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.
Potter SJ, Bamford NJ, Baskerville CL, Harris PA, Bailey SR.Ponies and some horse breeds such as Andalusians exhibit an 'easy keeper' phenotype and tend to become obese more readily than other breeds such as Standardbreds. Various hypotheses have been proposed, including differences in appetite or metabolic efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of breed on nutrient digestibility. Ponies, Standardbreds and Andalusian horses were adapted to consuming either a control fibre-based diet ( = 9), a hypercaloric cereal-rich diet ( = 12) or a hypercaloric fat-rich diet ( = 12) over 20 weeks. Total faecal collection was performed over 24 h to de...
Gomaa N, Elemiri M, Hegazy Y, Zeineldin M, Nassif M, Alcala-Canto Y, Barbabosa-Pliego A, Rivas-Caceres RR, Abdelmegeid M.A retrospective cohort study was conducted on two Egyptian horse farms with most of horses were suffered from abdominal pain to describe the associations between the occurrence of mycotoxicosis and equine colic. The farms owner complain was an unexpected increase in number of colic cases and deaths among horses. The association between colic and risk factors (sex, type of food either dry or mixed with roughages and hematobiochemical parameters) was compared using independent sample T-test. The associations between possible prognostic indicators for colic caused by mycotoxicosis was estimated u...
Scharf A, de Solis CN, Sampson SN, Glass K, Watts AE.To determine the short-term effect of plantar fasciotomy and neurectomy (PFN) of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve on the proximal suspensory ligament (PSL) cross-sectional area (CSA) in horses with hindlimb proximal suspensory desmopathy (PSD). Methods: Analytical, observational, cohort study. Methods: Twenty-one horses. Methods: Records of horses with chronic PSD treated by PFN were included if a preoperative ultrasonographic examination was available and at least one postoperative ultrasonographic examination. One masked observer measured the ultrasonographic cross-sectional area...
Byambaragchaa M, Choi SH, Joo HE, Kim SG, Kim YJ, Park GE, Kang MH, Min KS.Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), produced by the endometrial cups of the placenta after the first trimester, is a specific glycoprotein that displays dual luteinizing hormone (LH)-like and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-like effects in non-equid species. However, in equidaes, eCG exhibits only LH-like activity. To identify the specific biological functions of glycosylated sites in eCG, we constructed the following site mutants of N- and O-linked glycosylation: eCGβ/αΔ56, substitution of α-subunit N-linked glycosylation site; eCGβ-D/α, deletion of the O-linked glycosylation sites ...
Radalj A, Milic N, Stevanovic O, Nisavic J.Nasal swabs originating from 112 apparently clinically healthy and unvaccinated horses of different age, breed and from diverse rearing conditions from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina were examined for the presence of equine herpesviruses 1, 4 and 5 using multiplex nested PCR (Mn‑PCR) and virus isolation. The detected viruses were subsequently characterised by gB gene nucleotide sequencing and their phylogenetic analysis was performed. The infections with EHV‑1, EHV‑4, and EHV‑5 in the examined horse populations are apparently chronic, subclinical and persistent, whilst the shedding ...
Rojas-Núñez I, Gomez AM, Selland EK, Oduol T, Wolf S, Palmer S, Mohammed HO.Neurofilaments heavy chain proteins (pNF-H) have been identified as useful serum biomarkers for humans and animals with neurologic conditions, some of which can lead to poor performance, and athletic injuries. However, there are no published reports that describe a reference range for serum pNF-H levels in healthy racehorses. This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the serum concentration of pNF-H in 1,349 samples collected from 1,291 clinically healthy standardbred (SB) racehorses. Data on age, time of sampling (pre-race or post-race), and finishing position during a race were...
Fuentes-Romero B, Muñoz-Prieto A, Cerón JJ, Martín-Cuervo M, Iglesias-García M, Aguilera-Tejero E, Díez-Castro E.Obesity and its associated complications, such as metabolic syndrome, are an increasing problem in both humans and horses in the developed world. The expression patterns of resistin differ considerably between species. In rodents, resistin is expressed by adipocytes and is related to obesity and ID. In humans, resistin is predominantly produced by inflammatory cells, and resistin concentrations do not reflect the degree of obesity, although they may predict cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of resistin and its relationship with ID and selected ind...
