Experimental methods in equine research encompass a variety of techniques and procedures used to investigate physiological, behavioral, and health-related aspects of horses. These methods are designed to collect data that can enhance the understanding of equine biology and inform veterinary practices. Common experimental approaches include controlled trials, observational studies, and laboratory-based experiments. Techniques may involve the use of non-invasive imaging, biochemical assays, and physiological monitoring to assess parameters such as metabolic function, locomotion, and disease progression. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the application, development, and evaluation of experimental methods in the study of equine science.
Burrows GE.Repeated exposure of ponies in Escherichia coli endotoxin resulted in attenuation of the packed cell volume, beta-glucuronidase, capillary refill time and neutrophil responses usually accompanying endotoxin administration. An overall decrease in severity of clinical response including reduced mortality was also apparent in ponies with repeated endotoxin exposure. Modification of the febrile response was not observed in any of the experimental groups.
Lang G.Equine kidney cells disaggregated by treatment with 0.01% collagenase were used in the preparation of primary monolayer cell cultures. The primary cells could be stored for long periods in liquid nitrogen and subsequently subcultivated. These techniques provided a long-term supply of equine kidney cells, free of apparent contamination, from the kidneys of a single fetus.
Carlson GP, Harrold D, Rumbaugh GE.Volume dilution of sodium thiocyanate as a measure of extracellular fluid volume was determined in 24 normal adult horses and 4 ponies. The method employed yielded highly reproducible results on multiple determinations in individual horses. A highly significant (P less than .001) correlation between thiocyanate space and body weight was demonstrated.
Ray AC, Tamulinas SH, Reagor JC.Experimental animals (rabbit, rat, goat, sheep, and pony) were given cantharidin or dried preparations of blister beetles (Epicauta lemniscata) to stimulate naturally occurring toxicosis in which beetles were ingested with alfalfa hay. A sensitive high-pressure liquid chromatographic method, involving derivatization of cantharidin with p-nitrobenzyloxyamine, was developed to detect the toxin extracts of ingesta, fluids, and tissues from these severely poisoned animals. Urine and ingesta from the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract, containing from 1 to 20 ppm of cantharidin, were the m...
Bertrand ML, Harris DC.To test whether the reactivity of ferritin iron is affected by the heat treatment used in ferritin isolation, we prepared ferritin from the same horse spleen with or without heating. Both samples exhibited similar reactivity upon reduction or chelation of iron.
Condon WA, Ganjam VK, Kenney RM.Corpora lutea (CL) from 7 mares were sliced and incubated for 2 h with ovine LH and various sympathomimetic agonists and blockers. None of these compounds was able to cause a significant increase in either progesterone or total progestagens by the luteal tissue. This is in contrast to earlier studies with bovine luteal tissue, and indicates that the equine CL is more refractory to exogenous stimulation than in the bovine CL.
Sembrat RF, Di Stazio J, Stremple JF.This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using alert, conscious ponies as a model for septic shock in man. Ten ponies were given 0.7-5 X 10(9) organisms/kg of body weight of live E coli intravenously over one hour. All ponies died and exhibited signs of low cardiac output septic shock. significant decreases were found in cardiac index to 3.15 +/- 0.1 liters/min/m2 (P less than 0.05), white blood cell count to 1,930 +/- 100 cells/m3 (P less than 0.05), preterminal blood glucose to 75 +/- 5 mg/dl (P less than 0.05), PaO2 to 75.7 +/- 5.7 mm Hg (P less than 0.05), and pH to 7.15 +/...
Brown PJ, Clayton HM.The pathological changes associated with the migration through the liver of P. equorum larvae were investigated. Twenty pony foals were killed at intervals of 2 to 185 days after a single infection with 160 or 8000 P. equorum eggs and 4 pony foals were killed at intervals of 94 to 144 days after twice weekly infections of 50 eggs from birth. At post-mortem examination the macroscopic changes included the development of focal haemorrhages and small, white diffuse or nodular lesions.
Microscopic lesions were found mainly around the portal triads and consisted of infiltration by cells, including...
