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.
Osińska E, Golke A, Słońska A, Cymerys J, Bańbura MW, Dzieciatkowski T.Equid herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2) together with equid herpesvirus type 5 are members of Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, genus Rhadinovirus. EHV-2 is one of major agents causing diseases of horses common worldwide. A possible role of EHV-2 in reactivating latent equid herpesvirus type-1 has been suggested, because reactivation of latent EHV-1 was always accompanied by EHV-2 replication. Variety techniques, including cell culture, PCR and its modifications, have been used to diagnose EHV-2 infections. The aim of this study was to develop, optimize and determine specificity of real-time PCR (qPCR) f...
Zeiss C, Neaderland M, Yang FC, Terwilliger G, Compton S.To assess the diagnostic utility of fungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in forty-three horses with naturally acquired corneal ulcers presenting to a private practice. Methods: Routine evaluation of cytologic, histologic, and microbiologic samples was performed. Two PCR approaches were compared - generic and specific fungal nested PCR followed by sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR). PCRs were applied to pure control fungal cultures, corneal tissue from ulcerated eyes and in a subset of 9 horses, to swabs from contralateral normal eyes. Results: The expected fungus was identified by nested...
Swadzba ME, Hauck SM, Naim HY, Amann B, Deeg CA.Complete knowledge of autoantigen spectra is crucial for understanding pathomechanisms of autoimmune diseases like equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), a spontaneous model for human autoimmune uveitis. While several ERU autoantigens were identified previously, no membrane protein was found so far. As there is a great overlap between glycoproteins and membrane proteins, the aim of this study was to test whether pre-enrichment of retinal glycoproteins by ConA affinity is an effective tool to detect autoantigen candidates among membrane proteins. In 1D Western blots, the glycoprotein preparation allow...
Diouf ND, Etter E, Lo MM, Lo M, Akakpo AJ.Since first being detected in Nigeria in January 2007, African horse sickness virus serotype 2 (AHSV-2) has spread throughout the northern hemisphere, and was first reported in Senegal. A retrospective study was conducted from December 2009 to April 2010 using data collected in the field combined with information available at the Direction of Veterinary Services. The epidemic started in the Dakar region with two outbreaks in March and June 2007, respectively, and spread in several parts of the country between July and November 2007. During this period, 232 outbreaks and 1137 horse deaths were ...
Setterbo JJ, Chau A, Fyhrie PB, Hubbard M, Upadhyaya SK, Symons JE, Stover SM.Racetrack surface is a risk factor for racehorse injuries and fatalities. Current research indicates that race surface mechanical properties may be influenced by material composition, moisture content, temperature, and maintenance. Race surface mechanical testing in a controlled laboratory setting would allow for objective evaluation of dynamic properties of surface and factors that affect surface behavior. Objective: To develop a method for reconstruction of race surfaces in the laboratory and validate the method by comparison with racetrack measurements of dynamic surface properties. Methods...
Bischofberger AS, Dart CM, Perkins NR, Kelly A, Jeffcott L, Dart AJ.To compare the effects of manuka honey and manuka honey gel on second intention healing of noncontaminated distal limb wounds and those contaminated with feces. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Standardbred horses (n = 10). Methods: Five full-thickness wounds (2 × 2 cm) were created on both metacarpi. Wounds on 1 forelimb were covered with horse feces for 24 hours. Wounds on the contralateral limb were left uncontaminated. Wounds were assigned to the following 5 different treatments: manuka honey, manuka honey gel or gel applied for 12 days, manuka honey gel applied throughout healing an...
Hansen S, Sun L, Baptiste KE, Fjeldborg J, Horohov DW.Diseases of the lower airways represent some of the most common conditions affecting horses of all ages, but the type and severity tends to follow the horses' age. The age-related dysregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines may, in part contribute to the development of the diseases. Therefore, we hypothesize that the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines increases with age. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from clinically healthy horses of different ages were used for the investigation. The cells were stimulated and the production of IFN-γ an...
Ahern BJ, Boston RC, Parente EJ.Mechanical evaluation of a novel alternate laryngoplasty system (ALPS). Methods: Experimental. Methods: Cadaveric horse larynges (n = 10). Methods: Arytenoid and cricoid cartilages were embedded for testing. A novel laryngoplasty system consisting of a metallic anchor, 2 stands of #2 suture material, and a metallic button were evaluated. A traditional laryngoplasty using a single strand of #5 Ethibond was evaluated in parallel. Constructs were evaluated in cyclic testing oscillating from 30 to 50 N for 3600 cycles. Constructs subsequently underwent a single cycle to failure. Distraction during...
