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.
Baldwin CM, Gillen A.To evaluate three different jejunal transection angles for end-to-end jejunojejunostomies, comparing construction time, lumen size, and suture number. Methods: Ex vivo cadaver study. Methods: Eight euthanized horses each had three mid-jejunal specimens harvested. Methods: Jejunal segments were assigned to one of three groups (A30, A45, and A60) and transected at 30, 45, or 60°, respectively. Following transection, a standardized handsewn single-layer interrupted modified Lembert anastomosis was performed, and construction time and number of sutures placed were recorded. Anastomotic index (AI)...
Kroschel L, Pilger F, Aurich J, Nagel C, Aurich C.Horses in training are often stabled individually, but this is increasingly questioned. We have investigated the effects of different stabling systems in Warmblood stallions during a 12-week pretraining programme. Stallions were 24 months old and housed either in a group stable (Group 24, n = 9) or in individual boxes (Box 24, n = 10), or they were 30 months of age and housed in individual boxes (Box 30, n = 10). Cortisol, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), body development, injuries and selected behaviour patterns were analysed (1) at transfer from pasture to stable and (2) the...
Kwaß LM, Khiaosa-Ard R, Zebeli Q, Sulyok M, Milojevic V, Metzler-Zebeli BU.The occurrence of biotoxins and chemical residues in marketed horse feeds has direct influences on horse health but has not been studied yet. Objective: The study investigated the exposure and health implications of contaminants in various horse feedstuffs available on the European market. Methods: A total of 108 feed samples representing diverse product categories such as hay, processed roughage products, grains, and various supplementary feeds were collected from different European countries and analyzed for contaminants, including mycotoxins, phytoestrogens, pesticides, and veterinary drug ...
Berni P, Del Bue M, Conti V, Andreoli V, Ramoni R, Angelone M, Squassino GP, Bari E, Torre ML, Rinaldi M, Dotti S, Rossi R, Yusuf I, Mauri P....Most in vivo studies on MSC-secretome for osteoarthritis (OA) have relied on animal models, using products lacking pharmaceutical quality, not formulated for clinical use, and insufficiently characterized, limiting knowledge of its effectiveness. This study reports veterinary clinical trials on dogs and horses with spontaneous OA: in dogs (26 subjects), the trial is randomized, double-blinded, and controlled; in horses, 5 clinical cases were treated for safety assessment. Treatment consisted of hyaluronic acid with either lyosecretome - a freeze-dried, injectable MSC-secretome obtained through...
Herkenhoff ME.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are molecules that regulate gene expression by targeting the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs. They are essential in numerous biological processes like growth, metabolism, and muscle development. miRNA research has become crucial in livestock breeding, offering solutions for improving animal health and productivity. This review focuses on miRNAs' roles in equine performance, reproduction, and disease, highlighting key findings and future applications in these areas. It discusses the use of circulating miRNAs (ci-miRNA) as biomarkers for athletic performance, particularl...
Gozalo-Marcilla M, Redondo JI, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R, Domenech L, Doménech J, Johnston GM, Taylor PM.To report on the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities 4 (CEPEF4). Methods: Confidential, observational, prospective, multicentre, cohort study. Methods: 47,396 horses/ponies undergoing general anaesthesia (GA). Methods: Characteristics of each GA (249 variables) were collected. Outcomes after seven days were ALIVE (or discharged), EUTHANASIA or DEAD. Logistic regression analysed patient demographics and the anaesthetic drugs (p < 0.05). Results: Data were collected from 47,396 GAs in 93 centres in 28 countries. Death rates were 1.2% overall, 0.6% for cases classified as NO...
Slavik K, Whitlock R, Johnson A.Botulism is a severe and often fatal disease in equine patients worldwide. Clostridium botulinum is a ubiquitous soil organism which produces a potent neurotoxin resulting in neuromuscular blockade and flaccid paralysis in affected animals. Definitive diagnosis is often impractical or impossible, leading to diagnosis and treatment based on clinical experience and presenting signs. Delay in case identification and treatment results in rapid deterioration of the patient. Treatment of recumbent equine botulism cases presents challenges due to patient size and requires intensive nursing care. This...
