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.
Brees DJ, Sondhoff AH, Kluge JP, Andreasen CB, Brown CM.A 7-month-old foal was admitted to the hospital with a history of lethargy, weight loss, mild diarrhea, and anorexia. A diagnosis of proliferative enteritis caused by Lawsonia intracellularis-like organisms was made after necropsy and histologic examination of the small intestine. Although infection with L intracellularis-like organisms is a rare cause of enteritis in foals, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially if the foal was housed in the proximity of pigs or pig feces. Antemortem diagnosis remains challenging because isolation of the organism in fecal material r...
Mills EP, Liu CC, Emelogu U, Carter RT, Camacho-Luna P, Lewin AC.The purpose of this study was to validate the use of the Reichert Tono-Vera® Vet tonometer rabbit setting in normal ex vivo rabbit eyes and to compare the rabbit setting to the dog, cat, and horse settings of this tonometer. Methods: Six freshly enucleated normal rabbit eyes were cannulated and connected to a fluid reservoir and physiologic monitor. Triplicate measurements were obtained with the four available settings: dog, cat, horse, and rabbit at various intraocular pressures (IOP) ranging from 5 to 80 mmHg. Bland-Altman analysis was utilized to determine bias and 95% limits of agreemen...
Jiménez PA, García L, Adarmes H, González E, Valenzuela MA.ATPase and ADPase activities capable of hydrolyzing nucleoside di- and triphosphates in the presence of Ca2+ are present in synovial membrane of metacarpophalangeal joint mainly associated to membrane fractions. These hydrolytic activities have been considered involved in the inflammatory process where ATP and ADP are inflammatory mediators while adenosine counteracts this effect. Both, subcellular localization and kinetic properties of these nucleotidase activities, suggest that could correspond to single enzyme called ATP-diphosphohydrolase or apyrase. The comparison of the activity on ATP-C...
Tkachev AV, Tkacheva OL.The article presents the results of the studies of cytotoxic effect of zearalenone and T-2 toxin on sperm of horses and bulls during incubation and after thawing according to the technology of sperm obtaining and cryopreservation in Kharkov. We first have shown in vitro toxic effects of different concentrations of zearalenone and T-2 toxin (from 0.5 to 0.01 mM) on the membrane stability, as well as quantitative and qualitative indicators of semen in stallions and bulls before and after freezing and thawing. It has been found that the biological activity of the native sperm in 1 h after additio...
Visutakul P, Bell ET, Loraine JA, Fisher RB.Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) were incubated with varying concentrations of urea at different temperatures for different times.
The luteinizing hormone (LH) activity of HCG was progressively destroyed with increasing concentrations of urea. The degree of inactivation was greater at higher temperatures but the time of incubation did not affect the results.
The follicle-stimulating activity of PMSG was reduced at high urea concentrations; the time of incubation was without effect.
Under the experime...
Budik S, Tschulenk W, Kummer S, Walter I, Aurich C.Live cell RNA imaging has become an important tool for studying RNA localisation, dynamics and regulation in cultured cells. Limited information is available using these methods in more complex biological systems, such as conceptuses at different developmental stages. So far most of the approaches rely on microinjection of synthetic constructs into oocytes during or before fertilisation. Recently, a new generation of RNA-specific probes has been developed, the so named SmartFlare probes (Merck Millipore). These consist of a central 15-nm gold particle with target-specific DNAs immobilised on i...
Woolcock JB.An atypical variety of Streptococcus equi is described. It was shown to be deficient in capsular material, to be very virulent for mice and to possess a cell-wall protein similar to the M-like protein of classical Str equi. Antiserum prepared against classical Str equi effectively opsonised the atypical strains, and induced the formation of long chains by these atypical strains. It is possible that this variant of Str equi can be used to overcome many of the current problems associated with the manufacture and use of strangles vaccines.
Menozzi A, Pozzoli C, Poli E, Dacasto M, Giantin M, Lopparelli RM, Passeri B, Zullian C, Gobbetti T, Bertini S.We investigated the effects of nonselective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors (indomethacin and flunixin meglumine) and selective COX-1 (SC-560) or COX-2 (celecoxib, DUP-398 and NS-697) inhibitors on horse small bowel motility in vitro. At this purpose, samples of equine ileum were put in isolated organ baths for the motility experiments. Nonselective COX inhibitors were devoid of major effects on motility, except for an inhibition of tonic contraction shown by flunixin meglumine. SC-560, selective COX-1 inhibitor, was devoid of significant effects on ileal motility. Selective COX-2 inhibitors r...
Wilkie DA.Understanding and awareness of equine glaucoma has significantly improved in recent years. The availability of portable tonometers and veterinarian/owner awareness has increased the frequency of glaucoma as a clinical diagnosis. A variety of medications for the medical management of equine glaucoma have been evaluated and the addition of lasers has improved the surgical treatment of equine glaucoma. Despite this, equine glaucoma is an insidious and painful disease that probably remains under diagnosed and often results in blindness in the affected eye.
Hoshiba H, Sinowatz F.Spermadhesins are proteins with various functions in sperm capacitation and zona pellucida binding. In this study the cellular localization of the spermadhesin AWN-1 has been examined in the equine male genital tract. Results obtained by immunohistochemical methods reveal that in the horse AWN-1 is synthesized in spermatogonia, in the rete testis, the ductus epididymidis and the seminal vesicles. These findings indicate that the cellular origin of spermadhesins is species-specific.
Hanka J, van den Hoven R, Schwarz B.Cor pulmonale is considered an uncommon complication in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). This case report describes the history, clinical and further examination findings, treatment, progression and outcome of a horse diagnosed with cor pulmonale and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation of 2 days duration due to a severe exacerbation of RAO. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of RAO induced pulmonary hypertension in a horse causing atrial fibrillation. However, even severe cardiac changes due to respiratory dysfunction seem to be largely reversible in horses.
Barker BB, Stannard AA, Maibach HI.Epidermal cell labeling index and cell renewal time were estimated in 8 adult horses, using autoradiography after [3H]thymidine was given intradermally. The mean labeling index was 1.45 +/- 0.47%, and the mean cell renewal time of the viable epidermis was approximately 17 days.
The research article describes the treatment, recovery process, and prognosis of a 2-month old Quarter Horse, who suffered from severe lameness in the left forelimb due to an avulsion-type fracture […]
López JR, Linares N, Cordovez G, Terzic A.Exertional rhabdomyolysis is a myopathy of unknown pathophysiology. We measured intracellular resting calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) by means of Ca(2+)-selective microelectrodes in intercostal muscle fibers from horses suffering from rhabdomyolysis, and from horses with no evidence of neuromuscular disorder. [Ca2+]i was several-fold higher in muscle fibers from horses suffering from rhabdomyolysis when compared to controls. Treatment of rhabdomyolytic horses with dantrolene, an agent that prevents Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, reduced [Ca2+]i toward control values, and acceler...
Robert C, Valette JP, Denoix JM.There is limited published data on conformational changes in the forelimbs of growing foals. This study was designed to describe the changes in conformation of the carpus and distal forelimb from birth to weaning in foals of three different breeds. Evaluation of the conformation of the carpus, fetlock, pastern and foot was carried out in 134 Thoroughbreds, 162 French Trotters and 98 Selle Français (French Warmblood) within 1 month of age and then at approximately 2 month intervals until weaning at approximately 6 months of age. The prevalence of limb deviations decreased from birth to weaning...
