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.
Oaks JL, McGuire TC, Ulibarri C, Crawford TB.The equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) often results in lifelong subclinical infection following early episodes of clinical disease. To identify the cellular reservoirs of EIAV during subclinical infection, horses were infected with EIAV and allowed to develop subclinical infections. Horses with acute disease served as a basis for comparison. The tissue distribution, replication status, location of infected cells, and viral load were characterized by PCR for proviral DNA and reverse transcriptase PCR for viral RNA, in situ hybridization, and in situ PCR. Proviral DNA was widespread in tissu...
Peterson ML, Srinath S, Murphy J.A new instrument is presented which is capable of high resolution acoustic imaging at relatively low frequencies. This approach results in increased complexity of the signal processing required and reduced throughput of the instrument. However, these disadvantages are amply compensated by the ability to create velocity scan images of materials with either high attenuation or low material velocities. These measurements are not possible using traditional/acoustic microscopes. The initial performance of the new instrument is demonstrated using thin samples of shim materials to show that acceptabl...
Marlin DJ.A number of studies have clearly shown that the ability of both man and horses to perform a standardised exercise test in hot humid conditions is reduced compared to that in hot dry or cool conditions (see reviews by Maughan and Lindinger, 1995; Lindinger and Marlin, 1995). In man it is clear that a period of acclimation or acclimatisation is beneficial. A search of the literature prior to 1995 indicates no published information relating to the acclimation or acclimatisation of the horse to hot or hot humid environmental conditions. Concerns for the appropriate preparation for and welfare of h...
Marlin DJ, Scott CM, Mills PC, Louwes H, Vaarten J.The effects of administering (1) 6L isotonic oral rehydration solution (ORS), similar in composition to plasma (except for an elevated potassium concentration) and with an osmotic skeleton and (2) 6L water (no osmotic skeleton), were evaluated in five thoroughbred horses following exercise-induced dehydration. The horses were exercised on a treadmill for 10 min at walk (1.7 m.s-1; approximately 15% VO2max), 40 min at trot (3.7 m.s-1; approximately 25% VO2max) and 10 min at walk (1.7 m.s-1; approximately 15% VO2max). Exercise was undertaken on a 3 degrees incline at 30 degrees C/80% RH. Solutio...
Mikami T, Tsuchihashi K, Kashiwagi M, Yachida Y, Daino T, Hashi K, Akino T, Gasa S.A sulfatide, O-fatty-acylated 3-sulfogalactosylceramide at C6-O on galactoside, was isolated from equine brain and the chemical structure was characterized by proton NMR and MS. The O-acylation site of the acylated sulfatide was determined by the down-field shift of protons attached to a carbon having an O-acyl group in the NMR spectrum and by analysis of a partially methylated derivative before and after acetalization of the intact sulfatide using GC-MS. The O-acyl chain length was determined by GLC, revealing that it exclusively had palmitoyl and stearoyl residues as the major fatty acids. T...
Wood JL, Milne EM, Doxey DL.A case-control study was performed to investigate the epidemiology of grass sickness in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 1995. Data were collected by means of postal questionnaire when cases of grass sickness were identified. Sets of three questionnaires were posted to owners of, or veterinary surgeons attending, cases of grass sickness, with a request to provide information on the case, on one healthy animal on the same premises as the case and on another healthy animal on other premises. Controls were matched to cases by date of onset. After univariate analyses, the probability of grass sickn...
Votion D, Vandenput S, Duvivier DH, Lambert P, Art T, Lekeux P.This study proposed a standardized method for measuring alveolar epithelium membrane permeability in the horse. The normal rate of clearance (%.min-1) from lung into blood of nebulized 99mTc-DTPA has been established for healthy horses (Group A) compared with values obtained with horses suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; Group B). The 99mTc-DTPA clearance was measured in the caudoventral (R1) and in the half caudal (R2) parts of the left lung during different time intervals. The two regions aimed to define the influence of the airways on measured clearance (R2 containe...
Alexander SL, Irvine CH.Plasma cortisol is largely bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), which regulates its bioavailability by restricting exit from capillaries. Levels of CBG may be altered by several factors including stress and this can influence the amount of cortisol reaching cells. This study investigated the effect of social instability on plasma concentrations of CBG, total and free (not protein bound) cortisol in horses. Horses new to our research herd ('newcomers') were confined in a small yard with four dominant resident horses for 3-4 h daily for 3-4 (n = 5) or 9-14 (n = 3) days. Jugular blood ...