Fujimori S.The cell walls of plants are mainly made of cellulose and contain a large number of calories. However, the main component, cellulose, is an indigestible plant fiber that is thought to be difficult for humans to use as energy. Herbivores acquire energy through the degradation of cell wall-derived dietary fiber by microorganisms in the digestive tract. Herbivores, especially horses, have a highly developed cecum and large intestine, and plants are fermented for their efficient use with the help of microorganisms. Humans also have an intestinal tract with a wide lumen on the proximal side of the ...
Yoon J, Park T, Kim A, Song H, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) and equine hepacivirus (EqHV) are etiologically associated with Theiler's disease (TD), causing fulminant equine hepatitis, but the transmission route and co-infection effect remain unclear. We determined EqPV-H and EqHV prevalence and coinfection rate in 160 serum and 114 faecal samples using nested polymerase chain reaction. Amino acid and nucleotide analyses were performed and phylogenetic trees were constructed. By measuring liver-specific parameters (AST, GGT, TBIL and A/G ratio), hepatopathological changes in viremia status were compared. We found a h...
Westendorf J, Wobeser B, Epp T.Inter- and intra-rater variability negatively affects the reliability of various histopathology grading scales used as prognostic aids in human and veterinary medicine. The Kenney-Doig categorization (grading) scale, which is used to associate equine endometrial histologic lesions with prognostic estimation of a broodmare's reproductive potential, has not been evaluated for inter- or intra-rater variability, to our knowledge. To assess whether the Kenney-Doig system produces reliable results among observers, 8 pathologists, all with American College of Veterinary Pathologists certification, we...
Leemans B, Bromfield EG, Stout TAE, Vos M, Van Der Ham H, Van Beek R, Van Soom A, Gadella BM, Henning H.We describe the development of two methods for obtaining confluent monolayers of polarized, differentiated equine oviduct epithelial cells (EOEC) in Transwell inserts and microfluidic chips. EOECs from the ampulla were isolated post-mortem and seeded either (1) directly onto a microporous membrane as differentiated EOECs (direct seeding protocol) or (2) first cultured to a confluent de-differentiated monolayer in conventional wells, then trypsinized and seeded onto a microporous membrane (re-differentiation protocol). Maintenance or induction of EOEC differentiation in these systems was achiev...
Boorman S, DeGraves F, Schumacher J, Hanson RR, Boone LH.To compare a 2% lidocaine solution containing 5 μg/ml (1:200 000) epinephrine with 2% mepivacaine for reducing lameness in horses after use in proximal nerve blocks. Methods: Experimental randomized crossover. Methods: Six adult horses with naturally occurring forelimb lameness. Methods: Horses were evaluated using an inertial gait sensor system. Lameness was measured as a vector sum (VS). Following baseline lameness examination, median and ulnar nerve blocks were performed with lidocaine/epinephrine (0.5 mg epinephrine added to 50 ml of 2% lidocaine immediately prior to administration)...
Ohta M, Bannai H, Kambayashi Y, Tsujimura K, Tamura N, Iwamoto Y, Wakuno A, Yamayoshi S, Kawaoka Y, Nemoto M.Updating vaccine strains is important to control equine influenza (EI). Previously, we reported that a monovalent inactivated EI vaccine derived from a virus generated by reverse genetics (RG) elicited immunogenicity in horses. In the present study, we compared antibody responses to a bivalent inactivated EI vaccine generated by RG and a commercially available bivalent inactivated EI (CO) vaccine derived from wild-type equine influenza viruses in Thoroughbred horses. The CO vaccine contained A/equine/Ibaraki/1/2007 (Florida sub-lineage clade 1) and A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010 (Florida sub-line...
Layton K, Spooner HS, Higgins AL, Hoffman RM.Equine internships provide real experiences for students but are lightly researched. This study explored student perceptions of equine internships. The hypothesis was, participants would report that equine internships were valuable and relate value with compensation, skill acquisition, networking, and job offers. An online survey examined respondents' perceived value of their internship. Of 228 respondents, 186 met the inclusion criteria. Data were examined using frequency counts, correlations, and chi-square measures of association. Breeding internships (29%) were most common, with western tr...
Johnson JP, Vinardell T, David F.Ultrasound-guided injections can be used for a wide variety of conditions in the horse, including both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Benefits of ultrasound guidance include more accurate deposition of injectate compared with blind approaches. Improved identification of vital structures, including nerves and blood vessels, allows their avoidance and thus reduces procedure-associated complications. Validation of such ultrasound-guided techniques has shown that they can be easily learnt by inexperienced veterinarians, assuming a proper knowledge of the sonographic anatomy. In many case...
