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.
Kaaden OR, Eichhorn W, Essbauer S.There is continual variation in viral epidemics regarding clinical symptoms, duration and disappearance, and the emergence of new diseases. This can be observed in both human and animal diseases. This evolution of virus diseases is mainly related to three factors: aetiological agent, host and environment. As far as genetic alterations of the virus are concerned, two major mechanisms are involved: mutations such as recombination and reassortment; and selection for resistance or susceptibility. This review focuses on the epidemiology of newly emerged virus diseases in man and animals, such as ac...
Stierstorfer B, Eichhorn W, Schmahl W, Brandmüller C, Kaaden OR, Neubauer A.An outbreak of neurological disease occurred in a well-managed riding school. Ataxia and paresis were observed in several horses, five of which became recumbent and were euthanized. Post-mortem analysis revealed scattered haemorrhages along the spinal cord, that were reflected by multiple haemorrhagic foci on formalin-fixed sections, with the thoracic and lumbar segments being the most affected. Pathohistologically, perivascular mononuclear cuffing and axonal swelling, especially in the white matter, were evident. Parallel to the course of disease, alterations in myelin sheets and activation o...
Peck KE, Matthews NS, Taylor TS, Mealey KL.To compare serum disposition of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim after IV administration to donkeys, mules, and horses. Methods: 5 donkeys, 5 mules, and 3 horses. Methods: Blood samples were collected before (time 0) and 5, 15, 30, and 45 minutes and 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 24 hours after IV administration of sulfamethoxazole (12.5 mg/kg) and trimethoprim (2.5 mg/kg). Serum was analyzed in triplicate with high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim concentrations. Serum concentration-time curve for each ani...
Rudolph J, O'Callaghan DJ, Osterrieder N.The genome of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) strain RacL11, a highly virulent isolate obtained from an aborted foal, and that of the modified live vaccine strain KyA, were cloned as bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) in Eseherichia coli. Mini F plasmid sequences were inserted into the viral genomes by homologous recombination instead of the gene 71 (EUS4) open reading frame after co-transfection of viral DNA and recombinant plasmid pdelta71-pHA2 into RK13 cells. After isolation of recombinant viruses by three rounds of plaque purification, viral DNA was isolated from RK13 cells infected...
Meershoek LS, Lanovaz JL, Schamhardt HC, Clayton HM.To calculate forces in the flexor tendons and the influence of heel wedges in affected and contralateral (compensating) forelimbs of horses with experimentally induced unilateral tendinitis of the superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendon. Methods: 5 Warmblood horses. Procedure-Ground reaction force and kinematic data were obtained during a previous study while horses were trotting before and after induction of tendinitis in 1 forelimb SDF and after application of 6 degrees heel wedges to both forehooves. Forces in the SDF, deep digital flexor (DDF), and the suspensory ligament (SL) and strain i...
Ridgely SL, McGuire TC.The immunogenicity of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) Gag and Env equine leukocyte alloantigen (ELA)-A5.1, -A9, and -A1 restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes synthesized on multiple antigenic peptide (MAP) system coupled to tripalmitoyl-S-glycerylcysteine (P3C) was evaluated in vitro. P3C-MAP-peptide-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from horses, chronically infected with EIAV, had memory CTL (CTLm) similar to that of PBMCs stimulated with either the minimal CTL epitopes, longer peptides containing the CTL epitopes, or EIAV. The stimulated CTL lysed EIAV-in...
Brama PA, TeKoppele JM, Bank RA, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.Subchondral bone provides structural support to the overlying articular cartilage, and plays an important role in osteochondral diseases. There is growing insight that the mechanical features of bone are related to the biochemistry of the collagen network and the mineral content. In the present study, part of the normal developmental process and the influence of physical activity on biochemical composition of subchondral bone was studied. Water content, calcium content and characteristics of the collagen network (collagen, hydroxylysine, lysylpyridinoline (LP) and hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP)...