Zamboulis DE, Thorpe CT.The high stresses and strains experienced by the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) make it prone to age-related injury. The SDFT exhibits cellular and structural specializations, localized to the interfascicular matrix (IFM), enabling it to resist its extreme mechanical environment. With aging, these specializations are lost, impacting the ability of the tendon to withstand repeated loading. Within the IFM, there is loss of mechanical properties and organization accompanying cell senescence and a decreased resolution of inflammation. Developing therapeutics to reverse these changes may,...
García-López JM.Intrathecal and intrasynovial tendon and ligament injuries can result in extrusion of tendon/ligament fibers, granuloma, and adhesion formation that not only impairs healing of the original injury but can create new injuries that negatively affect adequate healing and return to athletic work. In these cases, endoscopic evaluation and debridement, not only of the lesion, but also any other secondary injury present, can enhance the healing of the tendon or ligament and improve the athletic prognosis. Careful planning of the approach, positioning, instrumentation, and thorough knowledge of the an...
Urion R, Lustgarten M, Hostnik ET.Technological developments in imaging modalities have advanced the diagnostic capabilities for equine tendon and ligament injuries beyond the traditional methods. This review examines elastography techniques in ultrasonography that assess tissue stiffness and strain properties, computed tomography (CT) innovations including PET/CT fusion and dual-energy CT, and emerging applications of diffusion-weighted MRI for evaluating fiber microstructure and functionality. These complementary approaches offer veterinarians improved means to detect early injuries, assess structural integrity, monitor heal...
Tay A, McMaster M.Equine tendon lacerations are not uncommon secondary to traumatic wounds and degloving lacerations. These wounds are often contaminated and, therefore, basic principles of wound assessment and management are critical to identify the extent of an injury. Ancillary tools to aid physical examination include radiography, ultrasonography, and synoviocentesis (eg, if involving a joint and/or tendon sheath). Prolonged convalescence period, continued external coaptation, and controlled exercise are mainstays of treatment following tenorrhaphy. A poor prognosis for return to full athletic function is e...
Horne CR, Redding WR.The location of a suspensory ligament (SL) injury heavily influences the clinical presentation, prognosis, and treatment options. Diagnostic imaging is necessary to provide an accurate diagnosis and is critical to ensure the institution of the most appropriate treatment. The hindlimb proximal SL in particular can be challenging to diagnosis, carries a guarded prognosis, and typically requires aggressive treatment to achieve soundness.
Beasley B.The overall objective of therapeutic farriery for equine tendon and ligament injuries is to provide a biomechanical environment conducive to healing by limiting excessive strain on the injured structure. With an understanding of equine limb anatomy and the pathophysiology of tendon/ligament injuries, the rationale used in therapeutic farriery for soft tissue injuries of the distal limb is quite logical. Through therapeutic farriery, foot manipulation is used to reduce the tension on the injured tendon(s) or ligament(s).
Connard SS, Schnabel LV.This review explores the use of biologics in the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries in horses, focusing on current and emerging therapies aimed at enhancing tissue repair and regeneration. It discusses the role of scaffold-based therapies, growth factors, blood-derived and tissue-derived biologics, and gene therapy as biologic regenerative therapies for improving healing outcomes. The review evaluates the mechanisms, efficacy, and challenges of biologics in clinical applications, highlighting recent advances and clinical studies. It provides an overview of current trends and future dire...
Ellis KL, Giancola S.Rehabilitation for tendon/ligament injury requires a multimodal approach to reduce pain, restore range of motion, improve proprioception/neuromotor control, and improve strength/endurance. Multiple tools are available to accomplish these goals. The rehabilitation program must be tailored to the individual patient regardless of injury type in order to return the horse to full athletic activity and reduce the risk of reinjury.
Pluim M, Reynolds A, McClure S.High-power laser therapy and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) can be safely used to treat tendon and ligament injuries in horses, and the potential beneficial effects have been described. The power of low level lasers is not sufficient for treatment of tendon and ligament injuries in horses. ESWT is used more often to treat tendon and ligament injuries than it is for any other type of condition in horses, but there is limited supporting scientific evidence. Further research should focus on establishing dosage and treatment protocols for both laser therapy and ESWT in horses with clinic...
