Equine diseases encompass a wide range of health conditions that can affect horses, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and genetic conditions. These diseases can impact the overall health, performance, and well-being of horses. Common equine diseases include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, laminitis, and equine metabolic syndrome. Diagnosis and management of these diseases often require a combination of clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, and appropriate treatment strategies. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment options for various equine diseases, providing valuable insights for veterinarians and researchers in the field.
Stauffer S, Cordner B, Dixon J, Witte T.The aim of this preliminary proof-of-concept study was to evaluate and compare the success and complication rate of infiltration of the maxillary nerve of cadaver heads using previously described surface landmarks, standard ultrasound and a novel needle guidance positioning ultrasound system (SonixGPS). Methods: Prospective, anatomical, method-comparison study. Methods: Thirty-eight equine cadaver heads. Methods: Twenty-six veterinary students performed the three methods consecutively on cadaver heads using an 18 gauge, 8.9 cm spinal needle and 0.5 mL iodinated contrast medium. Computed tomog...
López-Álvarez MR, Salze M, Cenier A, Robinson C, Paillot R, Waller AS.Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) is the causative agent of strangles, one of the most frequently diagnosed infectious diseases of horses worldwide. Phospholipase A toxins (PLA) cleave phospholipid molecules at position sn-2 contributing to the production of leukotrienes that are important inflammatory mediators. Two homologous phospholipases, SlaA and SlaB are encoded by the S. equi genome suggesting that PLA toxins may contribute to its pathogenicity. Here we report the immunogenicity and role of PLA toxins during natural and experimental infection of horses with S. equi. The levels o...
Roncoron C, Fagiolo A, Amoruso C, De Liberato C.Species of Anoplocephalidae are cestodes affecting equines worldwide and causing many intestinal disorders. Between October 2010 and September 2013, 284 faecal samples of horses originating from Lazio Region (Central Italy) were tested for the presence of Anoplocephala sp. eggs by a classic copromicroscopic technique. Data regarding pasture‑dependence/non dependence, age, and sex of the horses were also collected. Statistical analysis, aimed at detecting possible associations between these variables and Anoplocephala sp. prevalence, was performed. Anoplocephala sp. eggs were found in 13% of ...
Bauer A, Hiemesch T, Jagannathan V, Neuditschko M, Bachmann I, Rieder S, Mikko S, Penedo MC, Tarasova N, Vitková M, Sirtori N, Roccabianca P, Leeb T....Naked foal syndrome (NFS) is a genodermatosis in the Akhal-Teke horse breed. We provide the first scientific description of this phenotype. Affected horses have almost no hair and show a mild ichthyosis. So far, all known NFS affected horses died between a few weeks and 3 yr of age. It is not clear whether a specific pathology caused the premature deaths. NFS is inherited as a monogenic autosomal recessive trait. We mapped the disease causing genetic variant to two segments on chromosomes 7 and 27 in the equine genome. Whole genome sequencing of two affected horses, two obligate carriers, and...
Viļuma A, Mikko S, Hahn D, Skow L, Andersson G, Bergström TF.The mammalian Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region contains several gene families characterized by highly polymorphic loci with extensive nucleotide diversity, copy number variation of paralogous genes, and long repetitive sequences. This structural complexity has made it difficult to construct a reliable reference sequence of the horse MHC region. In this study, we used long-read single molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology from Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) to sequence eight Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) clones spanning the horse MHC class II region. The final asse...
Harlow BE, Lawrence LM, Harris PA, Aiken GE, Flythe MD.Cereal grains are often included in equine diets. When starch intake exceeds foregut digestion starch will reach the hindgut, impacting microbial ecology. Probiotics (e.g., lactobacilli) are reported to mitigate GI dysbioses in other species. This study was conducted to determine the effect of exogenous lactobacilli on pH and the growth of amylolytic and lactate-utilizing bacteria. Feces were collected from 3 mature geldings fed grass hay with access to pasture. Fecal microbes were harvested by differential centrifugation, washed, and re-suspended in anaerobic media containing ground corn, whe...
Vosugh D, Nazem MN, Hooshmand AR.Among the different breeds of horses, Asil horses with a five thousand year history have played an important role in human life. This study was designed as a result of the lack of information about the normal radiographic anatomy of this breed. Methods: Radiography of the distal phalanx and associated soft tissue structures of the front feet of 10 healthy pure Iranian Arabian horses was performed on lateromedial radiographic projection to determine normal radiographic morphometry of this part. There were no problems in their limbs and in their history. Results: Obtained radiograph of each fron...