Hargis AM, Clark EG, Duclos DD, Leclerc S, West K.Over a 6-year period seven adult horses of different breeds and genders developed multifocal, exudative, oozing dermatitis characterized histologically by epidermal spongiotic vesicles and perivascular eosinophilic, neutrophilic and mixed mononuclear inflammation. Three horses were pruritic. Systemic disease was not noted. Two horses had a history of recurrent urticaria (hives) and one horse had nodules or welt-type lesions that progressed to exudative, oozing lesions. Interepithelial immunoglobulin (Ig)G was detected by avidin-biotin complex-peroxidase staining, but the pattern of staining wa...
Murray MJ, Grady TC.This study examined whether a product containing a pectinlecithin complex (Pronutrin) (1) could prevent gastric lesions induced in the equine gastric squamous epithelial mucosa using a protocol of intermittent feed deprivation that resulted in prolonged increased gastric acidity (Murray and Eichorn 1996). Eight ponies were used and served as their own controls in 2 trials in which there were 72 h cumulative deprivation (alternating 24 h with no feed, then 24 h free choice hay), with a 4-week interval between trials. Ponies were assigned randomly to receive either 250 g Pronutrin plus 200 g pel...
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...
Nollet H, Deprez P, Van Ham L, Verschooten F, Vanderstraeten G.The aim of this study was to investigate the use of magnetic motor evoked potentials as an ancillary diagnostic test in horses with cervical cord lesions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was performed in 12 ataxic horses and the results of the evoked responses were compared to those found in normal horses. The latency and peak-to-peak amplitude of the potentials in the 12 ataxic horses were significantly different from those measured in normal horses. The configuration of the abnormal potentials was also polyphasic. Normalisation of the evoked potentials occurred in none of the horses, prese...
Dahm AM, de Bruin A, Linat A, von Tscharner C, Wyder M, Suter MM.We describe the establishment and characterisation of equine keratinocyte cultures with maintenance of a high proliferative capacity up to the second passage. Improved attachment and growth were obtained by seeding primary cells on equine feeder layers. Subcultured keratinocytes showed optimal growth when seeded on collagen type I. The proliferation rate of cells on this substrate exceeded that seen for cells seeded on equine feeder layers. By immunohistochemistry, epithelial origin and state of differentiation of the equine keratinocytes were determined. They expressed keratin and desmoplakin...
Grooters AM, Gee MK.Pythium insidiosum is an important cause of cutaneous and gastrointestinal disease in horses and dogs in the southeastern United States. Culture-based diagnosis of pythiosis is rarely definitive because production and identification of reproductive structures is difficult. The purpose of this study was to develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for the identification of P insidiosum. Genomic DNA was extracted from 3 clinical isolates of P insidiosum and I isolate each of Pythium graminicola and Pythium arrhenomanes. The ITS I region of the ribosomal RNA gene of each isolate was a...
Ulrich P, Nowshari MA.Embryos were flushed on day 7 after ovulation from two mares, and frozen using a conventional slow freezing procedure in phosphate buffered (PBS) saline supplemented with 10% FCS, 1.5 mol/L ethylene glycol and 0.25 mol/L sucrose. One of the two embryos was thawed after 10 months of storage in liquid nitrogen and transferred directly (without dilution of the cryoprotectant and quality examination) to a synchronized recipient. This transfer resulted in the birth of a live female foal. To our knowledge, this is the first live foal born after direct transfer of a frozen-thawed equine embryo.
van der Meulen KM, Nauwynck HJ, Pensaert MB.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an important pathogen of horses, causing abortion and nervous system disorders, even in vaccinated animals. During the cell-associated viremia, EHV-1 is carried by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), mainly lymphocytes. In vitro, monocytes are the most important fraction of PBMC in which EHV-1 replicates, however, mitogen stimulation prior to EHV-1 infection increases the percentage of infected lymphocytes. The role of the cell cycle in viral replication and the role of cluster formation in cell-to-cell transmission of the virus were examined in mitogen-s...
