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.
Kang OD, Yun YM.The present study aims to confirm the influence of a horse-riding lesson program (HRLP) on the stress level of horses and riders by respectively analyzing their salivary cortisol concentration. Twenty-four healthy horses and 23 riders participated in this study. The horses were randomly classified into two groups for the horse riding lesson program: Class 1 (for the beginner lesson) and Class 2 (for the intermediate lesson). The Class 1 group consisted of 12 horses and 12 riders, while the Class 2 group consisted of 12 horses and 11 riders. Salivettes cotton wool swabs were used for saliva col...
Kwok WH, Choi TL, So PK, Yao ZP, Wan TS.Xenon can activate the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). As such, it has been allegedly used in human sports for increasing erythropoiesis. Krypton, another noble gas with reported narcosis effect, can also be expected to be a potential and less expensive erythropoiesis stimulating agent. This has raised concern about the misuse of noble gases as doping agents in equine sports. The aim of the present study is to establish a method for the simultaneous detection of xenon and krypton in equine plasma for the purpose of doping control. Xenon- or krypton-fortified equine plasma samples were prepar...
Gottschalk M, Sieme H, Martinsson G, Distl O.The objectives of the present study were to evaluate genetic parameters for semen quality traits of 241 fertile German Warmblood stallions regularly employed in artificial insemination (AI). Stallions were owned by the National Studs Celle and Warendorf in Germany. Semen traits analyzed were gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, progressive motility and total number of progressively motile sperm. Semen protocols from a total of 63,972 ejaculates were collected between the years 2001 and 2014 for the present analysis. A multivariate linear animal model was employed for es...
Wang Y, Mao Q, Chang H, Wu Y, Pan S, Li Y, Zhang Y.Integrins can function as receptors for foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in epithelium. Horses are believed to be insusceptible to this disease, but the mechanism of resistance remains unclear. To detect whether FMDV can use integrin to attach to equine epithelial, we compared the utilities of αvβ3 and αvβ6 between bovine and equine kidney epithelial cells (KECs). Equine KECs showed almost equal efficiency to those of bovine. Further, the integrin αv, β3, and β6 subunits from bovine and equine were cloned and vectors were transfected into SW480 cells and COS-1 cells alone or together...
Diyes GC, Rajakaruna RS.Otobius megnini is a one host, nidicolous soft tick (Family Argasidae) whose larvae and nymphs parasitize the external ear canal of many wild and domestic animals and occasionally humans. The present study was conducted to determine the seasonal dynamics of O. megnini infesting stabled horses in Nuwara Eliya racecourses. Ticks were sampled biweekly for two years from May 2013 to May 2015 from the ear canal of seven thoroughbred male horses. Weather data: temperature, rainfall and humidity for the study period were obtained from the Meteorological Department, Colombo. A total of 23, 287 ticks o...
Chindera K, Mahato M, Sharma AK, Horsley H, Kloc-Muniak K, Kamaruzzaman NF, Kumar S, McFarlane A, Stach J, Bentin T, Good L.To combat infection and antimicrobial resistance, it is helpful to elucidate drug mechanism(s) of action. Here we examined how the widely used antimicrobial polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) kills bacteria selectively over host cells. Contrary to the accepted model of microbial membrane disruption by PHMB, we observed cell entry into a range of bacterial species, and treated bacteria displayed cell division arrest and chromosome condensation, suggesting DNA binding as an alternative antimicrobial mechanism. A DNA-level mechanism was confirmed by observations that PHMB formed nanoparticles whe...
Gill Harris reports from this year's National Equine Forum where a key theme was the importance of collaboration and effective communication in achieving the best outcomes for the health and welfare of the horse and the future of equestrianism in the UK.
Westermann CM, van Leeuwen R, van Raamsdonk LW, Mol HG.Atypical myopathy (AM) in horses is caused by the plant toxin hypoglycin A, which in Europe typically is found in the sycamore maple tree (Acer pseudoplatanus). Owners are concerned about whether their horses are in danger if they graze near maple trees. Objective: To measure hypoglycin A in the most common maple tree species in the Netherlands, and to determine whether concentration of toxin is a predictor of AM in horses. Methods: A total of 278 samples of maple tree leaves, sprouts, and seeds were classified by species. Mean concentrations of hypoglycin A were compared for the type of sampl...