Todhunter RJ, Fubini SL, Vernier-Singer M, Wootton JA, Lust G, Freeman KP, MacLeod JN.To determine how acute synovitis, with and without intra-articular methylprednisolone acetate (MPA), affect synthesis of proteoglycan, total protein, and collagen in articular cartilage and total protein synthesis in synovial membrane. Methods: Synovitis was induced in 10 ponies by the injection of 0.5 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the left radiocarpal and midcarpal joints every 2 days for a total of four treatments. Synovitis was documented by clinical examination and synovial fluid analyses. Two days before euthanasia, MPA (0.1 mg/kg) was injected with the last dose of LPS into both the l...
Murray RC, DeBowes RM, Gaughan EM, Zhu CF, Athanasiou KA.Intra-articular corticosteroids are widely used as anti-inflammatory agents for symptomatic management of arthritis, but their administration with concurrent exercise remains controversial. Biochemical and morphologic analysis of treated cartilage has revealed conflicting results, but previous biomechanical assessment has not been undertaken. Objective: To compare the biomechanical properties of intra-articular methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) and diluent treated cartilage in treadmill exercised horses. Methods: Eight 2-year-old female horses had MPA or diluent administered into contralateral ...
Doherr MG, Carpenter TE, Wilson WD, Gardner IA.The objective of this study is to describe the design, application and validity of a self-administered (mailed) questionnaire to collect data on potential risk factors for Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in California horses. Horses admitted to the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) between 1 July 1992 and 30 June 1994 served as the study base for case identification and simple random sampling of 800 control horses. A questionnaire was mailed to owners of the study horses, followed by a reminder postcard and a second copy of a questionnaire. Data were collected o...
Holland JL, Kronfeld DS, Sklan D, Harris PA.Marker methods are needed for estimating fecal output by grazing animals in studies of nutrition and environmental impact. In addition, estimates of prefecal mass and turnover time are relevant to exercise performance and certain digestive disorders. As a first step in developing marker methods for field use, a chromic oxide model of fecal kinetics was developed and tested in the context of a digestion balance experiment with stall-fed horses. The model consists of removal of feces at a constant rate from a single compartment, the prefecal mass. Four horses were fed hay, and another four were ...
Marr KA, Lees P, Page CP, Cunningham FM.Leukotrienes have been shown to mimic many of the pathophysiological processes in allergic airway disease. In this study the bronchoconstrictor effect of inhaled LTD4, and radiolabelled neutrophil accumulation in response to inhalation of LTB4, have been examined in the horse. In separate studies, solutions of LTD4 and LTB4 were administered to the airways of normal animals by nebulisation. LTD4, but not LTB4, caused a dose-dependent increase in pleural pressure which was maximal at three to four minutes and had returned to baseline by 15 to 20 minutes. On a molar basis LTD4 was 305 to 970 tim...
Doherr MG, Carpenter TE, Hanson KM, Wilson WD, Gardner IA.A case-control study was designed using equine medical records from the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) and data derived through a mailed survey. The objective was to evaluate the associations between horse demographics, horse-management factors, and equine Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in California. Horses admitted to the VMTH between July 1 1992 and June 30 1994 served as the study base for case identification and simple random sampling of 800 controls. A questionnaire was mailed to the owners of all horses enrolled in the study to collect data on demogra...
Mobarak MS, Ryan MF.Adult Strongylus vulgaris, collected from the caecum of infected horses and embedded in paraplast using standard methods, were sectioned for immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies. Antibodies were raised in rabbit against the excretory-secretory product (ESP) and against two constituent protein bands (28-30 kDa). The use of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting indicated the immunogenicity of ESP and of the subunits (28-30 kDa). In ELISA, both rabbit hyperimmune sera recognized the ESP and (28-30 kDa) ban...
