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.
Höglund N, Nieminen P, Mustonen AM, Käkelä R, Tollis S, Koho N, Holopainen M, Ruhanen H, Mykkänen A.Equine asthma (EA) is an inflammatory disease of the lower airways driven by mediators released from cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vehicles for lipid mediators, which possess either pro-inflammatory or dual anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving functions. In this study, we investigated how the respiratory fatty acid (FA) profile reflects airway inflammatory status. The FA composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), BALF supernatant, and bronchoalveolar EVs of healthy horses (n = 15) and horses with mild/moderate EA (n = 10) or severe EA (SEA, n = 5) was determined w...
Gysens L, Vanmechelen B, Maes P, Martens A, Haspeslagh M.Infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 results in the most common skin tumor of horses, termed equine sarcoid. The persistent and recurrent nature of this tumor stands in contrast to the regressive nature of BPV-1/- 2 induced cutaneous papillomas in cattle. The circulation of horse-specific BPV-1/- 2 variants within equine populations has been suggested as a possible explanation for the difference in clinical presentation of BPV-1/- 2 infection between horses and cattle. In order to investigate this hypothesis, we identified 98 complete BPV-1/- 2 genomes using a Nanopore ...
Knych HK, McKemie DS, Yim S, Stanley SD, Arthur RM.Given the potential for long-term inhibition of bone remodeling/healing and detrimental effects to horses in training, bisphosphonates are tightly regulated in horseracing. Hair has proven to be an effective matrix for detection of drug administration to horses and has been particularly effective in detecting drugs for a long period of time post administration. Thus, hair may prove to be a useful matrix for detection of administration of this class of drugs. The objective of the current study was to develop an assay and assess the usefulness of hair as a matrix for long-term detection of clodr...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the seeds of Houtt. (nutmeg oil), when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The additive contains myristicin (up to 12%), safrole (2.30%), elemicin (0.40%) and methyleugenol (0.33%). For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of the additive in complete feed at 0.2 mg/kg for laying hens and...
Gao Y, Yoshida S, Takeyama A, Tagami M, Rajabi-Toustani R, Tsogtgerel M, Nambo Y.Ultrasound examination during late gestation is one of the best methods for monitoring potential pregnancy risks. Enlarged bladder is a urological disorder rarely observed in equine fetuses. This clinical case report aimed to present a case illustrating the development of equine fetal enlarged bladder using transabdominal ultrasound examinations and maternal hormone evaluation during gestation. An 8-year-old Hokkaido native pony was impregnated by embryo transfer, and at 215 days of gestation, abnormalities of the fetal bladder were detected. The bladder volume increased with gestational age, ...
Lykkjen S, Stenbakk LK, Holmøy IH.Laminitis is a systemic condition resulting in debilitating pain and structural changes within the feet, and hence has major welfare implications. Causes include endocrine and systemic inflammatory conditions. Ponies are frequently affected, and observations in the field suggest that occurrence of laminitis is also common in Norwegian breeds. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for laminitis within the Norwegian pony breed Nordlandshest/Lyngshest. Results: The study was a cross-sectional study based on questionnaires sent to members of the Norwegian Nordlands...
Lean NE, Franklin SH, Steel C, Woolford L, White J, Ahern BJ.Little is known about potential differences in the left recurrent laryngeal nerve (Lrln) and left cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (LCAD) muscle between domestic and feral horse populations. If a difference exists, feral horses may provide a useful control population for research related to recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) and increase our understanding of potential population pressures influencing the incidence RLN. The objective of this study was to compare the Lrln and LCAD of domestic and feral horses using histological and immunohistochemical techniques (IHC). Sixteen horses, domestic (n = ...
Zhou M, Lu Y, Han L, Lu M, Guan C, Yu J, Liu H, Chen D, Li H, Yang Y, Zhang L, Tian L, Liu Q, Hou Z.The roundworms, Parascaris spp., are important nematode parasites of foals and were historically model organisms in the field of cell biology, leading to many important discoveries. According to karyotype, ascarids in Equus are commonly divided into Parascaris univalens (2n = 2) and Parascaris equorum (2n = 4). Methods: Here, we performed morphological identification, karyotyping and sequencing of roundworms from three different hosts (horses, zebras and donkeys). Phylogenetic analysis was performed to study the divergence of these ascarids based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)...