Alves Beuttemmüller E, Woodward A, Rash A, Dos Santos Ferraz LE, Fernandes Alfieri A, Alfieri AA, Elton D.An extensive outbreak of equine influenza occurred across multiple countries in South America during 2012. The epidemic was first reported in Chile then spread to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, where both vaccinated and unvaccinated animals were affected. In Brazil, infections were widespread within 3months of the first reported cases. Affected horses included animals vaccinated with outdated vaccine antigens, but also with the OIE-recommended Florida clade 1 strain South Africa/4/03. Methods: Equine influenza virus strains from infected horses were isolated in eggs, then a representative stra...
de Vasconcelos Franco JS, Faheem M, Chaveiro A, Moreira da Silva F.The effects of supplementation of α-tocopherol and different freezing rates (FRs) on the ability of stallion sperm to fertilize bovine oocytes with intact zona pellucida were investigated, in an attempt to develop a model to assess cryopreserved sperm function. Semen was obtained from four purebred Lusitano stallions (n = 4). Each ejaculate was subjected to cryopreservation with a commercial extender (Ghent, Minitub Iberia, Spain), without any supplementation (control) or supplemented with 2-mM α-tocopherol. The semen was exposed to two different FRs between 5 °C and -15 °C: slow (5 °C...
Sánchez MJ, Azor PJ, Molina A, Parkin T, Rivero JL, Valera M.Cresty neck is a relatively common morphological defect in Pura Raza Español horses and other Baroque type horse breeds, which adversely affects the breeding industry. Objective: To establish the within-breed prevalence, possible associated factors and heritability of cresty neck in Pura Raza Español horses. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of a large worldwide database of Pura Raza Español horses. Methods: The database included evaluations of 10,929 Pura Raza Español horses from 24 countries. Cresty neck score, on a 9 point scale, girth-to-height ratio, height at the withers, length of n...
Orlandini CF, Steiner D, Boscarato AG, Gimenes GC, Alberton LR.Defects in the abdominal wall of horses have high relapse rate. This is mainly in lateral eventrations and hernias caused by trauma from kicks of other horses or installation structures. The eventration region normally becomes swollen and there may be complications due to intestinal loop incarceration. The surgical treatment, consisting of reconstruction of the abdominal wall, frequently require biological or synthetic materials for the reinforcement of the suture line and tension support. Therefore, several studies have reported new materials for the repair of the abdominal wall, with the aim...
Azarpeykan S, Dittmer KE, Gee EK, Marshall JC, Wallace J, Elder P, Acke E, Thompson KG.The aims of the study were to determine the effect of season and blanketing on vitamin D synthesis in horses and examine the interaction between vitamin D and other analytes involved in calcium homeostasis. Twenty-one healthy horses at pasture were included; 5 were covered with standard horse blankets including neck rugs. Blood samples were collected for 13 mo and analyzed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25OHD2) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D), ionized calcium (iCa), total calcium (tCa), phosphorus (P), total magnesium (tMg), and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Gr...
Kováts N, Horváth E, Jancsek-Turóczi B, Hoffer A, Gelencsér A, Urbán P, Kiss ÍE, Bihari Z, Fekete C.Air quality in the stables is characterized by elevated level of dust and aeroallergens which are supposed to directly cause or exacerbate several respiratory disorders. The most often recognized problem is recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), previously known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is some indication that aeroallergens (among them endotoxins) may also cause inflammation in human airways and may exceed safe levels in stables. Monitoring studies have covered mainly the determination of the concentration of respirable particles and of culturable fungi and their tox...
McElhone RL, Meakin GE, French JC, Alexander T, Morgan RM.A study was designed to investigate the effects of external variables, including blood type, flooring surface, footwear tread depth and blood dryness, on the appearance of blood-based footwear marks, with particular reference to simulating a specific casework scenario. Results showed that footwear marks left in human blood tended to be of greater quality than those in equine blood, highlighting a potential issue in applying data generated with equine blood to human bloodstains in casework. Footwear tread effects were also dependent on blood type, but the type of flooring surface did not affect...