De Schauwer C, van de Walle GR, Piepers S, Hoogewijs MK, Govaere JL, Meyer E, van Soom A.The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells for cellular therapy has generated increasing interest in human as well as veterinary medicine. Considerable research has been performed on the cryopreservation of expanded mesenchymal stromal cells, but little information is available on the cryopreservation of the original mononuclear cell fraction. Objective: The present study describes a protocol to expand equine mesenchymal stromal cells after cryopreserving the mononuclear cells of umbilical cord blood. Methods: To this end, mononuclear cells were isolated from 7 umbilical cord blood...
Panzani S, Castagnetti C, Prandi A, Faustini M, Zamboni A, Veronesi MC.Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I represents one of the most important growth regulators, playing a central role in fetal and neonatal growth. Plasma IGF-I levels increase rapidly after birth, and they are influenced by numerous factors, including sex, age, nutritional state, and premature birth. The aims of this study were: (1) to evaluate the IGF-I plasma profile in healthy newborn foals during the first 2 weeks of life; (2) to assess the possible influence of sex and birth weight on this hormone; (3) to analyze the percentage increment of IGF-I values in healthy foals; (4) to evaluate the ...
Finlay M, Yuan Z, Morgan IM, Campo MS, Nasir L.Bovine papillomavirus type 1 infects not only cattle but also equids and is a causative factor in the pathogenesis of commonly occurring equine sarcoid tumours. Whilst treatment of sarcoids is notoriously difficult, cisplatin has been shown to be one of the most effective treatment strategies for sarcoids. In this study we show that in equine fibroblasts, BPV-1 sensitises cells to cisplatin-induced and UVB-induced apoptosis, a known cofactor for papillomavirus associated disease, however BPV-1 transformed fibroblasts show increased clonogenic survival, which may potentially limit the therapeut...
Södersten F, Hultenby K, Heinegård D, Johnston C, Ekman S.This is a descriptive study of tendon pathology with different structural appearances of repair tissue correlated to immunolocalization of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and type I and III collagens and expression of COMP mRNA. The material consists of nine tendons from seven horses (5-25 years old; mean age of 10 years) with clinical tendinopathy and three normal tendons from horses (3, 3, and 13 years old) euthanized for non-orthopedic reasons. The injured tendons displayed different repair-tissue appearances with organized and disorganized fibroblastic regions as well as areas o...
Rendle DI, Hughes KJ.Intracameral injection of tissue plasminogen activator has been suggested as a means of hastening the clearance of blood from the anterior chamber and reducing the risk of synechia and fibrotic membrane formation in horses with hyphaema. The following report describes a case of ocular trauma in which intracameral injection of tenecteplase (TNK), a new-generation plasminogen activator, resulted in rapid resolution of hyphaema and successful outcome. However, a large dose (1 mg) was administered and may have been associated with retinopathy and keratopathy. TNK may be an effective treatment for ...
Erridge ME, Cox AL, Dixon PM.Peripheral caries of equine cheek teeth is a poorly described disorder and, in particular little is known of its histopathology. Histological examinations of decalcified sections of 21 equine peripheral caries-affected cheek teeth showed two different patterns of cemental lesions; including progressive enlargement of focal, flask-like lesions leading to breakdown of the adjacent cementum, and secondly; a more generalized flaking-off of thin layers of under-run, surface cementum. A thick layer of plaque and food material usually lay on the surface of affected cementum and also within cemental d...
Morrell JM, Timoney P, Klein C, Shuck K, Campos J, Troedsson M.Several countries have adopted strategies for preventing and/or controlling equine viral arteritis based on vaccination and restricting the breeding activities of carrier stallions. However, in some cases, carrier stallions are only identified after they have transmitted virus to a mare. Therefore, a mechanism for separating virus from spermatozoa in the semen of carrier stallions would facilitate control measures for preventing disease transmission. In this study, the use of several modifications of single-layer centrifugation (SLC, SLC with an inner tube and double SLC) through Androcoll-E, ...
