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.
Watts AE, Fubini SL.This report describes a modification of the parainguinal approach for removal of cystic calculi: a ventral midline laparotomy-guided parainguinal laparocystotomy. The ventral midline approach to the abdomen is rapid and routinely used by equine surgeons. With an arm introduced to the abdomen via the ventral midline, the surgeon is able to select the ideal parainguinal laparotomy incision location that allows bladder exteriorisation with the minimum amount of tension. Because the surgeon's hand is introduced via the ventral midline incision, the parainguinal incision can be sized to just allow ...
Wulijideligen , Asahina T, Hara K, Arakawa K, Nakano H, Miyamoto T.The purification and characterization of a bacteriocin produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain 406 that was isolated from traditional Mongolian fermented mare's milk, airag, were carried out. Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain 406 was identified on the basis of its morphological and biochemical characteristics and carbohydrate fermentation profile and by API 50 CH kit and 16S ribosomal DNA analyses. The neutral-pH cell-free supernatant of this bacterium inhibited the growth of several lactic acid bacteria and food spoilage and pathogenic organisms, including Listeria monocytogenes and Clost...
Kavar T, Čeh E, Dovč P.Coat color of gray horses is associated with a 4.6-kb duplication, which can be determined using PCR amplification of about 5-kb DNA fragment. In practice, this means that amplification might fail frequently. Therefore, a novel genetic screening method based on amplification of the 246 bp DNA fragment has been developed.
Ginther OJ, Beg MA.Hourly blood sampling in both horses and cattle indicate that the transition between the end of preluteolysis and the beginning of luteolysis occurs within 1 h, as manifested by a change in progesterone concentrations. Each species presents a separate temporality enigma on the relationship between pulses of a prostaglandin (PG) F2α metabolite (PGFM) and the hour of the progesterone transition. In horses, relatively small pulses of PGFM occur during preluteolysis (before transition) and at transition. Oxytocin, but not estradiol, increases and decreases concomitantly with the small PGFM pulse ...
Jacklin BD, Wright IM.Although fractures of the metacarpal and metatarsal condyles are the most common long-bone fractures of Thoroughbred horses in training, limited data on variations in morphology and incidence have been published. Additionally, grouped analyses of previous studies from the UK and USA would permit comparison between study groups and the creation of a substantial pool of international data. Methods: Retrospective analysis of case records of horses with fractures of the distal condyles of third metacarpal/metatarsal bones seen over the last 10 years at Newmarket Equine Hospital. The current series...
De Schauwer C, Piepers S, Van de Walle GR, Demeyere K, Hoogewijs MK, Govaere JL, Braeckmans K, Van Soom A, Meyer E.During recent years, cell-based therapies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are reported in equine veterinary medicine with increasing frequency. In most cases, the isolation and in vitro differentiation of equine MSC are described, but their proper immunophenotypic characterization is rarely performed. The lack of a single marker specific for MSC and the limited availability of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for equine MSC in particular, strongly hamper this research. In this study, 30 commercial mAbs were screened with flow cytometry for recognizing equine epitopes using the appropriate posit...
Galera PD, Brooks DE.Keratomycosis in the horse exists in several unique clinical forms. This paper discusses the diagnosis and clinical management of keratomycosis in the horse associated with tear film instability, epithelial keratopathy, subepithelial infiltrates, superficial and deep ulcers, plaques, melting ulcers, descemetoceles, iris prolapse, and stromal abscesses. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment of equine keratomycosis can make a major difference in the maintenance of a cosmetic and visual eye.
Buckley P, Morton JM, Buckley DJ, Coleman GT.Horse misbehaviour is an important cause of poor performance in Pony Club horses, is associated with horse-related rider injuries and has been implicated as a nonspecific presenting sign for musculoskeletal pain. Despite this, little is known about the incidence of and risk factors for misbehaviour in Pony Club horses. Objective: This study aimed to describe the incidence and types of misbehaviour in a cohort of Pony Club horses and to identify risk factors for misbehaviour during riding. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was conducted with 84 Pony Club horses from 41 families belongin...