Herholz C, Kopp C, Wenger M, Mathis A, Wägeli S, Roth N.Female tabanid flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) can be a serious nuisance for horses because of their painful bites during blood feeding. They also play a primary role in mechanical transmission of a lentivirus causing Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA), a virus that has spread within Europe in recent years. According to the European law for products intended for use as a repellent on horses (recreational and sport horses), a field test is mandatory to demonstrate sufficient repellency of such a substance against the specific target fly species, but currently no agreed protocols are available for testin...
Duan H, Gao JF, Su X, Fu X, Yue DM, Gao Y, Qiu JH, Wang CR.Triodontophorus spp. parasitizes the large intestine of equine, causing strongylid diseases. The present study assessed genetic variation in five gene regions within and between Triodontophorus brevicauda and Triodontophorus nipponicus from Heilongjiang Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous region. The five gene markers were three mitochondrial (mt) genes, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (nad5), cytochrome b (cytb); and two ribosomal RNA genes, the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2). Partial (p) sequences o...
Arfuso F, Quartuccio M, Bazzano M, Fazio F, Piccione G.Knowledge of hematologic function in postparturient mares and foals is crucial for the monitoring of their health status and for the prompt diagnosis of pathologic conditions. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) and select hematologic variables in mares and their foals during the first month after foaling. Methods: Blood samples were collected from each animal every 3 days from day 1 until day 30 after foaling, and tested for RBC count, HGB, HCT, MCV, and EOF. Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc compari...
Puschner B, Chen X, Read D, Affolter VK.Photosensitization, also known as photodermatitis, occurs when phototoxic or photoactive substances accumulate in the skin and interact with sunlight to result in an often severe, crusting, itching or painful dermatitis in unpigmented and/or lightly haired areas of the skin. Primary photosensitization, caused by direct ingestion of photosensitizing agents, has been reported anecdotally in horses after ingestion of alfalfa hay. Between 2004 and 2014, several large outbreaks of primary photosensitization in horses fed primarily alfalfa hay were investigated in California. Alfalfa hay samples wer...
Palmero J, Hollingsworth S, Kass P, Moore S, Pusterla N.N-butylscopolammonium bromide (NBB), an anticholinergic muscarinic antagonist, was assessed as a mydriatic agent for field examination of equine eyes. Six adult horses were randomly assigned to four treatments with 2 weeks washout between treatments: (1) topical saline/IV saline (negative control); (2) topical tropicamide/IV saline (positive control); (3) topical NBB/IV saline; or (4) topical saline/IV NBB. Horizontal and vertical pupil diameters, temperature, pulse, respiration, pupillary light reflexes (PLRs) and mydriasis sufficient to perform complete fundic examination were recorded. Trop...
Tünsmeyer J, Hopster K, Kästner SB.To investigate the use of the Narcotrend electroencephalogram (EEG) monitor for the assessment of anesthetic depth in horses undergoing xylazine balanced isoflurane anesthesia. Methods: Blinded experimental study. Methods: Seven healthy warm-blooded horses, aged 10.6 ± 5.9 years, weighing 535 ± 55 kg. Methods: Horses were anesthetized for a terminal surgical trial with xylazine, thiopentone, and guaiphenesin for induction and isoflurane and xylazine continuous rate infusion for maintenance. After surgery, an EEG was recorded and processed by the Narcotrend monitor. It displays an...
Szcześniak KA, Ciecierska A, Ostaszewski P, Sadkowski T.Adult skeletal muscle myogenesis depends on the activation of satellite cells that have the potential to differentiate into new fibers. Gamma-oryzanol (GO), a commercially available nutriactive phytochemical, has gained global interest on account of its muscle-building and regenerating effects. Here, we investigated GO for its potential influence on myogenesis, using equine satellite cell culture model, since the horse is a unique animal, bred and exercised for competitive sport. To our knowledge, this is the first report where the global gene expression in cultured equine satellite cells has ...