Legere RM, Ott JA, Poveda C, Vanover D, Borba KER, Yeon Joo J, Martin CL, da Silveira BP, Bray JM, Landrock K, Wright GA, Blazier JC, Hillhouse AE....Inhalation of Rhodococcus equi causes severe pneumonia in humans and animals worldwide, most commonly affecting horse foals. The standard for preventing R. equi pneumonia in foals is transfusion of hyperimmune plasma, which is expensive and carries the risk of adverse effects. Our goal was to passively immunize foals against R. equi by nebulizing mRNA encoding an equine monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the virulence-associated protein A (VapA) directly into the lungs. VapA-specific memory B cells from an immunized horse were used to identify and select the sequence for an equine immunoglobuli...
Maguire M, Brusie R.To determine the outcome of skeletally mature performance horses with subchondral bone cysts and fissures in the proximal aspect of the first phalanx treated by lag screw compression. Unassigned: Case records of horses that underwent lag screw compression to treat subchondral bone lesions in the proximal aspect of the first phalanx were reviewed. Performance horses > 5 years old with lameness referrable to the fetlock region; radiographic or other advanced imaging evidence of subchondral bone lesions, with no other concurrent cause for lameness; and at least 6 months of follow-up data were inc...
Tarillion M, Hertzsch R, Richter A.Since 28.01.2022, veterinary medicinal products must be used in accordance with the conditions of authorization (Regulation (EU) 2019/6, Article 106). This entails further restrictions on therapeutic freedom, e. g., with regard to dose deviations. To date, there is no data available in equine medicine on the scope of off-label use as any use deviating from the expert information for antibiotics, on the basis of which the feasibility of implementing the new regulations in Germany can be assessed.To collect data on the off-label use of antibiotics, a Germany-wide anonymous online survey was th...
Crabtree NE, Capper AM, McKinnon LH, Epstein KL.The objective was to compare perioperative factors that may influence clinician decisions regarding antimicrobial therapy duration and outcomes in horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Unassigned: Horses > 1 mo of age undergoing exploratory celiotomy for colic that survived without repeat celiotomy for ≥ 5 d. Unassigned: Retrospective cohort study. Cases were grouped by duration of antimicrobial therapy: G1, ≤ 24 h; G2, 1 to 3 d; G3, > 3 d. Admission, surgical, and postoperative data from the medical records and long-term outcome assessed telephone follow-up were compared among g...
Ellis K, Van Zeeland EM, Ashton L, Wist S, Broeckling C, Harris M, Frisbie DD, Sikes KJ.To (1) identify tissue-specific metabolic profiles of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), and suspensory ligament (SL) and (2) evaluate metabolic profile differences in the SDFT, DDFT, and SL between the equine forelimb and hindlimb. Unassigned: 2 SDFT, DDFT, and SL specimens were collected from the forelimbs and hindlimbs of 10 horses of mixed breed, age, and sex that were euthanized for other reasons. One specimen was processed for histology to confirm that there were no underlying soft-tissue pathologies. One specimen was processed for 2 forms of...
Munoz Moran JA.This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular (IA) injections of a combination of platelet rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) on joint effusion following arthroscopic removal of OCD in the tarso-crural joint (TCJ) in young Andalusian horses. Methods: Forty Andalusian horses diagnosed with OCD of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia (DIRT) were included in the study. Horses enrolled in this study had persisting synovial effusion after arthroscopic removal of OCD in the TCJ. A subjective semi-quantitative effusion score was adopted in the study to define the ...
