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.
Räsänen LA, Lampinen KJ, Pösö AR.To study whether end products of 2 pathways of anaerobic energy metabolism, lactate and purines, that accumulate in the blood after intense exercise indicate any relation to exercise performance. Methods: Venous blood samples were taken within 1 and 15 minutes after a trotting race of 2,100 m. Methods: 16 Clinically healthy Standardbred trotters. Methods: Blood and plasma lactate concentrations were measured by enzymatic analyzer, and purines, uric acid and allantoin, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of metabolites were then correlated to racing tim...
Steiner A, Roussel AJ.Hypodynamic gastrointestinal disorders in horses and cattle that are thought to benefit from treatment with drugs restoring and coordinating gastrointestinal motility include postoperative ileus and large colon impaction in the horse and displacement of the abomasum and dilatation of the cecum in cattle. Important physiologic, pathophysiologic and pharmacologic mechanisms involved in the intrinsic control of gastrointestinal motility include cholinergic, adrenergic, dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and opioid-mediated pathways. Preliminary results suggest that cisapride, acting on 5-Hydroxytrypta...
Broad TE, Forrest JW, Lewis PE, Pearce PD, Phua SH, Pugh PA, Stewart-Scott IA.A DNA repeat element, revealed initially by digestion of horse DNA with TaqI, was cloned and characterized by Southern and in situ hybridization studies and nucleotide sequencing. The clone, e4/1, consisted of 32 tandem reiteration of a unit repeat of 21-22 bp, and produced multilocus DNA fingerprinting profiles that were useful for parentage analysis in horses. The tandem repeat element was shown by in situ hybridization to be localized in the centromeres of the acrocentric but not metacentric classes of horse chromosomes.
Thomas PG, Ignotz GG, Ball BA, Brinsko SP, Currie WB.Adhesion of equine spermatozoa to homologous oviduct epithelial cells (OEC) in vitro results in specific changes in spermatozoa and OEC function. To test the hypothesis that adhesion of spermatozoa affects protein synthesis and secretion by OEC, the following treatment groups were established in culture: OEC with culture medium only; control spermatozoa in culture medium only; OEC in coculture with spermatozoa; and OEC and spermatozoa in coculture, but physically separated by a microporous membrane. The experiment was replicated within each of 4 ejaculates from 3 stallions. De novo protein sec...
van den Berg MJ, Rijkenhuizen AB, Németh F, Gruys E.Chronic changes of several structures in around the fetlock tunnel can be a cause of the so-called fetlock tunnel syndrome (FTS) in the horse. Forty-nine annular ligaments (AL) from dead horses without a known history or clinical evidence of lameness and/or digital tendon sheath problems in these legs and 30 AL biopsies from horses suffering from FTS were studied macroscopically and microscopically. Macroscopically, the normal AL had a shiny white appearance, whereas the affected AL were often thicker and less white. Microscopically, the normal AL were about +/- 1 mm thick and were composed of...
van der Kolk JH, Grinwis GC.A three-year-old pregnant Dutch Warmblood mare was referred to the Department of Large Animal Medicine and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, because of weight loss for 1 month. The main clinical features were (beside weight loss) moderate ventral oedema, enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, and uniform thickening of the wall of the jejunum. Haematological evaluation revealed leukocytosis (15.9 G.l-1 with 18% lymphocytes and 1% eosinophils) and a decreased total serum protein and albumin concentration (35 g.l-1 and 36.3% albumin). At necropsy transmural eosinophilic enteritis was found in ...
Battelli G, Galuppi R, Pietrobelli M, Tampieri MP.Fecal examinations of horses (Equus caballus) from studs in the province of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia region, east-northern Italy), carried out during two periods of the year 1993, revealed coccidian oocysts in six foals, two stallions and one mare. The species was identified as Eimeria leuckarti. This species was reported only once in Italy, more than 20 years ago (1972). For this reason, the prevalence of the parasite and the description of immature and sporulated oocysts are given.