Sah RL, Tsushima RG, Backx PH.We examined the ability of local anesthetics to correct altered inactivation properties of rat skeletal muscle Na+ channels containing the equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (eqHPP) mutation when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Increased time constants of current decay in eqHPP channels compared with wild-type channels were restored by 1 mM benzocaine but were not altered by lidocaine or mexiletine. Inactivation curves, which were determined by measuring the dependence of the relative peak current amplitude after depolarization to -10 mV on conditioning prepulse voltages, could be shifted in...
Pelletier N, Robinson NE, Kaiser L, Derksen FJ.We investigated regional differences of in vitro responses of pulmonary arteries (6-mm OD) from the dorsocaudal (top) and cranioventral (bottom) lung regions to endothelium-dependent vasodilators (methacholine, bradykinin, and calcium ionophore A-23187). Methacholine relaxed endothelium-intact top vessels; however, in bottom vessels, a small relaxation preceded a profound contraction. In top vessels, removal of endothelial cells converted relaxation to contraction, and in bottom vessels it abolished relaxation and enhanced contraction. Bradykinin and A-23187 were more potent and caused greater...
Scepek S, Coorssen JR, Lindau M.Using the patch-clamp technique, we studied the role of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation on the exocytotic fusion of secretory granules with the plasma membrane in horse eosinophils. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) had no effect on the amplitude and dynamics of degranulation, indicating that the formation of fusion pores is insensitive to activation of protein kinase C (PKC). Fusion pore expansion, however, was accelerated approximately 2-fold by PMA, and this effect was abolished by staurosporine. Elevating intracellular Ca2+ to 1.5 microM also resulted in a 2-fold accelera...
Barlough JE, Reubel GH, Madigan JE, Vredevoe LK, Miller PE, Rikihisa Y.Ehrlichia DNA was identified by nested PCR in operculate snails (Pleuroceridae: Juga spp.) collected from stream water in a northern California pasture in which Potomac horse fever (PHF) is enzootic. Sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA from a suite of genes (the 16S rRNA, groESL heat shock operon, 51-kDa major antigen genes) indicated that the source organism closely resembled Ehrlichia risticii, the causative agent of PHF. The minimum percentage of Juga spp. harboring the organism in the population studied was 3.5% (2 of 57 snails). No ehrlichia DNA was found in tissues of 123 lymnaeid, physid, a...
Arienti G, Carlini E, De Cosmo AM, Di Profio P, Palmerini CA.Human semen contains membranous vesicles called prostasomes. They are secreted by the prostate gland and contain large amounts of cholesterol, sphingomyelin, and Ca2+. Prostasomes enhance the motility of ejaculated spermatozoa and are involved in a number of additional biological functions. No prostasome-like vesicles have been described in horse semen up to now. We have demonstrated the presence of prostasome-like vesicles in the equine semen and characterized them as to size, morphology, and lipid composition; we have found that they are similar to human prostasomes in many respects. We prop...
Sponseller BA, McElhaney R, Carlson GP, Yarbrough TB, Macon SZ.The article presents a case study of a 17-year-old mare that had persistent bladder infections due to abnormal urinary tract anatomy characterized by a septum in the bladder, dilated ureters, […]
Hahn CN, Mayhew IG, Washbourne JR.Lateral thoracic nerve reflex latencies values were measured in ponies using a simple, non-invasive technique. The reflex was elicited using an external triggering hammer attached to an electrodiagnostic unit. The resulting evoked, compound muscle action potentials were recorded with electrodes, which were placed over the 6th ribs or 11th rib level with the axilla. Two superimposed repeats of 4 signal-averaged sweeps of 50 or 100 milliseconds were recorded and the estimated reflex pathway was measured for each subject in order to calculate the reflex latencies and latency velocities. Mean left...
Goudet G, Bézard J, Belin F, Duchamp G, Palmer E, Gérard N.The in vitro maturation rate of equine oocytes remains low, regardless of culture conditions. Our objective was to determine the reasons for failure of equine oocytes to resume meiosis during in vitro maturation and to ascertain the influence of the estrous cycle stage on meiotic competence. In 10 cyclic mares, 7 ultrasound-guided follicular punctures were performed alternately during the follicular phase (group DF; n = 3 punctures), at the end of the follicular phase (group EF; n = 2), and during the luteal phase (group DL; n = 2). We evaluated the competence of the oocytes for in vitro matur...