Miyakoshi D, Watanabe A, Ikeda H, Mizuguchi Y.An 8-month-old thoroughbred colt presented with sudden onset right forelimb lameness. A radiographic series of the right carpus was performed, and it revealed a slab fracture of the fourth carpal bone and fracture of the proximal part of the third metacarpal bone. Arthroscopically guided repair of the slab fracture of the fourth carpal bone with a 3.5 mm cortex screw and lag screw fixation of the fracture of the proximal part of the third metacarpal bone were performed. The horse started to race at 32 months old and started in 65 races over three years without any trouble associated with the r...
Cherdchutham W, Sukhong P, Sae-Oueng K, Supanwinijkul N, Wiangnak K, Srimuang J, Apichaimongkonkun T, Limratchapong S, Petchdee S.The medical treatment of horses with nephrosplenic entrapment (NSE) of the large colon through administrating phenylephrine and rolling during general anesthesia was effective and less expensive than surgical treatment. However, the selection of drugs for non-surgical treatment of NSE is not a usual method for clinical practice. This study aimed to identify the effects of combined drugs on the cardiac and splenic response in horses and provide information on the NSE of the large colon for clinical application. Methods: Six healthy Thai native crossbred horses were enrolled in this study. Horse...
Schade J, de Souza AF, Vincensi LC, Fonteque JH.The objective of this study was to assess the influence of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint angle on the transversal area (TA) and mean echogenicity (ME) of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory ligament (SL) in gaited horses. Ultrasound images were obtained from 50 healthy adult horses of the Mangalarga Marchador (MM; n=25) and Campeiro (n=25) breeds. Static and dynamic angles of the MCP joint were measured from photographs and video recordings. Higher ME values were evinced for the SL only in the group with the smaller dynamic angles of the MCP joint in the MM horses...
Calixto LC, Martinez JR.Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that is stimulated by physiological and pathological factors and has been studied widely in equids, but not in mules. The objectives of this study were to obtain a reference value for serum cortisol in mules destined for agricultural activities and to identify age- and gender-related differences in the value. The concentration was obtained in blood samples using a commercial sandwich ELISA specific for cortisol. The concentration was 96.3 ± 40.6 ng/ml and similar between age groups and genders.
Goto A, Tagami M, Kato F, Suzuki T, Yamaga T, Murase H, Sato F, Tsogtgerel M, Niikura T, Moriyama T, Chiba A, Watanabe KI, Tsuzuki N, Nambo Y.We performed a standing hand-assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy in a draft mare that presented with high serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level and had an enlarged single cystic ovary. Histopathological examination revealed no tumor cell proliferation in the ovary, but the presence of a large ovarian cyst was confirmed. In the diagnosis of abnormal ovaries in mares, a comprehensive assessment should be performed, including the monitoring of ovarian morphology and biomarkers over time, to determine the disease prognosis and treatment plan. The case of this mare with a nonneoplastic abnormal o...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Kusano K, Nagata SI.One method of gene doping in horseracing is administering of exogenous genetic materials, known as transgenes. Several polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods have been developed for detecting transgenes with high sensitivity and specificity. However, novel designs for reference materials (RMs) and/or positive template controls (PTCs) are necessary for simultaneous analysis of multiple transgene targets. In this study, we designed and developed a novel RM for simultaneously detecting multiple targets via microfluidic quantitative PCR (MFQPCR). Twelve equine genes were selected as targets...
Domino M, Borowska M, Kozłowska N, Zdrojkowski Ł, Jasiński T, Smyth G, Maśko M.Infrared thermography (IRT) was applied as a potentially useful tool in the detection of pregnancy in equids, especially native or wildlife. IRT measures heat emission from the body surface, which increases with the progression of pregnancy as blood flow and metabolic activity in the uterine and fetal tissues increase. Conventional IRT imaging is promising; however, with specific limitations considered, this study aimed to develop novel digital processing methods for thermal images of pregnant mares to detect pregnancy earlier with higher accuracy. In the current study, 40 mares were divided i...