Schneider RK, Andrea R, Barnes HG.An open, contaminated, comminuted fracture of the radius of a 500-kg adult horse was diagnosed. Antibiotic-impregnated polymethyl methacrylate implants were placed into the fracture site to help eliminate infection from the limb. Later in the course of treatment, lag screws were placed across the fracture to generate compression and healing. The fracture healed, and the horse was released to its owners. The implants were not removed, and only a mild lameness existed 90 days later.
Sojka JE, Levy M.This article outlines strategies on how to approach equine endocrine disorders based on clinical signs and clinical pathologic data. In the 1987 Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice article on evaluating equine endocrine function, Beech stated that the numbers of hormonal assays available to use in horses was limited. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then. With the advent of convenient assay kits for many hormones and cofactors available in human medicine, it is possible to submit samples to laboratories for measurement of a wide range of endogenous substances. Caution...
Firth EC, Klarenbeek A.A foal with retained cartilage in the distal metaphysis of the right and left radii and third metacarpal bones had abnormal physeal vasculature. In areas where cartilage was retained, vessels crossed the physis, and branched at the physeal-metaphyseal junction or at the site of retained cartilage. Vessels appeared to be involved in re-initiation of endochondral ossification and in the repair reponse to the presence of retained cartilage. In areas where the physis was radiographically and histologically normal, no vessels crossed the physis. A function of transphyseal vessels may be as a reserv...
Lund RJ, Guthrie AJ.This study determined the maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) of Thoroughbred horses acclimatised to mild hypobaric conditions using a standard exercise test on a treadmill inclined at a 7% slope. The O2 uptake (VO2) versus speed relationship was linear below the exercise intensity required to attain VO2max. The VO2max of individual horses ranged from 143.5 to 172.6 ml/kg/min. The proportion of total variance for the VO2 versus speed relationship was greater than 0.992, and the coefficients of variation in repeated tests in individual horses ranged between 0.07 and 1.54%. The VO2 versus speed relations...
Broad TE, Ede AJ, Forrest JW, Lewis PE, Phua SH, Pugh PA.DNA repeats, revealed initially by digestion of horse DNA with restriction enzymes, were cloned and characterized by cross-hybridization studies and nucleotide sequencing. The Sau-like family of tandem repeats contained two classes of repetitive elements with unit repeats of about 80 bp that shared no sequence similarity. Both unit repeats were present, frequently in tandem, in cloned segments of horse DNA of less than 600 bp. Evidence is presented, based on their ladderlike patterns of hybridization to horse DNA and their high level of similarity to published sequences of satellites from equi...
Mettenleiter EM.Diagnosis of diseases of the inner eye of horses is problematic, especially in cases where ophthalmoscopic examination is impaired or prevented by cloudiness of the optical apparatus. In addition, examination of retrobulbar affection normally only allows indirect conclusions on localization and extent of alteration. By the use of ultrasound on diseased horse eyes a detailed examination of the inner eye with retrobulbar structures is possible even in these cases. Here, we present several clinical pictures which are difficult or impossible to diagnose by ophthalmoscopical means. For example, son...
Lassen ED, Swardson CJ.In diseased animals, laboratory evaluations of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and hemostasis provide important information that contributes to either narrowing the list of potential diagnoses or to determining a specific diagnosis. To adequately interpret the results of these evaluations, normal erythrocyte and leukocyte kinetics and normal hemostatic function must be understood. In addition, knowledge of common diseases resulting in abnormalities of these laboratory tests and of typical changes in these tests caused by these diseases is vital. This article has reviewed normal erythrocyte and leuko...
Escribano BM, Castejon FM, Santisteban R, Aguera EI, Rubio MD.A study has been made of the variations experienced by the hemogram and blood volume indices in 16 Andalusian horses after carrying out an exercise test of increasing intensity consisting of 3 sequences of 1000 m each, before and after being subjected to a daily exercise programme for two months. Samples were taken by external jugular vein puncture: while at rest, within the first minute of finalizing each exercise stage and at 10 and 15 minutes of recovery. Both the red blood cells and the hematocrit value showed a significant decrease in their mean values after two months training; conversel...