Bullone M, Moran K, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Lavoie JP.Neutrophils accumulate in the airways of horses with heaves. They likely play an important role in the disease pathogenesis. Understanding the pathways regulating their migration may help identifying new therapeutic targets. Objective: MAPK and PI3K pathways are involved in neutrophil migration toward the airway lumen in heaves. Methods: Twelve heaves-affected horses and 4 healthy horses. Methods: Migratory activity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from horses with heaves and healthy horses was compared by means of a Boyden chamber. Involvement of MAPK and PI3K pathways in neutrophil mi...
Soares SC, Trost E, Ramos RT, Carneiro AR, Santos AR, Pinto AC, Barbosa E, Aburjaile F, Ali A, Diniz CA, Hassan SS, Fiaux K, Guimarães LC....Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the causative agent of several veterinary diseases in a broad range of economically important hosts, which can vary from caseous lymphadenitis in sheep and goats (biovar ovis) to ulcerative lymphangitis in cattle and horses (biovar equi). Existing vaccines against C. pseudotuberculosis are mainly intended for small ruminants and, even in these hosts, they still present remarkable limitations. In this study, we present the complete genome sequence of C. pseudotuberculosis biovar equi strain 258, isolated from a horse with ulcerative lymphangitis. The genome...
Puchalski SM.Advances in equine computed tomography have been made as a result of improvements in software and hardware and an increasing body of knowledge. Contrast media can be administered intravascularly or intrathecally. Contrast media is useful to differentiate between tissues of similar density. Equine computed tomography can be used for many different clinical conditions, including lameness diagnosis, fracture identification and characterization, preoperative planning, and characterization of skull diseases.
Werpy NM, Denoix JM.Injury to the suspensory ligament can result in significant lameness. Multiple imaging modalities may be required to fully characterize injury to the suspensory ligament. Ultrasonography of the suspensory ligament is challenging, due to the normal anatomy. This article describes imaging of the proximal suspensory ligament in the front and hind limbs of the horse.
Pease A.The use of molecular imaging of cartilage is the next vital step in understanding, treating, and training the equine athlete. Because of the logistics of precontrast and postcontrast medium imaging, the clinical usefulness of the examination has come into question. With the large number of horses undergoing high-field magnetic resonance imaging, the use of contrast medium administration and T1 mapping or T2 imaging precontrast and postcontrast medium administration may add a limited amount of time to the scan and has the potential to provide more detailed information about the chemical composi...
Winter MD.The usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the diagnosis of equine lameness is unquestionable. As with most imaging modalities, advances in technology happen quickly, and the information that can be obtained can seem limitless. An understanding of MR sequences, expected signal intensity of normal tissues, and the role of multiplanar imaging is the foundation for interpreting MR images. The rapid development of new techniques and sequences and the potential for biochemical changes to be indirectly assessed using MR spectroscopy offer possibilities for the continued development of this...
Schauer SN, Guillaume D, Decourt C, Watson ED, Briant C, Donadeu FX.There is evidence in several species that high circulating LH concentrations can interfere with normal follicle development and ovulation. In the mare, high LH levels after induction of luteolysis with PGF(2α) have been temporally associated with an increased incidence of anovulatory follicles. We hypothesized that a premature increase in LH levels during a follicular wave in mares would disrupt normal follicle maturation leading to ovulatory dysfunction. In experiment 1, all follicles >10 mm were ablated at midestrous cycle in pony mares followed by twice daily administration of equine LH...
Preston SA, Brown MP, Trumble TN, Chmielewski TL, Zimmel DN, Hernandez JA.To determine the effects of various presale radiographic findings for Thoroughbreds sold at a yearling sale on 2-year-old racing performance of those horses. Methods: 397 Thoroughbreds. Methods: Cohort study. Methods: Thoroughbreds offered for sale at a Thoroughbred sales facility in Kentucky were selected via a randomization procedure. Effects of various presale radiographic findings on the following measures of 2-year-old racing performance were determined: having started a race and having placed (ie, finished in first, second, or third place) in a race at least once, total amount of money e...
Inácio SV, de Brito RL, Zucatto AS, Coelho WM, de Aquino MC, Aguirre Ade A, Perri SH, Meireles MV, Bresciani KD.The present study aimed to analyze the occurrence of infection by Cryptosporidium spp. in mares and their respective foals. This study was carried out in 11 farms located in the municipalities of Araçatuba, Birigui, Guararapes and Santo Antônio do Aracangua, in the northwest region of the State of Sao Paulo, from November 2010 to March 2011. A total of 98 mares and 98 foals of several breeds were analyzed; among foals, 59 were males and 39 females, aged from three to 330 days. Feces were collected directly from the rectal ampulla, purified and processed according to modified Kinyoun stain. O...
