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.
Lindahl S, Båverud V, Egenvall A, Aspán A, Pringle J.Strangles is a contagious equine-specific disease caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. Unfortunately, detection of S. equi can fail in up to 40% of horses with strangles. Whereas recent molecular biologic methods and sampling techniques have improved recovery of S. equi optimal sampling methods and laboratory analyses remain ill-defined. Objective: To determine the yield of S. equi from horses with acute strangles in confirmed outbreaks by field-sampling methods subjected to culture and biochemical identification, and real-time PCR directly and after culture. Methods: Fifty-seven horses o...
Borer-Weir KE, Menzies-Gow NJ, Bailey SR, Harris PA, Elliott J.A simple, accurate test for identifying individual animals at increased risk of laminitis would aid prevention. Laminitis-prone ponies have a greater serum insulin response to dexamethasone administration than normal ponies in the summer, but the response during different seasons is unknown. Objective: To test the hypothesis that previously laminitic ponies have a greater insulin response to dexamethasone than normal ponies, which is present during all seasons. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study. Methods: Overnight dexamethasone suppression tests were performed on 7 normal ponies and 5 pr...
Meagher DM, Bromberek JL, Meagher DT, Gardner IA, Puchalski SM, Stover SM.To estimate the prevalence of radiographic abnormalities (lesions) in Thoroughbred racehorses at 2-year-old in-training sales and determine whether these lesions and 1-furlong presale workout times were associated with subsequent racing performance. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: 953 Thoroughbreds. Methods: Repository radiographs of carpal, metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock), stifle, and tarsal (hock) joints were examined. Horses with lesions were classified by lesion type and location. Race performance variables were compared between horses with and without l...
Spaas JH, Broeckx S, Van de Walle GR, Polettini M.Stem-cell therapy represents a promising strategy for the treatment of challenging pathologies, such as large, infected wounds that are unresponsive to conventional therapies. The present study describes the clinical application of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) for the treatment of four adult Warmblood horses with naturally occurring wounds, which were unresponsive to conventional therapies for at least 3 months. A visual assessment was performed, and a number of wound-healing parameters (granulation tissue, crust formation and scar formation) were evaluated. In all cases, tissue overgro...
Beard LA, Pelzel AM, Rush BR, Wright AM, Galgut BI, Hennager SG, King AO, Traub-Dargatz JL.A 7-year-old Quarter Horse gelding used for unsanctioned racing was examined because of fever and anorexia. Results: Physical examination revealed fever, tachycardia, and tachypnea. Results of a CBC indicated anemia and mild thrombocytopenia. Results of microscopic examination of a blood smear indicated piroplasms in erythrocytes, consistent with Babesia spp. Regulatory authorities were contacted, and results of serologic testing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed acute Babesia equi infection. Results: Equids on the home premises of the index horse were placed under qua...
Espinosa P, Lacourt M, Alexander K, David F, Laverty S.To identify the prevalence of fragmentation of the proximal tubercle of the talus (FPTT) in a hospital population of horses, characterize the anatomic features of the affected area and fragments, and describe clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome for horses with FPTT. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 9 horses with FPTT. Methods: 2,543 radiographic views of the tarsal region of 1,526 horses that were evaluated between June 2004 and December 2010 were reviewed. Medical case records for horses with detectable FPTT were retrieved, and signalment, history, clinical signs,...
Davis HA, Stanton MB, Thungrat K, Boothe DM.To describe bacteria isolated from reproductive tracts of mares and to examine the extent and patterns of resistance to antimicrobials commonly used for treatment of endometritis. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 8,296 uterine swab, lavage, or biopsy samples obtained between January 2003 and December 2008 from 7,665 horses in central Florida. Methods: Results of bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were obtained for uterine swab, lavage, and biopsy samples collected from mares undergoing a routine breeding examination or examined because of a reproductive diso...