Bell K, Arthur H, Breen M.Eleven apparent mutations of the equine plasma transferrin and esterase gene (10 in TF and one in ES) were found in an analysis of approximately 240,000 thoroughbred horses. Eight of the transferrin mutations produced variants not previously recognized in horses. In the two remaining transferrin mutations and the esterase mutation, reduced plasma concentrations of the proteins were demonstrated by immunological techniques and together with the family data indicated the existence of 'null' alleles.
Palmer JL, Bertone AL, Malemud CJ, Carter BG, Papay RS, Mansour J.The relevance of site and the influence of exercise on third carpal articular cartilage proteoglycan (PG) were assessed in 16 horses. Six horses were exercised (exercised group) for 30 minutes, 3 times/wk, for 6 weeks. The other 10 horses (nonexercised group) were housed in box stalls for the same 6-week period. At week 6, articular cartilage from the proximal surface of the right third carpal bone was harvested and cultured with radioactive sulfate to label newly synthesized PG. Endogenous PG was measured by use of a uronic acid assay. Newly synthesized and endogenous PG were characterized by...
Sticker LS, Thompson DL, Bunting LD, Fernandez JM, DePew CL, Nadal MR.Twelve light horse mares were fed a control diet that provided 100% of their maintenance protein and energy requirements for 7 d and were then either continued on the control diet or totally deprived of feed (with access to water) for 3 d . Plasma samples were drawn twice daily throughout the experiment, at 15-min intervals for 9 h beginning 45 h after feed removal, and at 10-min intervals around an exercise bout beginning 73 h after feed removal. Feed deprivation increased (P < or = .06) whole blood beta-hydroxybutyrate and plasma NEFA, urea N, L-lactate, and glucagon concentrations, decrease...
Mills PC, Dunnett M, Smith NC.The pharmacokinetics of oral and intravenous allopurinol was studied in five horses and compared with intravenous oxypurinol. The plasma concentration vs. time curves, following intravenous administration of 5 mg/kg, were best described by the biexponential equations Cp = 106.58e(-25.14t) + 159.93e(-10.96t) for allopurinol and Cp = 321.09e(-9.72t) + 82.39e(-0.44t) for oxypurinol, with an elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) of 0.09 h and an area under the curve (AUC) of 19.8 mumol.h/L after intravenous administration, while the t1/2 beta and AUC of oxypurinol were 1.09 h and 231 mumol.h/L, respec...
Crabill MR, Watkins JP, Schneider RK, Auer JA.To determine the technique used, and the outcome for, double-plate fixation of comminuted fractures of the second phalanx of horses. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records. Methods: 10 horses with comminuted fractures of the second phalanx that were treated by use of double-plate fixation. Methods: Two 4- to 6-hole dynamic compression plates were abaxially placed to achieve arthrodesis of the proximal interphalangeal joint and fixation of the fracture of the second phalanx. Results: Arthrodesis and fracture healing were detected in all horses. Conclusions: Horses with comminuted fr...
Larsen M, Nansen P, Henriksen SA, Wolstrup J, Grønvold J, Zorn A, Wedø E.This study was undertaken to examine the potential of the nematode-trapping microfungus Duddingtonia flagrans to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract of horses and subsequently to destroy free-living stages of cyathostomes in faecal cultures. Three different oral dose levels were tested, two horses being used for each level. Faeces were collected twice daily and the numbers of parasite eggs per gram of faeces were determined. The numbers of infective third stage larvae which developed in faecal cultures were determined after the cultures had been incubated for 2 weeks at 24 degre...