Chowdhary BP, Raudsepp T, Honeycutt D, Owens EK, Piumi F, Guérin G, Matise TC, Kata SR, Womack JE, Skow LC.A 5000(rad) whole-genome radiation hybrid (RH) panel was created for the horse. The usefulness of the panel for generating physically ordered maps of individual equine chromosomes was tested by typing 24 markers on horse Chromosome 11 (ECA11). The overall retention of markers on this chromosome was 43.6%. Almost complete retention of two of the typed markers--- CA062 and AHT44---clearly indicated the location of thymidine kinase gene on the short arm of ECA11. Seven of the typed markers were FISH mapped to align the RH and cytogenetic maps. With the RH-MAPPER approach, a physically ordered map...
Bickers RJ, Blackford JT, Eiler H, Rohrbach B.To compare bursting strength, time of construction, and cost of a closed one-stage, stapled functional end-to-end jejunojejunostomy (FEE) with a stapled side-to-side jejunojejunostomy (STS). Methods: Experimental, randomized block design. Methods: Seven adult horses without gastrointestinal disease. Methods: The jejunum was isolated, and three FEE, three STS, and three control segments were created in each horse using a randomized block design. Anastomosis time was recorded. The intraluminal pressure at failure and mode of failure were recorded. Length at failure was measured on digitized imag...
Reiners SR, Jann HW, Stein LE, Good JK, Claypool PL.To compare the healing and mechanical strength of a multiple split autologous tendon graft (MG) to a whole autologous tendon graft (WG) in the deep digital flexor tendon of ponies. Methods: In vitro evaluation of two different tendon-grafting techniques. Methods: Six ponies of mixed gender and age. Methods: Tenotomies performed in forelimb deep digital flexor tendons (DDFT) distal to the insertion of the accessory ligament (AL-DDFT) were repaired with free autologous grafts from the hindlimb lateral digital extensor tendon (LDET). Grafts were either whole (WG) or split into three longitudinal ...
Dunowska M, Meers J, Johnson RD, Wilks CR.Representational difference analysis (RDA) was used to compare gene expression in equine mononuclear cells either infected with equine herpesvirus-2 (EHV-2) or adsorbed with inactivated EHV-2. Seven clones identified in non-infected cells after three rounds of selective subtraction and enrichment for differentially expressed genes contained sequences homologous to equine monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). This suggested that EHV-2 may down-regulate MCP-1 transcription in infected cells. These findings correlate well with similar findings described for human cytomegalovirus and support...
Choi YH, Love CC, Love LB, Varner DD, Brinsko S, Hinrichs K.This study was undertaken to evaluate the development of equine oocytes in vitro and in vivo after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with either fresh or frozen-thawed spermatozoa, without the use of additional activation treatments. Oocytes were collected from ovaries obtained from an abattoir and oocytes classified as having expanded cumulus cells were matured in M199 with 10% fetal bovine serum and 5 microU FSH ml(-1). After 24-26 h of in vitro maturation, oocytes with a first polar body were selected for manipulation. Fresh ejaculated stallion spermatozoa were used for the experiment...
Marsh AE, Hyun C, Barr BC, Tindall R, Lakritz J.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), caused by a protozoal parasite infection of the central nervous system, is the most commonly diagnosed neurologic disease of horses in North America. In specific regions of the United States approximately 50% of the horse population is seropositive to Sarcocystis neurona. However, not all seropositive horses develop clinical signs. Detailed clinical examination, along with cerebrospinal fluid antibody evaluation are often used to diagnose EPM. Postmortem evaluation of the brain stem and spinal cord for histopathologic lesions compatible with nonsuppura...