Leśniak K, Williams J, Kuznik K, Douglas P.Variation in equine hoof conformation between farriery interventions lacks research, despite associations with distal limb injuries. This study aimed to determine linear and angular hoof variations pre- and post-farriery within a four to six week shoeing/trimming interval. Seventeen hoof and distal limb measurements were drawn from lateral and anterior digital photographs from 26 horses pre- and post-farriery. Most lateral view variables changed significantly. Reductions of the dorsal wall, and weight bearing and coronary band lengths resulted in an increased vertical orientation of the hoof. ...
Te Moller NCR, van Weeren PR.The maintenance of joint homeostasis is integral to joint health. Knowledge of the influence of exercise on joint homeostasis is not only relevant for determining sustainable levels of equine athletic training, but also for the study of early development of osteoarthritis or cartilage repair in animal models. This review provides an overview of findings derived from in vivo studies and postmortem analyses investigating exercise effects on various joint tissue components in the horse, supplemented where appropriate with data from small animal models. The concept of joint homeostasis and possibl...
of surveillance testing, October to December 2016International disease occurrence in the fourth quarter of 2016These are among matters discussed in the most recent quarterly equine disease surveillance report, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Zavoshti FR, Andrews FM.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is an umbrella term used to describe ulcers in the nonglandular squamous and glandular mucosa, terminal esophagus, and proximal duodenum. Gastric ulcers in the squamous and glandular regions occur more often than esophageal or duodenal ulcers and likely have a different pathogenesis. At present, omeprazole is accepted globally as the best pharmacologic therapy for both regions of the stomach; however, the addition of coating agents and synthetic prostaglandins could add to its effectiveness in treatment of EGUS. Dietary and environmental management are nece...
Maxwell LK.Since vaccination may not prevent disease, antiherpetic drugs have been investigated for the therapy of several equine herpesviruses. Drug efficacy has been assessed in horses with disease, but most evidence is in vitro, in other species, or empirical. Oral valacyclovir is most often administered in the therapy of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) to protect adult horses from equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, while oral acyclovir is frequently administered for EHV-5 infection in the therapy of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. Other antiherpetic drugs are promising but require furt...
Sleeper MM.Heart disease can be defined as any abnormality of the heart whether it is a cardiac dysrhythmia or structural heart disease, either congenital or acquired. Heart failure occurs when a cardiac abnormality results in the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Heart disease can be present without leading to heart failure. Heart failure, however, is a consequence of heart disease. There are 4 main areas where the clinician can intervene to improve cardiac output with heart failure: preload, afterload, myocardial contractility, and heart rate.
Guedes A.There has been great progress in the understanding of basic neurobiologic mechanisms of pain, but this body of knowledge has not yet translated into new and improved analgesics. Progress has been made regarding pain assessment in horses, but more work is needed until sensitive and accurate pain assessment tools are available for use in clinical practice. This review summarizes and updates the knowledge concerning the cornerstones of pain medicine (understand, assess, prevent, and treat). It highlights the importance of understanding pain mechanisms and expressions to enable a rational approach...
Lang HM, Schnabel LV, Cassano JM, Fortier LA.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are frequently delivered via needle injection for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of needle diameter on the viability of MSCs. Methods: Equine bone marrow-derived MSCs from 5 horses were suspended in PBS, and held at room temperature for 7 hours to mimic shipping conditions. Two replicate samples for each needle size (20, 22, 23, or 25-gauge [ga]) were aspirated into a 3 mL syringe and re-injected into the holding vial 3 times, to reproduce the resuspension of cells prior to injection in clinical cases. C...
Agerholm JS, Pedersen HG, McEvoy FJ, Heegaard S.Knowledge of congenital malformations and their causes in horses is generally sparse. Such conditions require more scientific attention to improve their diagnostics and inform prevention strategies. Here, a unique syndrome of bilateral oblique facial clefts (meloschisis), rudimentary eyes and hydrocephalus is reported in an equine foetus spontaneously aborted at gestation day 224. The cause of abortion was considered to be intrauterine death caused by umbilical cord torsions and subsequent compromised blood flow, but the aetiology of the malformation could not be determined. A detailed history...