Paweska JT, Volkmann DH, Barnard BJ, Chirnside ED.Two in a group of five naturally seropositive donkey stallions were found to shed equine arteritis virus (EAV) in their semen as demonstrated by virus isolation. Direct intramuscular inoculation of sonicated semen from one virus-shedding stallion (S3) caused clinical disease in two donkeys from which virus was recovered and in which seroconversion was detected. Sexual transmission was confirmed in two mares mated to S3 when after a febrile response during which EAV was isolated from huffy coats and nasal and ocular exudates, both mares were found to have seroconverted. In-contact transmission ...
Dame JB, MacKay RJ, Yowell CA, Cutler TJ, Marsh A, Greiner EC.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurologic disease of horses caused by Sarcocystis neurona. The horse is a dead-end host for S. neurona and the definitive and intermediate hosts have not previously been identified. We hypothesized that S. neurona is actually Sarcocystis falcatula, a parasite that cycles in nature between Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and any of a variety of avian intermediate hosts. We extracted DNA from S. falcatula sarcocysts in the muscle of a brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) and from schizonts in a fixed specimen of lung from a Moluccan cockat...
Fowden AL, Silver M.With the use of [U-14C]glucose tracer methodology, the rates of umbilical uptake, utilization, oxidation, and production of glucose were determined in nine chronically catheterized fetal foals in the fed state between 268 and 325 days of gestation (term approximately 335 days). At the same time, the rates of umbilical O2 and lactate uptake were measured in all nine fetuses by Fick principle. The mean fetal rates of umbilical glucose uptake, glucose utilization, and CO2 production from glucose carbon were 36.9 +/- 2.5, 36.4 +/- 1.7, and 117.7 +/- 17.4 mumol.min-1.kg fetal body wt-1, respectivel...
Daels PF, Mohammed HO, Odensvik K, Kindahl H.To determine the relative role of endogenous prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) secretion in cloprostenol-induced abortion in mares that no longer require luteal progesterone secretion for maintenance of pregnancy, and to evaluate the ability of a prostaglandin cyclooxygenase inhibitor (flunixin meglumine) to prevent cloprostenol-induced abortion. Methods: The effect of flunixin meglumine on PGF2 alpha secretion and outcome of pregnancy was compared between mares treated with cloprostenol only and mares treated with cloprostenol plus flunixin meglumine. Methods: Five pregnant mares, aged 4 to...
El-Hage C, Hartley C, Savage C, Watson J, Gilkerson J, Paillot R.During Australia's first and only outbreak of equine influenza (EI), which was restricted to two northeastern states, horses were strategically vaccinated with a recombinant canarypox-vectored vaccine (rCP-EIV; ProteqFlu™, Merial P/L). The vaccine encoded for haemagglutinin (HA) belonging to two equine influenza viruses (EIVs), including an American and Eurasian lineage subtype that predated the EIV responsible for the outbreak (A/equine/Sydney/07). Racehorses in Victoria (a southern state that remained free of EI) were vaccinated prophylactically. Although the vaccine encoded for (HA) belon...
Irvine CH, Alexander SL, McKinnon AO.The aim was to define precisely the FSH secretion pattern in mares during the two ovulatory cycles before, and for 24 days after, the last ovulation of the season and to compare this with the profiles of other reproductive hormones and follicular growth to identify changes which may lead to the termination of follicular cycles. Jugular blood was collected every 6 h from ten light horse mares for 6 weeks in autumn. Samples were assayed for FSH, LH, prolactin, inhibin, oestrone conjugates and progesterone. Luteolysis occurred earlier and periovulatory oestrone, but not inhibin, concentrations we...
Greet TR, Jeffcott LB, Whitwell KE, Cook WR.The paper describes the assessment and practical implications of a laryngeal adductory reflex in a series of 30 ataxic and 64 non-ataxic horses. The reflex was evoked by slapping the saddle region just caudal to the withers. In normal horses this produced a flickering adductory movement of the contralateral arytenoid cartilage which was observed endoscopically. Abolition of the laryngeal response was encountered in in 3 situations:--(1) Disruption of the afferent impulse occurred in those horses in which there was significant spinal cord pathology affecting the pathway from the cranial thoraci...
