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.
Rendle DI, Duz M, Beech J, Parkin T, Durham AE.Paired measurement of ACTH concentration may be more reliable than a single measurement. Objective: To determine whether the mean of 2 measurements of ACTH concentration is more reliable in assessing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) than a single measurement. Methods: Paired ACTH measurements were performed on (1) 148 occasions from 124 horses being investigated for PPID, (2) 90 occasions from 76 horses with PPID that were receiving treatment with pergolide, and (3) 63 occasions from 50 horses in which there was no clinical suspicion of PPID. Histologic examination of the pars inte...
O'Shea CM, Werre SR, Dahlgren LA.(1) To compare the performance of 4 platelet counting technologies in equine platelet concentrates and (2) to evaluate the ability of the Magellan platelet rich plasma (PRP) system to concentrate equine platelets. Methods: Experimental study to assess method agreement. Methods: Adult mixed breed horses (n = 32). Methods: Acid citrate dextrose-A anti-coagulated whole blood was collected and PRP produced using the Magellan system according to the manufacturer's instructions. Platelets were quantified using 4 counting methods: optical scatter (Advia 2120), impedance (CellDyn 3700), hand counting,...
de Vries A, Thomson S, Taylor PM.To compare intravenous (IV) midazolam and diazepam administered with ketamine for induction of anaesthesia in ponies, already sedated with detomidine, undergoing field castration. Methods: Prospective, randomised, 'blinded', clinical study. Methods: Twenty Welsh pony yearlings. Methods: After IV injection of detomidine (20 μg kg(-1) ) and phenylbutazone (4.4 mg kg(-1) ) ponies were allocated to receive either IV midazolam (group M) or diazepam (group D) (both 0.06 mg kg(-1) ) with ketamine (2.2 mg kg(-1) ) for induction of anaesthesia. Using simple descriptive scales, quality of sedat...
Yoon M, Jiang J, Chung KH, Roser JF.Insulin-like growth factor plays a paracrine/autocrine role in regulating testicular function in the stallion, but its presence in the equine epididymis remains unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) are localized in the caput, corpus, and cauda of the epididymis in an age-dependent manner. Immediately after castration, epididymal tissue was fixed, paraffin-embedded, and processed for immunohistochemistry (IHC). Western blot was also performed using equine epididymal extracts to verify the specificity of t...
Miró J, Vilés K, Anglada O, Marín H, Jordana J, Crisci A.When artificial reproduction technologies designed for use with horses are used with donkeys, success is dependent on awareness of the physiological differences between these species, yet little information is available on many aspects of donkey reproduction. The present work examines the activity of the CL in Catalonian jennies after induced luteolysis. Plasma progesterone concentration, luteal blood flow (determined by color Doppler), and CL cross-sectional area (CL-CSA; determined by B-mode ultrasound examination) were assessed after a single dose (5 mg intramuscular) of dinoprost thrometh...
Gracia-Calvo LA, Ezquerra LJ, Martín-Cuervo M, Durán ME, Tapio H, Gallardo JM, Peña FJ, Ortega-Ferrusola C.Laparoscopic hernioplasty techniques have been developed in the recent years to avoid the recurrence of inguinal hernias and to spare the testicles for breeding purposes in stallions. However, there have been no previous comprehensive and systematic studies of the reproductive outcomes and prognoses for stallions after inguinal hernioplasty. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the possible effects of one of these techniques (standing laparoscopic peritoneal flap hernioplasty) on the sperm production and motility characteristics of six healthy stallions that received this proce...
Martino NA, Dell'Aquila ME, Filioli Uranio M, Rutigliano L, Nicassio M, Lacalandra GM, Hinrichs K.Evaluation of mitochondrial function offers an alternative to evaluate embryo development for assessment of oocyte viability, but little information is available on the relationship between mitochondrial and chromatin status in equine oocytes. We evaluated these parameters in immature equine oocytes either fixed immediately (IMM) or held overnight in an Earle's/Hank's' M199-based medium in the absence of meiotic inhibitors (EH treatment), and in mature oocytes. We hypothesized that EH holding may affect mitochondrial function and that holding temperature may affect the efficiency of meiotic su...