Niikura T, Tsogtgerel M, Niikura C, Wada H, Kanzawa S, Fujiwara T, Nambo Y.The objective of this study was to examine the effect of prostaglandin F2α (dinoprost) and oxytocin administration on uterine polymorphonuclear neutrophil counts in the Japanese heavy draft mare. To compare polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) counts in the endometrium, a total of 162 samples were collected from 54 estruses of 47 mares (before ovulation, day 0, and day 2) using a double-guarded cytology brush. Dinoprost (PG; 5 mg) was administered intramuscularly (i.m.) only once, on day 0, whereas oxytocin (OT; 20 U i.m.) was administered three times at 12-hr intervals starting on day 0. The p...
Vergara-Hernandez FB, Nielsen BD, Robison CI, Fabus TA, Kompare JL, LeCompte Lazić RA, Colbath AC.The main factors influencing speed in athletes are stride length (SL) and stride rate (SR). However, conflict remains whether SL or SR is the key determinant of higher speeds. Quarter Horses (QH) generally reach higher speeds in their races than do Thoroughbreds (TB). However, the influence of SL and SR on this greater speed is unclear. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to compare SL and SR in QH and TB raced in short (sprint) and long (classic) distances. We hypothesized that QH have a higher SR in comparison to TB, and SR decreases as distance increases. Two race distances were...
Fazio E, Lindner A, Cravana C, Wegener J, Medica P, Hart-Mann U, Ferlazzo A.This study examined how a standard exercise test (SET) affected (1) thyroid hormones (THs) of horses and (2) the relationship between the V of horses and TH responses to the exercise in trained Standardbred racehorses (V is the velocity run at defined conditions at which a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol/L is determined). Twelve trained Standardbred racehorses (six stallions and six mares) performed SETs until the horses' blood lactate concentration was at or above 4 mmol/L. The horses were divided into three age groups (2, 3, and 4 years old); each group consists of 4 horses respectivel...
Nguyen D, Vilela R, Miraglia BM, Vilela G, Jasem-Alali N, Rohn R, Glass R, Hansen RD, Mendoza L.To describe the geographic distribution of infections caused by Pythium insidiosum in dogs, horses, and other animal species in the US. For the last 20 years, we have collected data from cases of pythiosis in 1,150 horses, 467 dogs, and other species (59) from various geographic locations in the US. Due to lost data (from 2006 to 2016), the selected cases include years 2000 to 2005 and 2016 to 2020. The selection of cases was based on infected host clinical features, serum samples demonstrating strong positive anti-P insidiosum IgG titers in serologic assays, and positive results on ≥ 1 of t...
Nocera FP, D'Eletto E, Ambrosio M, Fiorito F, Pagnini U, De Martino L.Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), is a β-hemolytic Streptococcus belonging to the Lancefield group C; it is a rare human pathogen, but in horses, it is frequently associated with endometritis. This study aimed to isolate S. zooepidemicus strains, associated with bacterial endometritis in mares, and to define their antimicrobial resistance profile. Twenty-three isolates were recovered from one hundred ninety-six equine uterine swabs (11.7%). Bacterial identification was carried out by Api 20 Strep and confirmed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of fl...
Pye J, Spriet M, Dow P, Katzman S, Murphy BG.To describe clinical, imaging, gross, and histopathological abnormalities associated with osteochondral necrosis of the femoral condyles in foals and identify features suggestive of a common pathogenesis. 8 Thoroughbred foals euthanized with a presumptive diagnosis of necrosis of the femoral condyles. Postmortem CT was performed on all distal femoral epiphyseal samples. The articular epiphyseal cartilage complex (AECC) of affected distal femurs was examined grossly and histologically, focusing on lesions of interest identified on CT images. 7 foals were between 9 and 23 days old at the time of...
Tavanaeimanesh H, Dashli-Boroon OJ, Corley K.Understanding the physiological and biochemical changes in racehorses can be invaluable. Accurate information in this area could result in better understanding of needs of sport horses. The aim of this study was to prove the hypothesis that biochemical changes could influence the outcome of competitions. In this study, β-endorphin was evaluated as an indicator of analgesia, lactate as an indicator of fatigue and cortisol as an indicator of stress in the first two horses and the last ones that cross the finish line. This study was performed on 44 horses participating in the 1000-meter national...
Nielsen SS, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortazar Schmidt C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MA....In this opinion, the antimicrobial-resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to the health of horses have been assessed. The assessment has been performed following a methodology composed of information collected via an extensive literature review and expert judgement. Details on the methodology used for this assessment are explained in a separate opinion. A global state of play of antimicrobial-resistant spp. spp. and subsp and subsp. and subsp. has been provided. Among those bacteria, EFSA identified , and with more than 66% certainty as the mo...