Grady JK, Zang J, Laue TM, Arosio P, Chasteen ND.Sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis (SDS-CGE) was used to characterize the H- and L-subunit ratios of several mammalian ferritins and one bacterioferritin. Traditionally, SDS-PAGE has been used to characterize the H- and L-subunit ratios in ferritin; however, this technique is relatively slow and requires staining, destaining, and scanning before the data can be processed. In addition, the H- and L-subunits of ferritin are fairly close in molecular weight (approximately 21,000 and approximately 20,000, respectively) and are often difficult to resolve in SDS-PAGE slab gels. In ...
Dixon S, Haswell M, Harrington D, Sutcliffe IC.We have investigated the surface localisation of the phosphotransferase system protein HPr in the equine pathogen Streptococcus equi subsp. equi using immunogold localisation and transmission electron microscopy. Like the LppC acid phosphatase lipoprotein, a reference surface antigen, the S. equi HPR could be clearly detected on the surfaces of intact cells. This study is consistent with previous reports that some streptococcal HPr is cell surface associated and suggests that the extracytoplasmic mobilisation and transfer of phosphate groups by streptococci warrant further investigation.
Bjöersdorff A, Bagert B, Massung RF, Gusa A, Eliasson I.We report the isolation and partial genetic characterization of two equine strains of granulocytic Ehrlichia of the genogroup Ehrlichia phagocytophila. Frozen whole-blood samples from two Swedish horses with laboratory-verified granulocytic ehrlichiosis were inoculated into HL-60 cell cultures. Granulocytic Ehrlichia was isolated and propagated from both horses. DNA extracts from the respective strains were amplified by PCR using primers directed towards the 16S rRNA gene, the groESL heat shock operon gene, and the ank gene. The amplified gene fragments were sequenced and compared to known seq...
Scott DW.Resumen- Dos caballos adultos manifestaron un cuadro prurítico y de dolor asociado con una dermatitis generalizada de evolución rápida y consistente en la presencia de pápulas, pústulas y costras. El examen microscópico de extensiones citológicas a partir del exudado purulento reveló la presencia de numerosos queratinocitos acantoliticos, neutrófilos no degenerados y ausencia de microorganismos, lo que sugirió un diagnóstico de pénfigo foliáceo. Las biopsias de piel mostraron dermatofitosis, marcada acantolisis y crecióTrichophyton equinum en cultivos fúngicos. Las lesiones en a...
Braend M.During the routine parentage control of Norwegian Trotter horses with 10 000 parent offspring combinations two irregular transmissions of Pr alleles were found. The allele products were provisionally named D1 and D2. They appeared in two stallions which were typed as D1I and D2N respectively. The first stallion transmitted PrD1 to seven out of 10 offspring and the second stallion PrD2 to two of four offspring. Photographs of seven new Pr phenotypes are presented.
Gargiulo AM, Pedini V, Ceccarelli P.The glycoconjugate content of major horse salivary glands was investigated by means of horseradish peroxidase-conjugated lectins. Qualitative differences were observed in the terminal sugar residues of secretory glycoproteins and glycoconjugates linked to the apical surface of excretory duct epithelial cells. Mucous acinar cells in mandibular and sublingual glands contained oligosaccharides with D-galactose, alpha- and beta-N-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine and fucose residues, whereas mandibular, sublingual and parotid serous cells contained only oligosaccharides with terminal alpha-...
José Antonio G, Jim S, Ramés SJ, Rohrbach BW, Alejandro Rodríguez M, Laura Romero R, Robert D.To examine changes occurring in normal pelvic suspensory ligaments (SLs) of horses after denervating these ligaments and to investigate the effect chronic inflammation might have on these changes. Methods: 10 horses. Methods: The SL of 1 randomly selected pelvic limb of each of 5 horses was injected with collagenase to induce desmitis, and 42 days later, the proximal aspect of both pelvic SLs were denervated. The SLs were harvested 120 days after being denervated, and the morphological and histological characteristics of each collagenase-injected, denervated SL were compared with those of the ...