Kong XG, Pang H, Sugiura T, Sentsui H, Onodera T, Matsumoto Y, Akashi H.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) core proteins were obtained from a baculovirus expression system. Recombinant baculoviruses (rBVs) highly expressed the Gag precursor and p26 antigens in an rBV-infected Sf21 cell culture supernatant. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) were conducted using the expressed proteins to detect antibodies from experimentally infected horses. The expressed antigens showed low background levels, high specificity and sensitivity in ELISA and AGID. The results of the serological tests using the expressed antigens were ident...
Himebaugh NE, Robertson JB, Weninger K, Gilger BC, Ekesten B, Oh A.The aim of this study was to assess the transmission of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation (200-400 nm) through intact enucleated globes of different species (dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, horses, and humans) using spectrophotometry. Globes of cats (n = 6), dogs (n = 18), pigs (n = 10), rabbits (n = 6), horses (n = 10), and humans (n = 4) were analyzed. A 5-10 mm circular area of sclera and choroid from the posterior aspect of the globe was removed under a surgical microscope, leaving the retina intact in all species except the horse. Glass coverslips were added in horses and rabbits du...
Butler CM, Westermann CM, Koeman JP, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Over the last ten years a fatal syndrome associated with immunodeficiency and severe anaemia has been reported in young Fell pony foals in the UK. Affected foals are usually normal at birth but from the age of 2-4 weeks they progressively lose condition and become severely anaemic. Signs of immunodeficiency become apparent at around 3-4 weeks of age. Morbidity is low but mortality is 100% despite intensive treatment. Affected foals die or are euthanized usually before they reach the age of 3 months. A single autosomal recessive gene is suggested to be on the basis of the syndrome. Recently, af...
Buckingham SH, Jeffcott LB, Anderson GA, McCartney RN.The in vivo precision of ultrasound velocity measurement and single photon absorptiometry for the assessment of equine bone quality is discussed. In vivo precisions for ultrasound velocity measurements were less than 0.5 per cent, whereas cortical cross-sectional area, compact bone density and modulus of elasticity were around 1 per cent, and bone mineral content and density were just over 2 per cent. Except for ultrasound velocity, substantial improvements could be achieved by taking the mean of five readings for each measurement. The long-term precision of the techniques was also high, with ...
Koupai-Abyazani MR, Esaw B, Laviolette B.Urine and serum samples collected from four standard-bred mares after and oral regimen administration of methocarbamol were extracted and analyzed. The method consisted of enzyme hydrolysis followed by a one-step liquid-liquid extraction, separation on a reversed-phase (RP-18) column, and detection using an ultraviolet (UV) detector. The confirmation was carried out using a liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-API-MS) system. Maximum methocarbamol concentrations of 1498, 1734, 1547, 2322 micrograms/mL in urine and 4.9, 1.7, and 3.6 micrograms/mL in serum ...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Bond R, Patterson-Kane JC, McGowan CM.Two mature large-breed horses with coronary band dystrophy and chorioptic mange are described. They both had clinical signs of coronary band scaling and crusting but were not lame. Coronary band dystrophy can be differentiated from similar clinical conditions on the basis of the histological appearance of skin biopsy specimens, and by the exclusion of other possible disease processes. Its aetiology is uncertain, but probably involves a localised defect of keratinisation affecting the specialised epithelium of the coronary band.
Ríha J, Minár J, Skaloud J, Janes K, Králík O.Dipterous blood-sucking insects (horseflies, black flies, gnats, midges) have negative impacts on the performance of draught horses in forest enterprises. For the protection of these animals, the following preparations were applied at the interval of 24 hours: diethyltoluamide, Oxamat (N,N-diethyloxamine acid, USSR) and Stomoxin (synthetic pyrethroid, product of the firm Wellcome, England). In the course of 66 working days, the performance of test animals treated with 10% water emulsion of diethyltoluamide increased by 49.25 cu. m. of skidded wood, i.e. by 0.74 cu. m. wood per horse/day (21.65...