Davoust B, Mediannikov O, Roqueplo C, Perret C, Demoncheaux JP, Sambou M, Guillot J, Blaga R.Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate, intracellular, parasitic protozoan within the phylum Apicomplexa that causes toxoplasmosis in mammalian hosts (including humans) and birds. We used modified direct agglutination test for the screening of the animals' sera collected in Senegal. In total, 419 animals' sera have been studied: 103 bovines, 43 sheep, 52 goats, 63 horses, 13 donkeys and 145 dogs. The collection of sera was performed in four different regions of Senegal: Dakar, Sine Saloum, Kedougou and Basse Casamance from 2011 to 2013. We have revealed antibodies in 13% of bovines, 16% of sheep, 15...
Qing LL, Zhao H, Liu LL.Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases detected in a wide range of mammalian species. The "protein-only" hypothesis of TSE suggests that prions are transmissible particles devoid of nucleic acid and the primary pathogenic event is thought to be the conversion of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into the disease-associated isoform (PrP(Sc)). According to susceptibility to TSEs, animals can be classified into susceptible species and low susceptibility species. In this review we focus on several species with l...
Hobbs SJ, Baxter J, Broom L, Rossell LA, Sinclair J, Clayton HM.Since the ability to train the horse to be ambidextrous is considered highly desirable, rider asymmetry is recognized as a negative trait. Acquired postural and functional asymmetry can originate from numerous anatomical regions, so it is difficult to suggest if any is developed due to riding. The aim of this study was therefore to assess symmetry of posture, strength and flexibility in a large population of riders and to determine whether typical traits exist due to riding. 127 right handed riders from the UK and USA were categorized according to years riding (in 20 year increments) and their...
Nogradi N, Couetil LL, Messick J, Stochelski MA, Burgess JR.Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) may benefit humans and animals with chronic inflammatory diseases. Objective: Omega-3 PUFA supplementation improves clinical signs, lung function, and airway inflammation in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Methods: Eight research horses and 35 client-owned horses. Methods: A pilot study examined the dose of PUFA that can alter plasma PUFA composition. Then, a randomized, controlled clinical trial was performed in horses with RAO and IAD. Horses were fed a complete pelleted diet with no hay and rando...
Mialhe PJ.In order to verify possible preferential prey selection by Desmodus rotundus feeding on domestic herbivores in the Municipality of São Pedro (São Paulo, Brazil), vampire bat attacks were surveyed at rural properties where domestic herbivores were being raised and attack frequencies of D. rotundus on the total herd and on different species were calculated. The analysis found that the most frequently attacked herbivores were cattle and horses. The chi-square test (χ2), with a significance level of 5% corroborated the comparative analysis of attack frequency in properties that had these two sp...
Cagnardi P, Ferraresi C, Zonca A, Pecile A, Ravasio G, Zani DD, Villa R.Tramadol is a synthetic codeine analogue used as an analgesic in human and veterinary medicine. It is not approved for use in horses, but could represent a valid tool for pain treatment in this species. Objective: The serum pharmacokinetic profile and urinary excretion of tramadol and its metabolites (O-desmethyltramadol [M1], N-desmethyltramadol [M2] and N,O-desmethyltramadol [M5]) was investigated in a multidrug anaesthetic and analgesic approach for orchiectomy in horses. The evaluation of the degree of cardiovascular stability, the intraoperative effect and postoperative analgesia obtained...
Collar EM, Zavodovskaya R, Spriet M, Hitchens PL, Wisner T, Uzal FA, Stover SM.To gain insight into the pathophysiology of equine lumbar vertebral fractures in racehorses. Objective: To characterise equine lumbar vertebral fractures in California racehorses. Methods: Retrospective case series and prospective case-control study. Methods: Racehorse post mortem reports and jockey injury reports were retrospectively reviewed. Vertebral specimens from 6 racehorses affected with lumbar vertebral fractures and 4 control racehorses subjected to euthanasia for nonspinal fracture were assessed using visual, radiographic, computed tomography and histological examinations. Results: ...
Scopel e Silva D, de Castro CC, da Silva e Silva F, Sant'anna V, Vargas GD, de Lima M, Fischer G, Brandelli A, da Motta Ade S, Hübner Sde O.P34 is an antimicrobial peptide produced by a Bacillus sp. strain isolated from the intestinal contents of a fish in the Brazilian Amazon basin with reported antibacterial activity. The aim of this work was to evaluate the peptide P34 for its in vitro antiviral properties against canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), canine coronavirus (CCoV), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine influenza virus (EIV), feline calicivirus (FCV) and feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1). The results showed that the peptide P34 exhibited antiviral activity a...