Finno CJ, Famula T, Aleman M, Higgins RJ, Madigan JE, Bannasch DL.Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting young horses of various breeds that resembles ataxia with vitamin E deficiency in humans, an inherited disorder caused by mutations in the alpha-tocopherol transfer protein gene (TTPA). To evaluate variants found upon sequencing TTPA in the horse, the mode of inheritance for NAD/EDM had to be established. Objective: NAD/EDM in the American Quarter Horse (QH) is caused by a mutation in TTPA. Methods: 88 clinically phenotyped (35 affected [ataxia score ≥2], 53 unaffected) QH...
Graham H, van Kalsbeek P, van der Goot J, Koene MGJ.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease affecting horses, donkeys, mules and zebras, caused by the intracellular apicomplexan protozoa and . The geographical distribution of EP is closely related to the distribution of its vector tick species belonging to the genera of and . Since the discovery of ticks in 2007 and the first reported autochthonous cases in the South of the Netherlands in 2012, no data on the (sero)prevalence of EP in horses in the Netherlands have been reported and it remains unclear whether and have been able to establish themselves in the Netherlands. This stu...
Drogemuller M, Failing K, Schnieder T, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.This study was designed to investigate the effect of repeated treatments with increasingly high fenbendazole (FBZ) dosages on the phenotype and genotype of a benzimidazole (BZ)-resistant cyathostomin population. An experimentally infected horse was treated repeatedly with FBZ dose rates between 7.5 and 30.0 mg/kg body weight (bw) over approximately 2 years. Faecal egg counts (FECs) and larval cultures were performed weekly. A total of 45 faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs) were analysed, revealing a high variability during the course of experiment with a mean value in faecal egg count re...
Freeman DE, Schaeffer DJ.Epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE) is one of the more common causes of colic in horses, but recent reports suggest a poor prognosis after surgical treatment. Objective: That EFE has a good prognosis compared with other small intestinal strangulating lesions. Methods: Surgical findings, surgical procedures and short-term outcome were recorded for 157 horses that underwent surgery for strangulating lesions of the small intestine at the University of Illinois from 1994 to 2003. Horses were assigned to 3 groups for comparison; those with EFE, strangulation by lipoma and miscellaneous strangulating ...
van Gennip RGP, van de Water SGP, Potgieter CA, van Rijn PA.The Reoviridae family consists of nonenveloped multilayered viruses with a double-stranded RNA genome consisting of 9 to 12 genome segments. The Orbivirus genus of the Reoviridae family contains African horse sickness virus (AHSV), bluetongue virus, and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, which cause notifiable diseases and are spread by biting Culicoides species. Here, we used reverse genetics for AHSV to study the role of outer capsid protein VP2, encoded by genome segment 2 (Seg-2). Expansion of a previously found deletion in Seg-2 indicates that structural protein VP2 of AHSV is not essen...
Guidolin FR, Tambourgi DV, Guidolin R, Marcelino JR, Okamoto CK, Magnoli FC, Queiroz GP, Dias da Silva W.Crotalus durissus terrificus, C. d. collilineatus, C. d. cascavella and C. d. marajoensis are responsible minor but severe snake bites in Brazil. The venoms of these snakes share the presence of crotoxin, a neurotoxin comprising of two associated components, crotapotin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Treatment of the victims with specific antiserum is the unique effective therapeutic measure. The ability of anti-Crotalus antisera produced by the routine using crude venom to immunize horses or purified crotoxin and PLA2 as individual immunogens was compared. Antisera obtained from horses immunized...
Granier T, Comberton G, Gallois B, d'Estaintot BL, Dautant A, Crichton RR, Précigoux G.We refined the structure of the tetragonal form of recombinant horse L-chain apoferritin to 2.0 A and we compared it with that of the cubic form previously refined to the same resolution. The major differences between the two structures concern the cadmium ions bound to the residues E130 at the threefold axes of the molecule. Taking advantage of the significant anomalous signal (f" = 3.6 e-) of cadmium at 1.375 A, the wavelength used here, we performed anomalous Fourier difference maps with the refined model phases. These maps reveal the positions of anomalous scatterers at different locations...
