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.
Kowalik S, Kedzierski W.The effect of interval vs. continuous exercise on plasma leptin and ghrelin concentration in young Standardbred horses was studied. The experiment was conducted on 27 trotters, in the age between 2 and 3 years. They were divided into two groups according to the type of exercise. Blood samples were collected through jugular venipuncture in the following experimental conditions: at rest, immediately after exercise and 30 minutes after the end of the effort. Plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations were determined using RIA tests. The continuous exercise induced an increase in plasma leptin conce...
Wong SS, Ngan AH, Riggs CM, Teng JL, Choi GK, Poon RW, Hui JJ, Low FJ, Luk A, Yuen KY.The newly described brittle tail syndrome causes weakening and breakage of the tail hair of horses. Extensive mycological and molecular studies showed that a novel fungus Equicapillimyces hongkongensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is the most likely cause of this syndrome. It is a septate branching hyaline mould which grows optimally at 30°C, requires nicotinic acid but is inhibited by cycloheximide, and specifically infects horse hair. Hyphae fill the core of infected hair shafts with short-necked structures resembling ascomata containing banana-shaped septate ascospore-like structures perforating th...
Hagen J, Hartnett C, Houchins JP, Giguère S, Kalyuzhny AE.Human and mouse immune system cells are the most frequently used specimens in ELISPOT assays. In an effect to expand the application of ELISPOT assay to other species, we developed matched antibody pairs for ready-to-use kits designed for studying the frequency of equine IFNγ- and IL-4-secreting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Equine PBMCs were stimulated with either concanavalin A (Con A) or calcium ionomycin mixed with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (CaI + PMA). We found that Con A, in general, had a more profound stimulating effect than CaI + PMA on IL-4 secretion, whereas bot...
Medana C, Calza P, Giancotti V, Dal Bello F, Pasello E, Montana M, Baiocchi C.Two horses were treated with sildenafil, and its metabolic products were sought in both urine and plasma samples. Prior to this, a simulative laboratory study had been done using a photocatalytic process, to identify all possible main and secondary transformation products, in a clean matrix; these were then sought in the biological samples. The transformation of sildenafil and the formation of intermediate products were evaluated adopting titanium dioxide as photocatalyst. Several products were formed and characterized using the HPLC/HRMS(n) technique. The main intermediates identified in thes...
Scheffer EG, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Page PC, Mullens BA, MacLachlan NJ, Osterrieder N, Guthrie AJ.Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of a variety of pathogens including African horse sickness virus (AHSV), a member of the family Reoviridae, genus Orbivirus. AHSV causes African horse sickness (AHS), an endemic disease of equids with an extremely high mortality rate in horses in sub-Saharan Africa. Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer is considered to be the principal vector of AHSV and is the dominant Culicoides species in South Africa. Due to the global distribution of Culicoides vectors, there is a potential risk of AHS spreading from endemic areas to areas t...
Bolfă PF, Leroux C, Pintea A, Andrei S, Cătoi C, Taulescu M, Tăbăran F, Spînu M.This study assesses the impact of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) infection on the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium of horses. Blood samples from 96 Romanian horses aged 1-25 years, were divided into different groups according to their EIAV-infection status, age, and time post-seroconversion. The effect of infection on oxidative stress was estimated by measuring enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx] and catalase), non-enzymatic antioxidants (uric acid and carotenoids), and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]). Infection modified the oxidan...
Appolonova SA, Baranov PA, Mesonzhnik NV, Brazhnikova DO, Rodchenkov GM.A method is described for the determination of mesocarb abuse in equestrian sport by combining gradient liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Mesocarb was administrated orally to two horses at a dose of 50 µg/kg. Urine samples were collected up to 120 h post administration. Hydrolyzed and conjugated urine fractions were handled using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). The identity of the parent drug and metabolites was confirmed using liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Mesocarb and seven metabolites were detected in horse...
Takasu M, Hiramatsu N, Tozaki T, Kakoi H, Nakagawa T, Hasegawa T, Huricha , Maeda M, Murase T, Mukoyama H.In order to contribute to conservation of the endangered Kiso horse, we clarified their genetic information using 31 microsatellite DNAs, and genotyped 125 horses, 83% of the existing breed. First, we clarified the current status of the horses. The horses were confirmed to have experienced rapid loss of population causing a bottleneck, and their effective population size was much smaller than their census size. Moreover, the number of alleles (6.3), observed heterozygosity (0.674), and expected heterozygosity (0.662) were in the same range as other endangered horses all over the world. Therefo...