Leon PM, Campos VF, Thurow HS, Hartwig FP, Selau LP, Dellagostin OA, Neto JB, Deschamps JC, Seixas FK, Collares T.Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the p53 gene have been studied extensively in humans. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of the Arg/Pro SNP in p53 in Thoroughbred mares on one stud in Brazil and to correlate p53 genotypes with reproductive performance. SNPs were detected by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism in blood samples from 105 horses and confirmed by sequencing. The allele frequency in Thoroughbred mares at codon 72 in exon 4 was 73.3% Arg/Pro, 17.1% Arg/Arg and 9.6% Pro/Pro. The presence of Arg/Pro was significantly associated with abortion (P=0....
Pusterla N, Mapes S, David Wilson W.The objective of this study was to detect and characterize latent equine herpes virus (EHV)-1 and -4 from the submandibular (SMLN) and bronchial lymph (BLN) nodes, as well as from the trigeminal ganglia (TG) of 70 racing Thoroughbred horses submitted for necropsy following sustaining serious musculoskeletal injuries while racing. A combination of nucleic acid precipitation and pre-amplification steps was used to increase analytical sensitivity. Tissues were deemed positive for latent EHV-1 and/or -4 infection when found PCR positive for the corresponding glycoprotein B (gB) gene in the absence...
Betteridge KJ, Waelchli RO, Christie HL, Raeside JI, Quinn BA, Hayes MA.To advance the understanding of early pregnancy and pregnancy failure in horses, this study determined how luteolysis induced by cloprostenol (an analogue of prostaglandin F2α) affects conceptus development. Mares were injected on Days 12, 14, 16 or 18 of pregnancy with either cloprostenol (treatment groups, total n=83 pregnancies) or saline (controls, n=81), and growth of the conceptuses was monitored and compared by daily ultrasonography until they were collected transcervically on Days 15-22, 1-4 days after the injections. The comparisons were extended in the recovered conceptuses by count...
Hausberger M, Fureix C, Bourjade M, Wessel-Robert S, Richard-Yris MA.Play remains a mystery and adult play even more so. More typical of young stages in healthy individuals, it occurs rarely at adult stages but then more often in captive/domestic animals, which can imply spatial, social and/or feeding deprivations or restrictions that are challenging to welfare, than in animals living in natural conditions. Here, we tested the hypothesis that adult play may reflect altered welfare states and chronic stress in horses, in which, as in several species, play rarely occurs at adult stages in natural conditions. We observed the behaviour (in particular, social play) ...
Brinkmann L, Gerken M, Riek A.Recent results suggest that the wild ancestor of the horse, the Przewalski horse, exhibits signs of a hypometabolism. However, there are speculations that domestic animals lost the ability to reduce energy expenditure during food shortage and adverse environmental conditions. Therefore, we investigated physiological and behavioural strategies employed by a robust domesticated horse breed, the Shetland pony, over the course of a year under temperate conditions by measuring ambient temperature (T(a)), subcutaneous temperature (T(s)), locomotor activity (LA), lying time, resting heart rate, body ...
Lindner A, Dag Erginsoy S, Kissenbeck S, Mosen H, Hetzel U, Drommer W, Chamizo VE, Rivero JL.The effects of three different blood-guided conditioning programmes on ultrastructural and histochemical features of the gluteus medius muscle of 2-year-old sport horses were examined. Six non-trained Haflinger horses performed three consecutive conditioning programmes of varying lactate-guided intensities [velocities eliciting blood lactate concentrations of 1.5 (v1.5 ), 2.5 (v2.5 ) and 4 (v4 ) mm respectively] and durations (25 and 45 min). Each conditioning programme lasted 6 weeks and was followed by a 5-week resting period. Pre-, post- and deconditioning muscle biopsies were analyse...