Wang J, Wen S, Zhao R, Qi J, Liu Z, Li W, An J, Wood C, Wang Y.The conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to the target protein, namely, SUMOylation, is involved in the regulation of many important biological events including host-pathogen interaction. Some viruses have evolved to exploit the host SUMOylation machinery to modify their own protein. Retroviral Gag protein plays critical roles in the viral life cycle. The HIV-1 p6 and the Moloney murine leukemia virus CA have been reported to be conjugated with SUMO. In this study, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, the covalent conjugation of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) G...
Weyer CT, Grewar JD, Burger P, Joone C, Lourens C, MacLachlan NJ, Guthrie AJ.African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal disease of equids relevant to the global equine industry. Detection of AHS virus (AHSV) during outbreaks has become more rapid and efficient with the advent of group specific reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (GS RT-qPCR) assays to detect AHSV nucleic acid. Use of GS RT-qPCR together with recently described type specific (TS RT-qPCR) assays cannot only expedite diagnosis of AHS but also facilitate further evaluation of the dynamics of AHSV infection in the equine host. A potential limitation to the application of these assays i...
Gunnarsson V, Stefánsdóttir GJ, Jansson A, Roepstorff L.This study investigated the effects of rider weight in the BW ratio (BWR) range common for Icelandic horses (20% to 35%), on stride parameters in tölt in Icelandic horses. The kinematics of eight experienced Icelandic school horses were measured during an incremental exercise test using a high-speed camera (300 frames/s). Each horse performed five phases (642 m each) in tölt at a BWR between rider (including saddle) and horse starting at 20% (BWR20) and increasing to 25% (BWR25), 30% (BWR30), 35% (BWR35) and finally 20% (BWR20b) was repeated. One professional rider rode all horses and weight...
Beasley AM, Kotze AC, Allen K, Coleman GT.The macrocyclic lactone (ML) drugs are central to the control of equine strongyles but recent international reports raise concerns about reduced efficacy of these drugs against cyathostomins. The objectives of the present study were firstly, to evaluate the efficacy of ML drugs against cyathostomins on a cross-section of Australian horse farms, and secondly, to determine the egg reappearance period (ERP) following treatment of horses with MLs. A total of 419 horses on 43 properties were treated orally with ivermectin, abamectin or moxidectin, at recommended dose rates and drug efficacy was det...
Gim JA, Kim HS.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, small RNAs (21-23 nucleotides) that function in gene silencing and translational inhibition via the RNA interference mechanism. Most miRNAs originate from host genomic regions, such as intergenic regions, introns, exons, and transposable elements (TEs). Here, we focused on the palindromic structure of medium reiteration frequencies (MERs), which are similar to precursor miRNAs. Five MER consensus sequences (MER5A1, MER53, MER81, MER91C, and MER117) were matched with paralogous transcripts predicted to be precursor miRNAs in the horse genome (equCab2) and...
Bergmann T, Lindvall M, Moore E, Moore E, Sidney J, Miller D, Tallmadge RL, Myers PT, Malaker SA, Shabanowitz J, Osterrieder N, Peters B, Hunt DF....Quantitative peptide-binding motifs of MHC class I alleles provide a valuable tool to efficiently identify putative T cell epitopes. Detailed information on equine MHC class I alleles is still very limited, and to date, only a single equine MHC class I allele, Eqca-1*00101 (ELA-A3 haplotype), has been characterized. The present study extends the number of characterized ELA class I specificities in two additional haplotypes found commonly in the Thoroughbred breed. Accordingly, we here report quantitative binding motifs for the ELA-A2 allele Eqca-16*00101 and the ELA-A9 allele Eqca-1*00201. Uti...
Chaney SB, Marsh AE, Lewis S, Carman M, Howe DK, Saville WJ, Reed SM.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) remains a significant central nervous system disease of horses in the American continents. Sarcocystis neurona is considered the primary causative agent and its intermediate life stages are carried by a wide host-range including raccoons (Procyon lotor) in North America. S. neurona sarcocysts mature in raccoon skeletal muscle and can produce central nervous system disease in raccoons, mirroring the clinical presentation in horses. The study aimed to develop laboratory tools whereby the life cycle and various life stages of S. neurona could be better stu...