MacLachlan NJ, Balasuriya UB, Hedges JF, Schweidler TM, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, Hullinger PJ, Patton JF.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, an apparently emerging disease of equids. In this study, the antibody response of horses to the structural proteins of EAV was evaluated using gradient-purified EAV virions and baculovirus-expressed recombinant EAV structural proteins (G(L), G(S), M, N) as antigens in a Western immunoblotting assay. Thirty-three sera from horses that previously had been naturally or experimentally infected with EAV were evaluated, including samples from mares, geldings, and both persistently and nonpersistently infected stallions. S...
Nelson KM, Schram BR, McGregor MW, Sheoran AS, Olsen CW, Lunn DP.Inactivated alum-adjuvanted conventional equine influenza virus vaccines are of poor efficacy and offer limited short-term protection against infection. In sharp contrast, natural infection with equine influenza virus confers long-term protective immunity. In order to identify the protective immune responses to equine influenza virus, the influenza virus-specific IgA, IgGa, IgGb, IgGc and IgG(T) antibody responses in nasal secretions and serum induced by natural infection and a commercial vaccine were studied by ELISA. Two groups of four influenza-naive ponies were established. In the natural ...
Valk N, Doherty TJ, Blackford JT, Abraha TW, Frazier DL.The effect of phenylbutazone on gastric emptying in horses was determined by measuring serum concentrations of acetaminophen. Gastric emptying was determined in normal fasted horses (n = 6), horses given endotoxin intravenously (n = 6), horses given intravenous phenylbutazone (n = 6), and horses given intravenous phenylbutazone plus endotoxin (n = 6). The mean time to reach maximum serum acetaminophen concentration (Tmax), the maximum serum concentration (Cmax), and the area under the serum acetaminophen concentration versus time curve (AUC) were compared among treatment groups. Phenylbutazone...
MacLachlan NJ, Balasuriya UB, Hedges JF, Schweidler TM, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, Hullinger PJ, Patton JF.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, an apparently emerging disease of equids. In this study, the antibody response of horses to the structural proteins of EAV was evaluated using gradient-purified EAV virions and baculovirus-expressed recombinant EAV structural proteins (G(L), G(S), M, N) as antigens in a Western immunoblotting assay. Thirty-three sera from horses that previously had been naturally or experimentally infected with EAV were evaluated, including samples from mares, geldings, and both persistently and nonpersistently infected stallions. S...
Young DR, Divers TJ, Benson CE.Clinical septicemia developed in 2 clinically normal horses after both were administered a portion of an amino acid solution IV. Serratia marcescens was subsequently isolated from blood of both horses. The isolates were shown to be identical on the basis of antibiograms and plasmid biochemistry, incriminating the infusate as the source of bacterial infection. The horses recovered after supportive and antimicrobial treatment.
Stewart F, Goode JA, Allen WR.A heterologous radioimmunoassay was developed and validated for the measurement of horse GH in plasma. It utilized recombinant-derived bovine GH as the radiolabelled ligand, a guinea-pig anti-porcine GH serum as first antibody and pituitary-derived horse GH as standard. Cross-reactivities were high with all of the pituitary and recombinant-derived GH preparations tested (49-140%) and very low (< 0.3%) with horse FSH, LH and prolactin. A synthetic analogue of GH-releasing factor(1-29) stimulated the expected pattern of GH release in foals. Plasma GH concentrations in foals were low at birth (< ...
Carlson N, Eastman T, Winfield L.This study evaluated outcomes of surgical treatment of equine sialolithiasis, highlighting cases involving the proximal parotid salivary duct. Sialoliths in the proximal parotid duct were difficult to identify radiographically and more frequently associated with draining tracts and sialadenitis compared with sialoliths in the distal parotid duct. Ultrasonography confirmed the diagnosis of sialolithiasis in all cases in which there was no radiographic evidence of a sialolith. All cases of proximal parotid duct sialolithiasis required transcutaneous removal. A longer duration of illness was obse...
Diel de Amorim M, Klein C, Foster R, Dong L, Lopez-Rodriguez MF, Card C.Leucyl and cystinyl aminopeptidase (LNPEP/oxytocinase) is an enzyme that metabolizes oxytocin in serum and tissues. The presence of oxytocin/neurophysin I (OXT), oxytocin and LNPEP and their relationship to other genes is unknown in the equine conceptus. Our objective was to characterize gene expression of LNPEP and OXT on D8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 21 conceptuses in relationship to other genes. Immunohistochemistry, western blot and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used for identification of oxytocin and LNPEP in D15, 16 and 18 conceptuses. LNPEP was increas...