Bergström K, Nyman G, Widgren S, Johnston C, Grönlund-Andersson U, Ransjö U.The first outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in horses in Sweden occurred in 2008 at the University Animal Hospital and highlighted the need for improved infection prevention and control. The present study describes interventions and infection prevention control in an equine hospital setting July 2008 - April 2010. Methods: This descriptive study of interventions is based on examination of policy documents, medical records, notes from meetings and cost estimates. MRSA cases were identified through clinical sampling and telephone enquiries about horses post...
Knych HK, Steffey EP, Stanley SD.To describe the pharmacokinetics of detomidine and yohimbine when administered in combination. Methods: Randomized crossover design. Methods: Nine healthy adult horses aged 9 ± 4 years and weighing of 561 ± 56 kg. Methods: Three dose regimens were employed in the current study. 1) 0.03 mg kg(-1) detomidine IV (D), 2) 0.2 mg kg(-1) yohimbine IV (Y) and 3) 0.03 mg kg(-1) detomidine IV followed 15 minutes later by 0.2 mg kg(-1) yohimbine IV (DY). Each horse received all three dose regimens with a minimum of 1 week in between subsequent regimens. Blood samples were obtained and plasma analyzed f...
Kempchen S, Kuhn M, Spadavecchia C, Levionnois OL.To evaluate medetomidine as a continuous rate infusion (CRI) in horses in which anaesthesia is maintained with isoflurane and CRIs of ketamine and lidocaine. Methods: Prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial. Methods: Forty horses undergoing elective surgery. Methods: After sedation and induction, anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane. Mechanical ventilation was employed. All horses received lidocaine (1.5 mg kg(-1) initially, then 2 mg kg(-1) hour(-1)) and ketamine (2 mg kg(-1) hour(-1)), both CRIs reducing to 1.5 mg kg(-1) hour(-1) after 50 minutes. Horses in group MILK received ...
Fidani M, Pompa G, Mungiguerra F, Casati A, Fracchiolla ML, Arioli F.After the detection of low concentrations of prednisolone in racehorse urine samples collected at Italian racetracks, a study was initiated to investigate the accuracy of the analytical protocol used and the possible endogenous origin of detected prednisolone. Methods: Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) MS(2) acquisition with a triple quadrupole (n = 780) and full scan MS(2) and MS(3) (n = 180) acquisition with a linear ion trap were checked. As a further confirmation, ten urine samples were analysed by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Results: The study showed the difficulty of ident...
Love CC, Blanchard TL, Varner DD, Brinsko SP, Voge J, Bliss S, Sudderth K, Teague S, LaCaze K.An experiment was conducted to determine whether cooled semen quality could be maintained for a longer interval by conducting daily centrifugation of extended semen, with resuspension of the sperm pellet in fresh extender. Semen treatments included SP10NC and SP50NC which contained 10 and 50% seminal plasma, respectively, were not centrifuged (NC), and were stored at 4 to 7 °C for 96 h. Treatments SP10C and SP50C contained 10 and 50% seminal plasma, respectively, but were centrifuged (C) after 24, 48, and 72 h of cooled storage, with daily resuspension in fresh extender containing 10% seminal...
Turan N, Yildirim F, Altan E, Sennazli G, Gurel A, Diallo I, Yilmaz H.The aim of the present study was to investigate abortion storms that occurred in the Marmara region of Turkey in 2008-2009 using a real-time PCR. Two aborted foetuses were necropsied and histo-pathological findings reported herein. Ten lungs, 3 brains and one nasal swab from 10 aborted foetuses, 6 nasal swabs and 3 vaginal swabs from aborting mares were included in this study. EHV-1 was isolated from the lung, liver and brain of 1 aborted foetus. EHV-1 DNA was detected in the lungs, livers and spleens of 2 necropsied foetuses and in 3 lungs from 10 foetuses submitted for diagnosis. A brain fro...
van Loon JP, Menke ES, Doornenbal A, Back W, Hellebrekers LJ.The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of low dose lumbosacral epidural ropivacaine in ponies. Antinociceptive effects of epidural ropivacaine were evaluated by means of mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) at several spinal levels in conscious ponies. The effects of ropivacaine on nociceptive afferent transmission to the spinal cord were also assessed by measuring spinal cord somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) in anaesthetised ponies. Ataxia scores were determined in conscious ponies to assess the effects on motor function. A randomised, placebo controlle...