Still J.This case series describes clinical findings in 100 horses displaying pain patterns resembling the anatomical course of the gall bladder meridian. The palpatory pain (tenderness) was detected in individual points, as well as along entire sections of the meridian. A few tender points and areas were also diagnosed outside of the meridian. These data are clinically relevant in terms of the diagnosis and classification of musculoskeletal pain in horses. Therapeutic trials will be reported in a subsequent study.
Smiet E.Lately there has been a tendency to discuss Equine Cushing's disease and its related phenomena, due to the amount of recently acquired research data. The author has composed a brief overview of the present situation emphasizing relevance for practitioners.
Lempe-Troillet A, Ludewig E, Brehm W, Budras KD, Winter K, Edinger J.The object of this study was to describe previously defined soft tissue structures by using spin and gradient sequences in a 0.5 Tesla magnetic resonance system in order to improve the characterisation of tendon and ligaments at the plantar region of the equine tarsus and metatarsus while considering possible age-related variations. Methods: Cadaveric hindlimbs from twenty-two Warmblood horses with an age range from one month to twenty-five years were examined in spin and gradient echoes. The proximal suspensory ligament from six limbs was dissected to assign the signal intensities histologica...
Bargaoui R, Lecollinet S, Lancelot R.West Nile fever (WNF) is a viral disease of wild birds transmitted by mosquitoes. Humans and equids can also be affected and suffer from meningoencephalitis. In Tunisia, two outbreaks of WNF occurred in humans in 1997 and 2003; sporadic cases were reported on several other years. Small-scale serological surveys revealed the presence of antibodies against WN virus (WNV) in equid sera. However, clinical cases were never reported in equids, although their population is abundant in Tunisia. This study was achieved to characterize the nationwide serological status of WNV in Tunisian equids. In tota...
Tofé E, Muñoz A, Castejón F, Trigo P, Castejón-Riber C, Gómez-Díez M, Riber C.The influence of hydration prior to exercise on hormonal response to exercise was investigated in horses, divided into two groups, control (n=11) and dehydrated (n=53). They were also classified according to their body weight in A (≈ 350 kg), B (351-450 kg) and C (≈ 451 kg). Horses covered 60 m on a track pulling a carriage loaded with 2, 2.25 and 2.5 times their body weight, for A, B and C. Blood samples were taken at rest, after exercise and during recovery. Electrolytes, albumin, renin, angiotensin and aldosterone concentrations were measured. Dehydrated and control horses had higher al...
Holl HM, Lear TL, Nolen-Walston RD, Slack J, Brooks SA.Chromosomal aberrations in the horse are known to cause congenital abnormalities, embryonic loss, and infertility. While diagnosed mainly by karyotyping and FISH in the horse, the use of SNP array comparative genome hybridization (SNP-CGH) is becoming increasingly common in human diagnostics. Normalized probe intensities and allelic ratios are used to detect changes in copy number genome-wide. Two horses with suspected chromosomal abnormalities and six horses with FISH-confirmed aberrant karyotypes were chosen for genotyping on the Equine SNP50 array. Karyotyping of the first horse indicated m...
Kelly PG, Reardon RJ, Johnston MS, Pollock PJ.Endoscopic examination of Thoroughbred (TB) yearlings is performed routinely to determine the suitability of horses for racing and to ensure that the conditions of sale are satisfied. However, previous research has demonstrated that resting endoscopic examination can be inaccurate in the diagnosis of functional pathology of the upper portion of the respiratory tract (URT). Objective: To investigate the feasibility of performing dynamic overground endoscopy in a group of TB yearlings and to compare the results of resting and dynamic endoscopic examination of the URT. Methods: Prospective cohort...
Gilliam LL, Carmichael RC, Holbrook TC, Taylor JM, Ownby CL, McFarlane D, Payton ME.Antivenom antibody titers following administration of rattlesnake venom for antivenom production in horses are well documented; however, antivenom antibody titers following natural rattlesnake envenomation in horses are not. Antibody titers produced in response to the commercially available rattlesnake venom vaccine are also not published. Our study objectives were to measure antivenom antibody titers in rattlesnake-bitten horses and compare them to titers in horses vaccinated with the rattlesnake venom vaccine. Additionally, titers were compared in pregnant versus nonpregnant horses to assess...