Betteridge KJ, Eaglesome MD, Flood PF.Two experiments were conducted using 14 mares. In Exp. 1, mares were inseminated with semen treated with TEPA, which, in other species, has been shown to lead to an arrest in ovum cleavage at 2--4 cells. The oviducts and/or uterus were then flushed 7--10 days after ovulation in 6 mares (Group A) or 2--6 days after ovulation in 5 mares (Group B). Fresh eggs were found in the oviduct flushes of 5 Group A and 5 Group B mares: 9 of the 10 eggs appeared to have cleaved, but none had developed beyond 16-cells. Seven eggs contained spermatozoa and 3 of 4 eggs from each group showed evidence of fertil...
Berndtson WE, Hoyer JH, Squires EL, Pickett BW.The effect of exogenous testosterone on sperm production, seminal quality and libido was studied in 24 stallions. Based on pretreatment data, a stallion was assigned to 1 of 3 groups each containing 8 animals. One member of each group received 0 (Group 1), 50 (Group 2), or 200 micrograms (Group 3) testosterone propionate per kg body weight every 2 days for 88 days. The lower dose of testosterone had no significant effect on most of the parameters studied: the higher dose depressed total scrotal width at Day 90 post-treatment (P less than 0.01), total spermatozoa ejaculated between Days 60 and ...
Hawkins DL, Neely DP, Stabenfeldt GH.Six ovariectomized mares were divided into 3 groups to determine the effects of exogenous progesterone in oil and repositol progesterone on plasma progesterone concentrations. Progesterone in oil was administered in 7 daily injections in Exp. I. Progesterone concentrations were not maintained greater than 1.0 ng/ml for 24 h with 50 mg/day. However, they remained greater than 1.0 ng/ml during the last 4 days of 100 mg/day and greater than 1.5 ng/ml throughout the injection sequence of 200 mg/day. Repositol progesterone was administered on Days 1 and 7 in Exp. II. At 500 mg, progesterone concent...
Frolov VA, Derx H, Riguer P.Guinea pigs were sensitized by three subcutaneous injections of 0.1 ml native horse serum at 2-day intervals, 21 days after the third injection the animals developed marked sensitization to this antigen which was manifested by anaphylactic reaction to the subcutaneous challenge with this antigen. At this time, the myocardium of the sensitized animals showed signs of extra- and intracellular oedema, a sharp increase in the number of lysosomes, damage of their membranes, 2 1/2 months after sensitization the animals showed no anaphylactic reaction to the challenge dose of the antigen. There were ...
Herrick WC, Kingsbury HB, Lou DY.This paper describes the result of an investigation of strains and strain rates which normally occur in the tendons of the equine foreleg and presents stress-strain curves and moduli for the tendons at these rates. It has previously been demonstrated that resistance to flexion of the joints of the distal part of the equine foreleg is provided by a passive system of tendons and ligaments. It is therefore possible, using a large displacement, high-rate testing machine, to duplicate in the laboratory the strain rates and forces which are normally produced in the tendons of the foreleg of the runn...
Veldman JE, Keuning FJ, Molenaar I.Two times sublethal total body-X-irradiation with weekly local thymus irradiation established a T-cell deprived experimental model in rabbits. Humoral immunity reactions in draining lymph nodes have been analyzed histologically and at the submicroscopical level after challenge with Salmonella Java vaccine, horse spleen ferritin, horse-gamma-globulin, a chemical sensitizer oxazolone (2 phenyl-4-ethoxymethylene-5-oxazolone) and after skin allografting respectively. The time sequence studies in these animals with an 'isolated B-cell system' are compared with similar experiments in normal non-irra...
Wentink GH.The locomotor pattern of the hind limb of seven horses has been studied in intact animals and after transection of the following structures: the peroneus tertius tendon, the cranial tibial muscle, both cranial tibial muscle and peroneus tertius tendon, and the superficial digital flexor tendon. The investigation was carried out by high speed cinematography and electromyography. It is concluded that (1) the muscles and tendons over the cranial aspect of the tibia play an important role during the support phase; (2) the movements of the hind limb may be performed without the action of the crania...