Marshall K, Marsella R.Increased antimicrobial resistance highlights the need for alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriophages, which are benign viruses that kill bacteria, are promising. We studied the efficacy of topical bacteriophages for treating equine staphylococcal superficial pyodermas. Eight isolates were tested against a bacteriophage bank, and a cocktail consisting of two bacteriophages was prepared. Twenty horses with clinical and cytological evidence of superficial pyoderma and confirmed infection based on swabbed culture were enrolled in the study. Each horse received both the bacteriophage cocktail a...
Beaumont RE, Smith EJ, Zhou L, Marr N, Thorpe CT, Guest DJ.We investigated how Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) impacts equine tenocyte function and global gene expression in vitro and determined if these effects could be rescued by pharmacologically inhibiting nuclear factor-κB (NF-B) or interleukin 1 signalling. Equine superficial digital flexor tenocytes were cultured in three-dimensional (3D) collagen gels and stimulated with IL-1β for two-weeks, with gel contraction and interleukin 6 (IL6) measured throughout and transcriptomic analysis performed at day 14. The impact of three NF-B inhibitors on gel contraction and IL6 secretion were measured in 3D ...
Gomes JE, Canadas-Sousa A, Guimarães T, Cunha R, Dias-Pereira P.This short communication describes a case of a 30-year-old stallion with a mass on the base of the penis causing paraphimosis. The patient was submitted to anti-inflammatory and diuretic therapy with no signs of improvement, so 16 days after the lesion was detected, the animal was euthanized. Necropsy was performed, and histopathological assessment of the lesion was conducted. The mass was composed primarily of channels and cavernous structures, lined by elongated cells of vascular origin, located in the preputium. The lesion was diagnosed as a preputial lymphangioma. To the authors' best kn...
Dolin A, Schweiger P, Waselau M, Egerbacher M, Walter I.Sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs), generally referred to as granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) or granulosa-theca cell tumors (GTCTs) in equids, show complex compositions and variable numbers of hormone-producing cells. These tumors can be difficult to diagnose, especially in early stages. Therefore, we tested a panel of antibodies for vimentin, smooth muscle actin, laminin, Ki-67, E-cadherin, calretinin, moesin, p-ezrin, AMH, and aromatase, markers used for tumor composition and classification, progression, and prognosis in human SCSTs, on an exemplary grapefruit-size equine GCT within the left ovary...
Castro-Mesa AF, Resende Faleiros R, Martínez-Aranzales JR.Ultrasonography is commonly used to evaluate equine lameness-related structures, but traditional hoof approaches cannot adequately visualize internal structures such as the lamellar layer. To address this limitation, we used 62 healthy hooves without digital radiographic abnormalities, made up of thirty anatomical pieces (phase 1) and thirty-two hooves from living horses (phase 2). In both phases, half of the digits were submerged in water (group 1) and the other half in water and ice (group 2) for 24 h. Ultrasonographic views and temperature and humidity measurements were taken every two hour...
Mathewos M, Bukero R, Endale H, Mekbib B, Giday W, Mekore D.Epizootic lymphangitis is a contagious, chronic and overwhelming disease of equids, characterized by chronic discharging skin nodules. This study was aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of epizootic lymphangitis in equines at Nagele Arsi town, southeastern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study using a random sampling technique was employed from December 2021 to June 2022 via clinical and microscopic examinations of the lesions. The overall prevalence of epizootic lymphangitis was 4.37% with a prevalence of 6.69%, 0.72%, and 0% in horses, donkeys, and mules, respectively...
Tukia E, Hallman I, Penttilä M, Hänninen S, Kareskoski M.Endometritis is one of the major causes of infertility in mares. and -haemolytic streptococci are among the bacterial species most frequently isolated from the equine uterus. Some bacteria such as -hemolytic streptococci, can persist in dormant forms and cause prolonged, latent or recurrent infections. Dormant bacteria may be present despite negative bacterial cultures, and they are resistant to antimicrobial treatment due to their resting metabolic state. The purpose of this study was to study formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded equine endometrial biopsies for the presence and localization of -...