Al-Kass Z, Spergser J, Aurich C, Kuhl J, Schmidt K, Morrell JM.Bacteria contaminate semen during collection and handling. The objective of this study was to identify the bacteria in pony stallion semen, the effects of antibiotics included in commercial semen extenders (lincomycin and spectinomycin) and the effect of modified single layer centrifugation (MSLC), on bacterial load. Ejaculates from six pony stallions, 3 ejaculates per animal, were extended in EquiPlus extender either with or without antibiotics. Aliquots were processed by MSLC to form four treatment groups: control and MSLC with antibiotics (CA and SA, respectively) and control and MSLC witho...
Houtsma A, Bedenice D, Pusterla N, Pugliese B, Mapes S, Hoffman AM, Paxson J, Rozanski E, Mukherjee J, Wigley M, Mazan MR.Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses, similar to asthma in humans, is a common cause of chronic poor respiratory health and exercise intolerance due to airway inflammation and exaggerated airway constrictive responses. Human rhinovirus is an important trigger for the development of asthma; a similar role for viral respiratory disease in equine IAD has not been established yet. Methods: In a case-control study, horses with IAD (n = 24) were compared to control animals from comparable stabling environments (n = 14). Horses were classified using pulmonary function testing and bronc...
Williams SH, Vinyard CJ, Wall CE, Hylander WL.We investigated patterns of jaw-muscle coordination during rhythmic mastication in three species of ungulates displaying the marked transverse jaw movements typical of many large mammalian herbivores. In order to quantify consistent motor patterns during chewing, electromyograms were recorded from the superficial masseter, deep masseter, posterior temporalis and medial pterygoid muscles of goats, alpacas and horses. Timing differences between muscle pairs were evaluated in the context of an evolutionary model of jaw-muscle function. In this model, the closing and food reduction phases of masti...
Grandin T, McGee K, Lanier JL.To assess the prevalence of severe welfare problems in horses that arrive at slaughter plants and to identify horses that were unfit for travel. Methods: Prevalence survey. Methods: 1,008 horses. Methods: Horses arriving at 2 slaughter plants were observed. The following were rated severe welfare problems in horses: body condition scores of 1 or 2 (emaciated) of 9; recumbency (down) or the inability to walk; fractured limbs or other foot or limb problems that extremely impaired mobility; severe wounds, such as deep cuts, extensive lacerations, abrasions on the head or back, eye injuries, negle...
Heldens JG, Pouwels HG, Derks CG, Van de Zande SM, Hoeijmakers MJ.Equine influenza is a contagious disease caused by equine influenza virus which belongs to the orthomyxovirus family. Outbreaks of equine influenza cause severe economic loses to the horse industry and consequently horses in competition are required to be regularly vaccinated against equine influenza. Unlike the existing inactivated vaccines, Equilis Prequenza Te is the only one able to induce protection against clinical disease and virus excretion after a primary vaccination course consisting of two vaccine applications 4-6 weeks apart until the recommended time of the third vaccination. In t...
Ortiz-Rodriguez JM, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Gil MC, Martín-Cano FE, Gaitskell-Phillips G, Rodríguez-Martínez H, Hinrichs K, Álvarez-Barrientos A....Artificial insemination with cryopreserved spermatozoa is a major assisted reproductive technology in many species. In horses, as in humans, insemination with cryopreserved sperm is associated with lower pregnancy rates than those for fresh sperm, however, direct effects of sperm cryopreservation on the development of resulting embryos are largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in gene expression between embryos resulting from fertilization with fresh or cryopreserved sperm. Embryos were obtained at 8, 10 or 12 days after ovulation from mares inseminated post-...
Spoormakers TJP, Veraa S, Graat EAM, van Weeren PR, Brommer H.The importance of the equine thoracolumbar vertebral column in orthopaedic disorders is well recognized and diagnostic imaging becomes more feasible, but little is known about variations in the anatomical configuration within breeds. In this descriptive post-mortem study, anatomical variations in three widely differing breeds: Warmblood horses, Shetland ponies and semi-feral Konik horses are described. The caudal cervical (C), thoracic (T), lumbar (L) and sacral (S) regions of the vertebral column of 30 Warmblood horses, 29 Shetland ponies and 18 Konik horses were examined using computed tomog...