Pleasant RS, Suagee JK, Thatcher CD, Elvinger F, Geor RJ.Increased blood insulin levels are associated with an increased risk of pasture-associated laminitis in equids. Objective: To determine the relationship between plasma insulin, leptin, and lipid levels, and measures of oxidative stress with adiposity in mature light breed horses. Methods: 300 randomly selected light breed horses, aged 4-20 years. Methods: A random sample of horses (140 mares, 151 geldings, and 9 stallions) was drawn from the VMRCVM Equine Field Service practice client list. Evaluations occurred June 15 - August 15, 2006, with all sampling performed between 0600 and 1200 hours....
Johnson AL, Morrow JK, Sweeney RW.Recent research suggests that serum : CSF titer ratios could provide the most accurate antemortem diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of two commercially available tests, the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and the surface antigen 2, 4/3 ELISA (SAG2, 4/3 ELISA), using archived paired serum and CSF samples. Methods: Samples were obtained from 4 types of clinical patients. Confirmed positive cases (n = 9 horses; 11 sample sets) had neurologic deficits and postmortem lesions c...
Kamali MF, Wilson AC, Acquisto NM, Spillane L, Schneider SM.Flunexin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug approved for veterinary use in horses and cattle. Acepromazine is a phenothiazine derivative used in horses, dogs, and cats. Human exposure to these substances is rare. Methods: We report a case of a human injection of two equine medications, flunixin and acepromazine, which resulted in altered mental status, respiratory alkalosis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and elevation of liver transaminases in a 43-year-old woman who worked as a horse trainer. The patient intentionally self-injected these medications and subsequently presented to the Emerge...
Azab W, Lehmann MJ, Osterrieder N.Herpesviruses enter cells either by direct fusion at the plasma membrane or from within endosomes, depending on the cell type and receptor(s). We investigated two closely related herpesviruses of horses, equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and EHV-4, for which the cellular and viral determinants routing virus entry are unknown. We show that EHV-1 enters equine epithelial cells via direct fusion at the plasma membrane, while EHV-4 does so via an endocytic pathway, which is dependent on dynamin II, cholesterol, caveolin 1, and tyrosine kinase activity. Exchange of glycoprotein H (gH) between EHV-1...
Evers F, Garcia JL, Navarro IT, Zulpo DL, Nino Bde S, Ewald MP, Pagliari S, Almeida JC, Freire RL.This study aimed to investigate anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and to isolate the parasite from the brains of horses processed at slaughterhouses in Brazil. We collected brain and blood samples from 398 horses of various ages, from six Brazilian states. Serum samples were evaluated by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT cut-off titre ≥ 1:64), and brains were submitted to mouse bioassay. Among the 398 horses, positivity for T. gondii was identified in 46 (11.6%) by IFAT and in 14 (3.5%) by mouse bioassay. In 12 of those 14 bioassays, mice were positive only by IFAT (cut-off titre ≥ ...
van der Meide NM, Roders N, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Schaap PJ, van Oers MM, Leibold W, Savelkoul HF, Tijhaar E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated (Type I) hypersensitivity reaction induced by allergens from biting midges of the Culicoides spp. The aim of the present study was to identify, clone and express recombinant allergens from C. obsoletus, the main species found feeding on horses in the Netherlands, by sequence homology searches on the C. obsoletus specific RNA database, with previously described allergens from C. nubeculosus and C. sonorensis. BLAST searches with these described allergens resulted in similarity hits with 7 genes coding for C. obsoletus allergens. These allerg...