Pierson RE, Sahu SP, Dardiri AH, Wilder FW.Contagious equine metritis was reproduced experimentally in 6 pony mares. The disease was characterized by rapidly developing cervicitis and by varying amounts of exudate. The exudate, apparent as early as 48 hours after inoculation, drained from the cervix as a tenacious, mucopurulent discharge for several days, then rapidly disappeared. In all mares, the clinical disease cleared within several weeks of inoculation, without treatment.
Dawson FL, Benson JA, Croxton-Smith P.Serum agglutination tests, anti-globulin tests, and complement fixation tests were carried out on sera taken over a period of 98 days from two fillies experimentally infected with the contagious equine metritis organism. The pattern, and significance in diagnosis, of these results is discussed. All 3 tests showed positive titres in the acute phase of experimental disease; reactions in the complement fixation test persisted longest.
Mirck MH, Franken P.Experimental infections using 600,000 infective larvae of Strongyloides westeri were carried out in seven worm-free Shetland ponies, four foals and thee yearlings. In the foals, the prepatent period varied from ten to fourteen days, the patent period ranging from forty-three to eighty-three days. Within approximately two months after infection, a decrease in the concentration of haemoglobin and an increase in the beta-globulin fraction of the protein pattern of the serum, practically coinciding with the maximum S. westeri faecal egg counts, were recorded. In the yearlings, the prepatent period...
McClure JJ, Muscoplat CC, Johnson DW, Senogles DR.A miniaturized method for the mixed lymphocyte culture test in the horse is described. The test is performed in either round- or flat-bottom microtitration tissue culture plates. Concentrations of responsing and stimulating cells are varied, depening on the experiment. Significant discrimination between isogeneic and allogenic mixtures is possible after 120 hours' culture when cells are labeled ([3H]thymidine) for the last 16 to 18 hours of the test.
Brown CM, Holmes JR.In horses experimental right and left heart catheterization using a catheter with two microtransducers 9 cm apart, usually in a transvalval position produced pressure and sound artifacts that confounded the diagnosis. Most were probably due to malpositioning resulting in movement through a valve during recording or impingement on the valve cusps or the chordae tendineae or lodgement in the apex of the heart. The recognition of these artifacts is particularly important in studies of large animals in which catheter siting cannot be monitored by radiography.
Nyindo MB, Ristic M, Lewis GE, Huxsoll DL, Stephenson EH.Four ponies experimentally infected with Ehrlichia equi developed substantial cell-mediated immune responses, as measured by the leukocyte migration-inhibition test. Serum anti-E equi antibodies up to 1:1,280 were demonstrated by the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Cell-mediated immune responses returned to a base-line value by day 200 after primary inoculation, but serum antibody titers persisted for at least 300 days after inoculation. Two additional susceptible ponies, which were inoculated with convalescent blood or organ homogenates from ponies recovered from acute equine ehrlichiosis...
Strömberg B, Tufvesson G.Four autologous tendon grafting techniques, bipedicle, pedicle and free grafts of the deep digital flexor tendon and free grafts from the lateral digital extensor tendon were described. The vascularization and remodelling of the transplant and the reactions in the donor, as well as the recipient tendon, were studied by means of microangiographic and histochemical methods. The results indicated that regardless of the technique used the grafts were revascularized and replaced by a highly orientated and organized tendon. The use of free grafts may therefore be worthwhile in treatment of severe te...
Ahern BJ, Lim YW, van Eps A, Franklin S.To determine the effect of a prototype dynamic laryngoplasty system (DLPS) on arytenoid abduction. Methods: In vitro experimental. Methods: Ten equine larynges. Methods: Dissected larynges were mounted, and the right arytenoid was maximally abducted for testing. A left-sided laryngoplasty (LP) was performed by using a strand of No. 2 FiberWire and a FASTakII anchor. Phase 1 involved tightening the suture, without the DLPS device in place, in 1-mm increments and acquiring a digital image of the rima glottidis at each increment. Phase 2 involved tying the suture with the DLPS in place at a left ...
Kojima AY, Kobayashi S, Acosta TJ, Kudo M, Miyamoto A, Takagi M, Miyazawa K, Sato K.Microdialysis System (MDS) is a novel technique used for investigation of molecule secretion between different cell populations. Local hormonal secretion at follicular wall has been still unclear. This MDS study was used to determine progesterone (P4), androstenedione (A4), estradiol-17beta (E2) and Prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) release in mare pre-ovulatory follicles. Follicles larger than 30 mm were isolated from the ovary and follicular fluid aspirated for hormone assay. Follicular fluid collected from small, middle and large follicles were analyzed by EIA. The concentrations of P4 and ...