Smyth PA, Rifkin RE, Jackson RL, Reid Hanson R.The naturally occurring structure of articular cartilage has proven to be an effective means for the facilitation of motion and load support in equine and other animal joints. Cartilage has been found to be a complex and dynamic medium, which has led to an incomplete understanding of the nature and operating mechanisms acting within a joint. Although cartilage has biphasic and triphasic properties, it is believed that the performance of equine articular joints is influenced by the surface roughness of the joint cartilage (Ateshian et al., '98; Chan et al., 2011; Yao and Unsworth, '93). Various...
Tapprest J, Foucher N, Linster M, Laloy E, Cordonnier N, Amat JP, Hendrikx P.The French surveillance network for causes of equine mortality (Resumeq) was created in 2015 for the qualitative surveillance of equine mortality through the centralization in a national database of necropsy data and their subsequent epidemiological analysis. It was designed to identify the causes of equine mortality, monitor their evolution over time and space, and detect emerging diseases as early as possible. Resumeq is an event-based surveillance system involving various players and structures. It is organized around a steering body, a scientific and technical support committee and a coord...
Daunt DA, Dunlop CI, Chapman PL, Shafer SL, Ruskoaho H, Vakkuri O, Hodgson DS, Tyler LM, Maze M.Cardiopulmonary and behavioral responses to detomidine, a potent alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, were determined at 4 plasma concentrations in standing horses. After instrumentation and baseline measurements in 7 horses (mean +/- SD for age and body weight, 6 +/- 2 years, and 531 +/- 48.5 kg, respectively), detomidine was infused to maintain 4 plasma concentrations: 2.1 +/- 0.5 (infusion 1), 7.2 +/- 3.5 (infusion 2), 19.1 +/- 5.1. (infusion 3), and 42.9 +/- 10 (infusion 4) ng/ml, by use of a computer-controlled infusion system. Detomidine caused concentration-dependent sedation and somnolence. The...
Nielsen MK, Martin AN, Scare JA, Steuer AE.Cyathostomins are pervasive parasites of equids across the world. Larval stages encyst in the mucosa of the cecum, ventral and dorsal colon and can induce an inflammatory response leading to larval cyathostominosis, a life-threatening generalized typhlocolitis. Mucosal digestion is the only gold standard procedure for identifying and quantifying all larval stages. There is a lack of standardization of this technique and several aspects are ambiguous, such as precision of the method and the possibility of spatial variation of mucosal larval counts. The aim of this study was to estimate precisio...
Wagner FC, Reese S, Gerlach K, Böttcher P, Mülling CKW.Long-term cyclic tensile testing with equine palmar/plantar tendons have not yet been performed due to problems in fixing equine tendons securely and loading them cyclically. It is well established that the biomechanical response of tendons varies during cyclic loading over time. The aim of this study was to develop a clamping device that enables repetitive cyclic tensile testing of equine superficial digital flexor tendon for at least 60 loading cycles and for 5 min. Results: A novel cryo-clamp was developed and built. Healthy and collagenase-treated pony SDFTs were mounted in the custom-ma...
Rashmir-Raven A, Lavagnino M, Sedlak A, Gardner K, Arnoczky S.Hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA) is a genetic disorder of collagen resulting in fragile, hyper-extensible skin and ulcerative lesions. The predominance of skin lesions have been shown to occur on the dorsum of HERDA-affected horses. While this has been postulated to be due to increased exposure to sunlight of these areas, the precise pathological mechanism which causes this to occur is unclear. Objective: We hypothesized that an increase in collagenase activity, that has been associated with the exposure of dermal fibroblasts to sunlight, will significantly degrade the materi...