Sergeant ES, Grewar JD, Weyer CT, Guthrie AJ.African horse sickness (AHS) is a severe, often fatal, arbovirus infection of horses, transmitted by Culicoides spp. midges. AHS occurs in most of sub-Saharan Africa and is a significant impediment to export of live horses from infected countries, such as South Africa. A stochastic risk model was developed to estimate the probability of exporting an undetected AHS-infected horse through a vector protected pre-export quarantine facility, in accordance with OIE recommendations for trade from an infected country. The model also allows for additional risk management measures, including multiple PC...
Hue ES, Fortier CI, Laurent AM, Quesnelle YF, Fortier GD, Legrand LJ, Pronost SL.The protocol describes a quantitative RT-PCR method for the detection and quantification of EHV-2 in equine respiratory fluids according to the NF U47-600 norm. After the development and first validation step, two distinct characterization steps were performed according to the AFNOR norm: (a) characterization of the qRT-PCR assay alone and (b) characterization of the whole analytical method. The validation of the whole analytical method included the portrayal of all steps between the extraction of nucleic acids and the final PCR analysis. Validation of the whole method is very important for vi...
Cruz F, Fores P, Mughini-Gras L, Ireland J, Moreno MA, Newton JR.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4) have a worldwide distribution and cause respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal death and myeloencephalopathy in susceptible horses. Given the scarcity of serological EHV-1/EHV-4 data in Spain, the objective of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the seroprevalence of EHV-1/EHV-4 and to identify potential horse-level and stud farm-level factors associated with EHV-1/EHV-4 in the breeding Spanish Purebred (SP) horse population in central Spain. Serum samples from 334 SP unvaccinated horses, collected between September 2011 and November...
Negro Rama S, Valera M, Membrillo A, Gómez MD, Solé M, Menendez-Buxadera A, Anaya G, Molina A.The association of five candidate genes with sporting performance in young and adult Spanish Trotter horses (STHs) was performed according to a previous selection based on quantitative analysis of the trait time per kilometre (TPK). A total of 334 516 records of TPK from 5958 STHs were used to estimate the estimated breeding values (EBVs) at different age groups (young and adults horses) throughout the range of distances (1600-2700 m) using a bicharacter random regression model. The heritability estimated by distance ranged from 0.16 to 0.40, with a different range for the two age groups. Co...
Crawley JA, Chapman SN, Lummaa V, Lynsdale CL.Parasite infection status, intensity and resistance have traditionally been quantified via flotation techniques, but the need for immediate analysis following defecation imposes limitations and has led to the use of several faecal storage techniques. However, their effect on nematode egg counts has not been systematically validated and is often generalised across taxa despite evidence of differences between species. Here, we take the domestic horse Equus ferus caballus as a model to examine the impact of commonly used storage techniques on egg recovery: 1) high and low concentrations of ethano...
Schröter C, Schulte-Sutum A, Busch M, Winkelmann M, Macke C, Zeckey C, Krettek C, Mommsen P.The cervical spine is considered fragile and vulnerable to injuries in equestrian sport. This retrospective study investigates the injury pattern and severity. Patients of the medical university in Hannover from the years 2006-2011, who had an equestrian accident, were identified. Patients who had been injured in the course of their work were excluded. Results counted with a p-value < 0.05 were considered significant. In 13.1% of patients, there were 71 cervical spine injuries (92.4% female; 7.6% male). The mean age was 27.1 ± 13.2 years. Of these, 86.4% associated the injury to the r...
Barreto Rda S, Rodrigues MN, Carvalho RC, De Oliveira E Silva FM, Rigoglio NN, Jacob JC, Gastal EL, Miglino MA.Musculoskeletal system development involves heterotypical inductive interactions between tendons, muscles, and cartilage and knowledge on organogenesis is required for clarification of its function. The aim of this study was to describe the organogenesis of horse musculoskeletal system between 21 and 105 days of gestation, using detailed macroscopic and histological analyses focusing on essential developmental steps. At day 21 of gestation the skin was translucid, but epithelial condensation and fibrocartilaginous tissues were observed on day 25 of pregnancy. Smooth muscle was seen in lymphat...
da Silva Xavier AA, da Rosa PP, de Brum Mackmill L, Roll VFB.For several years, hyaluronic acid (HyA) and, more recently, polyacrylamide hydrogel (PHyd) have been used to reduce lameness and pain caused by osteoarthritis. However, there is still a lack of scientific evidence of the efficacy of these substances to allow veterinary experts to make decisions about their use in horses. The objective of this study was to evaluate, through a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA), the efficacy of HyA, associated or not with other drugs, and PHyd in relieving lameness in horses with osteoarthritis. The searches for primary studies were conducted on ...