Morillo Rodriguez A, Balao da Silva C, Macías-García B, Gallardo Bolaños JM, Tapia JA, Aparicio IM, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Peña FJ.A total of 42 ejaculates were used in the experiment; six ejaculates per stallion, obtained from seven Pure Spanish stallions (PRE), were split and frozen in freezing media with different concentrations and combinations of cryoprotectant (CPA): (i) Cáceres (skim milk based extender) containing 2.5% glycerol (2.5GL), (ii) Cáceres containing 1.5% glycerol and 1.5% dimethylformamide (1.5%GL-1.5%DMFA), (iii) Cáceres extender supplemented with 1.5% glycerol and 2.5% dimethylformamide (1.5%GL-2.5%DMFA) and (iv) Cáceres extender supplemented with 4% dimethylformamide (4%DMFA). After at least 4 we...
Wong DM, Ghosh A, Fales-Williams AJ, Haynes JS, Kanthasamy AG.The cervical spinal cords of 2 horses with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) were evaluated for evidence of oxidative damage to the central nervous system (CNS) using immunohistochemical staining for 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and 4-hydroxynonenol (4-HNE). Neurons of the CNS from horses with EDM had positive immunohistochemical staining, whereas control samples did not, thus supporting the theory that oxidative damage is a potential underlying factor in horses with EDM. In addition, serum vitamin E concentration was low in both EDM-affected horses, and vitamin E concentration was also ...
Cywińska A, Szarska E, Górecka R, Witkowski L, Hecold M, Bereznowski A, Schollenberger A, Winnicka A.Acute phase proteins (APP) have been described as useful for assessing health in human and animal patients, as they closely reflect the acute phase reaction (APR). In humans and dogs a reaction analogous to APR has also been described after prolonged or strenuous exercise. The aim of this study was to determine, if similar reactions occur in endurance horses after limited and long distance rides. Seventeen horses that successfully completed various distance competitions were tested. Routine haematological and biochemical tests were performed and the concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), C-r...
Hartnack AK, Van Metre DC, Morley PS.To evaluate the potential association between Salmonella enterica shedding in hospitalized horses and the risk of diarrhea among stablemates, and to characterize gastrointestinal-related illness and death following discharge among horses that shed S. enterica while hospitalized. Methods: Retrospective cohort study [corrected]. Methods: 221 horses (59 that shed S. enterica during hospitalization and 162 that tested negative for S. enterica shedding ≥ 3 times during hospitalization). Methods: Information from medical records (signalment, results of microbial culture of fecal samples, clinical ...
Norman TE, Chaffin MK, Bisset WT, Thompson JA.To characterize the associations between clinical signs of nasopharyngeal cicatrix syndrome (NCS) and endoscopic findings in horses. Methods: Retrospective, case-control study. Methods: 239 horses (118 case horses and 121 control horses). Methods: Medical records of horses that had an endoscopic evaluation of the upper airway performed between January 2003 and December 2008 were reviewed. Clinical signs and the appearance and anatomic locations of lesions identified during endoscopic evaluation were reviewed and recorded for each horse. The associations between clinical signs and endoscopic fi...