Reilly JD, Collins SN, Cope BC, Hopegood L, Latham RJ.The number of tubules/mm2 (tubule density) of horse hoof horn was quantified in samples taken from the left forefeet of 8 randomly selected slaughterhouse horses in order to establish the normal tubule density characteristics at the midline dead centre (MDC) for the stratum medium of horse hoof. In the past the measurement of tubule distribution within the hoof has lacked objectivity. The horse hoof tubule density results are compared to a recent objective study carried out on pony hoof. A similar 4 zone pattern of tubule density was observed, although the precise zonal boundaries and tubule d...
Autry JM, Karim CB, Perumbakkam S, Finno CJ, McKenzie EC, Thomas DD, Valberg SJ.Ca regulation in equine muscle is important for horse performance, yet little is known about this species-specific regulation. We reported recently that horse encode unique gene and protein sequences for the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca-transporting ATPase (SERCA) and the regulatory subunit sarcolipin (SLN). Here we quantified gene transcription and protein expression of SERCA and its inhibitory peptides in horse gluteus, as compared to commonly-studied rabbit skeletal muscle. RNA sequencing and protein immunoblotting determined that horse gluteus expresses the gene (SERCA1) as the predomin...
Rebecca PH, Linda P.Although the number of small-scale farms is increasing in North America and Europe, few studies have been conducted to better understand environmental management in this sector. We investigate this issue by examining environmental management on horse farms from both the perspective of the "expert" extension educator and horse farm operator. We conducted a Delphi survey and follow-up interviews with extension educators in Indiana and Kentucky. We also conducted interviews and farm assessments with 15 horse farm operators in the two states. Our results suggest a disconnection between the percept...
Junge HK, Glaus T, Matos JN, Meira C, Schwarz A, Hoey S, Dennler M, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ.In a 1-day old filly with a loud heart murmur, transthoracic echocardiography revealed right ventricular hypertrophy associated with severe pulmonary valvular stenosis and a transvalvular pressure gradient (between right ventricle and pulmonary artery) of 125 mmHg. Computed tomographic angiography confirmed the finding, with no evidence of other relevant concurrent abnormalities. Balloon valvuloplasty was performed using a single balloon technique. The foal recovered well from anaesthesia. Following the procedure, the right ventricle-pulmonary artery transvalvular gradient decreased to 38 mm...
Stack A, Derksen FJ, Sordillo LM, Williams KJ, Stick JA, Brandenberger C, Steibel JP, Robinson NE.To determine the effects of 2 weeks of intense exercise on expression of markers of pulmonary venous remodeling in the caudodorsal and cranioventral regions of the lungs of horses. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Tissue samples of the caudodorsal and cranioventral regions of lungs were obtained before and after conditioning and 2 weeks of intense exercise. Pulmonary veins were isolated, and a quantitative real-time PCR assay was used to determine mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and -2, collagen type I, tenascin-C, endothelin-1, platelet...
Al-Khalidi NW, Weisbrode SE, Dubey JP.Nine ponies were fed 100,000 infective Toxoplasma gondii oocysts and were given corticosteroid injections before and after feeding the T gondii oocysts. Titers to the Sabin-Feldman dye tests (1:2 to 1:16,384) developed within postinoculation days (PID) 7 to 21 and antibodies persisted to PID 133. Toxoplasma organisms were isolated from the tissues of 4 ponies (heart of 4, brain of 2, spinal cord of 3, diaphragm of 1, skeletal muscle of 1, liver of 1, kidneys of 1) killed between PID 36 and 63, but not from 5 ponies killed between PID 117 and 150. Seemingly, ponies are one of the more resistant...
Schmitz DG.Many different substances can induce toxic damage to various structural components of the equine kidney, and most lack pathognomonic signs. Some of these agents have specific treatments, although many do not. Supportive and symptomatic therapy is an important aspect of treatment of most cases of equine nephrotoxicosis. Regardless of cause, if the toxic substance is removed or neutralized before significant renal damage, full recovery of renal function may occur. Many horses already have significant renal damage before a definitive diagnosis is made, and the prognosis for full recovery thus rem...
