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Topic:Equine Health
Equine health encompasses the study and management of diseases, disorders, and overall well-being of horses. It involves understanding various physiological systems, preventive care, and treatment strategies to maintain optimal health in equine populations. Common areas of focus include nutrition, infectious diseases, orthopedic conditions, and reproductive health. Research in equine health aims to advance knowledge on diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, and management practices that improve horse welfare and performance. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine health, offering insights into current findings and advancements in the field.
Pregnancy: a cloned horse born to its dam twin. Several animal species, including sheep, mice, cattle, goats, rabbits, cats, pigs and, more recently, mules have been reproduced by somatic cell cloning, with the offspring being a genetic copy of the animal donor of the nuclear material used for transfer into an enucleated oocyte. Here we use this technology to clone an adult horse and show that it is possible to establish a viable, full-term pregnancy in which the surrogate mother is also the nuclear donor. The cloned offspring is therefore genetically identical to the mare who carried it, challenging the idea that maternal immunological rec...
Presentation and binding affinity of equine infectious anemia virus CTL envelope and matrix protein epitopes by an expressed equine classical MHC class I molecule. Control of a naturally occurring lentivirus, equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), occurs in most infected horses and involves MHC class I-restricted, virus-specific CTL. Two minimal 12-aa epitopes, Env-RW12 and Gag-GW12, were evaluated for presentation by target cells from horses with an equine lymphocyte Ag-A1 (ELA-A1) haplotype. Fifteen of 15 presented Env-RW12 to CTL, whereas 11 of 15 presented Gag-GW12. To determine whether these epitopes were presented by different molecules, MHC class I genes were identified in cDNA clones from Arabian horse A2152, which presented both epitopes. This h...
Axial compression generated by cortical and cancellous lag screws in the equine distal phalanx. Lag screw fixation using single 4.5 mm cortical bone screws is a recommended technique for repair of mid-sagittal plane fractures of the distal phalanx in adult horses. However, implant infection and technical difficulties in obtaining adequate interfragmentary compression have made this surgical procedure somewhat controversial. We hypothesized that use of larger diameter screws would result in increased axial compression and improved stability of this fracture. Paired distal phalanges from the forelimbs of 10 adult horses were collected at necropsy and divided in half in the midsagittal plan...
Effects of in vitro production on horse embryo morphology, cytoskeletal characteristics, and blastocyst capsule formation. Blastocyst formation rates during horse embryo in vitro production (IVP) are disappointing, and embryos that blastulate in culture fail to produce the characteristic and vital glycoprotein capsule. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of IVP on horse embryo development and capsule formation. IVP embryos were produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection of in vitro matured oocytes and either culture in synthetic oviduct fluid (SOF) or temporary transfer to the oviduct of a ewe. Control embryos were flushed from the uterus of mares 6-9 days after ovulation. Embryo morphology was eval...
Evidence for a new field Culicoides vector of African horse sickness in South Africa. Between February and May 1998, approximately 100 horses died of African horse sickness (AHS) in the cooler, mountainous, central region of South Africa. On 14 affected farms, 156,875 Culicoides of 27 species were captured. C. imicola Kieffer, hitherto considered the only field vector for AHS virus (AHSV), constituted <1% of the total Culicoides captured, and was not found on 29% of the farms. In contrast, 65% of the Culicoides were C. bolitinos Meiswinkel, and was found on all farms. Five isolations of AHSV were made from C. bolitinos, and none from 18 other species of Culicoides (including...
A case control study of factors and infections associated with clinically apparent respiratory disease in UK Thoroughbred racehorses. A matched case control study was used to determine infections and other factors associated with clinically apparent respiratory disease in young racehorses in training in the UK. A total of 170 cases, defined as horses with sudden onset coughing, nasal discharge or pyrexia, were identified and matched to 632 non-affected controls by trainer and time period. Factors examined included age, sex, time since entry into the training yard, time since last race and different infections including tracheal and nasopharyngeal (NP) bacteria and viruses. Multivariable conditional logistic regression (CLR) ...
Embryogenesis and the first-stage larva of Thelazia lacrymalis. The female reproductive system of Thelazia lacrymalis (Nematoda: Thelaziidae) was investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with regard to the developmental stages and the stage deposited by the gravid nematode. Female T. lacrymalis have a didelphic and opisthodelphic type of reproductive system with paired ovaries, oviducts and uteri and a single vagina and vulva. Round and spindle-shaped primary oocytes are documented within the ovaries and oviducts, respectively. The distal part of each uterus provides a fertilization chamber filled with spermatozoa, followed by a sphinct...
[Analysis of the population structure of the Black Forest Draught Horse]. Gene contributions of foreign populations as well as coefficients of inbreeding and relationship were evaluated in 699 Black Forest Draught horses of Baden-Württemberg actually registered in the year 2002. Based on nearly complete 5-generation-pedigrees and after taking into account the remaining incompleteness, the mean coefficient of inbreeding for the total population was 6.5%. The recently by incrossing with different breeds newly established lines of stallions showed significantly lower mean coefficients of inbreeding. High rates of inbreeding of about 1.6% in the last five generations c...