Casey MB, Pearson GR, Perkins JD, Tremaine WH.The most prevalent type of equine dental pulpitis due to apical infection is not associated with coronal fractures or periodontal disease. The pathogenesis of this type of pulpitis is not fully understood. Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly used to investigate equine dental disorders. However, gross, tomographic and histopathological changes in equine dental pulpitis have not been compared previously. Objective: To compare gross, CT and histological appearances of sectioned mandibular cheek teeth extracted from horses with clinical signs of pulpitis without coronal fractures or periodont...
Sykora S, Brandt S.Equine hoof canker is a chronic pododermatitis of still unknown aetiology. Recent findings reported for 3 canker-bearing individuals are suggestive for Treponema spp. having a role in disease pathogenesis. Objective: Based on this hypothesised association, we assessed a larger number of DNA samples from hooves with canker and normal hooves for the presence of treponemal DNA. Methods: Retrospective survey of archived material. Methods: The study involved 71 archival, PCR-compatible DNA extractions purified from 59 canker samples obtained from 26 equine cases and from 12 hoof biopsies taken from...
Aitken MR, Southwood LL, Ross BM, Ross MW.To evaluate short- and long-term outcome after medical and surgical management of horses with cecal impaction and to determine reasons for death or euthanasia. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n = 150). Methods: Data collected from medical records (1991-2011) of horses with a diagnosis of cecal impaction, included signalment, history of recent disease/surgical procedure, admission data, management (medical, typhlotomy alone, jejunocolostomy), complications, and outcome. Short-term outcome (alive or dead at discharge) and long-term outcome (alive or dead at ≥1 year) we...
Baghi HB, Nauwynck HJ.The mucosal surfaces are important sites of entry for a majority of pathogens, and viruses in particular. The migration of antigen presenting cells (APCs) from the apical side of the mucosal epithelium to the lymph node is a key event in the development of mucosal immunity during viral infections. However, the mechanism by which viruses utilize the transmigration of these cells to invade the mucosa is largely unexplored. Here, we establish an ex vivo explant model of monocytic cell transmigration across the nasal mucosal epithelium and lamina propria. Equine nasal mucosal CD172a(+) cells (nmCD...
Tydén E, Tjälve H, Larsson P.Among the cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP), families 1-3 constitute almost half of total CYPs in mammals and play a central role in metabolism of a wide range of pharmaceuticals. This study investigated gene and protein expression and cellular localisation of CYP1A, CYP2A, CYP2C, CYP2D and CYP2E in equine intestine and liver. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyse gene expression, western blot to examine protein expression and immunohistochemical analyses to investigate cellular localisation. Results: CYP1A and CYP2C were the CYPs with the highest gene expression in the ...
Jaskólska M, Adamiak Z, Zhalniarovich Y, Przyborowska P, Peczyński Z.Deep digital flexor tendinopathy is a common problem in horses of different athletic disciplines. Nowadays, the use of magnetic resonance imaging is considered to be a noninvasive and superior choice for recognizing bone and soft tissue pathologies especially related to difficult to access structures within the hoof capsule.
Drögemüller M, Jagannathan V, Welle MM, Graubner C, Straub R, Gerber V, Burger D, Signer-Hasler H, Poncet PA, Klopfenstein S, von Niederhäusern R....Congenital hepatic fibrosis has been described as a lethal disease with monogenic autosomal recessive inheritance in the Swiss Franches-Montagnes horse breed. We performed a genome-wide association study with 5 cases and 12 controls and detected an association on chromosome 20. Subsequent homozygosity mapping defined a critical interval of 952 kb harboring 10 annotated genes and loci including the polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1 (autosomal recessive) gene (PKHD1). PKHD1 represents an excellent functional candidate as variants in this gene were identified in human patients with autosoma...
D'Août C, Nisolle JF, Navez M, Perrin R, Launois T, Brogniez L, Clegg P, Hontoir F, Vandeweerd JM.Traumatic and infectious diseases of the eye and orbit can occur in horses. For diagnosis and monitoring of such diseases, medical imaging is useful including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of the current study was to describe CT and MRI anatomy of the equine orbit and ocular globe. The heads from four adult horses were scanned with a 6-slice Emotion 6 CT (Siemens, Erlangen), and a 3.0 Tesla Siemens Verio 6 MRI using T1 and T2-weighted sequences. To validate CT and MR reference images, these were compared with anatomical models and gross anatomical secti...