Rutledge JJ, Paegelow J, Ritchey J, Singh A, Rizzi T, Murray C, Gilliam L, Crisman E, Williams NJ, Holbrook TC.The objective of this study was to determine the extent that nebulized glycosylated caffeic acid phenylether ester-4-O-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (G-CAPE) attenuates particulate-induced airway inflammation in healthy horses. Our hypothesis was that nebulization with G-CAPE would result in improved respiratory scores, higher arterial oxygen partial pressure, and less inflammatory airway infiltrates in horses with induced airway inflammation, compared with untreated controls. Five healthy adult horses were housed inside a climate controlled, closed barn on straw bedding and fed moldy grass hay for...
Markel MD, Madigan JE, Lichtensteiger CA, Large SM, Hornof WJ.Over a 4-year period, vertebral body abscess was diagnosed in 5 young cattle. The laboratory findings in most of these cases did not suggest a diagnosis of vertebral body abscess. The most important basis for diagnosis of this condition was a thorough neurologic examination. In 4 cases, necropsy revealed abscesses in the lungs or thoracic cavity as well, suggesting that a history of pneumonia preceding paresis may favor the diagnosis of vertebral body abscess.
Thompson DL, Garza F, Ashley KB, Wiest JJ.Anestrous lighthorse mares were treated in December with dihydrotestosterone (DHT; 150 micrograms/kg of body weight), progesterone (P; 164 micrograms/kg), both DHT and P (DHT+P), testosterone (T; 150 micrograms/kg), or vehicle (n = 4/group). Daily blood sampling was started on Day 1, and on Day 4 all mares were administered a pretreatment injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and were bled frequently to characterize the responses of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations. Treatment injections were given on Day 4 and then daily through Day 17...
O'Sullivan S, McGowan CM, Junnila J, Hyytiäinen HK.Impinging dorsal spinous processes (IDSP) are typically diagnosed and graded using radiography, during which the effect of the horses' thoracolumbar posture on the interspinous spaces is not commonly considered. Posture can be altered from a spontaneous, relatively extended, or lordotic, position by manual facilitation of thoracic flexion ('thoracic lift'). This study aimed to ascertain if the thoracic vertebral interspinous space distances were increased by using facilitated thoracic flexion to alter the posture in horses diagnosed with IDSP. Seven horses of mixed breed and sex, median age 9....
Geiser DR, Walker RD.The pathophysiology and histopathology of thermal burns in large animals is very similar to that in humans. Burns are classified as first degree, superficial and deep second degree, third degree, and fourth degree, depending upon the depth of thermal injury. Most severe burns will produce a local and a systemic response--both of which must be properly treated to increase the patient's chances for survival. The systemic response is mainly characterized by hypovolemia, fluid and electrolyte loss, protein loss, pulmonary edema, increased caloric requirements, and depressed immune responses. The l...
Oxburgh L, Berg M, Klingeborn B, Emmoth E, Linné T.The antigenic properties of H3N8 equine influenza virus from the Swedish epizootic of 1991 differ from those of A/eq 2/Fontainebleau/79 (representative of the Swedish vaccine strain) in hemagglutination inhibition tests. The amino acid sequence of the hemagglutinin (HA) of an isolate from the 1991 outbreak was deduced from the nucleotide sequence and comparison was made to the A/eq 2/Fontainebleau/79 strain. Twenty-three amino acid substitutions were found, 10 mapping onto areas of the HA known to bind antibodies in human H3 influenza viruses. The amino acid changes together with the serologic...
Van de Water E, Oosterlinck M, Duchateau L, Pille F.The purpose of this study was to determine whether the scil Vet abc Plus(+) (SCIL Animal Care Company, Altorf, France), an impedance hematology analyzer, can accurately quantify and differentiate nucleated blood cells (NBCs) in equine synovial fluid. Synovial fluid samples (n=242) in different stages of experimentally induced inflammation were analyzed with and without hyaluronidase pretreatment and compared to manual hemocytometer counts and smear reviews. No significant effect of hyaluronidase pretreatment was observed. Total nucleated cell counts of the scil Vet abc Plus(+) were significant...