Xiang W, Ma J, Wang XF, Zhao YJ, Zhou JH.In this article, we report the analysis of genetic polymorphisms of horse MHC-I molecules by SSCP and HMA, which are methods based on the technique of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Our results showed that SSCP was not a suitable method for the analysis of genetic polymorphisms of horse MHC-I molecules due to the failure in generating satisfied separation of DNA fragments, even if experimental conditions were optimized. However, the HMA method produced clearly separated DNA fragments of horse MHC-I molecules, after the experimental conditions, such as the running temperature and th...
Corstvet RE, Gaunt SD, Karns PA, Burgermeister D, McBride JW, Nicholson SM, Battistini RA.Four horses were inoculated with Ehrlichia risticii contained in either infected murine P388 D1 cells or heparinized blood from an infected horse. All 4 horses produced serum antibody, plasma antigen, and clinical signs of the disease. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect antibody in the serum and was also used in conjunction with an anti-E. risticii monoclonal antibody to detect antigenemia. These laboratory and clinical findings were correlated to determine the efficiency of the antigen detection method for discerning E. risticii infection.
Saville WJA, Dubey JP, Marsh AE, Reed SM, Keene RO, Howe DK, Morrow J, Workman JD.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is an important equine neurologic disorder, and treatments for the disease are often unrewarding. Prevention of the disease is the most important aspect for EPM, and a killed vaccine was previously developed for just that purpose. Evaluation of the vaccine had been hampered by lack of post vaccination challenge. The purpose of this study was to determine if the vaccine could prevent development of clinical signs after challenge with Sarcocystis neurona sporocysts in an equine challenge model. Seventy horses that were negative for antibodies to S. neuron...
Dougherty DM, Lewis P.Using three horses we imvestigated responding on several concurrent variable-interval schedules. Each horse was first trained, using the method of successive approximations, to press a response lever with its upper lip. Following successful acquisition of the lip-press response, horses spent several days on pretraining schedules. These included a continuous reinforcement schedule and three variable-interval concurrent schedules: VI 15-sec VI 15-sec, VI 30-sec VI 30-sec, and VI 45-sec VI 45-sec. Horses were then exposed to the experimental sessions; sessions were conducted daily in the horse's ...
Lemos KR, Marques LC, Deaquino LP, Alessi AC, Machado RZ.An histochemical and immunohistochemical study was carried out to evaluate the mechanisms of immune response of horses experimentally infected by Trypanosoma evansi. For this purpose the HE histochemical stain and the avidin biotin peroxidase method were used. To determine the presence and immunoreactivity of immune cells we used anti-major histocompatibility complex II antibodies. Cellular infiltration phenotype was characterized with the aid of anti-CD3 antibody for T lymphocytes and by anti-BLA 36 antibodies for B lymphocytes. Macrophages were marked with an antibody against myeloid/histyoc...
Singleton MD, Breheny PJ.In this paper, we propose a nonlinear hierarchical model (NLHM) for analyzing longitudinal experimental infection (EI) data. The NLHM offers several improvements over commonly used alternatives such as repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) and the linear mixed model (LMM). It enables comparison of relevant biological properties of the course of infection including peak intensity, duration and time to peak, rather than simply comparing mean responses at each observation time. We illustrate the practical benefits of this model and the insights it yields using data from experimental i...
Valieva TA, Valiev AG, Kulakova SN, Levachev MM.During six weeks rats were given a ration containing, as the only source of fat, lipids of sublimated mare's milk that had been stored with or without antioxidants (quercitrol, bisalcophen) during 3 months. The influence of specific quality of the ration fat on lipids and fatty acid composition of lipids in blood plasma, erythrocytic stroma and liver tissue, as well as on lipid peroxidation in the tissues was studied in the test animals. No changes induced by the lipids from sublimated mare's milk were detected in the parameters studied.