Watts AE.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used as a regenerative therapy in horses for musculoskeletal injury since the late 1990s and in some regions are standard of care for certain injuries. Yet, there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved MSC therapeutic in the United States for horses. In humans, lack of regulatory approval in the United States has been caused by failure of late-phase clinical trials to demonstrate consistent efficacy, perhaps because of nonuniformity of MSC preparation and application techniques. This article discusses clinical evidence for musculoskeletal applications of ...
Webster JH, Baird JD, Gunawan M, Martin IC, Kelly JD.The susceptibility of a known thiabendazole-resistant population of small strongyles to anthelmintics of both benzimidazole and non-benzimidazole groups, was determined. In the first study, 42 horses infected with thiabendazole-resistant small strongyles were allocated to 6 groups. Treatment groups received one of the following anthelmintics: mebendazole, febantel, febantel plus trichlorphon, morantel tartrate, or a combination of thiabendazole, piperazine and trichlorphon. Morantel tartrate and the thiabendazole/piperazine/trichlorphon combination produced highly significant (p less than 0.00...
Siwińska N, Żak-Bochenek A, Paszkowska M, Karczewski M, Długopolska D, Haider W.Colic, a condition affecting the gastrointestinal tract of horses, manifests as severe pain and may be a life-threatening condition. It is possible to distinguish between an acute, disposable process, as well as recurrent colic symptoms (abdominal pain) caused by an ongoing chronic inflammatory process. This paper presents a retrospective analysis of the histopathological findings of duodenal and rectal samples taken from horses with recurrent colic, with the aim to determine the frequency and extent of inflammation. The samples, i.e., duodenal biopsy (60 samples) and rectal biopsy (17 samples...
Pimentel F, McManus C, Soares K, Caetano AR, de Faria DA, Paiva SR, Ianella P.Optimization of DNA collection for National gene bank and conservation programs requires information on spatial and genetic distribution of animals countrywide. The relationship between genetic and geographic distances were examined in 8 Brazilian horse breeds (Baixadeiro, Crioulo, Campeiro, Lavradeiro, Marajoara, Mangalarga Marchador, Pantaneiro and Puruca) using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers and collection point locations. Mantel correlations, Genetic Landscape Shape Interpolation, Allelic Aggregation Index Analyses and Spatial autocorrelation tests indicated a nonrandom distributio...
Fitzharris LE, Meehan LJ, Hezzell MJ, Allen KJ.The diaphragm is an important respiratory muscle, playing a key role during exercise. In humans, diaphragm thickness increases in response to training and is correlated with inspiratory strength. In order to assess respiratory strength in the horse, new evaluation techniques are required and measurement of diaphragm thickness, in a non-invasive and repeatable manner, is a possible approach. The purposes of this four-part, prospective, pilot study were to develop and describe a repeatable method to measure the diaphragm thickness, using ultrasonography, in Thoroughbred racehorses. A standardize...
Tucker ML, Wilson DG, Reinink SK, Carmalt JL.To characterize the 3-D geometry of the equine larynx replicating laryngeal hemiplegia and 4 surgical interventions by use of CT under steady-state airflow conditions. Secondly, to use fluid mechanic principles of flow through a constriction to establish the relationship between measured airflow geometries with impedance for each surgical procedure. Methods: 10 cadaveric horse larynges. Methods: While CT scans were performed, inhalation during exercise conditions was replicated for each of the following 5 conditions: laryngeal hemiplegia, left laryngoplasty with ventriculocordectomy, left lary...
Dobrinski I, Jacob JR, Tennant BC, Ball BA.Equine oviductal epithelial cells (OEC) were transformed with simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV 40 T-ag) to create a cell line for the study of the interaction of equine spermatozoa with oviductal epithelium. One cell line was established based on the expression of the SV 40 T-ag and extended lifespan in culture. Immortalized equine OEC retained the characteristics of differentiated OEC such as the formation of monolayers with characteristic epithelial morphology and cell polarization as well as expression of cytokeratin and equine major histocompatibility complex I. Monolayers of immortaliz...