Reepmeyer JC, Brower JF, Ye H.Equilin-3-sulfate and delta8,9-dehydroestrone-3-sulfate are two isomers found in equine conjugated estrogens that differ in structure only by the position of a double bond in the steroid B-ring. These geometric isomers were not resolved on a C18 column during the analysis of conjugated estrogen drug products by LC-MS using acetonitrile-ammonium acetate buffer as the mobile phase. While no separations of these two isomers were observed on C18 or other alkyl-bonded silica based phases using a variety of mobile phase conditions, partial separations were achieved on phenyl bonded silica phases wit...
Spence KL, Rosanowski SM, Slater J, Cardwell JM.Exotic diseases pose a significant risk to horse health and welfare. Several stakeholder groups, including primary care veterinarians, share responsibility for maintaining freedom from pathogens that cause exotic diseases. However, little is known about the current state of exotic disease preparedness within the British horse industry. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore equine veterinarians' experiences of, and attitudes towards, exotic disease preparedness in Great Britain. Methods: This is a qualitative interview-based study. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted wit...
Oldenhof H, Schütze S, Wolkers WF, Sieme H.Sperm chromatin structure and condensation determine accessibility for damage, and hence success of fertilization and development. The aim of this study was to reveal characteristic spectral features coinciding with abnormal sperm chromatin packing (i.e., DNA-protein interactions) and decreased fertility, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Chromatin structure in spermatozoa obtained from different stallions was investigated. Furthermore, spermatozoa were exposed to oxidative stress, or treated with thiol-oxidizing and disulfide-reducing agents, to alter chromatin structure and pack...
Savage VL, Christley R, Pinchbeck G, Morrison LJ, Hodgkinson J, Peachey LE.Trypanosomosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in working equids in The Gambia. Recently, a progressive, severe neurological syndrome characterised by a diffuse lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis has been identified and associated with Trypanosoma brucei infection of the central nervous system. The pathogenesis of cerebral trypanosomosis is unclear and the clinical syndrome not well described. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to identify host and parasite related risk factors associated with the development of cerebral trypanosomosis and to describe the neurologica...
Van Andel AE, Magnarelli LA, Heimer R, Wilson ML.To characterize antibody response in horses with clinical signs of Ehrlichia equi infection. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 13 horses with confirmed acute E equi infection. Methods: Sequential serum sampling was performed in Connecticut and New York during 1995 and 1996 to identify horses with naturally acquired equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE). Horses with clinical signs of EGE (i.e., fever without respiratory involvement) were confirmed as having E equi infection by polymerase chain reaction detection of ehrlichial DNA and by a minimum fourfold increase in total antibody titer by...
Thomas DP, Fregin GF, Gerber NH, Ailes NB.The effects of 5- and 10-wk treadmill exercise training on cardiorespiratory function were evaluated in the horse. Cardiac output (Q), heart rate (HR), and stroke volume (SV), as well as left ventricular (LVP), aortic (AoP), and mean right atrial (RAP) pressures and the peak first time derivative of LVP (LV dP/dtmax), were measured at rest and at five different levels of exercise up to 90% of initial predicted maximal HR (HRmax). Oxygen uptake (VO2) and respiratory exchange ratio (R) were also obtained under the same conditions. At rest, although HR was no different after training, LV dP/dtmax...
Acharya KR, Stuart DI, Phillips DC, McKenzie HA, Teahan CG.Similarities in amino acid sequences, three-dimensional structures, and the exon-intron patterns of their genes have indicated that c-type lysozymes and alpha-lactalbumins are homologous proteins, i.e., descended by divergent evolution from a common ancestor. Like the alpha-lactalbumins, echidna milk, horse milk, and pigeon eggwhite lysozymes all bind Ca(II). Models of their three-dimensional structures, based on their amino acid sequences and the known crystal structures of domestic hen eggwhite and human lysozymes and baboon and human alpha-lactalbumins, have been built. The several structur...
Finno CJ, Packham AE, David Wilson W, Gardner IA, Conrad PA, Pusterla N.The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of blood contamination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on the results of indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFATs) for Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi. The in vitro study used antibody-negative CSF collected from non-neurologic horses immediately after euthanasia and blood samples from 40 healthy horses that had a range of IFAT antibody titers against S. neurona and N. hughesi. Serial dilutions of whole blood were made in seronegative CSF to generate blood-contaminated CSF with red blood cell (RBC) concentrations ranging from 10 to ...