Dembek KA, Hurcombe SD, Frazer ML, Morresey PR, Toribio RE.Medical management of critically ill equine neonates (foals) can be expensive and labor intensive. Predicting the odds of foal survival using clinical information could facilitate the decision-making process for owners and clinicians. Numerous prognostic indicators and mathematical models to predict outcome in foals have been published; however, a validated scoring method to predict survival in sick foals has not been reported. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a scoring system that can be used by clinicians to predict likelihood of survival of equine neonates based on clinica...
Yeste M, Estrada E, Rocha LG, Marín H, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Miró J.Although cryopreservation of stallion spermatozoa allows long-term preservation of spermatozoa from particular stallions and facilitates international trade, it is understood to inflict damages on sperm cells that may finally reduce their fertilizing ability. In addition, individual differences are known to exist in the sperm ability to withstand freeze-thawing protocols. To date, these differences have mainly been reported on the basis of sperm motility and membrane integrity. For this reason, the present work sought to determine differences between good (good freezability ejaculates: GFE) an...
Valentini S, Castagnetti C, Musella V, Spinella G.Objective of this study was to describe intraocular measurements in newly born foals (1-7 days of age) and assess the association between globe measurements and gender, laterality, and body weight. B-scan ultrasonographic biometry was performed on both eyes of 22 healthy foals (44 eyes) ages 1-7 days using a 10-MHz transducer. Intraocular measurements (anterior chamber depth, central lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth, axial globe length, longitudinal globe length, lens poles distance) were carried out using the ultrasound internal calipers. The influence of gender (male or female), latera...
Buczkowska J, Kozdrowski R, Nowak M, Raś A, Mrowiec J.Equine endometrosis is a multifactorial disease considered to be a one of the most important causes of equine infertility, especially in older mares. This article reviews the current knowledge of equine endometrosis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and optional treatment. Also describes the histomorphological and immunohistochemical characterization of endometrosis as well as potential etiological factors which may influence disease progression. Unfortunately, the etiology and pathogenesis of endometrosis still remains unclear, and consequently no effective treatment has been proposed so far. Therefo...
Pusterla N, Hussey GS.Equine myeloencephalopathy (EHM), an uncommon manifestation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infection, can cause devastating losses on individual farms, boarding stables, veterinary hospitals, and show and racing venues. An improved understanding of EHM has emerged from experimental studies and from data collected during field outbreaks at riding schools, racetracks, horse shows, and veterinary hospitals throughout North America and Europe. These outbreaks have highlighted the contagious nature of EHV-1 and have prompted a reevaluation of diagnostic procedures, treatment modalities, preventati...
Sasaki N, Okamura K, Yamada H.To examine the effects of various doses of mosapride, a 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptor agonist, on motility of the small intestine and cecum in horses by use of electrical activity and to determine the dose that provides the optimal response. Methods: 6 healthy adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: Electrical activity of the small intestine and cecum was recorded before and after mosapride administration by use of an electrogastrograph. Mosapride (0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/kg) was dissolved in 200 mL of water and administered orally to horses through a nasogastric tube. Three hours after drug administrati...
Toutain PL, Lassourd V, Costes G, Alvinerie M, Bret L, Lefebvre HP, Braun JP.The present study was undertaken to measure the weight of muscle destroyed by an intramuscular injection of phenylbutazone (PBZ) in horses. In six horses, CK disposition parameters were evaluated after intravenous (i.v.) and intramuscular (i.m.) administration of a CK horse preparation. The same horses received PBZ, a potentially irritating agent, by i.v. and i.m. (neck and hindquarter) routes. Data were analysed using compartmental approaches and instantaneous CK flux was calculated using a discrete deconvolution method. For a 150 U/kg CK dose, the steady-state volume of distribution was 0.05...
Cole DJ, Snowden K, Cohen ND, Smith R.Feces collected from three asymptomatic horses and seeded with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts (10(1) to 10(6)/g of feces) were evaluated by acid-fast staining (AF), an immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique, and flow cytometry. The thresholds of detection were 5 x 10(5) oocysts/g of feces for the IFA and AF techniques and 5 x 10(4) oocysts/g for flow cytometry.