Deschene K, Céleste C, Boerboom D, Theoret CL.Exuberant granulation tissue (EGT), a fibrotic healing disorder resembling the human keloid, occurs almost exclusively in limb wounds of horses and may be caused in part by a relative state of hypoxia within the wound. Objective: The objectives of this study were therefore to (1) assess the effects of hypoxia on equine dermal fibroblast (EDF) proliferation and apoptosis, (2) study the effects of hypoxia on the expression of key extracellular matrix (ECM) associated proteins and determine if such effects are dependent on hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), and (3) determine if EDFs from the body or...
Asseged BD, Habtemariam T, Tameru B, Nganwa D.Deriving horse oocytes in the USA is hampered by the lack of abattoirs processing horse carcasses which could provide abundant quantities of ovaries from slaughtered mares. Therefore, several cloning industries in the USA are attempting to import cloned horse embryos from Canada. Like any agricultural commodity, cloned embryos pose a risk of introduction of exotic animal diseases into the importing country. Under such circumstances, risk assessment could provide an objective, transparent, and internationally accepted means for evaluating the risk. This quantitative risk assessment (QRA) was in...
Paolucci M, Palombi C, Sylla L, Stradaioli G, Monaci M.The aim of this study was to establish baseline ultrasound data concerning the mule conceptus during gestation. Ten multiparous Trotter mares were artificially inseminated with chilled semen from an Amiatino jack donkey. Daily transrectal ultrasonography was carried out from the day of ovulation until Day 50 of gestation to determine the following: first detection of the embryonic vesicle (EV), mobility phase, EV diameter, day of EV fixation, changes in EV shape, date of yolk sac regression and embryo crown-rump length. Monthly ultrasonic assessments from Day 50 of gestation to term were carri...
Salazar-Ortiz J, Camous S, Briant C, Lardic L, Chesneau D, Guillaume D.Mares have an annual reproductive rhythm, with a phase of inactivity in midwinter. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of food restriction on physiological and metabolic hallmarks of this rhythm. Methods: Over three successive years, 3 groups of 10 mares were kept under natural photoperiod. A 'well-fed' group was fed to maintain the mares in good body condition; a 'restricted' group received a diet calculated to keep the mares thin and a 'variable' group was fed during some periods like the 'restricted' group and during some other periods like the 'well-fed' group, with the aim o...
Azab W, El-Sheikh A, Abdel-Gawad A.Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) is an important pathogen that causes respiratory tract disease in horse populations worldwide. Glycoprotein G (gG) homologs have been identified in several alphaherpesviruses as minor non-essential membrane-anchored glycoproteins. In this study, EHV-4 gG deletion mutant has been generated by using bacterial artificial chromosome technology to investigate the role of gG in viral pathogenesis. Our findings reported here revealed no significant difference between parental EHV-4 and gG-negative strain in their replication cycle in cell culture. Furthermore, virus titer...
Cuervo-Arango J, Newcombe JR.The development of hemorrhagic anovulatory follicles (HAF) involves luteinization and hemorrhage of the follicle. This is observed on ultrasound as an increase in the echogenicity of the granulosa layer and formation of echoic particles in the antrum. The inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis with flunixin meglumine (FM) during the periovulatory period induces ovulatory failure with development of luteinized unruptured follicles (LUF). These two types of anovulatory follicles appear to share similar ultrasound features but they have not been compared critically. The following endpoints: follic...
Bailey CS, Sper RB, Schewmaker JL, Buchanan CN, Beachler TM, Pozor MA, Whitacre MD.The objective of this study was to use Doppler ultrasound technology to determine whether pentoxifylline administration increased uterine blood flow in normal pregnant pony mares. Thirteen pregnant pony mares between 18 and 190 d of gestation (mean ± SEM, 101 ± 55) were utilized for the study during two trial periods. In each trial, pentoxifylline (17 mg/kg by mouth every 12h, diluted in syrup) was administered to half of the mares for 3 d, while the other mares were treated with syrup only. Doppler measurements were obtained from the right and left uterine arteries from each mare for 2 d pr...