McGorum BC, Dixon PM, Halliwell RE.Intradermal end-point titres for commercial aqueous extracts of Micropolyspora faeni, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and Aspergillus fumigatus were determined in control and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affected horses. The intradermal end-point titres of control and COPD-affected horses were not significantly different and values for individual horses for M. faeni, A. fumigatus and T. vulgaris were not correlated with the pulmonary dysfunction or with the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid neutrophilia which had been induced by previous inhalation challenges with these antigens and by '...
Navas de Solis C, Foreman JH.To describe the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of a neonatal foal diagnosed with transient Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Methods: A 3-day-old Thoroughbred foal presented with a 24-hour history of diarrhea and depression. Coronavirus particles were observed in the feces via electron microscopy. During hospitalization the foal developed hyperglycemia concomitantly with low insulin concentration and an adequate response to exogenous insulin therapy supported a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus. The foal required SC insulin for 26 days, but developed complications associated with in...
Berner D, Brehm W, Gerlach K, Offhaus J, Scharner D, Burk J.Signal intensity (SI) of equine tendinopathies in MRI differs between the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). In DDFT lesions, short tau inversion recovery (STIR) SI decreases earlier than T2-weighted (T2w) SI, while the latter decreases earlier in SDFT lesions, but long-term results using STIR sequences are lacking. Methods: Standing MRI of eight horses with naturally occurring SDFT lesions was performed at the day of treatment as well as 2, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Results: After 12 months, six horses were sound and showed complete reso...
Martino NA, Marzano G, Mastrorocco A, Lacalandra GM, Vincenti L, Hinrichs K, Dell Aquila ME.Time-lapse imaging was used to establish the morphokinetics of equine embryo development to the blastocyst stage after invitro oocyte maturation (IVM), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and embryo culture, in oocytes held overnight at room temperature (22-27°C; standard conditions) before IVM. Embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage underwent precleavage cytoplasmic extrusion and cleavage to the 2-, 3- and 4-cell stages significantly earlier than did embryos that arrested in development. We then determined the rate of blastocyst formation after ICSI in oocytes held for 2 days at ...
Wilde H, Chutivongse S.Four hundred nineteen patients exposed to rabies in Thailand were treated with equine rabies immune globulin (ERIG) manufactured by Sclavo of Italy, a product also licensed in the United States of America. They were followed for a minimum of 1 month after ERIG injection and rabies vaccine administration. Adverse serum sickness-like reactions were noted in 15 patients (3.58%). These were clinically acceptable and only 1 of these patients required corticosteroid therapy and short term hospitalization for serum sickness. ERIG is approximately 1/10 of the cost of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG...
Carminatti A, Chitolina MB, Ribeiro AB, Forest M, Collet SG, Prestes AM, Camillo G.To facilitate exploration of the immense range of gastrointestinal parasites in horses and the impact of parasitism on equine health, the present study aimed to evaluate the occurrence and risk factors associated with these infections in horses reared in different management systems in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Samples were collected from 208 horses: 91 from extensive, 64 from semi-extensive, and 53 from intensive rearing systems. The identified helminths included those of the Strongylida order (80.29%), Parascaris equorum (3.36%), Oxyuris equi (4.33%), and Anoplocephala spp. (1.92%...
Bozorgmanesh R, Magdesian KG, Sutton-Burges JW, Owens SD, Tablin F.Development of equine platelet concentrate (PC) would aid management of cases requiring transfused platelets (PLTs), where adminstration of whole-blood or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) might be contraindicated. Objective: To test and validate a method for production of an equine PRP-PC product. Methods: Six healthy Thoroughbred geldings from a research herd. Methods: In this prospective experimental study, whole blood was collected and processed through multiple centrifugation steps to yield 120 mL of PC. The PC was stored at 22°C and gently and continuously agitated. Measurements of PLT count...
Khusro A, Aarti C, Salem AZM, Pliego AB, Rivas-Caceres RR.Methane (CH) emission from nonruminant livestock, particularly equines, is a colossal burden for veterinarians worldwide. In view of this, the present context was investigated to predict the antimethanogenic attributes of Moringa oleifera L. associated phytocomponents by targeting methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) receptor in horses using in silico tools. Initially, the pharmacokinetics and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties of 26 phytocomponents were analyzed using Lipinski's rule of five and Swiss ADME tool, respectively. Among all the tested phytocomponent...