Sedrish SA, Moore RM, Kelly K, Martin GS, Burba DJ.To determine and compare the in vitro pullout strength of 5.5-mm cortical versus 6.5-mm cancellous bone screws inserted in the diaphysis and metaphysis of adult equine third metacarpal (MCIII) bones, in threaded 4.5-mm cortical bone screw insertion holes that were then overdrilled with a 4.5-mm drill bit to provide information relevant to the selection of a replacement screw if a 4.5-mm cortical screw is stripped. Methods: In vitro pullout tests of 5.5-mm cortical and 6.5-mm cancellous screws in equine MCIII bones. Methods: Two independent cadaver studies each consisting of 14 adult equine MCI...
Vanderwall DK, Betschart RW, Squires EL.The objective of this study was to determine if the primary circulating metabolite of PGF2alpha, 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2alpha (PGFM), is biologically active and would induce luteolysis in nonpregnant mares. On Day 9 after ovulation, mares (n = 7/group) were randomly assigned to receive: 1) saline control, 2) 10 mg PGF2alpha or 3) 10 mg PGFM in 5 mL 0.9% sterile saline i.m. On Days 0 through 16, blood was collected for progesterone analysis. In addition, blood was collected immediately prior to treatment, hourly for 6 h, and then at 12 and 24 h after treatment for progesterone and PGFM analy...
Donald PJ, Deckard-Janatpour K, Sharkey N, Lagunas-Solar M.Various centers report irradiated cartilage graft absorption rates that differ quite widely. We postulated that a major factor governing this phenomenon might be irradiation dose. Irradiation produces collagen cross-binding and increased resistance to absorption of such material when implanted. Since cross-binding produces stiffening of collagen, cartilage grafts were exposed to increasing doses of irradiation and their elastic modulus was measured. The postulate was that increasing radiation doses will produce grafts of increasing stiffness. Sternal cartilage, harvested from horses, was cut i...
Godbout M, Vargas A, Hélie P, Bullone M, Lavoie JP.To use a biopolymer delivery system to investigate the ability of interleukin (IL)-4 to recruit neutrophils into subcutaneous tissues of equids. Methods: 16 horses and 2 ponies. Methods: Animals were assigned to 3 experiments (6/experiment). Effects of recombinant equine (Req) IL-4 (100, 250, or 500 ng/site) versus a positive control (ReqIL-8; 100 ng, 250 ng, or 1 μg/site) and a negative control (Dulbecco PBSS or culture medium) on neutrophil chemotaxis were assessed after SC injection into the neck with an injectable biopolymer used as the vehicle. Tissue samples including the biopolymer plu...
Janicek JC, Carson WL, Wilson DA.The purpose of this investigation was to design and verify the capabilities of an in vitro loading-measurement system that mimics in vivo unconstrained three dimensional (3D) relative motion between long bone ends, applies uniform load components over the entire length of a test specimen, and measures 3D relative motion between test segment ends to directly determine test segment construct stiffness free of errors due to potting-fixture-test machine finite stiffness.Intact equine cadaveric radius bones, which were subsequently osteotomized/ostectomized and instrumented with bone plates were su...
Wu H, Han D, Jiang Z, Zhao D, Liu M, Xu X, Liu X, Yang L, Ji X, Wang M, Zhang S.B cell activating factor (BAFF) and its receptors were regarded as elements of the immune system, regulating the fate of B cell. In recent years, these molecules were identified in a number of normal and pathological tissues, expanding their potential functions beyond the immune system. In this study, on the basis of molecular clone and prokaryotic expression of equine BAFF, we reported that equine adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) expressed BAFF and its receptors, which exhibited the increased expression during ASC adipogenic differentiation in vitro. Moreover, with the addition of recombinant ...
Tatarov G, Dilovski M.An avirulent immunogenic virus strain mutant of the causative agent of rhinopneumonia was found to cause abortions and respiratory diseases in horses. The mutant was obtained with the use of a virulent strain that induced strongly manifested clinical symptoms of the disease, and was cultured in cell media containing 5-iodine-2-desoxiuridine as an antimetabolite, following a definite pattern. It was found that the mutant completely lost its virulence, however, it retained its immunogenicity. It likewise retained these newly acquired biologic properties with regard to its being stable and irreve...