Duarte PC, Daft BM, Conrad PA, Packham AE, Saville WJ, MacKay RJ, Barr BC, Wilson WD, Ng T, Reed SM, Gardner IA.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) using serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of horses naturally and experimentally infected with Sarcocystis neurona, to assess the correlation between serum and CSF titers, and to determine the effect of S. neurona vaccination on the diagnosis of infection. Using receiver-operating characteristic analysis, the areas under the curve for the IFAT were 0.97 (serum) and 0.99 (CSF). Sensitivity and specificity were 83.3 and 96.9% (serum, cutoff 80) and 100 and 99% (CSF, cutoff 5), respectively...
Risberg ÅI, Spadavecchia C, Ranheim B, Hendrickson EH, Lervik A, Haga HA.To elicit and evaluate the NWR (nociceptive withdrawal reflex) in 2 and 11 day old foals, to investigate if buprenorphine causes antinociception and determine if the NWR response changes with increasing age. The effect of buprenorphine on behaviour was also evaluated. Methods: Prospective, experimental cross-over trial. Methods: Nine Norwegian Fjord research foals. Methods: Buprenorphine, 10 μg kg(-1) was administered intramuscularly (IM) to the same foal at 2 days and at 11 days of age. The NWR and the effect of buprenorphine were evaluated by electromyograms recorded from the left deltoid m...
Barton MH, Hart KA.The dynamic physiologic changes and unique diet during the neonatal period contribute to key differences in clinicopathologic test results of healthy foals relative to healthy adult horses. When reporting results, most diagnostic laboratories only provide reference intervals for mature horses. Thus, failure to recognize the unique differences that occur in foals relative to adult horses can lead to erroneous interpretation of neonatal clinical pathologic values. Thus, the main objective of this article was to review distinct features of common clinicopathologic tests in foals, relative to matu...
The measure of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is becoming an emerging approach to monitor mid-/long-term stress in animals, so it is more and more important to develop accurate and reliable methods. In the light of this, the aim of the present study was to compare mane HCCs of 47 horses with different managements, by means of an immunoassay (ELISA) and liquid chromatography coupled to hybrid high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS). After the washing step, the ground hair was extracted with methanol. The extract was evaporated and redissolved in two different aqueous solutions, depend...
Morrice-West AV, Hitchens PL, Walmsley EA, Wong ASM, Whitton RC.Understanding the relationship between the training practices of Thoroughbred racehorses and race performance is important to ensure advice given to trainers for injury prevention or management is practical and consistent. We assessed associations between intended volume and speed of gallop training (i.e., typical workloads for horses free of injury or other performance limiting conditions) and rest practices on official trainer career and previous season success rates (rate of wins and places, prizemoney per start). Sixty-six Australian Thoroughbred trainers were surveyed. Multivariable negat...
Traub-Dargatz JL, Dargatz DA, Morley PS, Dunowska M.Infection control entails preventing or minimizing exposure to infectious agents or optimizing resistance to infection at the individual and population levels should exposure occur. The degree to which each of these strategies is applied varies according to the attributes of the disease agent and the population at risk. In developing an infection control, biosecurity, or biocontainment plan, it is important to decide which agent or agents are to be controlled, the method by which they might be introduced to the individual or population, and methods by which they might spread once at a farm or ...
Cecchini S, Paciolla M, Caputo AR, Bavoso A.In order to counteract harmful effects of oxidative stress due to pathological conditions or physical exercise, horses are often administered dietary supplements having supposed high antioxidant activities. The aim of the present study was to identify the in vitro antioxidant potential of "ImmuPlus", a polyherbal formulation (Global Herbs LTD, Chichester, West Sussex, Great Britain), containing three medicinal plants (Withania somnifera, Tinospora cordifolia, and Emblica officinalis), known in Ayurveda for their use in human disease treatment. Extracts obtained by different solvents (water, me...
Duehlmeier R, Hacker A, Widdel-Bigdely A, von Engelhardt W, Sallmann HP.Glucose homeostasis depends on insulin-regulated glucose uptake in the skeletal muscles and fat tissues via glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 translocation into cellular plasma membranes. The present study sought to elucidate GLUT4 expression, GLUT1 and GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake in the skeletal muscles of Shetland ponies. Semitendinosus muscle explants were removed by open muscle biopsy from six Shetland pony geldings under general anaesthesia. The expression of GLUT4 was analysed by measuring muscle crude membrane (CM) GLUT4 protein contents. To determine the insulin-stimulated GLUT t...