Gross A, Torge A, Schaefer UF, Schneider M, Lehr CM, Wagner C.Native horse mucus is characterized with micro- and macrorheology and compared to hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) gel as a model. Both systems show comparable viscoelastic properties on the microscale and for the HEC the macrorheology is in good agreement with the microrheology. For the mucus, the viscoelastic moduli on the macroscale are several orders of magnitude larger than on the microscale. Large amplitude oscillatory shear experiments show that the mucus responds nonlinearly at much smaller deformations than HEC. This behavior fosters the assumption that the mucus has a foam like structure ...
Heras S, Smits K, De Schauwer C, Van Soom A.Global epigenetic reprogramming is considered to be essential during embryo development to establish totipotency. In the classic model first described in the mouse, the genome-wide DNA demethylation is asymmetric between the paternal and the maternal genome. The paternal genome undergoes ten-eleven translocation (TET)-mediated active DNA demethylation, which is completed before the end of the first cell cycle. Since TET enzymes oxidize 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, the latter is postulated to be an intermediate stage toward DNA demethylation. The maternal genome, on the other ha...
Nevalainen M, Raulo SM, Brazil TJ, Pirie RS, Sorsa T, McGorum BC, Maisi P.We report the effects of mouldy hay/straw exposure, inhaled hay dust suspension (HDS) and inhaled lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) gelatinolytic matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels and degree of activation in healthy (n = 6) and heaves- (previously termed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) affected (n = 6 or 7) horses. Gelatinolytic MMPs in BALF were quantified by zymography, and gelatinases were shown by Western immunoblotting to be MMP-2 and MMP-9. Hay/straw and HDS challenges increased BALF total gelatinolytic activity only in heaves horses, with the maj...
Metzger J, Ohnesorge B, Distl O.Equine guttural pouch tympany (GPT) is a hereditary condition affecting foals in their first months of life. Complex segregation analyses in Arabian and German warmblood horses showed the involvement of a major gene as very likely. Genome-wide linkage and association analyses including a high density marker set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were performed to map the genomic region harbouring the potential major gene for GPT. A total of 85 Arabian and 373 German warmblood horses were genotyped on the Illumina equine SNP50 beadchip. Non-parametric multipoint linkage analyses showed g...
Jose-Cunilleras E, Young LE, Newton JR, Marlin DJ.The prevalence and severity of cardiac arrhythmias during exercise in athletic horses presented for poor performance is not well described. Objective: To describe prevalence and severity of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias immediately before, during and immediately after standardised incremental treadmill exercise tests (IET) to fatigue in Thoroughbred horses during investigation of poor performance. Methods: The electrocardiograms (ECG) of 88 Thoroughbred racehorses, judged to be free of significant heart disease or arrhythmia at rest, were used. A modified base-apex ECG was recor...
Fenton JI, Chlebek-Brown KA, Peters TL, Caron JP, Orth MW.To determine whether glucosamine-3-sulfate, glucose-3-sulfate (control) and N-acetyl glucosamine inhibit experimentally induced degradation of equine articular cartilage explants similar to glucosamine HCl. Methods: Articular cartilage was obtained from the antebrachio-carpal and middle joints of horses (2-8 years old) killed for reasons unrelated to lameness. Cartilage discs were harvested from the weight-bearing region of the articular surface and cultured. Media were exchanged daily and the recovered media stored at 4 degrees C. On days 1 and 2 lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 microg/ml) was add...
The Journal of nutritionJune 15, 2006
Volume 136, Issue 7 Suppl 2114S-2121S doi: 10.1093/jn/136.7.2114S
Harris P, Bailey SR, Elliott J, Longland A.Laminitis occurs throughout the world in horses and ponies and has major welfare implications. It is obviously important to be able to recognize and treat the condition in its early stages so that pain and suffering are kept to a minimum. However, ideally it would be preferred to be able to recommend certain interventions/countermeasures that avoid or prevent the condition from occurring in the first place. Because pasture-associated laminitis occurs with grass consumption, one obvious way to avoid the condition is to prevent access to pasture and to feed forage alternatives that are known to ...
Allen KJ, Tennant KV, Franklin SH.Published studies vary as to whether epithelial cells are included in differential counts for tracheal wash (TW) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology in horses. The aim of this study was to determine whether inclusion or exclusion of epithelial cells affects interpretation of airway cytology. Using criteria of >20% TW neutrophils, >10% BAL neutrophils and/or >5% BAL mast cells to indicate airway inflammation, there was a change in categorisation from 'normal' to 'abnormal' in 21%, 4% and 8% horses, respectively, when epithelial cells were excluded from differential counts. It is recommend...