Merkies K, Copelin C, Small N, Young J.Recent concerns regarding horse welfare during competition has highlighted the occurrence of overtightened nosebands on competition horses. Current rules are often vague—e.g., “nosebands may never be so tightly fixed as to harm the horse.” To investigate the need and acceptance prior to any rule changes Equestrian Canada (EC) launched a pilot noseband measuring project. Nineteen officiating stewards measured noseband fit using the ISES taper gauge (TG) at 32 equestrian events of various disciplines in 2021. Additionally, stakeholder surveys collected data from 1528 EC members and 27 stew...
Vallance SA, Bell RJ, Spriet M, Kass PH, Puchalski SM.To date, few reports exist comparing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) for imaging of the equine distal limb, yet clinicians are required to decide which modality to use regularly. Objective: To report and compare anatomic visualisation scores obtained for CT, contrast enhanced CT (CECT) and standing low-field MRI (LFMRI) in the equine foot. Objective: Anatomic visualisation score discrepancies would exist between CT, CECT and LFMRI. Methods: Images of 22 lame horses (31 limbs) undergoing both CT and LFMRI of the foot were reviewed. When available, CECT images were ...
Rushton JO, Kammergruber E, Tichy A, Egerbacher M, Nell B, Gabner S.Despite advances in therapy of corneal ulcerative diseases in horses, a vast number of cases require surgical intervention, due to poor response to treatment. Topical application of serum has been used for many years, based on its anticollagenolytic properties and the presence of growth factors promoting corneal wound healing. However, although other blood derived products i.e. platelet rich plasma (PRP), plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) have been widely used in equine orthopaedics and in human ophthalmology, no reports of the effects of these blood derived products exist in equine ophthal...
Franchini M, Akens M, Bracher V, von Fellenberg R.A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on a combination of oligonucleotide primers selected using the octamer frequency disparity method with primers specific for EHV-5 (described by other authors) recognized all of a series of gamma herpesvirus field isolates. This PCR produced only three fragments: (1) one EHV-2-specific; (2) one EHV-5-specific; and (3) a fragment that occurred alone or in combination with the other two. Cloning and sequencing of four different isolates yielding only the last PCR product showed that this corresponds to a deletion/insertion mutant of EHV-2. The fact that thi...
Ropka-Molik K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Musiał AD, Piórkowska K, Szmatoła T.The ACTN3 gene codes for α-actinin-3, a protein localized in the Z-line in the skeletal muscle. Actinin-3 is critical in anchoring the myofibrillar actin filaments and plays a key role in muscle contraction. ACTN3 (α-actinin-3) cross-links glycogen phosphorylase (GP), which is the key enzyme catalysing glycogen metabolism. The aim of present study was to establish the expression level of the ACTN3 gene (for both isoforms separately and together in the gene expression analysis) in the gluteus medius muscle in order to verify if the α-actinin-3 gene can be related to training intensity in Ara...
Grosche A, Morton AJ, Graham AS, Polyak MM, Freeman DE.To determine the effect of large colon ischemia and reperfusion on concentrations of the inflammatory neutrophilic protein calprotectin and other clinicopathologic variables in jugular and colonic venous blood in horses. Methods: 6 healthy horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized, and ischemia was induced for 1 hour followed by 4 hours of reperfusion in a segment of the pelvic flexure of the large colon. Blood samples were obtained before anesthesia, before induction of ischemia, 1 hour after the start of ischemia, and 1, 2, and 4 hours after the start of reperfusion from jugular veins and ve...