Gfrerer L, Michel S, Fürst AE, Piskoty G, Weisse B, Montavon S, Jackson MA. The goal of this study was to generate mandibular fractures in three regions of the diastema using a metal impactor to simulate a kick from a horse and to determine the mean deceleration in the initial phase of the impact event, the maximum contact force, the impact energy necessary to create a fracture and the duration of the impact. Methods: Thirty heads of horses aged between 5 and 20 years and euthanatized for various reasons were used. The heads were attached to a steel bar at the occiput at an axial angle of 45 degrees so that the body of the mandible was positioned horizontally ...
Al-Majhali SH, Khairuddin NH, Abdul Razak IS, Radzi Z, Rahman MT, Sapalo JT, Mayaki AM, Czernuszka JT.The use of a self-inflating tissue expander is a technique to stretch cutaneous tissues for potential use in reconstructive skin surgeries. This study investigates the mechanical properties of horse skin stretched by the subcutaneous implantation of anisotropic tissue expanders at the forehead, right shoulder, and dorsomedial part of the cannon region of the right forelimb in six (n = 6) horses. After 14 days of skin expansion, expanded and normal (control) skin samples were harvested and their mechanical properties of elastic modulus (EM), maximum force (MF), maximum stress (MSs) and maximu...
Vianna AM, Santos AC, Cunha RC, de Souza Stori de Lara AP, Weege GB, Leivas Leite FP.Equine theileriosis is a severe equine disease caused by the protozoan Theileria equi, which is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas. In this study, a recombinant equi merozoite antigen-2 (rEMA-2) of T. equi was used as an immunogen. Two groups of 10 mice each were divided into control and vaccinated groups. Sixty mares seronegative for theileriosis were divided in two groups, one vaccinated and another group as a control animal. Mice and mares of the vaccinated groups were inoculated with 150 μL of the vaccine containing 50 μg of rEMA-2 and 2 mL of the vaccine containing 200 ...
Wells M, Gaffin SL.Passive immunotherapy with anti-lipopolysaccharide hyperimmune equine plasma (Anti-LPS) is effective in treating experimental Gram-negative bacterial infections. The bactericidal activity of anti-LPS towards five different Pseudomonas species, including two multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates was tested here, as well as the ability of anti-LPS to inhibit the quantitative chromogenic limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. Anti-LPS caused a mean reduction of 84.4 +/- 3.2% (P less than 0.001) in the number of colony forming units (cfu) of all isolates, whereas saline and complement ina...
Reedy SE, Powell DM, Williams NM, Dodson MV, Fitzgerald BP.This paper describes attempts to initiate equine adipocyte cultures from necropsy cases with varying intervals from time of death to isolation and culture. Equine adipocytes were isolated from 21 necropsy cases, regardless of the interval from time after death to establishment in primary ceiling cultures. However, while all cultures produced adipocytes, only 2 attempts to produce long-term equine adipocyte cultures from the subcutaneous rump fat depots were successful and not contaminated. Findings from these experiments indicate that it is possible to collect and culture equine adipocytes fro...
Zielińska-Dawidziak M, Błaszak R, Piasecka-Kwiatkowska D.The presented experiments show the model of expectation of equine spleen ferritin extraction in a new aqueous two-phase system which was formed by mixing polyethylene glycol (PEG) and hydroxyethyl starch (HES). The tendency of the protein to migrate in the analyzed systems was dependent on the concentrations of HES and PEG as well as PEG molecular weight. The highest concentration of ferritin in the top phase (rich in PEG) was recorded in the system composed of 6% PEG 3000 and 3% HES. The obtained concentration was 0.88 mg mL(-1). The lowest concentration was 0.42 mg mL(-1) in the system compo...
Driancourt MA, Palmer E.An experiment was carried out on pony mares to establish the time of the oestrous cycle at which ovarian follicles are recruited for ovulation. In one group (n=7), the cycle was interrupted at the preovulatory stage by removing the preovulatory follicle; in another group (n=13) the cycle was interrupted at day 6 of the luteal phase by inducing luteolysis with a prostaglandin injection (PG). In a subgroup (n=7) of those given PG, the ovary not bearing the corpus luteum was removed at the time of injection. A further group (n=6) served as surgical controls. The interval to the next ovulation and...