Nogradi N, Magdesian KG, Whitcomb MB, Church M, Spriet M.A 5-week-old foal was evaluated for fever and hematuria of 3 days duration. Cystoscopy localized the blood to be originating from the left ureter. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed left hydronephrosis, hydroureter, and omphaloarteritis of the left umbilical artery with abscess formation that communicated with an arterial structure. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a large aortic aneurysm within the center of the abscess. An exploratory celiotomy was performed and the infection was nonresectable. The prognosis for life was grave; therefore the colt was euthanized. Necropsy findings confirmed ...
Becerra P, Valdés Vázquez MA, Dudhia J, Fiske-Jackson AR, Neves F, Hartman NG, Smith RK.This study aimed to investigate immediate cell survival and distribution following different administration routes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into naturally occurring tendon injuries. Ten million MSCs, labeled with technetium-99m hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime, were implanted into 13 horses with naturally occurring tendon or ligament injuries intra-lesionally, intravenously and by regional perfusion, and traced for up to 48 h using planar gamma scintigraphy. Labeling efficiencies varied between 1.8% and 18.5% (mean 9.3%). Cells were retained in the damaged area after intra-lesional adm...
Chandriani S, Skewes-Cox P, Zhong W, Ganem DE, Divers TJ, Van Blaricum AJ, Tennant BC, Kistler AL.Theiler's disease is an acute hepatitis in horses that is associated with the administration of equine blood products; its etiologic agent has remained unknown for nearly a century. Here, we used massively parallel sequencing to explore samples from a recent Theiler's disease outbreak. Metatranscriptomic analysis of the short sequence reads identified a 10.5-kb sequence from a previously undescribed virus of the Flaviviridae family, which we designate "Theiler's disease-associated virus" (TDAV). Phylogenetic analysis clusters TDAV with GB viruses of the recently proposed Pegivirus genus, altho...
Borges AM, Silva LG, Nogueira MF, Oliveira AC, Segri NJ, Ferreira F, Witter R, Aguiar DM.Serum samples collected from 547 equids in the Pantanal region of Brazil were evaluated for antibodies to Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) by the agar gel immunodiffusion test. Risk factors associated with EIAV seropositivity were evaluated and spatial dependence investigated using a Spatial Lag Model. EIAV prevalence on farms in the Pantanal was 52.0% (13/25) with adjusted prevalence between equids of 31.5% (17.4-48.8% 95% CI). Intra-herd prevalence ranged from 5.0 to 77.0%. Statistical analysis demonstrated that farms and animals in regularly flooded areas had respectively 60 and 146 fo...
Lucia JL, Coverdale JA, Arnold CE, Winsco KN.Nineteen weanling Quarter Horses (225 to 380 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design to investigate the effects of intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce acute joint inflammation in young horses. Horses were blocked by age, BW, and sex and were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments for a 35-d experiment. Treatments included intra-articular injection of 0.25 ng (n = 7) or 0.50 ng (n = 6) of LPS obtained from Escherichia coli O55:B5 or sterile lactated Ringer's solution (n = 6; control) into the radial carpal joint. Synovial fluid was obtained at preinjection h 0 and 2, ...
Steelman SM, Chowdhary BP.Equine laminitis is a devastating disease that causes severe pain in afflicted horses and places a major economic burden on the horse industry. In acute laminitis, the disintegration of the dermal-epidermal junction can cause the third phalanx to detach from the hoof wall, leaving the horse unable to bear weight on the affected limbs. Horses that survive the acute phase transition into a chronic form of laminitis, which is often termed "founder". Some evidence suggests that chronic laminar inflammation might be associated with alterations in the endocrine and immune systems. We investigated th...
Hartmann E, Rehn T, Christensen JW, Nielsen PP, McGreevy P.The study investigated equine responses to novelty and handling, aiming to reveal whether horse-human relationships reflect criteria of an attachment bond. Twelve adult Standardbreds were subjected to a fear-eliciting test (novel objects presented close to two humans) and a handling test (being led passing novel objects) to study attachment-related behaviours and ease of handling. The tests were performed both before (pre-test) and after (post-test) horses had been trained by the same female handler (10 sessions of 15 min). Horses were assigned to three groups of four, each of which underwent ...