Maniego J, Giles O, Hincks P, Stewart G, Proudman C, Ryder E.We present here the use of targeted, long-read sequencing of the myostatin (MSTN) gene as a model to detect potential gene editing events in Thoroughbred horses. MSTN is a negative regulator of muscle development, making the gene a prime candidate target for gene doping. By sequencing the complete gene in one PCR product, we can catalogue all mutations without the need to produce short-fragment libraries. A panel of reference material fragments with defined mutations was constructed and successfully sequenced by both Oxford Nanopore and Illumina-based methods, showing that gene doping editing ...
Valberg SJ, Williams ZJ, Henry ML, Finno CJ.Shivers in horses is characterized by abnormal hindlimb movement when walking backward and is proposed to be caused by a Purkinje cell (PC) axonopathy based on histopathology. Objective: Define region-specific differences in gene expression within the lateral cerebellar hemisphere and compare cerebellar protein expression between Shivers horses and controls. Methods: Case-control study of 5 Shivers and 4 control geldings ≥16.2 hands in height. Methods: Using spatial transcriptomics, gene expression was compared between Shivers and control horses in PC soma and lateral cerebellar hemisphere w...
Lorga AD, Gomes ARC, Strugava L, Moreno JCD, Dornbusch PT.Thoracoscopy pericardiotomy consists of endoscopic access to the thoracic cavity to perform the opening of the pericardial sac, described in the equine species only through the intercostal access, and there are no studies addressing the singleport transdiaphragmatic access, so the objective was to develop the pericardiotomy technique by transdiaphragmatic thoracoscopy using a single port. The technique was performed using six cadavers of adult horses, positioned in dorsal decubitus, making it possible to initiate access with an incision in the region proximal to the xiphoid process, for the in...
Hill V, Koch RT, Bialosuknia SM, Ngo K, Zink SD, Koetzner CA, Maffei JG, Dupuis AP, Backenson PB, Oliver J, Bransfield AB, Misencik MJ, Petruff TA....Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) causes a rare but severe disease in horses and humans and is maintained in an enzootic transmission cycle between songbirds and Culiseta melanura mosquitoes. In 2019, the largest EEEV outbreak in the United States for more than 50 years occurred, centered in the Northeast. To explore the dynamics of the outbreak, we sequenced 80 isolates of EEEV and combined them with existing genomic data. We found that, similar to previous years, cases were driven by multiple independent but short-lived virus introductions into the Northeast from Florida. Once in the ...
Saklou N, Pleasant S, Lahmers K, Funk R.Equine Herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) typically causes mild respiratory disease, but it can also cause late-term abortion, neonatal foal death and neurologic disease. Once a horse is infected, the virus concentrates to local lymphoid tissue, where it becomes latent. The virus can be reactivated during times of stress, which can lead to the initiation of devastating outbreaks. Understanding the carriage rate of latent EHV-1 in different geographic regions is essential for managing the disease. The objective of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of latent EHV-1 and compare the frequenc...
Ferreira LVO, Kamura BDC, Oliveira JPM, Chimenes ND, Carvalho M, Santos LAD, Dias-Melicio LA, Amorim RL, Amorim RM.Schwann cells (SCs) are essential for the regenerative processes of peripheral nerve injuries. However, their use in cell therapy is limited. In this context, several studies have demonstrated the ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to transdifferentiate into Schwann-like cells (SLCs) using chemical protocols or co-culture with SCs. Here, we describe for the first time the in vitro transdifferentiation potential of MSCs derived from equine adipose tissue (AT) and equine bone marrow (BM) into SLCs using a practical method. In this study, the facial nerve of a horse was collected, cut into ...
Benvin I, Perko VM, Maljković MM, Habuš J, Štritof Z, Hađina S, Perharić M, Zečević I, Cvetnić M, Turk N.Leptospirosis is re-emerging zoonotic bacterial disease of global importance that affects domestic and wild animals and humans. Due to the public health importance, control of disease in Croatia is being implemented by monitoring the seroprevalence of equine leptospirosis and it is regulated by the law. In the period from 2012 to 2022, a total of 61,724 serum samples from apparently healthy horses were admitted to the Laboratory for leptospires, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb. Serum samples were tested for Leptospira spp. antibodies using the microscopic agglutination test...