Oinas J, Ronkainen AP, Rieppo L, Finnilä MAJ, Iivarinen JT, van Weeren PR, Helminen HJ, Brama PAJ, Korhonen RK, Saarakkala S.Articular cartilage undergoes structural and biochemical changes during maturation, but the knowledge on how these changes relate to articular cartilage function at different stages of maturation is lacking. Equine articular cartilage samples of four different maturation levels (newborn, 5-month-old, 11-month-old and adult) were collected (N = 25). Biomechanical tensile testing, Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR-MS) and polarized light microscopy were used to study the tensile, biochemical and structural properties of articular cartilage, respectively. The tensile modulus ...
Ibrahim S, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Skarzynski D.Bacterial infections of the genital tract are the major cause of reproductive failure in the mares. MiRNAs are important regulators of gene expression, mostly through transcriptional and translational regression. We hypothesized that LPS induced aberrant expression of miRNAs and their targets, which are involved in regulation of uterine homeostasis. Three groups of primary endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, and endometrial tissue explants were cultured. The 1 group was kept as control, while the 2 and 3 groups were challenged with low (0.5 μg/mL) or high (3.0 μg/mL) doses of Lipop...
Antczak DF, de Mestre AM, Wilsher S, Allen WR.A remarkable feature of equine pregnancy is the development of the invasive trophoblast of the chorionic girdle and its formation of the gonadotrophin-secreting endometrial cup cells in early gestation. The details of this process have been revealed only slowly over the past century, since the first description of the endometrial cups in 1912. This centennial presents an opportunity to review the characteristics of the cells and molecules involved in this early, critical phase of placentation in the mare. The invasiveness of the chorionic girdle trophoblast appears to represent an atavistic at...
Zhang YW, Davis EG, Bai J.Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has become a basic, reliable and sensitive modern technique, in both biological research and clinical diagnosis, for investigation of gene expression and validation of cDNA microarray analysis. Accurate mRNA quantification using quantitative RT-PCR commonly requires data normalization through stable housekeeping genes (HKGs). Selection of HKGs for data normalization is critical for accurate mRNA quantification. Our objective was to evaluate a set of candidate HKGs as internal controls for gene expression studies using quanti...
Wylie CE, McManus P, McDonald C, Jorgensen S, McGreevy P.Monitoring racehorse fatality and associated jockey falls provides benchmarks for intervention strategies. The aims of this study were to describe the incidence of and reasons for fatalities in Thoroughbred horses during flat races in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and to describe reported jockey falls and injuries associated with racehorse fatalities. A cohort study identified all racehorse fatalities reported through Racing NSW for the 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 racing seasons. Risks of racehorse fatality, fatal musculoskeletal injury, spontaneous death (a...
de Oliveira MGC, de Paula VV, Mouta AN, Lima IO, de Macêdo LB, Nunes TL, Trindade PHE, Luna SPL.This study aimed to validate a scale for assessing acute pain in donkeys. Forty-four adult donkeys underwent castration after sedation with intravenous (IV) xylazine, induction with guaifenesin and thiopental IV, local anesthetic block, and maintenance with isoflurane. The scale was constructed from a pilot study with four animals combined with algetic behaviors described for equines. After content validation, the scale was evaluated in 40 other donkeys by three blinded and one reference evaluator, by means of edited videos referring to the preoperative and postoperative periods: before anesth...
Newton JR, Wood JL.In an epidemiological study of risk factors for exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in young Thoroughbreds in the UK, in which 148 horses contributed 1614 horse-months of data, there were 64 (4%) episodes of endoscopically visible tracheal bleeding and 824 (51%) episodes of increased quantities of haemosiderophages in tracheal washes. There were increases in prevalence and risk of EIPH by both definitions with age from or = 4 years, season of sampling from winter (Nov-Jan) to autumn (Aug-Oct) and several different measures of airway inflammation, including tracheal mucus, neutrophil...
Bucci D, Isani G, Spinaci M, Tamanini C, Mari G, Zambelli D, Galeati G.Spermatozoa, as other eukaryotic cells, need hexoses to produce energy to maintain membrane homeostasis, to move along the female genital tract and to carry the male genome to the female gamete. GLUTs are a family of proteins that permit and improve the passive transport of hexoses inside cells. This study was aimed at investigating the presence and localization of GLUTs 1, 2, 3 and 5 in boar, stallion and dog spermatozoa by both immunofluorescence and western blotting. GLUTs exhibited a peculiar distribution along the sperm cell depending on the isoforms considered, the hexose they transport ...