Cruz VC, Sommardahl CS, Chapman EA, Fry MM, Schumacher J.A 12-year-old 500-kg (1,100-lb) American Quarter Horse mare was evaluated because of chronic mucopurulent, bloody discharge from the left nostril, inspiratory dyspnea, and respiratory noise. Results: The horse had severe inspiratory dyspnea and stertorous respiration with no airflow from the left nostril. A temporary tracheostomy was performed. Endoscopy revealed a tan mass protruding from the left middle nasal meatus into the left common nasal meatus; it extended caudally into the nasopharynx and around the caudal edge of the nasal septum into the right nasal cavity. Radiographically, a soft ...
Pratt-Phillips S, Munjizun A.There is ample research describing the increased risk of health concerns associated with equine obesity, including insulin dysregulation and laminitis. For athletes, the negative effect of weight carriage is well documented in racing thoroughbreds (i.e., handicapping with weight) and rider weight has been shown to impact the workload of ridden horses and to some degree their gait and movement. In many groups of competitive and athletic horses and ponies, obesity is still relatively common. Therefore, these animals not only are at risk of metabolic disease, but also must perform at a higher wor...
Forro M, Cieslar S, Ecker GL, Walzak A, Hahn J, Lindinger MI.The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the compartmentation of body water in horses by using indicator dilution techniques and 2) to simultaneously measure bioelectrical impedance to current flow at impulse current frequencies of 5 and 200 kHz to formulate predictive equations that could be used to estimate total body water (TBW), extracellular fluid volume (ECFV), and intracellular fluid volume (ICFV). Eight horses and ponies weighing from 214 to 636 kg had catheters placed into the left and right jugular veins. Deuterium oxide, sodium thiocyanate, and Evans blue were infused for the...
Meyer C, Guthrie AJ, Stevens KB.Haematological variables and selected serum indices, particularly those affected by changes in renal and hepatic function, were examined in 6 healthy ponies following 4 intramuscular doses of 4 mg/kg imidocarb dipropionate administered every 72 hours. This treatment regime has been reported to sterilise experimental Babesia equi infections in horses and may have value in preventing the spread of this disease during exportation of possible carrier horses to non-endemic countries. Serum bile acids and serum gamma glutamyltransferase activity were measured to evaluate the effect of this treatment...
The Journal of heredityMarch 1, 1991
Volume 82, Issue 2 167-169 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111053
Woolf CM.Common white facial and leg markings have a multifactorial mode of inheritance in Equus caballus. Evidence for the complexity of the genetic component is the observation that chestnut (e/e) horses have more extensive white markings than do bay (E/-) horses. Computerized records obtained from the Arabian Horse Registry of America, Inc., were used to determine if heterozygous (E/e) bay horses have more extensive white facial markings than do homozygous (E/E) bay horses. Thirty-five sire families were analyzed. Each sire family consists of a sire, his foals, and the dams of those foals. The facia...
Ghaoui Rel-H, Thomson PC, Evans G, Maxwell WM.Membrane vesicles, separated by differential centrifugation from the seminal plasma, were detected in the sperm-rich ejaculate fractions of four boars and three stallions, and in the whole ejaculates of seven rams. The volume and percentage of vesicles, determined by a stereological technique, were higher in the sperm-rich than in the post-sperm-rich fractions of the boar and stallion ejaculates, and no vesicles were detected in the pre sperm-rich fractions. Vesicles were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For boar, stallion and ram semen...
Vasić A, Răileanu C, Körsten C, Vojinović D, Manić M, Urošević A, Nikolić N, Dulović O, Tews BA, Petrović T, Silaghi C, Valčić M....West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus classified as family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus. The first WNV outbreak in humans in the Republic of Serbia was recorded in 2012. Equids and dogs can show clinical symptoms after WNV infection and are often used as sentinels. This study aimed to (i) give insight into seropositivity for WNV in clinically healthy dog and horse sera in different regions of Serbia and (ii) compare diagnostic value of 'in-house' and commercially available indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) tests to 'gold standard' v...