Nagel C, Aurich J, Aurich C.Abortion and preterm birth of foals are major reasons for reproductive losses in the horse. Risk pregnancies require close supervision so that adequate treatment can be initiated in time. The aim of this study was to determine normal values in heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) of the pregnant mare compared to her foetus and to detect physiological changes during ongoing gestation. In mares, the RR interval decreased from 1480±29 ms on day 270 of pregnancy to 1190±58 ms on day 330 of pregnancy (p<0.05). In contrast, foetal RR interval increased during the same time period from ...
de Oliveira FS.Anatomical specimens used in human or veterinary anatomy laboratories are usually prepared with formaldehyde (a cancerous and teratogenic substance), glycerin (an expensive and viscous fluid), or ethanol (which is flammable). This research aimed to verify the viability of an aqueous 30% sodium chloride solution for preservation of anatomical specimens previously fixed with formaldehyde. Anatomical specimens of ruminant, carnivorous, equine, swine and birds were used. All were previously fixed with an aqueous 20% formaldehyde solution and held for 7 days in a 10% aqueous solution of the same ...
Cadario ME, Merritt AM, Archbald LF, Thatcher WW, LeBlanc MM.Intrauterine pressure was measured in 4 reproductively normal mares and 4 mares with delay in uterine clearance after administration of oxytocin to determine if intrauterine pressure varied between dosage and group. Changes in intrauterine pressure were measured during estrus, when a follicle was > or =35 mm, using a Millar "Mikro-tip" catheter that had 3 discrete pressure sensors/channels. Mares received 4 different treatments of 10, 5, 2.5 or 0 IU (vehicle) of oxytocin. The protocol for each treatment consisted of a 10-min baseline recording, administration of treatment and measurement of...
Locke MM, Ruth LS, Millon LV, Penedo MC, Murray JD, Bowling AT.The colour locus historically referred to as C in the horse is linked to microsatellites markers on horse chromosome 21. Preliminary results demonstrated linkage of Ccr, thought to be the cream dilution variant of the C locus, to HTG10. An analysis of horse chromosome 21 using additional families confirmed and established a group of markers linked to Ccr. This work also improved the resolution of previously reported linkage maps for this chromosome. Linkage analysis unambiguously produced the map order: SGCV16-(19.1 cM)-HTG10-(3.8 cM)-LEX60/COR73-(1.3 cM)-COR68-(4.5 cM)- Ccr-(11.9 cM)-LEX31. C...
Smith KC, Borchers K.The polymerase chain reaction and DNA in-situ hybridization were used to study sections of uterine tissue collected from mares near the time of abortion due to equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection. These techniques revealed viral nucleic acids in endothelial cells of endometrial arterioles, in accordance with previously published immunohistological data. In addition, however, they revealed nucleic acids in cellular debris within endometrial glands and diffusing across the placenta at sites of microcotyledonary infarction. Perivascular leucocytes were generally negative for viral DNA, despite ...
Bonin CP, Baccarin RY, Nostell K, Nahum LA, Fossum C, de Camargo MM.Engagement of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a master trigger of the deleterious effects of septic shock. Horses and humans are considered the most sensitive species to septic shock, but the mechanisms explaining these phenomena remain elusive. Analysis of tlr4 promoters revealed high similarity among LPS-sensitive species (human, chimpanzee, and horse) and low similarity with LPS-resistant species (mouse and rat). Four conserved nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) binding sites were found in the tlr4 promoter and two in the md2 promoter sequences that are likely to be t...
Mahalingam-Dhingra A, Mazan MR, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Minuto J, Deveney EF.There are limited options for treatment of the common disease, equine asthma. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility and potential efficacy of using nebulized lidocaine for treating equine asthma, while at the same time treating a separate cohort of asthmatic horses with inhaled budesonide. Nineteen horses with a history consistent with equine asthma were recruited from our referral population for a double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot clinical trial using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. After screening, 16 horses met the inclusion criteria...