Laan TT, Bull S, Pirie RS, Fink-Gremmels J.Cyclic AMP elevating agents have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in addition to functions such as bronchodilation. The aim of this study was to investigate this dual action of clenbuterol (CB; Ventipulmin) on horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Seven RAO susceptible horses received inhalation challenges with aerosolised lipopolysaccharide (LPS), hay dust suspension (HDS) and Aspergillus fumigatus antigen (AF) with and without prior treatment with intravenous CB. Data showed that CB exerted significant beneficial effects on lung function, total cell count...
Lisowski ZM, Sauter KA, Waddell LA, Hume DA, Pirie RS, Hudson NPH.Intestinal macrophages are the largest group of mononuclear phagocytes in the body and play a role in intestinal innate immunity, neuroimmune interactions and maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Conversely, they also are implicated in numerous pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, such as postoperative ileus and inflammatory bowel disease. As a result, macrophages could be potential therapeutic targets. To date, there are limited studies on the morphology and distribution of macrophages in the equine gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The aim of this study was to identify the location and abun...
Gold JH, Schuder JC, Stoeckle H.The defibrillation effectiveness of 4-msec rectangular wave shocks was evaluated using myocardial electrodes with 25-kg dogs and (nominally) 100-kg calves, ponies, and pigs as part of an evaluation of the suitability of these animals as models for automatic implanted defibrillator research. The percent success of defibrillation attempts in dogs ranged from 44% with 4-A, 6-J shocks to 93% with 8-A, 16-J shocks. The success achieved in calves with scaled electrodes was uniformly lower and reached a maximum of 28% with 23-A, 107-J shocks. Pigs defibrillated with scaled electrodes at a success lev...
Jago RC, Scholes S, Mair TS, Pearson GR, Pirie RS, Handel I, Milne EM, Coyle F, Mcgorum BC.An accurate, minimally invasive, ante-mortem diagnostic test for equine grass sickness (EGS) is currently lacking. Although histological examination of haematoxylin and eosin-stained rectal biopsies for chromatolytic neurons is insensitive as a diagnostic test for EGS, we hypothesised that its diagnostic accuracy could be improved by immunolabelling for β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP), which has increased expression in cranial cervical ganglia (CCG) neuronal perikarya in EGS. Objective: To develop a grading scheme for assessing the distribution and intensity of β-APP immunoreactivity wi...
Symons JE, Entwistle RC, Arens AM, Garcia TC, Christiansen BA, Fyhrie DP, Stover SM.To determine morphological and mechanical properties of trabecular bone of horses with a bone fragility syndrome (BFS; including silicate-associated osteoporosis). Methods: Cylindrical trabecular bone samples from the distal aspects of cadaveric third metacarpal bones of 39 horses (19 horses with a BFS [BFS bone samples] and 20 horses without a BFS [control bone samples]). Methods: Bone samples were imaged via micro-CT for determination of bone volume fraction; apparent and mean mineralized bone densities; and trabecular number, thickness, and separation. Bone samples were compressed to failur...
Maldonado MD, Parkinson SD, Story MR, Haussler KK.Chiropractic care is a common treatment modality used in equine practice to manage back pain and stiffness but has limited evidence for treating lameness. The objective of this blinded, controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of chiropractic treatment on chronic lameness and concurrent axial skeleton pain and dysfunction. Two groups of horses with multiple limb lameness (polo) or isolated hind limb lameness (Quarter Horses) were enrolled. Outcome measures included subjective and objective measures of lameness, spinal pain and stiffness, epaxial muscle hypertonicity, and mechanical...
Ben Hamouda S, Vargas A, Boivin R, Miglino MA, da Palma RK, Lavoie JP.Severe asthma is associated with an increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass and altered composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Studies have indicated that ECM-ASM cell interactions contribute to this remodeling and its limited reversibility with current therapy. Three-dimensional matrices allow the study of complex cellular responses to different stimuli in an almost natural environment. Our goal was to obtain acellular bronchial matrices and then develop a recellularization protocol with ASM cells. We studied equine bronchi as horses spontaneously develop a human asthma-like disease...