Oosterlinck M, Pille F, Sonneveld DC, Oomen AM, Gasthuys F, Back W.The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the vertical force curve of a pressure plate (PP) using dynamic calibration with a force plate (FP) in six sound Warmblood horses. The animals were walked and trotted over a combined PP-FP system sampling at 250 Hz. Five valid measurements of each forelimb were collected. The recalibration factor (RF), the ratio between the calibrated and raw PP data, was evaluated in each timeframe throughout the stance phase. Following dynamic calibration, the vertical force curve of the PP demonstrated a characteristic biphasic pattern at the walk and ty...
Schein FB, Maia MO, Witter R, Marcili A, Camargo LM, Dutra V, Nakazato L, Candido SL, Almeida EM, Oliveira ACS, Pacheco RC.We evaluated the distribution of piroplasmids in equids from the Mato Grosso state in Midwestern Brazil using molecular methods and the interspecific genetic diversity. For this, 1,624 blood samples of equids from 973 farms were examined by PCR, using primer pairs that amplify a fragment of the genes rap-1 and ema-1 of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, respectively. For molecular characterization and phylogenetic studies, 13 and 60 sequences of the rap-1 and ema-1 genes, respectively, were used to build a dendogram using maximum parsimony. B. caballi and T. equi were detected in 4.11% and 28...
Gilger BC, Yang P, Salmon JH, Jaffe GJ, Allen JB.To determine whether a chemokine (RANTES)-like protein expressed by ciliary epithelium plays a role in uveitis. Methods: 3 clinically normal horses intradermal, 5 eyes from 5 horses with recurrent uveitis, and 10 normal eyes from 5 age- and sex-matched horses. Methods: Cross-reactivity and sensitivity of recombinant human (rh)-regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) protein were evaluated in horses by use of intradermal hypersensitivity reactions and a chemotaxis assay. Aqueous humor and ciliary body of eyes from clinically normal horses and horses with uveitis...
Textor JA, Murphy KC, Leach JK, Tablin F.To compare fiber diameter, pore area, compressive stiffness, gelation properties, and selected growth factor content of platelet-rich fibrin gels (PRFGs) and conventional fibrin gels (FGs). Methods: PRFGs and conventional FGs prepared from the blood of 10 healthy horses. Methods: Autologous fibrinogen was used to form conventional FGs. The PRFGs were formed from autologous platelet-rich plasma of various platelet concentrations (100 × 10³ platelets/μL, 250 × 10³ platelets/μL, 500 × 10³ platelets/μL, and 1,000 × 10³ platelets/μL). All gels contained an identical fibrinogen concentra...
Cullen S, Donohoe A, McGoldrick A, McCaffrey N, Davenport C, Byrne B, Donaghy C, Tormey W, Smith D, Warrington G.The long-term implications of making-weight daily on musculoskeletal health and functioning of the kidney and liver remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate musculoskeletal health and kidney and liver function in a group of retired jockeys. 28 retired male jockeys (age 50-70 years) provided fasting blood samples for markers of bone metabolism and kidney and liver function. A dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan was performed for the assessment of bone mineral density (BMD). Established reference ranges were used for interpretation of results. Comparisons were made between retired...
Steenhaut M, Verschooten F, De Moor A.Arthrodesis of the pastern joint was performed in six horses with a history of acute trauma and in 10 horses with a history of chronic lameness of one to six months duration. Five surgical techniques were employed: curettage of the joint, lag screw compression and immobilisation in a plaster cast; curettage, compression using a T plate and immobilisation; drilling, lag screw compression and immobilisation; lag screw compression and immobilisation; and curettage and immobilisation. Pre- and postoperative clinical course are described together with significant radiographical findings. The best r...
Chandler KJ, Dixon RM.Urinary cortisol and creatinine concentrations, and the cortisol:creatinine ratio were compared between 12 healthy horses (group 1), 13 horses with Cushing's disease (group 2), and eight horses with dysautonomia syndrome (equine grass sickness) (group 3). The mean (sd) urinary cortisol concentrations were 112 (55.7), 250 (357) and 864 (526) nmol/litre in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively; the mean (sd) urinary creatinine concentrations were 18.9 (7.3), 12.0 (6.7) and 45.2 (26.4) nmol/litre in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively, and the mean (sd) ratios were 6.1 (2.6), 19.8 (23.8) and 21.3 (14.5) (x...