Mata X, Vaiman A, Ducasse A, Diribarne M, Schibler L, Guérin G.Gene characterization is an important feature for genome annotation and more particularly for candidate genes that could be selected in domestic species. Associations between an alpha-actinin-3 gene polymorphism and muscle performance were reported in humans involving a nonsense mutation (R577X) and in mice after inactivation of the gene. Here, we characterized the equine alpha-actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene by sequencing and transcript analysis. The cDNA was determined to be 3.47 kb in length with an open reading frame of 2709 bp expectedly encoding a protein 902 amino acids long. The ACTN3 gene is 1...
van Doorn DC, Eysker M, Kooyman FN, Wagenaar JA, Ploeger HW.A study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence of resistance against, in particular, ivermectin in cyathostomins in the Netherlands. Seventy horse farms were visited between October 2007 and November 2009. In initial screening, faecal samples were collected 2 weeks after deworming with either ivermectin, moxidectin or doramectin. Pooled faecal samples from a maximum of 10 horses were examined for worm eggs using a modified McMaster technique and for worm larvae after faecal larval cultures. In total 931 horses were involved. On 15 of 70 farms eggs and/or larvae were found. On 8 of these 15 f...
Barrey E, Jayr L, Mucher E, Gospodnetic S, Joly F, Benech P, Alibert O, Gidrol X, Mata X, Vaiman A, Guérin G.Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) is frequently observed in race horses like trotters. Some predisposing genetic factors have been described in epidemiological studies. However, the exact aetiology is still unknown. A calcium homeostasis disruption was suspected in previous experimental studies, and we suggested that a transcriptome analysis of RER muscles would be a possible way to investigate the pathway disorder. The purpose of this study was to compare the gene expression profile of RER vs. control muscles in the French Trotter to determine any metabolic or structural disruption. T...
Walter J, Klein C, Wehrend A.Mast cells constitute part of the cellular immune system of the genital tract. They play a potential role in cervical remodelling during parturition and are subject to the influence of ovarian steroids. In this study, the influence of oestradiol-17β and progesterone on the distribution of mast cells in equine vaginal, cervical and uterine tissue was evaluated. Genital tracts were retrieved from healthy mares at a local slaughterhouse. The cervix was divided along the longitudinal axis into five equivalent regions from cranial to caudal (R1 to R5). Toluidine blue staining was used for the dete...
Sasaki M, Kim E, Igarashi M, Ito K, Hasebe R, Fukushi H, Sawa H, Kimura T.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), an α-herpesvirus of the family Herpesviridae, causes respiratory disease, abortion, and encephalomyelitis in horses. EHV-1 utilizes equine MHC class I molecules as entry receptors. However, hamster MHC class I molecules on EHV-1-susceptible CHO-K1 cells play no role in EHV-1 entry. To identify the MHC class I molecule region that is responsible for EHV-1 entry, domain exchange and site-directed mutagenesis experiments were performed, in which parts of the extracellular region of hamster MHC class I (clone C5) were replaced with corresponding sequences from equine...
Watts AE, Nixon AJ, Yeager AE, Mohammed HO.A consistent and clinically relevant model for the induction of core lesions confined to the mid-metacarpal superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) has not been previously reported. Injection of bacterial collagenase is commonly used but often results in large, irregular and inconsistent lesions that disrupt the superficial tendon layers and epitenon. Objective: To develop and evaluate a new injection technique for collagenase induction of SDFT injury. Methods: Collagenase gel was injected into a physical columnar defect created by longitudinally placing a curved 16 gauge 8.89 cm needle in ...
Vallance SA, Case JT, Entwistle RC, Kinde H, Barr BC, Moore J, Anderson ML, Arthur RM, Stover SM.To determine if scapular fractures occur in racehorses with distinctive characteristics. Objective: To test the hypothesis that Thoroughbred (TB) and Quarter Horse (QH) racehorses with a scapular fracture have similar characteristics that are different from those of their respective racetrack populations. Methods: Necropsy findings, case details, last race information and career earnings for TB and QH racehorses that had a scapular fracture in California between 1990 and 2008 were retrospectively compared between breeds. Horse signalment, career earnings, career starts and race characteristics...