[Gutteral pouch tympany in German warmblood foals: influence of sex, inbreeding and blood proportions of founding breeds as well as estimation of heritability]. The objective of the present study was to analyse the importance of the influences of sex, inbreeding coefficient, proportion of genes of the original breeds and the additive genetic contribution to the occurrence of guttural pouch tympany in foals belonging to German Warmblood breeds. Foals affected by guttural pouch tympany were ascertained in the Clinic of Horses, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. This data set comprised 22 German Warmblood foals with guttural pouch tympany, which were patients of the Clinic for Horses between 1994 and 2001. Information on the pedigrees and all availa...
Muscarinic receptor subtypes mediate vasorelaxation in isolated horse deep dorsal penile vein. To investigate the effect of acetylcholine (ACh) on horse deep dorsal penile vein and to characterize the muscarinic receptor subtypes involved in this response. Methods: Vein rings were mounted in an organ bath chamber, and the isometric tension was recorded. Results: In phenylephrine-contracted veins, ACh (1 nM to 1 microM) induced endothelium-dependent relaxation. The muscarinic receptor antagonist, atropine, produced parallel rightward shifts of the ACh response curves (pA2 = 10.04; pK(B) = 9.98). Carbachol (10 nM to 100 microM) also evoked relaxation in the vein segments, but showed a low...
Lipopolysaccharide and interferon gamma activate nuclear factor kappa B and induce cyclo-oxygenase-2 in equine vascular smooth muscle cells. Equine endotoxaemia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in horses caused by the interaction of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with cells such as macrophages and vascular smooth muscle. In this study we isolated equine vascular smooth muscle from a variety of vessels and stimulated it with LPS and human interferon (hIFN)-gamma. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) and Western blot analysis we show that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is readily expressed in equine vascular smooth muscle. Vascular smooth muscle cells produced prostaglandin E2 in response to LP...
Laparoscopic colopexy in a horse. An 11-year-old Trakehner gelding required 2 ventral midline celiotomies for correction of a large colon volvulus and a large colon displacement, respectively. Laparoscopic colopexy was performed 50 days following the 2nd celiotomy. Delayed laparoscopic colopexy is minimally invasive and does not disrupt the ventral midline incision following abdominal exploration.
Cardiac troponin I in pastured and race-training Thoroughbred horses. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a myocardial polypeptide, is a highly sensitive and specific biomarker of myocardial injury in people and dogs. The structure of cTnI is highly conserved across species, and equine myocardium has high reactivity with human immunoassays. The purpose of this study was to describe cTnI concentrations in normal pastured and race-training Thoroughbred horses. Ten horses on pasture and 10 horses in race training were studied. Horses were considered normal on the basis of physical examination, training performance, electrocardiography (ECG), and echocardiography. Serum cTnI...
Accuracy of pulse oximetry and capnography in healthy and compromised horses during spontaneous and controlled ventilation. The objective of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the accuracy of pulse oximetry and capnography in healthy and compromised horses during general anesthesia with spontaneous and controlled ventilation. Horses anesthetized in a dorsal recumbency position for arthroscopy (n = 20) or colic surgery (n = 16) were instrumented with an earlobe probe from the pulse oximeter positioned on the tip of the tongue and a sample line inserted at the Y-piece for capnography. The horses were allowed to breathe spontaneously (SV) for the first 20 min after induction, and thereafter ventilation wa...
Effects of topical perineural capsaicin in a reversible model of equine foot lameness. Capsaicin is a local substance P depleter with dramatic analgesic effects. We tested the hypothesis that the topical application of capsaicin ointment over the palmar digital nerves would attenuate the clinical effects of a reversible model of equine foot lameness. Seven healthy adult horses shod unilaterally with adjustable heart bar shoes were studied in a crossover design for 2 weeks. Grade 5.0/5.0 lameness (nonweight bearing) was induced by tightening the adjustable heart bar shoe. One hour later, capsaicin ointment was applied over the medial and lateral palmar digital nerves 3 cm proxima...
Serologic evidence of West Nile virus infection in horses, Coahuila State, Mexico. Serum samples were obtained from 24 horses in the State of Coahuila, Mexico, in December 2002. Antibodies to West Nile virus were detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test in 15 (62.5%) horses. We report the first West Nile virus activity in northern Mexico.
Biochemical characterisation of navicular hyaline cartilage, navicular fibrocartilage and the deep digital flexor tendon in horses with navicular disease. The study hypothesis was that navicular disease is a process analogous to degenerative joint disease, which leads to changes in navicular fibrocartilage and in deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) matrix composition and that the process extends to the adjacent distal interphalangeal joint. The objectives were to compare the biochemical composition of the navicular articular and palmar cartilages from 18 horses with navicular disease with 49 horses with no history of front limb lameness, and to compare navicular fibrocartilage with medial meniscus of the stifle and collateral cartilage of the hoof...