Timoney PJ, Dillon PB, Geraghty VP, McArdle JF.Aspects of experimental transmission of the causal bacterium of contagious equine metritis (CEM) to albino Swiss mice were investigated. Whereas infection was established in the majority of female mice, the organism was recovered from only a limited number of male mice after challenge. No clinical evidence of infection was observed in the experimental mice. There was only one instance of presumptive venereal transmission of the CEM bacterium. One third of infected females conceived and had normal litters.
Schellenberg LM, Bonicelli J, Hochheim I, Regenthal R, Abraham G.The β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) plays an important role in regulating a variety of cell and organ functions in different animal species and is an important target in asthma pathogenesis and therapy. The β-AR expression and function in equine bronchial epithelial cells (EBEC) were not known but innervation and significant decrease in receptor level were reported in the equine bronchial tissues from asthmatic horses. I-iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) binding studies were undertaken in primary freshly isolated and cultured EBEC to identify the presence of the β-ARs. The receptor distribution was as...
Nequin LG, King SS, Matt KS, Jurak RC.The transition from anoestrus to oestrus in mares is controlled by photoperiod. The present study examined whether additional daylength would accelerate the mares' response to gonadotrophin-releasing-hormone (GnRH). Nine anoestrous mares were placed under ambient or artificial long lighting on 7th January. The four month experimental period was divided into a three-day sequence which was repeated at 21 day intervals. Ovaries were palpated rectally on Day 1; saline was injected (1 ml intravenously [iv]) on Day 2; GnRH was administered (0.59 microgram/kg bodyweight iv) on Day 3. Blood was taken ...
Thomas KL, Carmalt JL, Burnett WD, Arjmand H, Johnston JD.OBJECTIVE To compare strain at the bone-pin and cast-pin interfaces among 3 transfixation pin-cast constructs applied to equine forelimbs. ANIMALS 15 forelimbs from 15 adult horses. PROCEDURES Limbs were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 constructs. Centrally threaded positive-profile pins were used for all constructs, and the most distal pin was placed just proximal to the epicondyles of the third metacarpal bone. Construct 1 consisted of two 6.3-mm-diameter pins spaced 4 cm apart at 30° to each other. Construct 2 was the same as construct 1 except the pins were placed 5 cm apart. Construct 3 cons...
Bertone AL, Stashak TS, Sullins KE, Ralston SL.Ten normal horses had approximately 95% of the length of the large colon resected with a side-to-side anastomosis between right ventral and right dorsal colon performed with surgical stapling equipment. Four horses died shortly after surgery of colitis (1 horse) or failure of the TA 90 transection staple line (3 horses). Another horse died 4 months after surgery from disseminated streptococcal infection but had recovered well from the colon resection. Five horses survived long term (18 months) with no clinical evidence of adverse effects of the resection. Surviving horses had weight loss and s...
Wu D, Murakami K, Liu N, Konishi M, Muneta Y, Inumaru S, Kokuho T, Sentsui H.The equine interleukin-18 (IL-18) cDNA that contains the coding sequence was cloned and a recombinant baculovirus, named AcEIL-18, was constructed. The recombinant protein of the equine IL-18 was expressed by AcEIL-18 and its expression was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting. Insect cells infected with AcEIL-18 secreted a precursor IL-18 with 24 kilo dalton (kDa) into the culture supernatant. Western blot analysis showed that mature equine IL-18 about 18 kDa was also confirmed without co-expression of caspase-1. Culture supern...
Lopez BS, Hurley DJ, Giancola S, Giguère S, Felippe MJB, Hart KA.The impact of culture conditions on equine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC) generation has not been fully characterized. We hypothesized that 1) MoDC could be cultured in a commercially available serum-free medium (AIM-V); and 2) that differential culture conditions would influence MoDC viability, yield and phenotype. MoDC generated from adult horses were cultured under variable conditions in a series of experiments. Viability was assessed using trypan blue and propidium iodide staining. Yield was determined by manual hemocytometer counting. Phenotype was assessed by flow cytometric ana...