Kelleher ME, Burns TD, Werre SR, White NA.Evaluation of the effect of changes in the horses' feet after routine trimming and shoeing on gait at the trot is needed improve routine foot care. Evaluate changes in foot conformation and gait after routine farriery. Correlate alterations in a horse's gait before and after routine hoof trimming and shoe application. Fifteen horses received routine hoof trimming and horseshoe application. Dorsal and lateral photographs of the right and left front feet and inertial gait analysis at the trot were completed before and after trimming and shoeing. Measurements were made of hoof photos using a cali...
Campbell MD, Bellamy JE, Searcy GP.The microhematocrit heat-precipitation methods of Millar et al (1971) and Schalm et al (1975) were compared with the reference clottable protein method of Ratnoff and Menzie (1951) in the measurement of plasma fibrinogen concentration in horses. The millar et al method was more precise and accurate and showed better positive correlation with the reference method than did the Schalm et al method. There was no significant difference in the plasma fibrinogen concentration between healthy Thoroughbreds and healthy horses of other breeds. Horses with bacterial pneumonia and abscesses had significan...
Savill MG, Murray SR, Scholes P, Maas EW, McCormick RE, Moore EB, Gilpin BJ.Rhodococcus coprophilus, a natural inhabitant of herbivore faeces, has been suggested as a good indicator of animal (as opposed to human) faecal contamination of aquatic environments. However, conventional detection methods limit its use for this as they require up to 21 days to obtain a result. In this paper an optimised method for extracting R. coprophilus DNA from faecal samples is described. PCR and 5'-nuclease (TaqMan) PCR methods were developed to allow the detection and enumeration of R. coprophilus in faecal samples within 2-3 days. Both PCR methods targeted the 16S rRNA gene, producin...
Moltmann UG, Mehlhorn H, Schein E, Rehbein G, Voigt WP, Zweygarth E.The development of Babesia equi (Piroplasmia) in the vertebrate host was studied by electron microscopy. The tick-borne sporozoites initiated an exoerythrocytic schizogony in lymphocytes in vivo and in vitro. In lymphocyte cultures the schizonts of B. equi lay as fissured bodies directly within the host cell forming numerous cytomeres. These cytomeres were bordered by a single membrane and contained polymorphous nuclei. Merozoite differentiation was initiated at several places by protrusions appearing at the periphery of the cytomeres. The cytoplasm of the schizont merged progressively into th...
Hackl S, van den Hoven R, Zickl M, Spona J, Zentek J.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of short intense exercise on plasma amino acid concentrations in trotters and to test the repeatability of plasma amino acids concentration in samples obtained on two independent days under field conditions. Plasma amino acid concentrations were analysed in blood samples of 36 standardbred trotters before and after intense exercise over a distance of 2000 m. Sampling was repeated in 20 horses after 35 days. Exercise intensity was estimated from post-exercise lactate levels. Horses were divided in two groups according to a cut-off lactate conc...
Engelhardt H, King GJ.The epitheliochorial placenta represents the least intimate association between maternal and fetal tissues. The best known examples of this form of placentation are the domestic livestock species. Current information on the nature and proposed functions of uterine lymphocyte populations in ruminants (sheep and cattle), horses and pigs is presented. In ruminants unusual gamma delta T cells may play a role in mid to late gestation. During normal horse pregnancy, fetally derived endometrial cup cells invade the uterine stroma and are destroyed by maternal leukocytes midway through gestation. Natu...
Retamal P, Ríos M, Cheuquepán F, Abalos P, Pizarro-Lucero J, Borie C, Gutierrez J.Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a widespread facultative intracellular pathogen that causes caseous lymphadenitis disease in sheep and goats, and generates cutaneous abscesses and granulomas in horses and cattle. Although some genes have been studied for diagnostic and phylogenetic analysis within the genus Corynebacterium, at subspecies level the pathogen has been poorly analyzed. The aim of this study was to characterize C. pseudotuberculosis strains isolated from domestic animals, through the sequencing of a hypervariable rpoB gene segment. As result, there were identified host associ...