Gosztonyi G, Ludwig H.The brains of eight horses that had suffered from natural Borna disease were examined with virologic, immunohistological, and electron-microscopic methods. All brains harbored infectious virus as shown by inoculation of experimental animals. Regional assessment of the infectivity exhibited the highest titers in the hippocampus and piriform cortex and the lowest in the cerebellum. Conventional histology yielded pathologic alterations very similar to those of the classical description of the disease. Immunohistology demonstrated the highest amounts of Borna disease virus-specific antigen in the ...
Burk J, Badylak SF, Kelly J, Brehm W.Pioneering clinical stem cell research is being performed in the horse, a recipient of cutting edge veterinary medicine as well as a unique animal model, paving the way for human medical applications. Although demonstrable progress has been made on the clinical front, in vitro characterization of equine stem cells is still in comparatively early stages. To translate the promising results of clinical stem cell therapy in the horse, advances must be made in the characterization of equine stem cells. Aiming to improve communication between veterinarians and other natural scientists, this review g...
Ortega-Ferrusola C, Gracia-Calvo LA, Ezquerra J, Pena FJ.Doppler ultrasonography is an important tool in the andrological evaluation in humans; however, this method is not so extensively used by equine andrologists. Spectral or pulse Doppler is a useful non-invasive method for the early diagnosis of subfertility problems in the male, especially those triggered by vascular disturbance. The identification of any disturbance in the blood flow of the testis is crucial for a correct diagnosis of various testicular and scrotal disorders but also to monitor the therapeutic outcome following treatment. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the c...
Laroucau K, Aaziz R, Vorimore F, Varghese K, Deshayes T, Bertin C, Delannoy S, Sami AM, Al Batel M, El Shorbagy M, Almutawaa KAW, Alanezi SJ....Glanders is a contagious zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei. Following the detection of glanders positive horses using the OIE complement fixation test, the tissues of two horses were analysed by PCR. While PCR systems targeting the Burkholderia pseudomallei complex gave positive signals, the species-specific PCR systems targeting B. mallei (fliP-IS407A) and B. pseudomallei (orf11)-the OIE recommended targets-resulted in negative signals. However, the presence of B. mallei in these tissues was confirmed with a recently described B. mallei-specific real-time PCR system and genot...
Jorge RS, Ferreira F, Ferreira Neto JS, Vasconcellos Sde A, Lima Ede S, Morais ZM, Souza GO.Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease affecting most mammals and is distributed throughout the world. Several species of domestic and wild animals may act as reservoirs for this disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the exposure of free-ranging wild carnivores, horses and domestic dogs on a private reserve located in the northern Pantanal (Brazil) and the surrounding areas to Leptospira spp from 2002-2006, 75 free-ranging wild carnivores were captured in the Pantanal and serum samples were collected. In addition, samples from 103 domestic dogs and 23 horses in the region were collecte...
Aguilar CM, Fernández E, de Fernández R, Deane LM.During an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a locality (Las Rosas, Cojedes State, Venezuela) previously non-endemic, 12.9% of humans, 7% of dogs and 21.4% of donkeys (Equus asinus) had lesions with parasites. The agent in the three hosts was identified as Leishmania braziliensis, subspecies braziliensis at least in man and donkey. The probable vector was Lutzomyia panamensis. No infection was found in a small sample of wild mammals examined. The outbreak was apparently linked with the importation of donkeys with ulcers, from endemic areas. The authors call attention to the fact that not o...
Holmes EC, Ellis SA.We carried out an analysis of partial sequences from expressed major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes isolated from a range of equid species and more distantly related members of the mammalian order Perissodactyla. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a minimum of six groups, five of which contained genes and alleles that are found in equid species and one group specific to the rhinoceros. Four of the groups contained only one, or very few sequences, indicating the presence of relatively nonpolymorphic loci, while another group contained the majority of the equid sequences identified. ...
Quan M, van Vuuren M, Howell PG, Groenewald D, Guthrie AJ.Between 2004 and 2006, 145 African horse sickness viruses (AHSV) were isolated from blood and organ samples submitted from South Africa to the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. All nine serotypes were represented, with a range of 3-60 isolates per serotype. The RNA small segment 10 (S10) nucleotide sequences of these isolates were determined and the phylogeny investigated. AHSV, bluetongue virus (BTV) and equine encephalosis virus (EEV) all formed monophyletic groups and BTV was genetically closer to AHSV than EEV. This study confirmed the presence of three distinct S10 ph...