Galinelli N, Wambacq W, Broeckx BJG, Hesta M.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a pathological condition affecting the glandular and squamous regions of the stomach. It is characterized by non-specific clinical signs, behavioural changes or can also be found without any overt clinical manifestations. Nutritional factors such as intermittent feeding, high sugars and starch intake, large amounts of straw as forage and prolonged time without access to forage have all been associated with an increased risk of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). The aim of this study was to investigate which nutritional practices are commonly seen in...
Metcalf ES.Despite the numerous benefits of having the capability to transport semen internationally, there are serious potential ramifications if that semen is contaminated with a communicable disease. Bacteria: Many commensal bacteria colonize the exterior of the stallion penis and are not regarded as pathogenic. They may be cultured from an ejaculate. Alterations of the normal bacterial flora on the exterior genitalia may cause the growth of opportunistic bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, which, if inseminated, may cause infertility in suscepti...
Colles CM, Hickman J.Macroscopic, microscopic and radiological examinations of the navicular bones of 83 horses and ponies showed that the navicular bone in the adult horse has 2 principal routes of blood supply. One supply is present at birth, the other develops within the first 2 to 3 years of life, in response to increasing activity. The size of the nutrient foramina, as seen on radiographs, is related to the type, frequency and regularity of work done by the horse. These foramina are normally conical in shape, alteration to a circular, or mushroom-shape being evidence of occlusive vascular disease in the navic...
Brama PA, TeKoppele JM, Bank RA, van Weeren PR, Barneveld A.To determine variations in biochemical characteristics of equine articular cartilage in relation to age and the degree of predisposition for osteochondral disease at a specific site. Methods: Articular cartilage specimens from 53 horses 4 to 30 years old. Methods: Healthy specimens were obtained from 2 locations on the proximal articular surface of the first phalanx that had different disease prevalences (site 1 at the mediodorsal margin and site 2 at the center of the medial cavity). Water, total collagen, and hydroxylysine contents and enzymatic (hydroxylysylpyridinoline [HP]) and nonenzymat...
Gibson JS, O'Neill T, Thackray A, Hannant D, Field HJ.Serum antibody (virus neutralisation, complement fixation, IgM and IgG) responses to equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection were measured in six foals which were initially free from EHV-1 and EHV-4 infection and maternally-derived antibodies. Following primary infection, high titres of virus neutralisation and complement fixation antibodies were detectable against EHV-1, however, corresponding antibody levels against EHV-4 were low or inapparent, although the two viruses share a number of cross-reactive epitopes. In addition, following the primary infection with EHV-1, IgM levels increased bef...
Traversa D, Iorio R, Petrizzi L, De Amicis I, Brandt S, Meana A, Giangaspero A, Otranto D.Equine cutaneous habronemosis, also known as "summer sores", is a parasitic infection caused by larvae of Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Nematoda, Spirurida) released by dung-inhabiting fly vectors on abraded skin, skin wounds or muco-cutaneous transition sites. Larvae induce a local inflammatory reaction characterised by itching, granulomatous, ulcerated and, often non-healing, lesions. The diagnosis of summer sores may be unreliable mainly because of the limits of clinical and microscopic examination. The applicability of a semi-nested PCR assay developed for the diagnosis of gas...
Yi Z, Gao Y, Yu F, Zhu Y, Liu H, Li J, Murua Escobar H.Several therapies have been developed to treat equine cutaneous melanoma, but formal comparisons among different treatment options are currently unavailable. It was our intent to assess the efficacy of different treatment protocols and the quality of the studies based on the original published data, and summarize the knowledge concerning the outcome after equine cutaneous melanoma management. This structured review followed PRISMA procedure to search for treatment protocols on equine cutaneous melanoma published from 1960 until June 2021. Studies were assessed for the risk of bias. A descripti...
Kraus-Hansen AE, Fackelman GE, Becker C, Williams RM, Pipers FS.The vascular and microvascular anatomy of normal equine superficial digital flexor tendons was studied by dissection of vinyl-perfused specimens and by microangiography on high detail film. The presence of an extensive intratendinous vascular latticework was confirmed, and a 'nutrient artery' described closely associated with the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon (proximal check ligament). Circumferential stripping of the paratenon from the tendon to eliminate afferent vessels was performed bilaterally in three horses and unilaterally in a fourth, followed by a treadm...