Lusi CM, Davies HMS.Passive dynamics is an aspect of locomotion which is entirely dependent on the mechanical configuration and linkages of adjacent body segments. Tension distribution along mechanical linkages enables the execution of movement patterns with reduced need for complex neurological pathways and may play a role in reestablishing postural stability following external disturbances. Here we demonstrate a uni-directional mechanical relationship between the equine forelimb, head and neck, which may have implications for balance and forelimb loading in the horse. These observations suggest that forelimb, h...
Faulkner JE, Broeckx BJG, Martens A, Raes E, Haardt H, Vanderperren K.Metal artifacts in CT negatively impact the evaluation of surgical implants and the surrounding tissues. The aim of this prospective experimental study was to evaluate the ability of a single energy metal artifact reduction (SEMAR™, Canon) algorithm and virtual monoenergetic (VM) dual-energy CT (DECT) scanning techniques to reduce metal artifacts from stainless steel screws surgically inserted into the equine proximal phalanx. Seven acquisitions of 18 cadaver limbs were performed on a Canon Aquilion One Vision CT scanner (Helical +SEMAR, Volume +SEMAR, Standard Helical, Standard Volume and V...
Melzer M, Burk J, Guest DJ, Dudhia J.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated form bone marrow and adipose tissue are the most common cells used for cell therapy of orthopedic diseases. MSC derived from different tissues show differences in terms of their proliferation, differentiation potential and viability in prolonged cell culture. This suggests that there may be subtle differences in intracellular signaling pathways that modulate these cellular characteristics. The Rho/ROCK signaling pathway is essential for many cellular functions. Targeting of this pathway by the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 has been shown to be beneficial for c...
Adam E.Emma Adam of the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky in the USA provides an update on rotaviruses, particularly the group B equine rotavirus identified in 2021.
Waller AP, Burns TA, Mudge MC, Belknap JK, Lacombe VA.Insulin resistance (IR) has been widely recognized in humans, and more recently in horses, but its underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. The translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the cell surface is the limiting step for glucose uptake in insulin-sensitive tissues. Although the downstream signaling pathways regulating GLUT translocation are not well defined, AS160 recently has emerged as a potential key component. In addition, the role of GLUT12, one of the most recently identified insulin-sensitive GLUTs, during IR is unknown. Objective: We hypothesized that cell-su...
Peachey LE, Molena RA, Jenkins TP, Di Cesare A, Traversa D, Hodgkinson JE, Cantacessi C.A growing body of evidence, particularly in humans and rodents, supports the existence of a complex network of interactions occurring between gastrointestinal (GI) helminth parasites and the gut commensal bacteria, with substantial effects on both host immunity and metabolic potential. However, little is known of the fundamental biology of such interactions in other animal species; nonetheless, given the considerable economic losses associated with GI parasites, particularly in livestock and equines, as well as the global threat of emerging anthelmintic resistance, further explorations of the ...
Sundberg JP, Burnstein T, Page EH, Kirkham WW, Robinson FR.In a retrospective study of neoplasms in Equidae pre;ented to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue University, from Jan 1, 1970, to Dec 31, 1974, data were compiled on numbers and anatomic sites of neoplasms as well as on age, sex, and breed of subjects from which the neoplasms were taken. During this 5-year period, 21 neoplasms were diagnosed from 687 equine necropsies (3.1%) and 215 from 635 biopsies (33.9%), totaling 236 neoplasms from 1,322 cases (17.9%). The most common neoplasms were sarcoids (43.6%) and squamous cell carcinomas (24.6%). Papillomas (5.5%), nerve sheath tumors...
Archer DC, Proudman CJ.Colic remains a significant problem in the horse in terms of welfare and economics; in some equine populations it is the single most common cause of death. Many causes of colic are cited in the equestrian and veterinary literature but little scientific evidence exists to substantiate these theories. Recent epidemiological investigations have confirmed that colic is complex and multi-factorial in nature. Studies have identified a number of factors that are associated with increased risk of colic including parasite burden, certain feed types, recent change in feeding practices, stabling, lack of...