Phetudomsinsuk K, Sirinarumitr K, Laikul A, Pinyopummin A.One of the semen quality parameters use to determine fertility is the percentage of sperm that express normal morphology. Sperm head morphometry is also correlated with fertility. The objectives of this study were 1) to investigate the sperm morphology and normal sperm head morphometry of Thai native crossbred stallions, and 2) to compare our results with the characteristics of proven fertile sperm from purebred stallions. Methods: Semen samples were collected monthly from nine stallions, of which five were Thai native crossbred (T) and four were purebred of proven fertility (F: F1 was a Stand...
Nakajima H, Norcross NL, Coggins L.Antigenic relationship between purified equine infectious anemia (EIA) virus and spleen-derived antigen from EIA-infected horses was examined by immunodiffusion. Identical antigenicity of these two antigens has been proven because precipitation lines formed between the two antigens and EIA antiserum connected with each other. The results indicate that the antigenic substance derived from infected spleen is a component of EIA virus.
McCluskey BJ, Mumford EL.Physical trauma, dietary factors, certain toxins, immune mediated disorders, and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection are known causes of stomatitis in horses. There is evidence that some outbreaks of equine stomatitis are caused by as yet unidentified infectious agents. It remains to be determined whether stomatitis is an emerging equine infectious disease, or if the increase in reported cases is simply the result of greater public awareness as a consequence of widespread outbreaks of VSV in the southwestern United States in recent years. Focused laboratory and epidemiological studies a...
Kersjes AW, Bras GE, Németh F, van der Velden MA, Firth EC.This retrospective study presents the results of surgical treatment of obstructive colic in horses operated in the last decade (1976-1985). The overall short-term recovery rate (i.e. discharged from hospital) was 51% of cases presented for surgery, and 68% of cases which were considered to be amenable to surgical therapy. For long-term results (6 months-8 years follow up) these percentages must be reduced by about 15% due to mortality after discharge. Special attention has been given to surgery of the ileum, which is often involved in strangulation or obturation, and accounts for about 26% of ...
Yang J, Ellison S, Gogal R, Norton H, Lindsay DS, Andrews F, Ward D, Witonsky S.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is one of the most common neurologic diseases of horses in the United States. The primary etiologic agent is Sarcocystis neurona. Currently, there is limited knowledge regarding the protective or pathophysiologic immune response to S. neurona infection or the subsequent development of EPM. The objectives of this study were to determine whether S. neurona infected horses with clinical signs of EPM had altered or suppressed immune responses compared to neurologically normal horses and if blood sample storage would influence these findings. Twenty clinical...
Derksen FJ, Williams KJ, Uhal BD, Slocombe RF, de Feijter-Rupp H, Eberhart S, Berney C, Robinson NE.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) occurs in the majority of horses performing strenuous exercise. Associated pulmonary lesions include alveolar and airway wall fibrosis, which may enhance the severity of EIPH. Further work is required to understand the pulmonary response to blood in the equine airways. Objective: To confirm that a single instillation of autologous blood into horse airways is associated with alveolar wall fibrosis, and to determine if blood in the airways is also associated with peribronchiolar fibrosis. Methods: Paired regions of each lung were inoculated with bloo...
Limone LE.Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a progressive, painful disease, affecting incisors, canines, and cheek teeth. Examination findings include gingival inflammation, gingival recession and/or hyperplasia, subgingival swelling, bulbous enlargement of teeth, associated periodontal disease, pathologic tooth fracture, and/or tooth mobility and loss. Current hypotheses include biomechanical stresses and secondary bacterial involvement. Early recognition allows case management, but it is a progressive disease. Owner education is crucial; horses with complete or multi...