Merkl M, Ertl R, Handschuh S, Aurich C, Schäfer-Somi S.In the present study, we assessed the presence of the ATP-binding-cassette (ABC) transporter molecules ABCA1 in spermatozoa of adult stallions and in testicular and epididymal tissue of prepubertal and adult stallions. For this purpose, semen samples from six fertile Shetland pony stallions aged 4 to 19 years were collected. Semen was collected from each stallion on three consecutive days. Ejaculates were analyzed immediately after collection, and only ejaculates meeting minimal requirements for fertile stallions were further evaluated. ABCA1 immunosignal was localized after staining of semen ...
Kawasako K, Higashi T, Nakaji Y, Komine M, Hirayama K, Matsuda K, Okamoto M, Hashimoto H, Tagami M, Tsunoda N, Taniyama H.To evaluate the histologic diversity of epidermal laminae in hooves from horses without clinical signs of laminitis. Methods: Formalin-fixed samples of stratum internum obtained from the mid region of the dorsal aspect of the hoof wall from the forelimbs of 35Thoroughbred cadavers (including foals [n = 9], yearlings [5], 2 year olds [6], racing horses [5], and mares [10]). Methods: Paraffin-embedded laminar tissues were stained with H&E for the evaluation of architectural variety of primary epidermal laminae (PEL) and secondary epidermal laminae (SEL). For detection of cytokeratin (CK) express...
Morrell JM, Rocha A.One of the most commonly encountered challenges in equine breeding is endometritis, which can be difficult to resolve and causes considerable economic losses to the industry. It is a multifactorial condition, developing as an exaggerated form of the normal physiological response to breeding. Seminal plasma proteins, spermatozoa, bacteria and debris initiate an inflammatory response; the resulting fluid and neutrophils are then cleared from the uterus along with the debris. However, in some mares, the response is prolonged or exaggerated, with much fluid formation and neutrophil infiltration le...
Serpa PBS, Woolcock A, Taylor SD, Pires Dos Santos A.Oxidative stress refers to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Most assays for ROS detection are costly, laborious, and usually use indirect markers. The use of 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) is a possible alternative. This substance becomes a fluorochrome when oxidized by ROS, with the resultant fluorescence proportional to ROS concentration. Erythrocytes are highly exposed to ROS, resulting in cell damage and consequently impaired oxygen delivery. The effects of this exposure in physiologic and pathologic conditions necessitate an improvement in ROS detec...
Perkins NR.This article reviews therapies and strategies commonly used to treat diseases of the mare's genital tract and modulate the reproductive cycle of the mare. Many reproductive treatments are based on historical use and empirical evidence rather than well controlled clinical studies. This article attempts to present practical information in a summary form while highlighting the need for continued research documenting the efficacy and safety of reproductive therapies.
Khanna AK, McDonell WN, Dyson DH, Taylor PM.The cardiopulmonary effects of eucapnia (arterial CO2 tension [PaCO2] 40.4 +/- 2.9 mm Hg, mean +/- SD), mild hypercapnia (PaCO2, 59.1 +/- 3.5 mm Hg), moderate hypercapnia (PaCO2, 82.6 +/- 4.9 mm Hg), and severe hypercapnia (PaCO2, 110.3 +/- 12.2 mm Hg) were studied in 8 horses during isoflurane anesthesia with volume controlled intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) and neuromuscular blockade. The sequence of changes in PaCO2 was randomized. Mild hypercapnia produced bradycardia resulting in a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in cardiac index (CI) and oxygen delivery (DO2), while ...
Sogaro-Robinson C, Lacombe VA, Reed SM, Balkrishnan R.To determine neurologic indications associated with abnormal results for computed tomography (CT) imaging of the head of horses affected by neurologic disorders. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 57 horses. Methods: Signalment, history, clinical abnormalities, and clinicopathologic findings were obtained from medical records of horses examined because of neurologic disorders, and precontrast and postcontrast CT images of the head were reviewed. Data were analyzed by use of univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: For a horse with abnormal mentation, odds of having a...
Jefcoat AM, Hotchkiss JA, Gerber V, Harkema JR, Basbaum CB, Robinson NE.Horses with the episodic asthmalike condition of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) have bouts of inflammation and bronchoconstriction associated with indoor housing. To assess the potential differences in airway secretions between RAO-affected and control horses, methods to quantify mucus secretions were developed and applied to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The relative difference in the amount of mucin glycoproteins between control and RAO-affected horses was assessed with a carbohydrate side chain-specific monoclonal antibody (4E4) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by carbohydrat...