Waller AS.Strangles, characterized by abscessation of the lymph nodes of the head and neck, is the most frequently diagnosed infectious disease of horses worldwide. The persistence of the causative agent, Streptococcus equi, in a proportion of convalescent horses plays a critical role in the recurrence and spread of disease. Recent research has led to the development of effective diagnostic tests that assist the eradication of S equi from local horse populations. This article describes how these advances have been made and provides advice to assist the resolution and prevention of outbreaks. New perspec...
Newton SA, Knottenbelt DC, Eldridge PR.Twenty mature horses with typical headshaking of 2 week-7 year duration were studied. Clinical examinations included radiography of the head and nasopharyngeal endoscopy. All were assessed at rest and at exercise, both before and after fitting an occlusive nasal mask, application of tinted contact lenses and the perineural anaesthesia of the infraorbital and posterior ethmoidal branches of the trigeminal nerve. Infraorbital anaesthesia had no effect in 6/7 cases but 11/17 (65%) cases showed a 90-100% improvement following posterior ethmoidal nerve anaesthesia. Tinted contact lenses had no appa...
Tessier L, Bienzle D, Williams LB, Koch TG.Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have attracted interest for their cytotherapeutic potential, partly due to their immunomodulatory abilities. The aim of this study was to test the robustness of our equine cord blood (CB) MSC isolation protocol, to characterize the CB-MSC before and after cryopreservation, and to evaluate their immunosuppressive phenotype. We hypothesized that MSC can be consistently isolated from equine CB, have unique and reproducible marker expression and in vitro suppress lymphoproliferation. Preliminary investigation of constitutive cytoplasmic Toll-like recepto...
Reinemeyer CR, Nielsen MK.Equids are hosts to dozens of species of internal parasites that infect no other domestic animals. Virtually all horses, especially those exposed to pasture, experience some level of parasitism continuously. Despite pathologic evidence of parasitic damage in various organs and tissues, few parasitisms are manifested systemically in well-managed horses. Contrary to conventional wisdom, only three common parasitisms of horses are likely to be manifested as colic: Strongylus vulgaris, Parascaris equorum, and Anoplocephala perfoliata. This article discusses the life cycles, pathophysiology, manife...
Katila T.This review suggests a classification for uterine diseases of mares. Information is presented on the prevalence of endometritis in the past and at present. The review describes uterine sampling techniques for mares: swabbing, cytobrushing, low volume lavage and biopsy. The performance of culture, cytology and histology and threshold values is discussed. Correlations between different diagnostic methods and fertility are presented, as well as specificities, sensitivities and positive and negative predictive values of the diagnostic methods. The necessity for double-guarded techniques is emphasi...
McGuire TC, Poppie MJ, Banks KL.Thirty sick Arabian foals and 78 clinically normal Arabian foals were examined for combined (B- and T-lymphocyte) immunodeficiency. Diagnosis was based on lymphocyte counts and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) content or microscopic examination of lymphoid organs. Ten of the 30 sick foals and 2 of the 78 clinically normal foals had combined immunodeficiency. The 2 affected foals in the group of 78 subsequently developed fatal pneumonia.
Lymphocyte counts were made from 9 of the 12 immunodeficient foals; the range was 0 to 936/cmm., whereas the normal mean was 4,119/cmm., with a standard deviation ...
Hansen NC, Avershina E, Mydland LT, Næsset JA, Austbø D, Moen B, Måge I, Rudi K.It is well known that nutrient availability can alter the gut microbiota composition, while the effect on diversity and temporal stability remains largely unknown. Methods: Here we address the equine caecal microbiota temporal stability, diversity, and functionality in response to diets with different levels of nutrient availability. Hay (low and slower nutrient availability) versus a mixture of hay and whole oats (high and more rapid nutrient availability) were used as experimental diets. Results: We found major effects on the microbiota despite that the caecal pH was far from sub-clinical ac...
De Schauwer C, Van de Walle GR, Van Soom A, Meyer E.In the past decade, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have received much attention in equine veterinary medicine. The first therapeutic use of equine MSC was reported in 2003. Since then, the clinical application of MSC has been exploding with thousands of horses now treated worldwide. At present, MSC are mainly used in veterinary medicine to treat musculoskeletal diseases based on their ability to differentiate into various tissues of mesodermal origin. This is in marked contrast to human medicine, where MSC therapies are primarily focused on immune-mediated, inflammatory, and ischemic diseases. I...