Hellige M, Geburek F.Diagnostic imaging is an important part of the diagnostic approach in equine spinal ataxia especially with the cervical spine being commonly involved. The spinal cord may be affected by a variety of conditions including cervical vertebral malformations, osteoarthritis of the articular process joints or less commonly neoplasia. Advanced imaging techniques such as myelography are more accurate in diagnosing spinal cord compression and may be performed under general anesthesia in neutral, flexed and extended positions of the cervical spine. The use of ultrasound is non-invasive and allows ultraso...
de Preux M, Precht C, Becker R, Stieglitz L, Easley J, Koch C.Trigeminal-mediated headshaking is a neuropathic disorder in horses, characterized by signs of regional pain similar to trigeminal neuralgia in humans. The injection of glycerol into the trigeminal cistern to ablate pain-conducting nerve fibers within the trigeminal ganglion -known as glycerol rhizotomy- is a well-established treatment in human medicine. This study compares two approaches to the equine trigeminal cistern using a navigation system for guiding needle placement, a previously described ventral and a newly developed transmandibular lateral approach. The surgical accuracy and risk o...
Beaumont A, Emond AL, Pourcelot P, Fayaubot L, Ravary-Plumioen B, Dupays AG, Desquilbet L, Denoix JM, Crevier-Denoix N.To quantify changes in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the midmetacarpal superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in young Trotters during training. Unassigned: In this experimental study, 12 healthy 3-year-old French Trotters, assigned to either a soft-track or a hard-track group, were trained for 4 months (June through September of 2012 and 2013). Both groups followed the same exercise program of increasing intensity. Ultrasonographic examinations of both forelimb SDFTs of each horse were performed before the beginning of training (D0), after 2 months of training (M2), and after 4 months o...
Peeters MWJ, Ott S, van Veggel E, Berner D, Perrier M.Limited reports in the literature are available regarding desmitis of the palmar/plantar ligaments of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PL-PIPJ); the clinical significance of such injuries is unknown. Objective: To describe the ability to differentiate the PL-PIPJ on low-field magnetic resonance (MR) examination. To describe the injury characteristics of the PL-PIPJ on MR examination and the correlation with clinical features and lameness. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Data and MR images of 29 horses were collected from the databases of three institutions. Horses were included...
Medica AJ, Swegen A, Seifi-Jamadi A, McIntosh K, Gibb Z.Oxidative stress plays a critical role in regulating sperm function, yet species-specific antioxidant mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study compared hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) tolerance in horse and human sperm and investigated the roles of catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in horses. A H2O2 dose-response assay (0-2000 µM) showed that horse sperm were significantly more resistant to oxidative damage, with an IC50 for progressive motility over 14-fold higher than that of human sperm (391.6 µM vs. 27.3 µM). Horse sperm also accumulated more intracellular H2O2 without loss of m...
Mirzaei A, Hajimohammadi A.Sixty-one horses were included in this study and classified into three groups based on the severity of colic, assessed by heart rate, oral mucous membrane color, and abdominal distension. The groups consisted of a strangulating colic (SC) group (n=21), a non-strangulating colic (NC) group (n=20), and a control group (n=20) of randomly selected healthy horses without colic. Serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), haptoglobin (Hp), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), zinc, iron, and copper were measured in all horses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was c...
Maeda Y, Kanno C, Sugiyama M, Yamamoto R, Sato S, Ando R, Noda R, Kawaguchi H, Takahashi F.A 17-year-old Thoroughbred stallion died suddenly after grazing. Necropsy revealed massive hemorrhage in the pericardial sac, suggesting cardiac tamponade. Aortic perforation was observed at the aortic origin, and hemorrhage was observed in and around the epicardium. Superficial observation of the aortic lumen revealed a transverse tear of the aortic wall at the bases of the right semilunar valve and septal semilunar valve. Fibro-osseous changes with calcification were histopathologically observed at the site of the rupture. A nodular goiter was observed in the left thyroid gland. The horse di...
Boado A, Pollard D, Dyson S.There is limited information about the orthopaedic health of dressage horses. This study aimed to document the orthopaedic status, lesion distribution, and evolution of injuries in 70 horses undergoing a minimum of five in-depth orthopaedic assessments at six-months' intervals. Warmblood (70.0%) and Iberian (24.3%) breeds predominated. The median lameness grade at initial examination was 2/5 (interquartile range 2,2; range 0,3). Hypermetria (42.9%) or hypermetria and weakness (12.9%) were observed at the initial examination and did not change over time. Metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal ...