Force- and moment-generating capacities of muscles in the distal forelimb of the horse. A detailed musculoskeletal model of the distal equine forelimb was developed to study the influence of musculoskeletal geometry (i.e. muscle paths) and muscle physiology (i.e. force-length properties) on the force- and moment-generating capacities of muscles crossing the carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints. The distal forelimb skeleton was represented as a five degree-of-freedom kinematic linkage comprised of eight bones (humerus, radius and ulna combined, proximal carpus, distal carpus, metacarpus, proximal phalanx, intermediate phalanx and distal phalanx) and seven joints (elbow, radiocarp...
Ovarian hematoma in an 11-year-old Thoroughbred-Hanovarian mare. An aggressive mare, presented for prebreeding examination, was found to have a significantly enlarged ovary (soccer ball size). A granulosa thecal cell tumor was initially suspected. Following laboratory and repeated clinical examination, the mare was diagnosed with an ovarian hematoma, which regressed with treatment.
Efficacy of a paste formulation of omeprazole for the treatment of naturally occurring gastric ulcers in training standardbred racehorses in Canada. The efficacy of a paste formulation of the H+, K+, -ATPase inhibitor omeprazole was evaluated in standardbred racehorses for the treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers. Twenty standardbred racehorses in training, aged 2 to 9 years, were enrolled from 2 training centres in this field trial. Endoscopic examinations confirmed the presence of gastric ulcers in all horses, prior to allocation and treatment and on day 0. Lesions were scored on a scale of 0 to 3 (intact epithelium to extensive ulceration). Replicates were formed, based on training level and location. Within replicates, 1 horse wa...
Serologic evidence of West Nile virus infection in horses, Yucatan State, Mexico. Serum samples were obtained from 252 horses in the State of Yucatan, Mexico, from July to October 2002. Antibodies to West Nile virus were detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in three (1.2%) horses and confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test. We report the first West Nile virus activity in the State of Yucatan.
Clinical efficacy of trimethoprim/sulfadiazine and procaine penicillin G in a Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus infection model in ponies. Tissue chambers, implanted subcutaneously on both sides of the neck in eight ponies, were inoculated with Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in order to compare the clinical efficacy of trimethoprim/sulfadiazine (TMP/SDZ) and penicillin G treatment in a purulent infection. The TMP/SDZ treatment consisted of one intravenous (i.v.) injection of 5 mg/kg TMP and 25 mg/kg SDZ and the same dose of TMP/SDZ per os (p.o.), both given 20 h after inoculation. The oral dose was then repeated every 12 h for 21 days. The penicillin treatment consisted of one i.v. injection of 20 000 IU/kg sodium penici...
Analysis of ELA-DQB exon 2 polymorphism in Argentine Creole horses by PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP. The second exon of equine leucocyte antigen (ELA)-DQB genes was amplified from genomic DNA of 32 Argentine Creole horses by PCR. Amplified DNA was analysed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). The PCR-RFLP analysis revealed two HaeIII patterns, four RsaI patterns, five MspI patterns and two HinfI patterns. EcoRI showed no variation in the analysed sample. Additional patterns that did not account for known exon 2 DNA sequences were observed, suggesting the existence of novel ELA-DQB alleles. PCR-SSCP analysis exhibited se...
Effect of alkalinization on the local analgesic efficacy of ketamine in the abaxial sesamoid nerve block in horses. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the alkalinization on the local analgesic efficacy of 1% ketamine in the abaxial sesamoid nerve block in horses. Thirty-six mature healthy horses were randomly assigned to four groups for the following treatments; an abaxial sesamoid block with 5 mL of saline solution (control saline); an abaxial sesamoid block with 5 mL of a solution containing 1% ketamine (KETs 1%); an abaxial sesamoid block with 5 mL of a solution containing saline solution and 0.5 mEq of sodium bicarbonate (control bicarbonate); and an abaxial sesamoid block with ...
Plasma profiles of ivermectin in horses following oral or intramuscular administration. A study was undertaken in order to evaluate and compare ivermectin's (IVM) plasma disposition kinetic parameters after oral or intramuscular (IM) administration in horses. Ten clinically healthy adult horses, weighing 380-496 kg body weight (BW), were allocated to two experimental groups of five horses. Group I, was treated with an oral paste formulation of IVM at the manufacturer's recommended dose of 0.2 mg/kg BW. Group II, was treated IM with an injectable 1% formulation of IVM at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg BW. Blood samples were collected by jugular puncture at different times between 0.5 h and 7...
The predictive value of semen analysis in the evaluation of stallion fertility. Pregnancy rates in managed horse populations depend on the innate fertility of the mares and stallions involved and on the quality of breeding management. Of course, because a single stallion usually mates many mares, stallion fertility is a critical factor in the overall success of a breeding program. Unfortunately, accurate evaluation of stallion fertility per se requires a large number of normal mares to be mated and is necessarily retrospective. Rather, the ideal is to predict fertility in advance of the stallion's breeding career, and this is currently attempted by way of a thorough physi...