Millerick-May ML, Karmaus W, Derksen FJ, Berthold B, Holcombe SJ, Robinson NE.Airway inflammation and mucus in the trachea are common in racehorses. Fine airborne particles can initiate and coarse particles can worsen airway inflammation in man and in animal models of airway disease. The regional and seasonal distribution of particles of different sizes has never been investigated in American racing stables. Objective: To determine the regional and seasonal concentration and number of airborne particles of different sizes in racing stables. Methods: Direct reading instruments were used to determine the mass concentration and numbers of particles 3 times daily (early mor...
Wooding FB, Morgan G, Fowden AL, Allen WR.The placenta is the only channel for transport of nutrients to the conceptus and the fetal nutrient demands increase exponentially to term. The 9 kDa calcium binding protein (calbindin, 9CBP) and the iron binding protein uteroferrin (UF) are proving to be reliable markers for epithelia that mediate active transcellular calcium and iron transport and the glucose transporter proteins (GT1 and GT3) for glucose transport by facilitated diffusion. Light and electron microscope immunocytochemistry have been used on perfusion fixed resin embedded material to establish the distribution of 9CBP, UF, GT...
Navarrete F, Wong YS, Cabezas J, Riadi G, Manríquez J, Rojas D, Furlanetto Mançanares AC, Rodriguez-Alvarez L, Saravia F, Castro FO.Equine endometrial and adipose mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs and aMSCs, respectively) were isolated from the same donors of thoroughbred mares. The cells displayed characteristic features of MSCs, including trilineage mesodermal and also neurogenic differentiation. We evaluated the influence of cellular origin on their transcriptome profile. Cellular RNA was isolated and sequenced and extracellular vesicles (EVs) were obtained from conditioned medium of cells cultured in medium depleted of EVs, and their microRNA (miRNA) cargo analyzed by sequencing. Differential expression of mRNAs and EV-miR...
Martin de Bustamante M, Gomez D, MacNicol J, Hamor R, Plummer C.The objective of this study was to describe and compare the fecal bacterial microbiota of horses with equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) and healthy horses using next-generation sequencing techniques. Fecal samples were collected from 15 client-owned horses previously diagnosed with ERU on complete ophthalmic examination. For each fecal sample obtained from a horse with ERU, a sample was collected from an environmentally matched healthy control with no evidence of ocular disease. The Illumina MiSeq sequencer was used for high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The relativ...
Matsuda G, Maita T, Braunitzer G, Schrank B.The sequence analysis of the slow migrating component of the hemoglobins of horse was repeated with the automatic methode in the sequenator and the sequence of the beta-chains completed. In the alpha-chains the positions of alpha63 and alpha65 (Gly, Ala) and alpha82 and alpha85 (amides) were changed and the remaining 40 sequences of the beta-chains are reported. According to these data and biological contributions of other authors, the biological aspects of the primary structure and the polymorphism of the hemoglobins of the horse are discussed.
Stockham SL, Harvey JW, Kinden DA.Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a well-characterized X-linked inherited disorder in humans but has not been reported in horses. We describe a persistent hemolytic anemia and hyperbilirubinemia due to a severe G6PD deficiency in an American Saddlebred colt. Other abnormalities in the colt's erythrocytes as compared with those of healthy horses (n = 22-35) included increased activities of hexokinase and pyruvate kinase, decreased concentrations of reduced glutathione and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), and increased concentration of oxidized NAD...
Gómez-Almaguer D, Jaime-Pérez JC, Ruiz-Arguelles GJ.Antibodies have been the cornerstone of treatment of acquired aplastic anemia for more than 25 years. Treatment with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is considered pivotal and the addition of cyclosporine improves the overall response rate. This antibody is heterogeneous and horse ATG is apparently more effective than rabbit ATG. Several issues remain unsolved in relation to the combination of ATG and cyclosporine: cost, toxicity and late clonal disorders. In recent years, alternative immunosuppressive therapy has been proposed and new antibodies have emerged: porcine ATG, alemtuzumab, daclizumab...