Wilsher S, Lefranc AC, Allen WR.During embryo transfer (ET) the equine embryo can tolerate a wide degree of negative asynchrony but positive asynchrony of >2 days usually results in embryonic death. There is still confusion over whether this is due to the inability of the embryo to induce luteostasis or to an inappropriate uterine environment. Objective: To assess embryo survival and development in an advanced uterine environment. Objective: Embryo-uterine asynchrony, not the embryo's inability to induce luteostasis, is responsible for embryonic death in recipient mares with a >2 days chronologically advanced uterus. Methods...
Herder V, Barsnick R, Walliser U, Teifke JP, König P, Czerwinski G, Hansmann F, Baumgärtner W, Hewicker-Trautwein M.An equid herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) infection was detected in lesioned skin from a nine-year-old Holsteiner stallion in the south of Germany. Macroscopically, the animal displayed a non-pruritic, multifocal, pustular dermatitis around both eyes, nostrils and the muzzle, which had been ongoing for one year. Histopathologically, skin lesions were characterized by orthokeratotic to parakeratotic hyperkeratosis, pustular dermatitis, epidermal hyperplasia, apoptotic keratinocytes, a lympho-plasmahistiocytic interface dermatitis with hydropic degeneration of keratinocytes, and perivascular to diffuse, ly...
Schnabel LV, Papich MG, Divers TJ, Altier C, Aprea MS, McCarrel TM, Fortier LA.Minocycline holds great potential for use in horses not only for its antimicrobial effects but also for its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. However, there are no pharmacokinetic or safety data available regarding the use of oral minocycline in horses. Objective: To determine pharmacokinetics, safety and penetration into plasma, synovial fluid, aqueous humour (AH) and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of minocycline after oral administration of multiple doses in horses and to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of minocycline for equine pathogenic bacteria. Methods...
Albertsdóttir E, Arnason T, Eriksson S, Sigurdsson A, Fikse WF.The genetic evaluation of Icelandic horses is currently based on results from breeding field tests of riding ability and conformation. The effect of integrating competition traits and/or test status into the genetic evaluation was studied concerning estimation bias, predictive ability, accuracy, correlations between breeding values and ranking of sires. Breeding field test data included 19 954 records from horses assessed in 11 countries during 1994-2008. Competition data included 44 160 records from 7687 horses competing in Iceland and Sweden in 1998-2008. Test status was defined as attendanc...
Smits K, Govaere J, Hoogewijs M, Piepers S, Van Soom A.Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the method of choice for the in vitro production (IVP) of equine embryos. However, conventional ICSI has been associated with mechanical damage to the oocyte caused by the deformation of the zona pellucida (ZP) and exposure of the oolemma to negative pressure during injection. Introduction of the less traumatic and more efficient piezo drill-assisted ICSI (PDAI) yielded higher cleavage rates and more consistent results. Nevertheless, PDAI is also associated with disadvantages such as the use of mercury and possible DNA damage. This led us to explore a...
Aguilera-Tejero E, Estepa JC, López I, Bas S, Garfia B, Rodríguez M.To evaluate changes in plasma ionized calcium (Ca2+) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in horses competing in endurance rides. Methods: Longitudinal clinical study. Methods: 28 horses. Methods: Venous blood samples were obtained from horses before and after racing 80 km. Plasma pH and concentrations of Ca2+, PTH, inorganic phosphorus, albumin, lactate, and magnesium were measured. Results: Overall, a significant decrease in mean (+/- SD) plasma Ca2+ concentration (from 6.44 +/- 0.42 to 5.64 +/- 0.42 mg/dl) and a significant increase in plasma PTH concentration (from 49.9 +/- 30.1 to...
Pereira GR, Lorenzo PL, Carneiro GF, Ball BA, Pegoraro LM, Pimentel CA, Liu IK.In horses, successful in vitro fertilization procedures are limited by our inability to consistently mature equine oocytes by in vitro methods. Growth hormone (GH) is an important regulator of female reproduction in mammals, playing an important role in ovarian function, follicular growth and steroidogenesis. The objectives of this research were to investigate: the effects of equine growth hormone (eGH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of equine oocytes, and the effects of eGH in addition to estradiol (E2), gonadotropins (FSH and LH) and fetal calf seru...