Giraldo CE, López C, Álvarez ME, Samudio IJ, Prades M, Carmona JU.There is no information on the effects of the breed, gender and age on the cellular content and growth factor (GF) release from equine pure-platelet rich plasma (P-PRP) and pure-platelet rich gel (P-PRG). The objectives of this study were: 1) to compare the cellular composition of P-PRP with whole blood and platelet poor plasma (PPP); 2) to compare the concentration of transforming GF beta 1 (TGF-β1) and platelet derived GF isoform BB (PDGF-BB) between P-PRP treated with non-ionic detergent (P-PRP+NID), P-PRG (activated with calcium gluconate -CG-), PPP+NID, PPP gel (PPG), and plasma and; 3) ...
Ely ER, Avella CS, Price JS, Smith RK, Wood JL, Verheyen KL.While fractures and tendon injuries are known to be important diseases in National Hunt (NH) racehorses during racing, there are no accurate estimates of their incidence in NH training yards. Objective: To estimate the incidence of fractures and tendon and suspensory ligament injuries (TLIs) in NH racehorses in training; to describe the injuries incurred and to compare injury incidence rates by horse age, trainer, gender and background (ex-flat vs. ex-store horses). Methods: Cohort data were collected from 14 UK NH training yards for 2 racing seasons. Daily exercise regimens and details of fra...
Larose C, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M, Rogers LJ.We have established that lateral biases are characteristic of visual behaviour in 65 horses. Two breeds, Trotters and French Saddlebreds aged 2 to 3, were tested on a novel object test. The main finding was a significant correlation between emotionality index and the eye preferred to view the novel stimulus: the higher the emotionality, the more likely that the horse looked with its left eye. The less emotive French Saddlebreds, however, tended to glance at the object using the right eye, a tendency that was not found in the Trotters, although the emotive index was the same for both breeds. Th...
Hodgson DR, Davis RE, McConaghy FF.Conversion of stored energy into mechanical energy during exercise is relatively inefficient with approximately 80% of the energy being given off as heat. Relative to many species the horse suffers an apparent disadvantage by possessing a high metabolic capacity yet a small surface area for dissipation of heat, particularly as evaporation of sweat is the major method of heat dissipation. Under most conditions of exercise at least two-thirds of the metabolic heat load is dissipated via this means with sweat losses of more than 10 l h-1 reported. The remaining exercise-induced heat load must be ...
Stewart MC, Stewart AA.This article provides an overview of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) biology. In the first section, the characteristics that are routinely used to define MSCs-adherence, proliferation, multi-lineage potential, and "cluster of differentiation" marker profiles-are discussed. In the second section, the major tissues and body fluids that are used as sources for equine MSCs are presented, along with the comparative biologic activities of MSCs from specific locations. Finally, the current understanding of the mechanisms by which MSCs influence repair and regeneration are discussed, with an emphasis on t...
Balebona MC, Andreu MJ, Bordas MA, Zorrilla I, Moriñigo MA, Borrego JJ.The in vivo and in vitro pathogenic activities of whole cells and extracellular products of Vibrio alginolyticus for cultured gilt-head sea bream were evaluated. The 50% lethal doses ranged from 5.4 x 10(4) to 1.0 x 10(6) CFU/g of body weight. The strains examined had the ability to adhere to skin, gill, and intestinal mucus of sea bream and to cultured cells of a chinook salmon embryo cell line. In addition, the in vitro ability of V. alginolyticus to adhere to mucus and skin cells of sea bream was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy. The biological activities of extracellular produc...
Schoster A, Mosing M, Jalali M, Staempfli HR, Weese JS.The intestinal microbiota is important for health and disease. Factors that disturb the equine intestinal microbiota need further investigation. Objective: To determine the effects of transport, fasting and anaesthesia on the faecal microbiota of healthy adult horses using next-generation sequencing. Methods: Experimental trial. Methods: Faecal samples were taken from 8 horses at baseline, after transport, 12 h of fasting and 24, 48 and 72 h after a 6 h anaesthesia. Next generation sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was used to assess the microbial composition of faeces. Alpha...