Bramlage LR, Schneider RK, Gabel AA.Clinical experience continues to expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of pain and injury within the carpal joints. The anatomical and physiological capacity of the equine carpus to neutralise loading stress plays a significant role in the prevention of carpal injury. The ability of joint surfaces to dissipate axial force by transfer to the interosseous ligaments is the principal means by which carpal injury is avoided. In the medial aspect of the intercarpal joint and the dorsal aspect of the radial carpal joint, however, the effects of chronic maximal stress and isolated acute supr...
Unlike in Warmblood horses, aortic rupture is quite common in Friesian horses, in which a hereditary trait is suspected. The aortic connective tissue in affected Friesians shows histological changes such as medial necrosis, elastic fibre fragmentation, mucoid material accumulation and fibrosis with aberrant collagen morphology. However, ultrastructural examination of the collagen fibres of the mid-thoracic aorta has been inconclusive in further elucidating the pathogenesis of the disease. Objective: To assess several extracellular matrix (ECM) components biochemically in order to explore a pos...
Steelman SM, Chowdhary BP.Equine laminitis is a devastating disease that causes severe pain in afflicted horses and places a major economic burden on the horse industry. In acute laminitis, the disintegration of the dermal-epidermal junction can cause the third phalanx to detach from the hoof wall, leaving the horse unable to bear weight on the affected limbs. Horses that survive the acute phase transition into a chronic form of laminitis, which is often termed "founder". Some evidence suggests that chronic laminar inflammation might be associated with alterations in the endocrine and immune systems. We investigated th...
Cadario ME, Merritt AM, Archbald LF, Thatcher WW, LeBlanc MM.Intrauterine pressure was measured in 4 reproductively normal mares and 4 mares with delay in uterine clearance after administration of oxytocin to determine if intrauterine pressure varied between dosage and group. Changes in intrauterine pressure were measured during estrus, when a follicle was > or =35 mm, using a Millar "Mikro-tip" catheter that had 3 discrete pressure sensors/channels. Mares received 4 different treatments of 10, 5, 2.5 or 0 IU (vehicle) of oxytocin. The protocol for each treatment consisted of a 10-min baseline recording, administration of treatment and measurement of...
Smith KC, Borchers K.The polymerase chain reaction and DNA in-situ hybridization were used to study sections of uterine tissue collected from mares near the time of abortion due to equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection. These techniques revealed viral nucleic acids in endothelial cells of endometrial arterioles, in accordance with previously published immunohistological data. In addition, however, they revealed nucleic acids in cellular debris within endometrial glands and diffusing across the placenta at sites of microcotyledonary infarction. Perivascular leucocytes were generally negative for viral DNA, despite ...
Mahalingam-Dhingra A, Mazan MR, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Minuto J, Deveney EF.There are limited options for treatment of the common disease, equine asthma. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility and potential efficacy of using nebulized lidocaine for treating equine asthma, while at the same time treating a separate cohort of asthmatic horses with inhaled budesonide. Nineteen horses with a history consistent with equine asthma were recruited from our referral population for a double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot clinical trial using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. After screening, 16 horses met the inclusion criteria...
Moltmann UG, Mehlhorn H, Schein E, Rehbein G, Voigt WP, Zweygarth E.The development of Babesia equi (Piroplasmia) in the vertebrate host was studied by electron microscopy. The tick-borne sporozoites initiated an exoerythrocytic schizogony in lymphocytes in vivo and in vitro. In lymphocyte cultures the schizonts of B. equi lay as fissured bodies directly within the host cell forming numerous cytomeres. These cytomeres were bordered by a single membrane and contained polymorphous nuclei. Merozoite differentiation was initiated at several places by protrusions appearing at the periphery of the cytomeres. The cytoplasm of the schizont merged progressively into th...
Stahl C, Unger L, Mazuet C, Popoff M, Straub R, Frey J.Botulinum neurotoxins, predominantly serotypes C and D, cause equine botulism through forage poisoning. The C-terminal part of the heavy chain of botulinum neurotoxin types C and D (HcBoNT/C and D) was expressed in Escherichia coli and evaluated as a recombinant mono- and bivalent vaccine in twelve horses in comparison to a commercially available toxoid vaccine. A three-dose subcutaneous immunization of adult horses elicited robust serum antibody response in an ELISA using the immunogen as a capture antigen. Immune sera showed dose-dependent high potency in neutralizing specifically the active...