Firląg M, Kamaszewski M, Gaca K, Bałasińska B.Aging is a process which operates at many levels of physiological, genetic and molecular organization and leads inevitably to death. Brain macroscopic changes by MRI investigation during aging were observed in humans and dogs but chimpanzees did not display significant changes. This suggestion led to the statement that brain aging is different in various species. Although human brain changes, e.g. β-amyloid storage, neurofibrillary tangle formation, lipofuscin, are relatively well known, we are still looking for a suitable animal model to study the mechanisms of aging and neurodegenerative di...
Matthews NS, Hartsfield SM, Mercer D, Beleau MH, MacKenthun A.To compare recovery from sevoflurane or isoflurane anesthesia in horses. Methods: Prospective, randomized cross-over design. Methods: Nine Arabian horses (3 mares, 3 geldings, and 3 stallions) weighing 318 to 409 kg, 4 to 20 years old. Methods: Horses were anesthetized on three occasions with xylazine (1.1 mg/kg), Diazepam (0.03 mg/kg intravenously [i.v.]), and ketamine (2.2 mg/kg i.v.). After intubation, they were maintained with isoflurane or sevoflurane for 90 minutes. On a third occasion, horses were maintained with sevoflurane and given xylazine (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) when the vaporizer was tur...
Berglund LA, Sharp DC, Vernon MW, Thatcher WW.Uterine flushings were obtained through the cervix (Method A) and through the wall of the uterus after hysterectomy (Method B) of ovariectomized Pony mares after s.c. injection of oestrogen for 1 week and progesterone for 2 weeks (Exp. 1). Non-pregnant and pregnant mares were flushed by Method A on Day 14 after ovulation and the flushings compared with those of non-pregnant mares injected i.v. with flunixen meglumine, a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, shortly before flushing (Exp. 3). Uterine flushings were also collected by Methods A and B from non-pregnant and pregnant Pony mares on Day ...
Mason VC, Schaefer RJ, McCue ME, Leeb T, Gerber V.Severe equine asthma, also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), is a debilitating, performance limiting, obstructive respiratory condition in horses that is phenotypically similar to human asthma. Past genome wide association studies (GWAS) have not discovered coding variants associated with RAO, leading to the hypothesis that causative variant(s) underlying the signals are likely non-coding, regulatory variant(s). Regions of the genome containing variants that influence the number of expressed RNA molecules are expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). Variation associated with RAO ...
Hessler C, Namislo V, Kammler G, Lockemann U, Püschel K, Meenen NM.Horseback riding entails several risk factors that predispose the participant to injury. Especially craniocerebral as well as spinal trauma were common reasons for severe injuries. Hence, it is important to use effective protective gear during riding activities. However, the protective effect of actual safety vests and helmets in case of accident is still unknown. In the present study reasons, mechanisms and patterns of equine-related spine injuries were analyzed. Based on these data the effectiveness of used protective gear during accident was assessed. Methods: 30 equestrians took part in a ...
Dalla Costa E, Dai F, Lecchi C, Ambrogi F, Lebelt D, Stucke D, Ravasio G, Ceciliani F, Minero M.Pain in horses is an emergent welfare concern, and its assessment represents a challenge for equine clinicians. This study aimed at improving pain assessment in horses through a convergent validation of existing tools: we investigated whether an effective analgesic treatment influences the horse grimace scale (HGS) and the concentration of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs). Eleven stallions underwent routine surgical castration under general anaesthesia. They were divided into two analgesic treatment groups: castration with the administration of preoperative flunixin and castration with ...
Murphy AJ, Mansfield LS.Sarcocystis neurona is a protozoan parasite that causes a neurological disease in horses called equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. The route of transmission is speculated to be by fecal-oral transfer of sporocysts shed from opossums. Controversy exists regarding both the natural life cycle for this parasite as well as the species identity of opossum Sarcocystis. To provide stage-specific material for species comparison, 27 opossums from southern Michigan were screened for Sarcocystis spp. sporocysts. Seven opossums were positive for Sarcocystis sporocysts by fecal flotation. A simplified, eff...