Byers SW, Dowsett KF, Glover TD.Three stallions were bled each hour for 25 h at 28-day intervals throughout 1 year. Testosterone levels were pulsatile. Pulse frequency and pulse amplitude were higher in the summer months than at other times (P less than 0.01). The number of testosterone pulses also varied throughout the day, with the greatest frequency occurring in the afternoon (14.00-17.00 h) and at night (22.00-01.00 h). Mean testosterone levels were highest in the summer (P less than 0.01) but showed a secondary, smaller increase in the autumn. Semen characteristics were assessed from measurements of 222 stallions. Semen...
Yovich JV.Fractures of the distal phalanx are an important cause of lameness referrable to the foot. Depending on the fracture configuration and articular involvement, conservative or surgical treatment may be required. Fractures of the distal phalanx have been divided into six categories based on fracture configuration. Discussion of clinical features, management, and prognosis for horses with distal phalangeal fractures is presented for each fracture type.
Mouguelar H, Díaz T, Borghi D, Quinteros R, Bonino F, Apichela SA, Aguilar JJ.The objectives of this work were to describe some morphometric characteristics and to establish quantitative parameters of different regions of the equine oviductal mucosa from the isthmus, ampullary-isthmic junction (AIJ), and ampulla. Twenty-one mixed-bred mares were used for this study. Mares were selected in the following reproductive phases: anestrus, estrus, and diestrus. The left oviducts were examined with light microscopy, and rights ones were studied through the intraoviductal molds. The isthmus showed the smallest luminal area, mucosal area, epithelial perimeter, and luminal diamete...
Reef VB, Klumpp S, Maxson AD, Sweeney RW.Two-dimensional real-time echocardiographic examination of a 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with pleuropneumonia revealed an intact aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva, which was confirmed at postmortem examination. The horse had no clinical signs associated with the aneurysm.
Lindsay FE, Burton FL.Although "urine testing" is said to enable the male equid to assess the sexual status of the mare, there are no reports in the literature of any detailed study of this behavioural response of the stallion. Behavioural response to conspecific urine was studied in two horse stallions and one donkey stallion. The relevant nasopalatine anatomy is described. Events observed during urine testing included head, neck, lip, jaw, tongue movements, penile changes and nasal secretion. Nasal endoscopy indicated that the source of part of the nasal secretion was the secretory glands of the vomeronasal organ...
Hernández-Avilés C, Ramírez-Agámez L, Love CC, Friedrich M, Pearson M, Kelley DE, Beckham AMN, Teague SR, LaCaze KA, Brinsko SP, Varner DD.Under in vitro conditions, stallion sperm might preferentially use energy substrates that primarily undergo mitochondrial metabolism. The present study sought to determine the effects of glucose, pyruvate, lactate, or their combinations on the quality of stallion sperm subjected to cooled storage at different temperatures, when using a skim milk-based semen extender. In Experiment 1, no substrate (Control), glucose (40 mM; Glu-40), pyruvate (2 mM, 19.8 mM; Pyr-2, Pyr-19), lactate (2 mM, 19.8 mM; Lac-2, Lac-19, respectively), or their combinations (G/P/L-2 or G/P/L-19, respectively) were ...
Stephens KA, Morcom E, Hood DM.A fluorometric assay was used to determine plasma antithrombin III (AT III) activities in 15 healthy adult horses. Nearly all plasma samples had an initial value of greater than 100% thrombin inhibited, so a 1:1 dilution of the prepared samples was performed. Following dilution, the mean value of the animals was 59.17 +/- 7.4% thrombin inhibited. Mares had significantly greater AT III activity than did geldings (P less than 0.01). The results of this study indicate the horse has more AT III activity than did other domestic species in which AT III activity has been reported.
An J, Tseveen K, Oyungerel B, Kong HS.Mongolian horses are one of the oldest horse breeds, and are very important livestock in Mongolia as they are used in various fields such as transportation, food (milk, meat), and horse racing. In addition, research and preservation on pure Mongolian breeds are being promoted under the implementation of the new Genetics of Livestock Resources' act in Mongolia. However, despite the implementation of this act, genetic research on Mongolian horses using microsatellites (MS) has not progressed enough. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the genetic polymorphism of five breeds (Gobi shan...
