodies, and amplified with a streptavidin-peroxidase complex. Immunoreac...
Tiralongo J, Schmid H, Thun R, Iwersen M, Schauer R.Microsomes prepared from equine submandibular glands and incubated with tritium-labelled AcCoA incorporated acid-insoluble radioactivity in a manner dependent on time, protein, membrane integrity and AcCoA concentration, with incorporation being optimal at 37 degrees C and pH 6.6. Under the experimental conditions used a K(M) of 32.1 microM for AcCoA and a V(max) of 1.2 pmol/mg protein x min was obtained. The incorporation of acid-insoluble radioactivity was also inhibited by CoA in a competitive manner (K(i)=240 microM), as well as by para-chloromercuribenzoate, 3'-dephospho-CoA, 5'-IDP, 5'-A...
Franck T, Kohnen S, Deby-Dupont G, Grulke S, Deby C, Serteyn D.An original method called SIEFED (specific immunological extraction followed by enzymatic detection) was developed for the specific detection of the activity of equine myeloperoxidase (MPO). The method consists of the extraction of MPO from aqueous solutions by immobilized anti-MPO antibodies followed by washing (to eliminate proteins and interfering molecules) and measurement of MPO activity using a detection system containing a fluorogenic substrate, hydrogen peroxide, and nitrite as reaction enhancer. The SIEFED technique was applied to study active MPO in horse biological fluids and the ef...
Barton AK, Shety T, Bondzio A, Einspanier R, Gehlen H.Overexpression of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been shown to lead to tissue damage in equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), as a misbalance with their natural inhibitors, the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), occurs. This favors irreversible pulmonary fibrosis formation. Increased levels of MMPs, TIMPs or altered ratios between them can be used as biomarkers of respiratory disease. We hypothesized that levels of MMPs, TIMPs and their ratios correlate with improvement in clinical findings and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology after 10 days of inhalative g...
Henry ML, Velez-Irizarry D, Pagan JD, Sordillo L, Gandy J, Valberg SJ.Horses have one of the highest skeletal muscle oxidative capacities amongst mammals, which, combined with a high glycolytic capacity, could perturb redox status during maximal exercise. We determined the effect of 30 d of oral coenzyme Q10 and N-acetyl-cysteine supplementation (NACQ) on muscle glutathione (GSH), cysteine, ROS, and coenzyme Q10 concentrations, and the muscle proteome, in seven maximally exercising Thoroughbred horses using a placebo and randomized cross-over design. Gluteal muscle biopsies were obtained the day before and 1 h after maximal exercise. Concentrations of GSH, cyste...
Moyaert H, Decostere A, Vandamme P, Debruyne L, Mast J, Baele M, Ceelen L, Ducatelle R, Haesebrouck F.Gram-negative, curved, motile bacteria (strains EqF1T and EqF2) were isolated from faecal samples from two clinically healthy horses. Both strains possessed a single, monopolar, sheathed flagellum and were urease-negative. The novel strains grew at 37 degrees C under microaerobic conditions and were positive for oxidase, catalase and alkaline phosphatase activities. The isolates reduced nitrate to nitrite, but gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was not detected. The novel isolates did not grow at 42 degrees C or on media containing 1 % glycine. They were resistant to cephalotin and nalidix...
Wang J, Li C, Xue J, Yang J, Zhang Q, Zhang H, Chen Y.Lactobacillus helveticus isolate H9 demonstrated high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity in previous research. Here, we evaluated the fermentation characteristics (pH, titratable acidity, free amino nitrogen, and viable bacterial counts), ACE-inhibitory activity, and contents of Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) and Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) peptides of stored yogurt (4°C for 28 d) fermented by L. helveticus isolate H9 (initially inoculated at 4 concentrations), from cow, mare, and soy milks. During storage, the pH and titratable acidity remained stable in yogurts produced from all milk types ...