Palomba E, Martone F, Meduri A, Vaccaro A, Damiani N.A description is given of an outbreak of equine infectious anaemia (E.I.A.) in Campania [at Naples and Aversa (Caserta)]; it was diagnosed by clinical, pathological and serological examinations (Coggins test). Using the serum of 45 horses with E.I.A. and 11 healthy horses (controls), numerous investigations were carried out on: enzymes, intrinsic coagulation factors, lipids and other substances. The results obtained were very interesting and show that in this disease there are significant increases in many enzymes (LDH, LAP, gamma-GT, CPK, PK and ALD) and copper. Insignificant increases were f...
Hawkins DL, Stover SM.To investigate the effect of late gestation, age, and parity on material properties of third metacarpal (MCIII) cortical bone in mares. Methods: 8 healthy mares (treatment group) that died or were euthanatized within 24 hours after parturition because of foaling complications and 6 age-matched, healthy, nonpregnant mares (control group). Methods: After random assignment for mechanical testing and microradiography, the dorsal half of transverse mid-diaphyseal sections of each MCIII bone was divided into lateral, dorsal, and medial regions. Cylinders of bone from each of the 3 regions were teste...
Pereira B, Dorado J, Diaz-Jimenez M, Consuegra C, Ortiz I, Gosalvez J, Hidalgo M.The acquisition of equine oocyte developmental capacity is ensured by the follicular environment, such as granulosa cells, which could reflect the meiotic development potential of immature oocytes. This study evaluated the relationship between DNA fragmentation of granulosa cells, using the chromatin dispersion test, and equine oocyte meiotic development after in vitro maturation. Granulosa cells and cumulus-oocytes complexes (n = 50) were recovered from slaughterhouse-derived ovaries. Oocytes were in vitro matured, stained and evaluated under fluorescence microscopy. Maturation rates were c...
Holcombe SJ, Berney C, Cornelisse CJ, Derksen FJ, Robinson NE.To determine the effect of a commercially available nasal strip on airway mechanics in exercising horses. Methods: 6 horses (5 Standardbreds and 1 Thoroughbred). Methods: Horses exercised on a treadmill at speeds corresponding to 100 and 120% of maximal heart rate with and without application of a commercially available nasal strip. Concurrently, tracheal pressures, airflow, and heart rate were measured. Peak inspiratory and expiratory tracheal pressures, airflow, respiratory frequency, and tidal volume were recorded. Inspiratory and expiratory airway resistances were calculated by dividing pe...
Dawson K.Sourcing of horses naturally infected with parasites such as Anoplocephala perfoliata and Gasterophilus intestinalis for antiparasitic efficacy slaughter studies is often difficult, expensive, and usually excessive numbers of animals must be slaughtered before significant data can be obtained. To overcome this problem a "Modified Critical Treatment Method" was developed. This method does not require the horses to be sacrificed, but relies on the collection and processing of all faecal material containing expelled parasites from test animals. Efficacy is assessed by comparing, in the same horse...
Azizi S, Masoudi H.Colic is a clinical syndrome and has been defined as a visceral abdominal pain and/or acute abdominal disease. It is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in horses. The most common forms of colics are related to gastrointestinal tract in nature and most often linked to colonic disturbances. However, colics are not well understood in donkeys compared to those of in horses and the literature is poor regarding bowel strangulating obstruction in donkeys. This report described the clinical signs and post-mortem necropsy findings of an abdominal colic due to the left colon volvulus following a ...