Diab SS, Kinde H, Moore J, Shahriar MF, Odani J, Anthenill L, Songer G, Uzal FA.Clostridium perfringens type C is an important cause of enteritis and enterocolitis in foals and occasionally in adult horses. The disease is a classic enterotoxemia, and the enteric lesions and systemic effects are caused primarily by beta toxin, 1 of 2 major toxins produced by C. perfringens type C. Until now, only sporadic cases of C. perfringens type C equine enterotoxemia have been reported. We present a comprehensive description of the lesions in 8 confirmed cases of type C enterotoxemia in foals and adult horses. Grossly, multifocal to segmental hemorrhage and thickening of the intestin...
Rhodin M, Persson-Sjodin E, Egenvall A, Serra Bragança FM, Pfau T, Roepstorff L, Weishaupt MA, Thomsen MH, van Weeren PR, Hernlund E.The main criteria for lameness assessment in horses are head movement for forelimb lameness and pelvic movement for hindlimb lameness. However, compensatory head nod in horses with primary hindlimb lameness is a well-known phenomenon. This compensatory head nod movement can be easily misinterpreted as a sign of primary ipsilateral forelimb lameness. Therefore, discriminating compensatory asymmetries from primary directly pain-related movement asymmetries is a prerequisite for successful lameness assessment. Objective: To investigate the association between head, withers and pelvis movement asy...
Ainsworth DM, Grünig G, Matychak MB, Young J, Wagner B, Erb HN, Antczak DF.In horses prone to developing recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), we tested the hypotheses that the cytokine profile in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells of affected horses would reflect a polarized Th-2 response; that cytokine and chemokine alterations would occur within 24 h of allergen exposure; and that allergen exposure would induce alterations in the expression of the transcription factor t-bet (t-box-expressed in T-cells). The expression levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-13, Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), t-bet, IL-8 and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) wer...
von Lewinski M, Biau S, Erber R, Ille N, Aurich J, Faure JM, Möstl E, Aurich C.Although some information exists on the stress response of horses in equestrian sports, the horse-rider team is much less well understood. In this study, salivary cortisol concentrations, heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), SDRR (standard deviation of beat-to-beat interval) and RMSSD (root mean square of successive beat-to-beat intervals) were analysed in horses and their riders (n=6 each) at a public performance and an identical rehearsal that was not open to the public. Cortisol concentrations increased in both horses and riders (P<0.001) but did not differ between performan...
Koop G, Vrieling M, Storisteanu DM, Lok LS, Monie T, van Wigcheren G, Raisen C, Ba X, Gleadall N, Hadjirin N, Timmerman AJ, Wagenaar JA, Klunder HM....Bicomponent pore-forming leukocidins are a family of potent toxins secreted by Staphylococcus aureus, which target white blood cells preferentially and consist of an S- and an F-component. The S-component recognizes a receptor on the host cell, enabling high-affinity binding to the cell surface, after which the toxins form a pore that penetrates the cell lipid bilayer. Until now, six different leukocidins have been described, some of which are host and cell specific. Here, we identify and characterise a novel S. aureus leukocidin; LukPQ. LukPQ is encoded on a 45 kb prophage (ΦSaeq1) found i...
Wilson AM, Goodship AE.Mathematical modelling of tendon thermodynamics predicted that the temperature of the central core of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon would plateau at 11 degrees C above the tendon surface temperature during a sustained gallop. A mean temperature differential (between tendon core and surface) of 5.4 (S.E. +/- 1.0) degrees C was demonstrated in vivo in four horses. Peak intra-tendinous temperatures in the range 43-45 degrees C were recorded. Temperatures above 42.5 degrees C are known to result in fibroblast death in vitro [Hall (1988) Radiobiology for the Radiologist, 3rd Edn., pp...
da Silveira JC, Winger QA, Bouma GJ, Carnevale EM.Age-related decline in fertility is a consequence of low oocyte number and/or low oocyte competence resulting in pregnancy failure. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signalling is a well-studied pathway involved in follicular development and ovulation. Recently, small non-coding RNAs, namely microRNAs (miRNAs), have been demonstrated to regulate several members of this pathway; miRNAs are secreted inside small cell-secreted vesicles called exosomes. The overall goal of the present study was to determine whether altered exosome miRNA content in follicular fluid from old mares is associated wi...