Ebani VV, Nardoni S, Bertelloni F, Pollera C, Pistelli L, Mancianti F.The aim of the present study, the first to test clinical equine isolates, was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of commercial essential oils (EOs) obtained from and against spp., spp., and spp. previously isolated from uteri of mares with reproductive disorders. showed the best antibacterial activity against all the selected agents, with MICs ranging from 0.07 mg/mL for subsp. to 0.29 mg/mL versus sp. and spp. isolates and versus and spp., with MICs of 0.46 mg/mL and 1.86 mg/mL, respectively. EOs showed good antibacterial activity with MICs ranging from 0.07 mg/mL ...
Infernuso T, Watts AE, Ducharme NG.Septic epiglottic chondritis with abscessation diagnosed in 2 Thoroughbred racehorses. Infected cartilage removed videoendoscopically followed by systemic antibiotics. The infectious process was successfully controlled, but permanent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) with a shortened, deformed epiglottic cartilage developed. Surgery for the DDSP using bilateral partial sternothyroidectomy or laryngeal tie-forward failed. Chondrite septique abcédée de l’épiglotte chez 2 jeunes chevaux de course Thoroughbred. Une chondrite septique abcédée de l’épiglotte a été diagnostiqu...
Rosychuk RA.Noninflammatory, nonpruritic alopecias are uncommonly encountered in the horse. Alopecia areata, an apparently autoimmune hair follicle bulbitis produces focal, multifocal to widespread hair loss. The skin is otherwise normal. Diseases that can mimic the widespread hair loss associated with alopecia areata include telogen and anagen effluvium, seasonal alopecias, follicular dysplasias (including color dilution alopecia), various nutritional deficiencies and chemical toxicosis, and diseases that result in defective hair shafts (eg, trichorrhexis nodosa and piedra). These problems are differenti...
Barnés CM, Petoud S, Cohen SM, Raymond KN.The ability of ferritin as an Fe(II) detoxifier and Fe(III) storage protein is limited by its ability to recognize and incorporate Fe(II), which is then oxidized and mineralized at internal protein sites. The Cr(III) amine complex [Cr(N(CH(2)CH(2)NH(2))(3)(H(2)O)(OH)](2+) [abbreviated as Cr(TREN)] is a kinetically inert inhibitor of iron incorporation and mineralization in ferritin. Unlike other inhibitors, Cr(TREN) can only exchange its two aqua/hydroxy ligands. Competition studies between Cr(TREN) and Tb(III) binding have been performed in horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) to probe uptake of Fe(I...
Julliand S, Buttet M, Hermange T, Hillon P, Julliand V.Nutritional factors are suggested to influence the incidence and severity of glandular gastric disease (GGD) in horses. Objective: To retrospectively assess whether dietary fermentable carbohydrates increase the severity of GGD and to prospectively evaluate whether the partial substitution of concentrates by dehydrated alfalfa would decrease GGD severity scores. Methods: In total, 82 trotters from 4 training centers exercised ≥5 days/week. Methods: Multicenter retrospective observational study, and prospective 2-arm randomized trial. Glandular mucosae were observed by gastroscopy and score...
Hopfgartner T, Brown JA, Adams MN, Werre SR.The recent availability of standing computed tomography (CT) for equine paranasal sinus disease has enhanced diagnosis and enabled more targeted surgery compared to radiography and sinoscopy. To date, there have been no studies which have critically evaluated the benefit of preoperative CT versus radiography and sinoscopy on complications and outcome in horses undergoing sinus trephination. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: A total of 229 equids. Methods: The medical records of equids (229) presented for sinusitis treated via trephination that had CT, radiography and/or sinoscopy at time ...