Moore JN, Vandenplas ML.Some veterinarians describe particularly sick horses or neonatal foals as being endotoxemic, whereas others refer to the same animals as having the systemic inflammatory response syndrome. This article reviews the basis for the use of each of these terms in equine practice, and highlights the mechanisms underlying the response of the horse's innate immune system to key structural components of the microorganisms that initiate these conditions, including how some of those responses differ from other species. Current approaches used to treat horses with these conditions are summarized, and cauti...
Linardi RL, Dodson ME, Moss KL, King WJ, Ortved KF.Cartilage injury occurs commonly in equine athletes, often precipitating posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Orthobiologics such as autologous conditioned serum (ACS) and autologous protein solution (APS) may be useful in decreasing posttraumatic inflammation, thereby preventing PTOA. The objective of this study was to quantify cytokine concentrations in ACS and APS and evaluate the protective effects of ACS and APS on inflamed chondrocytes cultured . We hypothesized that the combination of platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF) and anti-inflammatory cytokines present in APS would be superior...
Cabezas J, Rojas D, Navarrete F, Ortiz R, Rivera G, Saravia F, Rodriguez-Alvarez L, Castro FO.Adult stromal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been postulated as responsible for cell renewal in highly and continuously regenerative tissues such as the endometrium. MSCs have been identified in the endometrium of many species including humans, rodents, pets and some farm animals, but not in horses. The objective of this work was to isolate such cells from the endometrium of mares and to compare their main biological attributes with horse adipose-derived MSCs. Here we successfully isolated and characterized endometrial MSCs (eMSCs) from mares. Said cells showed fibroblast-like morphology, ...
Birch HL, McLaughlin L, Smith RK, Goodship AE.The equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) functions as an energy store during high-speed gaits reducing the energetic cost of locomotion. To enable the SDFT to function effectively, the appropriate mechanical properties are essential. We tested the hypothesis that the SDFT does not undergo gross hypertrophy in response to high-intensity exercise whereas tendons not involved in energy storage undergo adaptive hypertrophy. Two groups (n = 6) of Thoroughbred fillies were trained at high-intensity on a high-speed equine treadmill for 5 months (short-term study) or 18 months (long-term st...
Hauck SM, Schoeffmann S, Amann B, Stangassinger M, Gerhards H, Ueffing M, Deeg CA.Spontaneous equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is an incurable autoimmune disease affecting the eye. Although retinal-autoantigen specific T-helper 1 cells have been demonstrated to trigger disease progression and relapses, the molecular processes leading to retinal degeneration and consequent blindness remain unknown. To elucidate such processes, we studied changes in the total retinal proteome of ERU-diseased horses compared to healthy controls. Severe changes in the retinal proteome were found for several markers for blood-retinal barrier breakdown and whose emergence depended upon disease seve...
Ortega Ferrusola C, González Fernández L, Salazar Sandoval C, Macías García B, Rodríguez Martínez H, Tapia JA, Peña FJ.In order to evaluate to what extent the changes that occur during cryopreservation involve the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PT-pore), a specific inhibitor was used during the cryopreservation process of stallion spermatozoa. Four ejaculates from each of 7 stallions were frozen using a standard protocol. Before freezing, each ejaculate was split into three subsamples. The first was supplemented with 2.5 microM bongkrekic acid (BA) and the second with 5 microM BA. The third subsample served as control. The BA significantly reduced the percentage of spermatozoa depicting active cas...
Eberhardt C, Amann B, Feuchtinger A, Hauck SM, Deeg CA.Reactive gliosis is a well-established response to virtually every retinal disease. Autoimmune uveitis, a sight threatening disease, is characterized by recurrent relapses through autoaggressive T-cells. The purpose of this study was to assess retinal Müller glial cell function in equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), a spontaneous disease model resembling the human disease, by investigating membrane proteins implicated in ion and water homeostasis. We found that Kir2.1 was highly expressed in diseased retinas, whereas Kir4.1 was downregulated in comparison to controls. Distribution of Kir2.1 appea...