Stahl C, Unger L, Mazuet C, Popoff M, Straub R, Frey J.Botulinum neurotoxins, predominantly serotypes C and D, cause equine botulism through forage poisoning. The C-terminal part of the heavy chain of botulinum neurotoxin types C and D (HcBoNT/C and D) was expressed in Escherichia coli and evaluated as a recombinant mono- and bivalent vaccine in twelve horses in comparison to a commercially available toxoid vaccine. A three-dose subcutaneous immunization of adult horses elicited robust serum antibody response in an ELISA using the immunogen as a capture antigen. Immune sera showed dose-dependent high potency in neutralizing specifically the active...
Vanderwall DK, Woods GL.To determine the effect on fertility of large-volume uterine lavage with lactated Ringer's solution (LRS) performed immediately prior to insemination in mares. Methods: Prospective randomized controlled study. Methods: 20 mares. Methods: Control mares (n = 10) were inseminated with 1 billion (estimated before cooling) progressively motile spermatozoa that had been cooled in a passive cooling unit for 24 hours. Mares (n = 10) in the treatment group were inseminated with 1 billion progressively motile spermatozoa (cooled as described for control mares) immediately after uterine lavage with 4 L o...
Lyons ET, Bolin DC, Bryant UK, Cassone LM, Jackson CB, Janes JG, Kennedy LA, Loynachan AT, Boll KR, Burkhardt AS, Langlois EL, Minnis SM, Welsh SC....Parasite infections are more quantifiable postmortem than antemortem in horses. Thus a study was carried out examining dead horses for specific parasite species. Most of the weanling and older horses submitted to the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) for postmortem examination between November 22, 2016 and March 23, 2017 were examined for certain species of internal parasites. The stomach and duodenum from 69 horses were examined for bots (Gasterophilus spp.). Combined data for both Thoroughbred and non-Thoroughbred (16 other than Thoroughbred breeds/mixed breeds)...
Looft C, Paul S, Philipp U, Regenhard P, Kuiper H, Distl O, Chowdhary BP, Leeb T.Defensins are a family of evolutionary ancient antimicrobial peptides consisting of three sub-families: alpha-, beta- and theta-defensins. This investigation was focused on the genomic characterization of equine beta-defensins and the investigation of the potential clustering of beta-defensin genes in the equine genome. Six genomic BAC clones were isolated from the CHORI-241 library and one of these was mapped by FISH to ECA 27q17. This location was confirmed by RH-mapping. The contiguous 212 kb sequence of this clone was determined. Sequence analysis revealed the identification of ten pseudog...
Phumoonna T, Barton MD, Vanniasinkam T, Heuzenroeder MW.Rhodococcus equi remains a significant bacterial pathogen, causing severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals aged 1-3 months. There is no effective vaccine currently available for the prevention of R. equi pneumonia. DNA vaccines are known to offer specific advantages over conventional vaccines. The aim of this study was to demonstrate efficacy of our recombinant DNA vaccine candidates, namely pcDNA3-Re1, pcDNA3-Re3 and pcDNA3-Re5 by combining a heat shock protein GroEL2 to a virulence-associated protein A (VapA) from R. equi to protect C3H/He mice against the R. equi infection. VapA was show...
Sessions DR, Vick MM, Fitzgerald BP.Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMP) regulate tissue remodeling events necessary for ovulation. Thus, changes in MMP and TIMP expression and protein enzyme activity were examined in vivo and in vitro during follicular development and atresia in the horse. Equine granulosa cells and follicular fluid from medium (15 to 29 mm) healthy and atretic follicles and from large (>30 mm) healthy and preovulatory follicles were collected by transvaginal aspiration. The cells were either snap-frozen (in vivo study) or cultured for 48 h (in vitro study) to determine gene ex...