Seabaugh KA, Barrett MF, Rao S, McIlwraith CW, Frisbie DD.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common problem in horses. Several oral supplements have been proposed as treatments for horses with OA. The object of this study was to evaluate the use of the oil extract from the seeds of (BO) for the treatment of experimentally induced OA in horses. OA was induced in 16, 2-5 year old horses in one middle carpal joint on Day 0; the other limb underwent a sham operation. Once daily oral treatment with BO or placebo was initiated on Day 0 and continued to Day 70. All horses were exercised 5 days a week starting on Day 14 through Day 70. The horses were evaluated every...
Pratt GW, O'Connor JT.The force plate can measure a wide range of effects in the horse. The same instrument can record forces from more than a ton in the galloping animal to 25 g associated with the action of the heart. In all probability, the force plate will develop into a valuable clinical instrument.
Vernemmen I, Paulussen E, Dauvillier J, Decloedt A, van Loon G.This case report describes the 2-dimensional transthoracic (2D-TTE), 3-dimensional transthoracic (3D-TTE) and intracardiac echocardiographic (ICE) characterization of the fossa ovalis region in 2 horses. The first case was presented for poor performance and showed an anechoic zone in the interatrial septum on 2D-TTE. Based on 3D-TTE a deepened fossa ovalis could be identified and using ICE the presence of an interatrial shunt could be excluded. The second case was referred for a cardiac murmur and the presence of turbulent flow in and around the interatrial septum on 2D-TTE color flow Doppler....
Magdesian KG.Measurements of physiologic parameters, such as blood pressure or lactate concentration, are useful to detect occult derangements, such as tissue hypoxia and dysoxia. These tools are also useful in determining the effects of therapy. Monitoring techniques are now widely available for the intensive management of critically ill horses and foals. A number of these have evolved into noninvasive or minimally invasive devices and procedures and provide information that can be used for earlier and more dynamic therapeutic intervention. The goal of increased monitoring is to improve the level of care ...
Patty OA, Cursons RT.To identify Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) by PCR analysis and obtain isolates by culture, in order to investigate the strains of S. equi infecting horses within New Zealand. Methods: A diagnostic PCR, based on the amplification of the seeI gene for S. equi, was used on 168 samples submitted from horses with and without clinical signs of strangles. Samples were also processed and cultured on selective media for the isolation of β-haemolytic colonies. In addition, the hypervariable region of the seM gene of S. equi was amplified and then sequenced for strain typing purposes. Results:...
López-Álvarez MR, Salze M, Cenier A, Robinson C, Paillot R, Waller AS.Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) is the causative agent of strangles, one of the most frequently diagnosed infectious diseases of horses worldwide. Phospholipase A toxins (PLA) cleave phospholipid molecules at position sn-2 contributing to the production of leukotrienes that are important inflammatory mediators. Two homologous phospholipases, SlaA and SlaB are encoded by the S. equi genome suggesting that PLA toxins may contribute to its pathogenicity. Here we report the immunogenicity and role of PLA toxins during natural and experimental infection of horses with S. equi. The levels o...
Pérez J, Mozos E, Martín MP, Day MJ.The distribution of T (CD3), B (CD79) lymphocytes, immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM and IgA)-producing plasma cells, macrophages (lysozyme, Mac387) and MHC Class II antigen was analysed in the inflammatory infiltrate associated with 19 equine squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and six cases of precancerous lesions (actinic keratosis). The SCCs came from the penis (11 cases), conjunctiva (four), skin (two), nasal cavity (one) and oral cavity (one). Seven cases were well-differentiated and 12 moderately differentiated. Nine cases showed no invasion of peritumoral deep tissues (locally invasive), whereas th...
Mostafa MB, Elemmawy YM.There is limited knowledge about causes of musculoskeletal injury in jumping Thoroughbred horses. The objective of this study was to describe the relationships between musculoskeletal disorders and linear and angular limb measurements acquired from photographs of horses with markers at specific reference points. The diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders in either fore or hind limbs were flexor tendonitis, suspensory ligaments desmitis, and osteoarthritis of the distal intertarsal and tarso-metatarsal and carpometacarpal joints. Lengths and angles in 17 clinically normal jumping Thoroughbred hors...