Manso Filho HC, Costa HE, Wang Y, McKeever KH, Watford M.Glutamine plays important roles in the interorgan transport of nitrogen, carbon and energy but little is known about glutamine metabolism in the horse. In this study we determined the tissue distribution of glutamine synthetase expression in three Standardbred mares. Expression of glutamine synthetase was highest in kidney and mammary gland, and relatively high in liver and adipose tissue. Expression was lower in gluteus muscle, thymus, colon and lung, and much lower in small intestine, pancreas and uterus. The pattern of glutamine synthetase expression in the horse is similar to that of other...
Pearce SG, Firth EC, Grace ND, Fennessy PF.The effect of copper status on the evidence of bone and cartilage lesions was investigated in 21 Thoroughbred foals. The foals and their dams were grazed on pasture containing 4.4-8.6 mg Cu/kg dry matter (DM). Four treatment groups were created by randomly allocating mares and their foals to either copper supplemented (0.5 mg Cu/kg liveweight (LW)/day), or control (pasture only) groups. This experimental design allowed the effect of copper supplementation of mare and foal to be examined independently. Parameters of bone and cartilage development were assessed in the foals both in vivo, and at ...
Norman TE, Chaffin MK, Bisset WT, Thompson JA.To characterize the associations between clinical signs of nasopharyngeal cicatrix syndrome (NCS) and endoscopic findings in horses. Methods: Retrospective, case-control study. Methods: 239 horses (118 case horses and 121 control horses). Methods: Medical records of horses that had an endoscopic evaluation of the upper airway performed between January 2003 and December 2008 were reviewed. Clinical signs and the appearance and anatomic locations of lesions identified during endoscopic evaluation were reviewed and recorded for each horse. The associations between clinical signs and endoscopic fi...
Bouwman FG, van Ginneken MM, van der Kolk JH, van Breda E, Mariman EC.The aim of the study was to identify new biomarkers for acute tying-up in horses. Skeletal muscle biopsies were taken from 3 horses suffering from acute tying-up and 3 healthy horses. We performed 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry for identification of proteins that are differentially expressed in tying-up. 2D gel electrophoresis of skeletal muscle sequential extracts yielded more than 350 protein spots on each gel, of which 14 were differentially expressed more than two-fold (p<0.05). In-gel digestion followed by peptide mass fingerprinting enabled identification of three significa...
Laidoudi Y, Rousset E, Dessimoulie AS, Prigent M, Raptopoulo A, Huteau Q, Chabbert E, Navarro C, Fournier PE, Davoust B., also known as the causal agent of Q fever, is a zoonotic pathogen infecting humans and several animal species. Here, we investigated the epidemiological context of from an area in the Hérault department in southern France, using the One Health paradigm. In total, 13 human cases of Q fever were diagnosed over the last three years in an area comprising four villages. Serological and molecular investigations conducted on the representative animal population, as well as wind data, indicated that some of the recent cases are likely to have originated from a sheepfold, which revealed bacterial c...
Hu Z, Zhu C, Chang H, Guo W, Liu D, Xiang W, Wang X.The objective of this study was to develop a novel EvaGreen (EG) based real-time PCR technique for the simultaneous detection of Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) genomes from equine nasal swabs. Viral genomes were identified based on their specific melting temperatures (T m), which are 88.0 and 84.4 °C for EHV-1 and EHV-4, respectively. The detection limitation of this method was 50 copies/μl or 0.15 pg/μl for EHV-1 and 5 copies/μl or 2.5 fg/μl for EHV-4. This assay was 50-1,000 times more sensitive than the SYBR Green (SG)-based assay using the same primer...
Huthmann S, Staszyk C, Jacob HG, Rohn K, Gasse H.The Curve of Spee is well known, yet hardly understood in the horse, as there is a striking lack of biometrically related data which could help to explain its biomechanical significance. Older horses display drastic alterations of the Curve of Spee in routine clinical examinations. Since the Curve of Spee is known to be biomechanically related to the masticatory forces in humans, the same may apply to the equine, and masticatory deficits can be expected in the geriatric horse. Quantitative data of the Curve of Spee cannot be obtained directly by means of measurements in the horse's long and na...