Cahill JI, Goulden BE.Individual nerve fibres were isolated from the recurrent laryngeal and some distal hindlimb nerves, in an investigation of equine laryngeal hemiplegia. One hundred teased fibres were obtained from each of three sampling sites on both left and right recurrent laryngeal nerves, from 15 Thoroughbred horses. These fibres were graded descriptively and internode lengths measured. A distal distribution of pathology was demonstrated in all groups studied, but was most severe in the clinical group of horses. The predominant change was one of short thinly myelinated internodes interspersed amongst norma...
Allen AL, Townsend HG, Doige CE, Fretz PB.A case-control study was conducted to identify risk factors for the congenital hypothyroidism and dysmaturity syndrome of foals. A questionnaire was used during personal interviews of foal owners and farm managers to collect information on animal signalment, farm environment, and mare management. Information on 39 foals with the congenital hypothyroidism and dysmaturity syndrome were compared with 39 control foals. Foals with the syndrome had a significantly (P < 0.0001) longer gestation (357.6 d) than control foals (338.9 d). Pregnant mares that were fed greenfeed, did not receive any supplem...
Wylie CE, Collins SN, Verheyen KL, Newton JR.A previous systematic review highlighted a lack of good evidence regarding the frequency of equine laminitis in Great Britain. Objective: To estimate the frequency of veterinary-diagnosed active laminitis in the general horse population of Great Britain and to describe the clinical signs present in cases. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Data on active episodes of equine laminitis were collected from veterinary practitioners. Results: The prevalence of veterinary-diagnosed active laminitis was 0.47% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.52%) for the veterinary-attended population and...
Tucker RL, Sande RD.There is a growing interest in the use of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in equine orthopedic patients. It is well established that CT and MR imaging offer superior diagnostic information in a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries in human beings and small animals. The highly detailed cross-sectional images obtained with these two modalities can often demonstrate pathologic changes undetected with other common imaging techniques. Based on their multiple applications in human beings and small animals, CT or MR imaging may prove to be the optimal diagnostic imagi...
Brandão JS, Alvarenga ML, Pfeifer JPH, Dos Santos VH, Fonseca-Alves CE, Rodrigues M, Laufer-Amorim R, Castillo JAL, Alves ALG.The superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is a structure frequently affected by injuries in high-performance athletic horses, and there are limited therapeutic options. Regenerative medicine has evolved significantly in treating different illnesses. However, understanding the cellular behaviour during mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation in healthy tissues is not fully known yet. To address the inflammatory response induced by allogeneic MSC transplantation, this study evaluated the local inflammatory response after the application of allogeneic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal ste...
Båverud V, Nyström C, Johansson KE.Contagious equine metritis (CEM), caused by Taylorella equigenitalis, is a widely known highly contagious genital equine disease that is transmitted venereally. A new bacterium, Taylorella asinigenitalis resembling T. equigenitalis was recently isolated from three American donkey jacks, at routine testing for CEM. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize a strain of Taylorella sp. from the genital tract of a stallion. Swab samples for culture of T. equigenitalis were taken from urethral fossa, urethra and penile sheath of a 3-year-old stallion of the Ardennes breed when it wa...
Norris JW, Pratt SM, Auh JH, Wilson SJ, Clutter D, Magdesian KG, Ferraro GL, Tablin F.Bleeding in racing horses associated with exercise appears to be multifactorial, and clinical investigation into severe cases rarely occurs. Previously, we reported a severe bleeding diathesis in a Thoroughbred mare. Herein, we describe the cellular physiology of this defect, provide a diagnostic tool for identifying it, and demonstrate that the dysfunction is heritable. Objective: The subject has a heritable defect in platelet secretion that reduces thrombin generation in the absence of additional plasma factors and delays the onset of thrombin production even in the presence of these factors...
O'Hara V, Cowan A, Riddell D, Massey C, Martin J, Piercy RJ.Horse racing is a popular and financially important industry worldwide and researchers and horse owners are interested in genetic and training influences that maximise athletic performance. An association has been found between the presence of a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) mutation in the myostatin (MSTN) gene promoter and optimal race distance in Thoroughbred horses. There is previous laboratory evidence that this mutation reduces MSTN expression in a cell culture model and influences skeletal muscle fibre type proportions in horses. Manipulating MSTN expression has been propose...