Fortier LA, Chapman HS, Pownder SL, Roller BL, Cross JA, Cook JL, Cole BJ.Microfracture (MFx) remains a dominant treatment strategy for symptomatic articular cartilage defects. Biologic scaffold adjuncts, such as particulated allograft articular cartilage (BioCartilage) combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), offer promise in improving clinical outcomes as an adjunct to MFx. To evaluate the safety, biocompatibility, and efficacy of BioCartilage and PRP for cartilage repair in a preclinical equine model of full-thickness articular cartilage loss. Controlled laboratory study. Two 10-mm-diameter full-thickness cartilage defects were created in 5 horses in the trochle...
Irvine CH, Alexander SL.In horses, a circadian rhythm in plasma cortisol concentrations has been reported in some but not all studies. When a rhythm occurred, horses were accustomed to a management routine, comprising stabling, feeding and sometimes exercise, which may entrain a circadian pattern. In this work, we monitored plasma cortisol by collecting jugular blood through indwelling cannulae from four groups: 1): 10 untrained, unperturbed mares grazing excess pasture, bled hourly for 26 hr; 2) 4 mares housed in a barn for 48 hr before sampling every 15 min for 20-24 hr; 3) 5 mares placed in an outdoor yard for sam...
Haase B, Brooks SA, Schlumbaum A, Azor PJ, Bailey E, Alaeddine F, Mevissen M, Burger D, Poncet PA, Rieder S, Leeb T.White coat color has been a highly valued trait in horses for at least 2,000 years. Dominant white (W) is one of several known depigmentation phenotypes in horses. It shows considerable phenotypic variation, ranging from approximately 50% depigmented areas up to a completely white coat. In the horse, the four depigmentation phenotypes roan, sabino, tobiano, and dominant white were independently mapped to a chromosomal region on ECA 3 harboring the KIT gene. KIT plays an important role in melanoblast survival during embryonic development. We determined the sequence and genomic organization of t...
Clark A, Sallé G, Ballan V, Reigner F, Meynadier A, Cortet J, Koch C, Riou M, Blanchard A, Mach N.Gastrointestinal strongyles are a major threat to horses' health and welfare. Given that strongyles inhabit the same niche as the gut microbiota, they may interact with each other. These beneficial or detrimental interactions are unknown in horses and could partly explain contrasted susceptibility to infection between individuals. To address these questions, an experimental pasture trial with 20 worm-free female Welsh ponies (10 susceptible (S) and 10 resistant (R) to parasite infection) was implemented for 5 months. Fecal egg counts (FEC), hematological and biochemical data, body weight and g...
McDonald TL, Larson MA, Mack DR, Weber A.Mammary-associated serum amyloid A 3 (M-SAA3) was secreted at highly elevated levels in bovine, equine and ovine colostrum and found at lower levels in milk 4 days postparturition. N-terminal sequencing of the mature M-SAA3 protein from all the three species revealed a conserved four amino acid motif (TFLK) within the first eight residues. This motif has not been reported to be present in any of the hepatically-produced acute phase SAA (A-SAA) isoforms. Cloning of the bovine M-Saa3 cDNA from mammary gland epithelial cells revealed an open reading frame that encoded a precursor protein of 131 a...
Margalit E, Sadda SR.A variety of disease processes can affect the retina and/or the optic nerve, including vascular or ischemic disease, inflammatory or infectious disease, and degenerative disease. These disease processes may selectively damage certain parts of the retina or optic nerve, and the specific areas that are damaged may have implications for the design of potential therapeutic visual prosthetic devices. Outer retinal diseases include age-related macular degeneration, pathologic myopia, and retinitis pigmentosa. Although the retinal photoreceptors may be lost, the inner retina is relatively well-preser...
Fielding CL, Higgins JK, Higgins JC, McIntosh S, Scott E, Giannitti F, Mete A, Pusterla N.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is associated with clinical disease in adult horses. Outbreaks are associated with a low case fatality rate and a small number of animals with signs of encephalopathic disease are described. Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological and clinical features of two outbreaks of ECoV infection that were associated with an high case fatality rate. Methods: 14 miniature horses and 1 miniature donkey testing fecal positive for ECoV from two related disease outbreaks. Methods: Retrospective study describing the epidemiological findings, clinicopatholo...