Hoane JS, Morrow JK, Saville WJ, Dubey JP, Granstrom DE, Howe DK.Sarcocystis neurona is the primary causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a common neurologic disease of horses in the Americas. We have developed a set of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on the four major surface antigens of S. neurona (SnSAGs) to analyze the equine antibody response to S. neurona. The SnSAG ELISAs were optimized and standardized with a sample set of 36 equine sera that had been characterized by Western blotting against total S. neurona parasite antigen, the current gold standard for S. neurona serology. The recombinant SnSAG2 (rSnSAG2)...
Bartolomé E, Perdomo-González DI, Sánchez-Guerrero MJ, Valera M.The way a horse activates (effort phase-EP) and recovers (recovery phase-RP) during a sport event can affect its sport performance. The aim of this manuscript was to test horses' adaptation to sport performance and its genetic basis, using eye temperature assessed with infrared thermography. EP and RP were measured in 495 Spanish Sport Horses, during a performance test, considering sex (2) and genetic lines (5) as fixed effects. The ranking position obtained on an official sport competition was also collected. Differences in variables due to genetic line and sex effects were found, showing tha...
Mendoza L, Alfaro AA, Villalobos J.A 5-year-old, female saddle horse developed a tumoral mass anterolaterally on the metacarpal region of its right front leg. Histopathological study showed hyaline, aseptate, broad hyphae in the sequestered coral-like necrotic masses. Radiographs revealed an extensive osteomyelitis with disorganized bone proliferation of the metacarpal bones, as well as exostosis of the distal radius and the proximal and distal row of carpal bones. The etiologic agent was detected histologically, isolated in culture and identified as Pythium insidiosum. Serological tests were positive. Immunotherapy was applied...
Lu Z, Sarkar S, Zhang J, Balasuriya UB.Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, has relatively broad cell tropism in vitro. In horses, EAV primarily replicates in macrophages and endothelial cells of small blood vessels. Until now, neither the cellular receptor(s) nor the mechanism(s) of virus attachment and entry have been determined for this virus. In this study, we investigated the effect of heparin on EAV infection in equine endothelial cells (EECs). Heparin, but not other glycosaminoglycans, could reduce EAV infection up to 93 %. Sequence analysis of the EAV E minor envelope protein reveale...
Gygax AP, Ganjam VK, Kenney RM.The surprisingly rapid rate of uterine involution detected is consistent with a high rate of conception as the first post-partum heat. Furthermore, many of the immediately post-partum features have attained the pregravid state by the end of the first post-partum oestrus and virtually all by the second post-partum oestrus. There was no specific cause detected for the higher rate of early embryonic death associated with conception at the foal heat.
Murase H, Sakai S, Kusano K, Hobo S, Nambo Y.Zinc is one of the essential microelements involved in the regulation of enzyme activity, as well as metabolism of nucleic acid and proteins. There have been few reports on equine serum zinc concentrations during the training period, and little is known about the relationship between zinc levels and diseases in horses. In this study, we measured serum zinc levels in healthy Thoroughbred racehorses, as well as in other horses, under general disease or training conditions. The reference value for serum zinc levels in Thoroughbred horses was 41-79 μg/dl. There were no differences in serum zinc l...
Vachon AM, Fischer AT.Thirty-two thoracoscopies were performed in 28 horses. Sixteen horses were affected with pleuropneumonia whereas 12 were affected with various other thoracic conditions. The indications for thoracoscopy was diagnostic in 19 cases, therapeutic in 11 cases and both diagnostic and therapeutic in 2 cases. Twenty-six thoracoscopies were done standing whereas 6 were performed under general anaesthesia. The specific procedures performed during thoracoscopy were exploratory only (7), biopsy of the lung and lymph nodes (10), drain placement into pleural effusions (2) and abscesses (5), exploration prio...