Joyce J, Hendrickson DA.To compare pain responses in stallions undergoing standing laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy following intratesticular or mesorchial infiltration of lidocaine. Methods: Clinical trial. Methods: 20 stallions with 1 or 2 undescended testes. Methods: Standing horses were administered a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and a caudal epidural injection of detomidine hydrochloride and underwent laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy. The undescended testis (1/horse) was grasped to determine the preoperative pain response (present vs absent) and assess severity of pain (by use of a visual analog scale [VAS])....
Henninger DD, Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Dilling GW.The normal microvascular permeability of the ascending colon in horses and the microvascular permeability of that segment after ischemia and reperfusion were investigated. Microvascular permeability was estimated by the ratio of lymphatic protein to plasma protein concentration (Cl/Cp) at high lymph flow rates in 8 adult horses in 2 equal groups: normal and ischemic (2-hour period). Lymphatic flow rates and lymph and plasma protein concentrations were determined. Intestinal biopsy specimens were obtained at the end of each experiment. Flow independent values were selected and compared by one-w...
Kavar T, Čeh E, Dovč P.Coat color of gray horses is associated with a 4.6-kb duplication, which can be determined using PCR amplification of about 5-kb DNA fragment. In practice, this means that amplification might fail frequently. Therefore, a novel genetic screening method based on amplification of the 246 bp DNA fragment has been developed.
Cappellato A, Miletto Petrazzini ME, Bisazza A, Dadda M, Agrillo C.The perception of different size illusions is believed to be determined by size-scaling mechanisms that lead individuals to extrapolate inappropriate 3D information from 2D stimuli. The Muller-Lyer illusion represents one of the most investigated size illusions. Studies on non-human primates showed a human-like perception of this illusory pattern. To date, it is not clear whether non-primate mammals experience a similar illusory effect. Here, we investigated whether horses perceive the Muller-Lyer illusion by using their spontaneous preference for the larger portion of carrot. In control trial...
Amer MM, Desouky AY, Helmy NM, Abdou AM, Sorour SS.Strongylid and non-strongylid nematodes are one of the most important parasites infecting equines. The traditional method to identify these nematodes is through coproscopy and fecal culture. Because of the scarcity of data published in Egypt discussing the morphometric features of infective 3 larvae of these nematodes, this study aims to provide a morphometric key for L3 of common strongylid and non-strongylid nematodes infecting Egyptian equines. For this reason, we cultured fecal samples containing GINs eggs and 3 larval stages were identified based on their morphology (i.e., shape and numbe...
Garza F, Thompson DL, French DD, Wiest JJ, St George RL, Ashley KB, Jones LS, Mitchell PS, McNeill DR.Five lighthorse mares were actively immunized against gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) to determine the relative importance of this hypothalamic hormone in the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Five mares immunized against the conjugation protein served as controls. Mares were initially immunized in November and received secondary immunizations 4 wk later, and then at 6-wk intervals until ovariectomy in June. All mares immunized against GnRH exhibited an increase (p less than 0.01) in the binding of tritiated GnRH by plasma, an indication that a...
Rossi M, Gonzalez-Castro R, Falomo ME.Different additives have been tested in cooled stallion sperm, in order to maintain sperm quality and to ameliorate the decrease in sperm fertility potential. In several species, caffeine and pentoxifylline promote sperm motility by increasing energy production. We evaluate the effects of caffeine and pentoxifylline when added to stallion sperm before or after cooling. Three ejaculates from five stallions each were processed and resuspended in skim milk extender. Caffeine (5 mM), pentoxifylline (3.5 mM), or both additives combined were included to sperm before or after cooling (4°C for 24 ...
Hirsch E.Medical diagnosis is typically an iterative process guided by integration and synthesis of data into a model of disease. However, facts are not the only inputs into this process. A case of medical mis-diagnosis is presented, in which systematic cognitive bias is considered to have played a role in generating error. Specific cognitive biases are cited, and measures that can be taken to minimize their negative impact are reviewed.