Minke JM, Siger L, Karaca K, Austgen L, Gordy P, Bowen R, Renshaw RW, Loosmore S, Audonnet JC, Nordgren B.An ALVAC (canarypoxvirus)-based recombinant (vCP2017) expressing the prM and E genes derived from a 1999 New York isolate of West Nile virus (WNV) was constructed and assessed for its protective efficacy in horses in two different experiments. In the first trial, a dose titration study was conducted to evaluate both serum neutralising antibody responses to WNV and duration of immunity. In the second trial the onset of protection was determined. Twenty-eight adult horses received two doses of vCP2017 administered intramuscularly at 5-week intervals and sixteen horses comprised age-matched non-v...
Shimada M, Yanai Y, Okazaki T, Yamashita Y, Sriraman V, Wilson MC, Richards JS.During ovulation, granulosa cells and cumulus cells synthesize and secrete a wide variety of factors including members of the IL cytokine family via the process of exocytosis. Exocytosis is controlled by the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptor complex consisting of proteins residing in the vesicle membrane and the plasma membrane. One of the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptor proteins, synaptosomal-associated protein (SNAP)25, is expressed abundantly in neuronal cells and is also induced transiently in the rat...
Nagore D, García-Sanmartín J, García-Pérez AL, Juste RA, Hurtado A.Specific oligonucleotide probes were designed to develop a new and highly sensitive reverse line blot assay to detect and identify simultaneously different Theileria and Babesia species in horses. The amplified hypervariable V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene was hybridised against different generic and species-specific probes. The survey was conducted over 243 samples of equine blood divided into three different groups: group 1, 24 horses presented as possible clinical piroplasmosis; group 2, 181 clinically healthy free-ranging horses exposed to ticks; group 3, 38 riding horses with unrelated pat...
Scheinberg P, Marte M, Nunez O, Young NS.Clones of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor protein-deficient cells are characteristic in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and are present in about 40-50% of patients with severe aplastic anemia. Flow cytometry has allowed for sensitive and precise measurement of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor protein-deficient red blood cells and neutrophils in severe aplastic anemia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clones measured by flow cytometry in 207 consecutive severe aplastic anemia patients who received immunosuppressive therapy with a h...
Hijjawi N, Mukbel R, Yang R, Ryan U.Little is known about the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium in Jordan and to date, only one genotyping study has been conducted on Cryptosporidium isolates from Jordanian children. In the present study, a total of 284 faecal samples from Jordanian cattle, sheep, goats and chicken and 48 human faecal samples were screened for the presence of Cryptosporidium using an 18S quantitative PCR (qPCR) and a C. parvum/C. hominis specific qPCR at a lectin locus. Of these, 37 of 284 animal faecal samples were positive by qPCR at the 18S locus giving an overall prevalence of 11.6%. The point prevalence of Cr...
Aurich J, Wulf M, Ille N, Erber R, von Lewinski M, Palme R, Aurich C.Analysis of salivary cortisol is increasingly used to assess stress responses in horses. Because spontaneous or experimentally induced increases in cortisol concentrations are often relatively small for stress studies, proper controls are needed. This requires an understanding of the factors affecting salivary cortisol over longer times. In this study, we have analyzed salivary cortisol concentration for 6 mo in horses (n = 94) differing in age, sex, reproductive state, and housing. Salivary cortisol followed a diurnal rhythm with the highest concentrations in the morning and a decrease throug...
Bean WJ.The RNAs coding for the nucleoproteins of a panel of influenza isolates from human and nonhuman hosts were compared by RNA-RNA hybridization to determine the extent of genetic diversity of this protein and to determine if related nucleoproteins (NP) are consistently found in viruses from certain hosts. Five nucleoprotein groups were defined. Group 1 contains nearly all of the avian influenza viruses, group 2 includes only certain viruses isolated from gulls, group 3 includes all recent equine influenza strains, group 4 contains only equine/Prague/1/56, and group 5 contains all human and swine ...