Spriet M, Buerchler S, Trela JM, Hembrooke TA, Padgett KA, Rick MC, Vidal MA, Galuppo LD.To assess distribution, uptake, and persistence of radiolabeled mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) using scintigraphy after intravenous regional limb perfusion (RLP) and subcutaneous injections in standing, sedated horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Horses (n = 12). Methods: Six horses had RLP performed through the cephalic vein on 1 limb and subcutaneous injection in the metacarpal area in the opposite limb. The other 6 horses had RLP performed through the lateral palmar digital vein and subcutaneous injection in the coronary band. A pneumatic tourniquet was used for the RLP. MSC were la...
Pauwels FF, Hawkins JF, MacHarg MA, Rothenbuhler RD, Baird DK, Moulton JS.3 Horses were examined and treated because of sudden onset of signs of abdominal pain. Results: All horses had a retrosternal (Morgagni) hernia involving the right side of the diaphragm. In each horse, the large colon was incarcerated in a right muscular defect in the diaphragm with a large hernial sac. Results: Definitive surgical repair of the hernia was not performed during the initial celiotomy. The hernia was repaired with mesh herniorrhaphy, but without resection of the hernia sac in 2 horses. For 1 horse, conservative management was applied. In the 2 horses treated with surgical correct...
Radwanski NE, Morris DO, Boston RC, Cerundolo R, Lee KW.The long-term effects of allergen specific immunotherapy (ASIT) on concentrations of circulating immunoglobulin E (IgE) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in horses have not been reported. Objective: To document changes in clinical severity of horses with atopic dermatitis (AD) and to monitor allergen-specific IgE and IgG concentrations during a two-year course of ASIT. Methods: Nineteen client-owned horses with a conditional diagnosis of AD. Methods: Three ASIT groups were randomly assigned based upon results obtained by either intradermal testing (IDT) for regional allergens (n = 7); enzyme-linked...
Armstrong S, Lees P.Chondrocytes and synoviocytes harvested from the joints of healthy horses were maintained in tissue culture. Production of the cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the effects of addition of carprofen (racemate and R and S enantiomers) were determined. Lipopolysaccharide failed to stimulate TNF-alpha activity in both cell types but concentrations of IL-1 and IL-6 were both increased in a concentration and time-related manner. Both carprofen enantiomers and the racemic mixture attenuated th...
Venner M, Peters J, Höhensteiger N, Schock B, Bornhorst A, Grube M, Adam U, Scheuch E, Weitschies W, Rosskopf D, Kroemer HK, Siegmund W.Macrolide antibiotics penetrate in the lung against steep concentration gradients into the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and broncho-alveolar cells (BAC). Since they interact with ABCB1, ABCC2, and organic anion transporting proteins (OATPs), which are localized to lung tissue, pulmonary concentration may be influenced by rifampicin (RIF), an inducer and modulator of efflux and uptake transporters. We measured concentrations of tulathromycin (TM) in plasma, ELF and BAC in 21 warm-blooded foals 24 and 192 h after first and last intramuscular injection of 2.5 mg/kg TM once weekly for 6 weeks. In...
Zak A, Siwinska N, Elzinga S, Barker VD, Stefaniak T, Schanbacher BJ, Place NJ, Niedzwiedz A, Adams AA.Age, neurodegenerative disorders, and dysfunction of insulin secretion may be correlated with increased systemic concentrations of acute phase markers. Thus, the study aimed to determine the effect of age, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and insulin dysregulation (ID) associated with PPID, on markers of the acute phase reaction. Twenty-nine mix-breed horses of both sexes were classified into groups: (1) healthy adult controls, (2) healthy non-PPID geriatric horses, (3) PPID ID+ horses, and (4) PPID ID- horses. Whole blood proinflammatory cytokine gene expression and serum concent...
Olive J, D'Anjou MA, Girard C, Laverty S, Theoret C.The purpose was to evaluate the capacity of 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to assess articular cartilage in racehorses with naturally occurring metacarpophalangeal joint osteoarthritis. A sagittal, three-dimensional spoiled gradient-recalled echo (SPGR) with fat saturation (FS) sequence was acquired ex vivo on 20 joints. Following joint dissection, specific areas on the third metacarpal condyle were designated for subsequent sampling for histologic cartilage thickness measurement and modified Mankin scoring. Cartilage thickness was measured and cartilage signal intensity was also graded...