Rols MP, Tamzali Y, Teissié J.Sarcoids are skin spontaneous tumours detected in horses. It can be cured by chemotherapy by using cisplatin. A multisequence treatment must be performed. Problems are present due to the poor diffusion of the hydrophilic product in the tumours. Electropulsation is known to drastically enhance the effect of antitumoral drugs in vivo. Taking into account the very successful results of the group in Ljubljana (Slovenia), we started a research clinical program where electropulsation was applied after local cisplatin injection. The size of sarcoids is large (several centimeters). A specially designe...
Ledbetter EC, Scarlett JM.To describe morphologic features, pachymetry and endothelial cell density of the normal equine cornea and limbus by in vivo confocal microscopy. Methods: Ten horses without ocular disease. Methods: The central and peripheral corneas were examined with a modified Heidelberg Retina Tomograph II and Rostock Cornea Module using a combination of automated and manual image acquisition modes. Thickness measurements of various corneal layers were performed and endothelial cell density determined. Results: Images of the constituent cellular and noncellular elements of the corneal epithelium, stroma, en...
Rings LM, Swink JM, Dunbar LK, Burns TA, Toribio RE.The enteroinsular axis (EIA) comprises intestinal factors (incretins) that stimulate insulin release after PO ingestion of nutrients. Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are the main incretins. The EIA has not been investigated in healthy neonatal foals but should be important because energy demands are high in healthy foals and dysregulation is frequent in sick foals. Objective: To evaluate the EIA response to carbohydrates or fasting in newborn foals. We hypothesized that incretin secretion would be higher after PO versus IV carbohydrate adm...
Andrews FM, Buchanan BR, Smith SH, Elliott SB, Saxton AM.To compare the effects of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and various concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) on tissue bioelectric properties of equine stomach nonglandular (NG) mucosa. Methods: Gastric tissues obtained from 48 adult horses. Methods: NG gastric mucosa was studied by use of Ussing chambers. Short-circuit current (Isc) and potential difference (PD) were measured and electrical resistance (R) and conductance calculated for tissues after addition of HCl and VFAs (5, 10, 20, and 40 mM) in normal Ringer's solution (NRS). Results: Mucosa exposed to HCl in NRS (pH of 1.5 and, to a less...
Cappelli K, Mecocci S, Gioiosa S, Giontella A, Silvestrelli M, Cherchi R, Valentini A, Chillemi G, Capomaccio S.Physical exercise is universally recognized as stressful. Among the "sport species", the horse is probably the most appropriate model for investigating the genomic response to stress due to the homogeneity of its genetic background. The aim of this work is to dissect the whole transcription modulation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) after exercise with a time course framework focusing on unexplored regions related to introns and intergenic portions. PBMCs NGS from five 3 year old Sardinian Anglo-Arab racehorses collected at rest and after a 2000 m race was performed. Apart from d...
Lorello O, Foster DL, Levine DG, Boyle A, Engiles J, Orsini JA.Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis is an infrequent and underdiagnosed form of severe dental disease in horses that can affect quality of life. The study was performed to compare the clinical, radiographic, histological and prognostic findings specific to equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis in horses. Removal of affected teeth is currently the best treatment. Objective: The goals are to report salient clinical and histological features of the disease and its management in a case series describing an under-reported syndrome in horses and the long-ter...
Soykan E, Oge H.This study was carried out between March 2004- April 2005 to determine the prevalance of liver trematode infections of equids in different cities of Turkey. Methods: A total of 117 equids (72 horses, 39 donkeys and 6 mules) in Ankara were examined for liver parasites after the slaugthering process. On the other hand, a total of 620 feces of horses in Bursa, Gemlik, Malatya, Eskişehir and Ankara provinces were detected for determining liver trematodes in live equines. The fecal samples of horses were examined for liver fluke infection by Benedect's sedimentation methods. Results: Of these 117 ...
Paillot R, Garrett D, Lopez-Alvarez MR, Birand I, Montesso F, Horspool L.Vaccination is one of the most effective tools for limiting the impact of equine influenza (EI). The humoral immunity established following a primary vaccination course can decrease significantly between the second (V2) and third immunisations (V3), leaving some horses insufficiently protected for several weeks. This so-called "immunity gap" poses a challenge to all EI vaccines. During this period, the EI infection of vaccinated animals may be followed by marked clinical signs and virus shedding. However, several EI vaccines have been shown to stimulate equine influenza virus (EIV)-specific ce...