Maly IP, Sasse D.Microquantitative measurements of ADH-activity were carried out on the livers of male and female rats, guinea-pigs and horses (two geldings and a mare). Lyophilized cryostat sections of liver parenchyma were microdissected the whole way along the sinusoidal length from the terminal afferent vessels to the terminal efferent venule. ADH activity in samples of about 50-150 ng was measured in a microbiochemical assay using the oil-well technique without enzymatic cycling, by direct luminometric determination of NADH. On the basis of the single measurements, mean values of total hepatic ADH activit...
de Laat MA, Kyaw-Tanner MT, Nourian AR, McGowan CM, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC.Metalloproteinases have been implicated in the pathogenesis of equine laminitis and other inflammatory conditions, through their role in the degradation and remodelling of the extracellular matrix environment. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors are present in normal equine lamellae, with increased secretion and activation of some metalloproteinases reported in horses with laminitis associated with systemic inflammation. It is unknown whether these enzymes are involved in insulin-induced laminitis, which occurs without overt systemic inflammation. In this study, gene expressi...
Leigh JA, Hodgkinson SM, Lincoln RA.The activation of plasminogen and the binding of plasmin by bacteria may have many effects which promote infection. The occurrence of such activities in streptococci is well documented; however, these are yet to be demonstrated for S. dysgalactiae. Consequently, the ability of this bacterium to activate mammalian plasminogen and bind either plasmin or its zymogen was investigated. Activation of bovine plasminogen was dependent on both the strain and the growth medium used for cultivation. Eighteen strain were able to activate bovine and ovine plasminogen and some of these also activated plasmi...
Arai T, Washizu T, Sagara M, Sako T, Nigi H, Matsumoto H, Sasaki M, Tomoda I.The activities of D-glucose transport (D-GT) and the glycolytic enzymes hexokinase (HK) and pyruvate kinase (PK), were measured in the erythrocytes of dogs, pigs, cats, horses, cattle and sheep. The erythrocytes of dogs had the highest activities of D-GT, HK and PK, significantly higher than the activities in the erythrocytes of the herbivores. The activities of D-GT and HK in cat erythrocytes were significantly lower than in those of dogs. The differences between the activities of D-GT in the erythrocytes of the different species followed the differences in activities of HK but not those in t...
Mungall BA, Pollitt CC.To investigate the role of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in the pathophysiology of equine laminitis, the techniques of in situ zymography and quantitative SDS-PAGE zymography were used to analyse the lamellae and plasma and serum of horses with carbohydrate overload-induced laminitis. The gelatinase activity localised within the epidermal lamellae of laminitic hooves did not differ significantly from normal hooves. In laminitis sections there was an increase in vascular gelatinase activity, possibly associated with the perivascular cuffing of polymorphonucleocytes. Both plasma and se...
Cappugi G, Manao G, Camici G, Ramponi G.The amino acid sequence of horse muscle acylphosphatase is given in the present paper. The carboxymethylated enzyme consists of a single polypeptide chain of 98 amino acid residues with an acetyl group blocking the NH2 terminus and a tyrosine at the COOH terminus. The calculated molecular weight of the native protein, a mixed disulfide with glutathione, is 11,365. The carboxymethylated protein was cleaved by cyanogen bromide. The three expected fragments were purified; moreover, an additional fragment, derived from a partial failure of cleavage at methionine-24, was purified and characterized....
Maile CA, Hingst JR, Mahalingan KK, O'Reilly AO, Cleasby ME, Mickelson JR, McCue ME, Anderson SM, Hurley TD, Wojtaszewski JFP, Piercy RJ.Equine type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1) is associated with a missense mutation (R309H) in the glycogen synthase (GYS1) gene, enhanced glycogen synthase (GS) activity and excessive glycogen and amylopectate inclusions in muscle. Equine muscle biochemical and recombinant enzyme kinetic assays in vitro and homology modelling in silico, were used to investigate the hypothesis that higher GS activity in affected horse muscle is caused by higher GS expression, dysregulation, or constitutive activation via a conformational change. PSSM1-affected horse muscle had significantly higher gly...