Voigt A, Saulez MN, Donnellan CM, Gummow B.The most common causes of gastrointestinal colic at an equine referral hospital in South Africa were determined following retrieval of the medical records of horses admitted during a 10-year study period. The study included 935 horses of which 28% were admitted after hours. Most horses were Thoroughbreds (54%), male (57%), with a mean age of 8.2 years and originated from the Gauteng Province (81%). Heart rate (98%), mucous membrane colour (95%) and auscultation of the abdomen (91%) were the clinical data commonly obtained at admission. Packed cell volume, total serum protein and white cell cou...
Lugo J, Harkema JR, deFeijter-Rupp H, Bartner L, Boruta D, Robinson NE.This study was performed to determine if a peripheral sample of lung from the site where biopsy is conducted is representative of the rest of the lung and to investigate the relationship between airway inflammation and intraepithelial mucous production in the peripheral airways. Lung parenchyma samples were collected from five different regions of the lung in five control and five heaves-affected horses. Horse groups were defined by clinical response to stabling. Tissue sections were used for semi-quantitative scoring of lesions, to count the number of airways, to quantify the amount of stored...
Schaffartzik A, Weichel M, Crameri R, Björnsdóttir TS, Prisi C, Rhyner C, Torsteinsdóttir S, Marti E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an allergic dermatitis of horses caused by bites of Culicoides and sometimes Simulium spp. The aim of this investigation was to identify Simulium allergens associated with IBH. A phage surface display cDNA library expressing recombinant Simulium vittatum salivary gland proteins was screened using sera of IBH-affected horses sensitized to S. vittatum salivary gland proteins as shown in immunoblot, resulting in the identification of seven cDNAs encoding IgE-binding proteins. The deduced amino acid sequences of these proteins showed sequence similarities to a...
Klein C.Few, if any, biological processes are as diverse among domestic species as establishment of early pregnancy, in particular maternal recognition of pregnancy. Following fertilization and initial development in the mare oviduct, selective transport of the embryo through the uterotubal junction driven by embryo-derived PGE2 occurs. Upon arrival in the uterus, an acellular glycoprotein capsule is formed that covers the embryo, blastocyst, and conceptus (embryo and associated extraembryonic membranes) between the second and third weeks of pregnancy. Between Days 9 and 15/16 of pregnancy, the concep...
Jacobsen S, Kjelgaard-Hansen M.The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of an immunoturbidometric assay for measuring the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) in horses in clinical practice. The assay was compared to a previously validated assay, and overlap performance was assessed by measuring the concentration of SAA in clinically healthy horses and horses with inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases. In pools of serum with low and high SAA concentrations the assay's intra-assay coefficients of variation were 11.7 per cent and 4.6 per cent, and its interassay coefficients of variation were 9.1 per...
Price JS, Jackson B, Eastell R, Wilson AM, Russell RG, Lanyon LE, Goodship AE.In this study we tested the hypothesis that exercise induces an adaptive response in the developing skeleton which may be monitored in vivo by measuring biochemical markers of bone metabolism. The effects of exercise on two biochemical markers of bone formation were determined; the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), and the bone-specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and one putative marker of resorption, the pyridinoline crosslinked telopeptide domain of type I collagen (ICTP). All three markers were measured for a year in 2-year-old thoroughbred horses exerc...
Hitchens P, Blizzard L, Jones G, Day L, Fell J.Thoroughbred jumps racing jockeys have a fall rate greater than their flat racing counterparts. Previous studies have focused on factors that contribute to falls by horses but, to date, there has not been a study of risk factors for falls to jockeys in jumps races. Data on race-day falls were extracted from stipendiary stewards reports lodged with Principal Racing Authorities following each race meeting. Denominator data were provided by Racing Information Services Australia on races conducted from August 2002 until July 2009. Univariable and multivariable analyses, estimating incidence rate r...