Johnson CB, Young SS, Taylor PM.The electroencephalogram (EEG) has been used in human clinical anaesthesia as an indicator of cortical activity and as an indicator of the depth of anaesthesia. It would be useful if it provided a reliable indication of the depth of anaesthesia of horses. In this study anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with halothane in nine ponies. The end tidal halothane concentration (PE-Hal) was monitored and 20 seconds of EEG were recorded at 0.8 per cent, 1.0 per cent and 1.2 per cent halothane, equivalent to the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), 1.25 MAC and 1.5 MAC. Each 20 se...
Bugno-Poniewierska M, Jabłońska Z, Słota E.Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is widely used in the study of chromosome structure and organization. Cytogenetic evaluation of chromosomes using FISH technique plays an increasingly important role in diagnosing karyotype changes in both somatic and reproductive cells. The aim of the study was to optimize the conditions of stallion sperm decondensation, which have a significant effect on the results of fluorescence in situ hybridization. Appropriate type and time of decondensation was chosen for the sperm of every stallion. It was found that decondensation performed using a preparati...
Pusterla N, Sanchez-Migallon Guzman D, Vannucci FA, Mapes S, White A, DiFrancesco M, Gebhart C.The aim of this study was to investigate whether feces from rabbits experimentally infected with Lawsonia intracellularis were infectious to foals. Two rabbits were infected with L. intracellularis, while two rabbits served as controls. Eight foals received daily feces from either the infected or the control rabbits. All rabbits and foals were monitored daily for clinical signs for the entire study period (21days for rabbits, 42days for foals). Feces and blood were collected for the PCR detection of L. intracellularis and serologic analysis, respectively. None of the infected rabbits or foals ...
Misumi K, Sakamoto H, Shimizu R.The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the change in the performance capacity of horses trained by running could be evaluated with a standardised swimming exercise test as well as by a standardised running exercise test. Seven two-year-old thoroughbred horses were trained by running for four months and were subjected to a standardised swimming exercise tolerance test before the training began and after two and four months of training in addition to the standardised running tolerance test after two and four months of training. The running training brought about a significant chang...
Kendall A, Nyström S, Ekman S, Hultén LM, Lindahl A, Hansson E, Skiöldebrand E.Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin with many functions. In humans, it is involved in inflammation, nerve growth, apoptosis and pain signalling. Increased concentrations of NGF in synovial fluid has been shown in humans and dogs with osteoarthritis. Despite osteoarthritis being a common problem in horses, no studies have previously been published on NGF in the equine joint. The aim of this study was to quantify NGF in equine synovial fluid from healthy joints, acutely inflamed septic joints and joints with structural changes associated with osteoarthritis. A secondary aim was to identi...
Li QC, Mabrouk PA.This paper reports the first report of rapid, reversible direct electron transfer between a redox protein, specifically, horse myoglobin, and a solid electrode substrate in nonaqueous media and the spectroscopic (UV-vis, fluorescence, and resonance Raman) characterization of the relevant redox forms of myoglobin (Mb) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In DMSO, the heme active site of metmyoglobin (metMb) appears to remain six-coordinate high-spin, binding water weakly. Changes in the UV-fluorescence spectra for metMb in DMSO indicate that the protein secondary structure has been perturbed and sugge...
Geburek F, Rötting AK, Stadler PM.To assess agreement between ultrasonography (transcutaneous and transrectal) and standing radiography in horses with fractures in the pelvic region and disorders of the coxofemoral joint. Methods: Case series. Methods: Warmblood horses (n=23) and 2 ponies. Methods: Medical records (1999-2008) of equids with pelvic or coxofemoral disorders that had pelvic radiography and ultrasonography were retrieved and results of both techniques compared. Results: Radiography and ultrasonography each identified equal numbers of fractures of the tuber coxa (n=4), ilial shaft (2), ischium (3), femoral neck (2)...
Roser JF, McCue PM, Hoye E.An overnight double antibody RIA, employing a rabbit antiserum raised to bovine 31 kDa inhibin (rAs-#1989, NICHD) and purified bovine 31 kDa inhibin (bINH-I-90/1, NICHD) as trace and standard, was validated to measure immunoreactive inhibin (iINH) concentrations in equine peripheral plasma, follicular fluid (FF), ovarian vein (OV) plasma, testicular tissue extracts (TTE) and testicular vein (TV) plasma. The dynamic relationship of iINH and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was investigated during the estrous cycle of the mare and the annual reproductive cycle of the stallion. In the RIA, para...