Barton MH, Parviainen A, Norton N.A safe, affordable and effective treatment for endotoxaemia in horses is needed in order to reduce the incidence of this potentially fatal condition. Objective: To evaluate the effect of polymyxin B (PMB) on signs of experimentally-induced endotoxaemia. Objective: PMB ameliorates the adverse effects of endotoxaemia without causing nephrotoxicity. Methods: Four groups of 6 healthy mature horses each received 20 ng endotoxin/kg bwt i.v. over 30 mins. Additionally, each group received one of the following i.v.; 5000 u PMB/kg bwt 30 mins before endotoxin infusion; 5000 u PMB/kg bwt 30 mins after e...
Christensen JW, Zharkikh TL, Antoine A, Malmkvist J.During riding, horses are frequently exposed to pressure from the rider, e.g. through the bit and reins, but few studies have investigated at which point rein tension becomes uncomfortable for the horse. Objective: To investigate how much rein tension young inexperienced horses are willing to accept in order to obtain a food reward; whether the tension acceptance changes during 3 consecutive test days; and whether rein tension correlates with the expression of conflict behaviour and heart rate. Objective: Pressure-naïve horses will apply only little rein tension in the first voluntary trial, ...
de Grauw JC, van de Lest CH, van Weeren R, Brommer H, Brama PA.Joint pain is one of the most common causes of lameness in the horse but its pathogenesis is poorly understood. Objective: To investigate which synovial fluid markers may be related to the presence of clinically detectable joint pain in the horse. Methods: Concentrations of structural (CPII, C2C, GAG) and inflammatory markers (PGE2, LTB4, CysLTs, bradykinin and substance P) were measured in fetlock joint fluid from 22 horses in which lameness was localised to the fetlock region by perineural anaesthesia. Levels of these markers were then compared in horses that responded (n = 15) to those that...
Head KW, Dixon PM.The normal gross and histological anatomy of the equine nasal and paranasal sinuses are reviewed and the relationships between the local anatomy, the occurrence of different tumour types, and of tumour spread are examined. The histological classification of the more common equine sinonasal tumours and tumour-like lesions are discussed. Clinical and pathological descriptions of 50 more recently recorded such tumours are separately tabulated. The literature shows that equine sinonasal tumours, both endemic and sporadic, are relatively uncommon in horses, with non-neoplastic growths such as maxil...
Evans JH, Barbenel JC.Tendon normally fulfills its primary role as a flexible force transmitting element very effectively and yet failure of this passive tissue leads to great disability. As a connective tissue its structure is relatively simple and the peculiar helical arrangement of collagen fibres confers highly non-linear as well as time-dependent mechanical properties. Functional significance cannot be attributed to any facet of mechanical response until the physiological pattern of loading is established. In particular the rate of deformation and the minimum force experienced by tendon in normal locomotion ha...
Rohrbach BW, Stafford JR, Clermont RS, Reed SM, Schott HC, Andrews FM.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is common in older horses. Objective: To determine diagnosis frequency, prognostic factors, long-term survival, and owner satisfaction with treatment. Methods: Medical records from horses diagnosed with PPID, 1993-2004. Methods: A retrospective cohort design with data collected from the Veterinary Medical Data Base (VMDB) and a cohort of 3 VTHs. Proportional accessions, annual incidence, and demographics were compared for all accessions. During the same period, a subset of medical records (n = 44) was extracted and owners (n = 34) contacted to obtai...
Carnevale EM, Ramirez RJ, Squires EL, Alvarenga MA, Vanderwall DK, McCue PM.In the present study, 638 embryo transfers conducted over 3 yr were retrospectively examined to determine which factors (recipient, embryo and transfer) significantly influenced pregnancy and embryo loss rates and to determine how rates could be improved. On Day 7 or 8 after ovulation, embryos (fresh or cooled/transported) were transferred by surgical or nonsurgical techniques into recipients ovulating from 5 to 9 d before transfer. At 12 and 50 d of gestation (Day 0 = day of ovulation), pregnancy rates were 65.7% (419 of 638) and 55.5% (354 of 638). Pregnancy rates on Day 50 were significantl...