González-Fernández L, Macías-García B, Loux SC, Varner DD, Hinrichs K.Protein tyrosine phosphorylation (PY) is a hallmark of sperm capacitation. In stallion sperm, calcium inhibits PY at pH 7.8). These results show for the first time a role for calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinases in PRKA-dependent sperm PY; a non-PRKA-dependent pathway regulating sperm PY; and the apparent involvement of the FAK family of protein tyrosine kinases downstream in both pathways.
Vokes J, Lovett A, Sykes B.Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a term that has been used since 1999, initially being used to describe all gastric mucosal disease in horses. Since this time, the identification of two distinct main disease entities of the equine gastric mucosa have been described under the umbrella of EGUS; these are Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD) and Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD). In 2015 the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) released a consensus statement defining these disease entities. This document highlighted the lack of evidence surrounding EGGD compared to ...
Scoggin CF.Advancing age can adversely affect a thoroughbred brood-mare's reproductive efficiency and influence the commercial and athletic potential of her progeny. Causes for the decline in fertility include decreased oocyte and embryo quality, anatomical defects and endometrial degeneration. In addition, evidence exists that as the age of a dam increases, her foals will be at increased risk of morbidity and mortality during the neonatal period. Health issues can have lasting and deleterious effects on surviving foals, including decreased sale value and reduced athletic performance. The purpose of this...
Fine DL, Roberts BA, Teehee ML, Terpening SJ, Kelly CL, Raetz JL, Baker DC, Powers AM, Bowen RA.A new vaccine, V3526, is a live-attenuated virus derived by site-directed mutagenesis from a virulent clone of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) IA/B Trinidad donkey (TrD) strain, intended for human use in protection against Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE). Two studies were conducted in horses to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, ability to boost and protective efficacy of V3526 against challenges of TrD and VEEV IE 64A99. Horses were vaccinated subcutaneously (SC) with 10(7), 10(5), 10(3) or 10(2) plaque-forming units (pfu) of V3526. Control horses were sham immunized. I...
Murray MJ, Grodinsky C, Anderson CW, Radue PF, Schmidt GR.Gastroendoscopic examinations were performed on 187 horses, ranging from one to 24 years. Eighty-seven horses had clinical problems including chronic, recurrent colic for seven or more days (25), one or more episodes of colic within the previous seven days (13), or acute colic (10), diminished appetite (53), poor bodily condition (40), and/or chronic diarrhoea (9). One hundred horses that had no signs of gastrointestinal problems were examined as part of a gastroendoscopic survey. Lesions observed in the squamous fundus, squamous mucosa adjacent to the margo plicatus along the greater curvatur...
Quintero-Moreno A, Miró J, Teresa Rigau A, Rodríguez-Gil JE.The aim of this study was to test the presence of separate sperm subpopulations, with specific motility characteristics, in stallion ejaculates by using a computer-assisted semen motility analysis (CASA) system. Motility data were analyzed with a hierarchical clustering of variables based on a correlation or covariance matrix to select like parameters of sperm motility descriptors that better explain the kinetics of spermatozoa. The statistical analyses clustered the whole motile sperm population in both fresh and 24 h stored ejaculates into four separate groups. There were significant differe...
Snider TA, Sepoy C, Holyoak GR.The equine endometrial biopsy, an important tool in equine reproduction science, has experienced a rich period of increasing knowledge, development, and application over the past 40 y. Much of the foundational work in this field was conducted by Dr. Robert M. Kenney. In view of his recent passing, this review is dedicated to our alumnus, Dr. Robert M. Kenney (OSU, 1954). In this manuscript, we pay tribute to Kenney-eponymous for the equine endometrial biopsy grading system-by reviewing the procedure. We present this review in three parts: 1) how observational data are acquired; 2) how these da...
Kinney RM, Tsuchiya KR, Sneider JM, Trent DW.Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has caused encephalitis in equine species and humans during sporadic outbreaks in the western hemisphere. The last, and most widespread, VEE outbreak occurred in South America, Central America, Mexico and the U.S.A. (Texas) during 1969 to 1972. We have cloned and sequenced the genome of a virulent VEE subtype I-AB virus, strain 71-180, isolated in Texas in 1971. Thirty-four nucleotide differences were detected between the genome of 71-180 virus and that of the subtype I-AB Trinidad donkey (TRD) virus isolated during t...