Ramadan RO.The clinical features and pathology of an ocular melanoma in a young born-grey mare are described. The tumour, possibly arising on the cornea, invaded the eye and extra-orbital muscles. Histologically; it consisted predominantly of spindle-shaped and polygonal cells containing melanin.
Nemoto M, Tamura N, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kokado H, Ohta M, Yamanaka T.Baloxavir marboxil (BXM), an inhibitor of the cap-dependent endonuclease of the influenza virus polymerase acidic protein (PA), exerts an antiviral effect against influenza A virus. It has been available in Japan since March 2018. This study evaluated the antiviral efficacy of BXM against equine influenza A virus (EIV) by an experimental challenge study using horses. Six horses were experimentally inoculated with EIV, and BXM was administered to the three horses at 2 days post inoculation. Horses treated with BXM showed milder clinical signs than horses without treatment and shed less virus. T...
Roscher KA, Failing K, Moritz A.This study aimed to validate a loading and maintenance clopidogrel dosing scheme for the inhibition of platelet function, measured by whole blood impedance aggregometry in healthy adult horses. Ten Warmblood horses received oral clopidogrel once daily. Doses were based on 50 kg weight categories and resulted in one loading dose of 6-6.5 mg/kg bodyweight and maintenance doses of 1.2-1.4 mg/kg over the next 4 days. Platelet function was measured via whole blood multiple electrode impedance aggregometry prior to (T0) and at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144, 192 and 240 h following the loading d...
Durham AE, Phillips TJ, Walmsley JP, Newton JR.There is an absence of data describing the nutritional requirements and nutritional status of horses following surgery for colic; furthermore, the potential effect of parenteral nutrition (PN) on improving nutritional status in such cases is unknown. Objective: Post operative colic cases suffer from a potentially detrimental negative energy balance and the PN formulation developed in this study would lead to clinicopathologically detectable improvements in the subjects' nutritional status. Methods: Several clinicopathological variables, some known to be associated with nutritional status, were...
Audigié F, Pourcelot P, Degueurce C, Denoix JM, Geiger D, Bortolussi C.To evaluate asymmetry in placement of bilateral skin markers on horses and to determine effect of asymmetric skin marker placement on kinematic variables for trotting horses. Methods: 10 horses for evaluation of asymmetry in marker placement; 1 horse for evaluation of effects on kinematic variables. Methods: Asymmetry in marker placement was assessed by attaching markers to horses and comparing radiographs of left and right limbs. An experimental model was developed to determine effects on kinematic variables; accuracy of the model was validated experimentally. Using kinematic data from a clin...
Ménard M, Nauc V, Lazure C, Vaillancourt D, Manjunath P.A family of bull seminal plasma (BSP) phospholipid-binding proteins (BSP proteins), potentiate heparin- and HDL-induced capacitation. The homologous proteins have been purified from stallion and boar seminal plasma, and detected in low concentrations in other mammalian seminal plasma. In this study, we developed a new isolation method for mammalian seminal plasma choline phospholipid-binding proteins wherein they are present in low concentrations. The method is based on the interaction of this family of proteins with egg yolk low-density lipoprotein fraction (LDF). In order to demonstrate the ...
Bochröder B, Schubert R, Bödeker D.Discs of stripped mucosa from the proximal ventral colon were prepared immediately after slaughter of 8 Shetland cross-breed ponies. The mucosae were fixed in incubation chambers and used in incubation experiments to study the transmucosal fluxes of the amino acids lysine, histidine and arginine (150 min) and of ammonia (90 min). When the amino acid concentrations in the mucosal solution were in the physiological range (2.8-3.0 mmol/l) no transport to the serosal side of the tissue was found. When the concentrations were raised 10-fold, less than 2% of the mucosal amino acid pool was recovered...
