"Horses" is a broad topic that encompasses various aspects of equine biology, behavior, and management. This category includes studies on the anatomy, physiology, and genetics of horses, as well as their behavior, nutrition, and care. Research in this area may also cover the historical and cultural significance of horses, their roles in agriculture, sport, and therapy, and the challenges associated with their conservation and welfare. The page aggregates peer-reviewed research articles and scholarly studies that explore the multifaceted relationships between humans and horses, examining both scientific and socio-economic perspectives.
Griffiths IR, Kyriakides E, Smith S, Howie F, Deary AW.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a primary dysautonomia characterised pathologically by lesions in autonomic ganglia, enteric plexi and specific nuclei in the CNS. Immunocytochemistry and lectin histochemistry of the autonomic ganglia were used to determine whether abnormalities can be detected in specific proteins or cellular organelles. EGS ganglia contained a mixture of morphologically normal and abnormal neurons, the former appearing identical to cells from control animals. Affected cells showed marked disturbances in neurofilament (NF) proteins and beta-tubulin, major components of the cyto...
Murray MJ, Schusser GF.A glass combined pH-reference electrode was placed in the stomachs of 5 adult horses and pH was recorded every 6 mins for 24 h while (1) feed and all bedding materials were withheld for 24 h (unfed), (2) horses had free access to Timothy grass hay for 24 h (fed), and (3) horses had free access to Timothy grass hay and were treated with ranitidine, 6.6 mg/kg body weight, orally, every 8 h for 48 h (fed + ranitidine). There was a significant (P = 0.007) difference in median 24-h gastric pH amongst the 3 protocols, the value being 3.1 in fed horses and 1.55 in unfed horses (P = 0.05) and 4.6 in f...
Buckley SM, Chalmers DJ, Langley JD.This study describes the epidemiology of injuries due to falls from horses in New Zealand. There were 54 fatalities from 1977 to 1986 (0.17 per 100,000 persons per year). There were 773 hospitalisations in 1987 (23.7 per 100,000 persons per year). Head injuries were predominant among both fatal and nonfatal injuries. The incidence of nonfatal head injury in the 10 to 19 age group was significantly higher than the incidence in all older groups (P = 0.003). Young people, particularly females, were the segment of the population most affected by the problem of falls from horses. Reference to data ...
Ginther OJ, Bergfelt DR.The temporal associations between increases in FSH and growth of small follicles (2-20 mm) were studied during one oestrous cycle (ovulation to ovulation) in 15 horse mares. Follicular diameters were obtained ultrasonically. For each day, follicles were combined for both ovaries, grouped from largest to smallest (excluding dominant follicles), and divided into three to five tiers of six follicles for each mare (for example: tier 1, six largest follicles; tier 2, next six largest follicles). A significant increase in mean diameters followed by a significant decrease was used to define a follicu...
Patteson MW, Cripps PJ.Auscultation was used to examine 545 horses for cardiac murmurs and some arrhythmias. The most significant finding was the high prevalence of right-sided holosystolic or pansystolic plateau-type murmurs compatible with a diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation in National Hunt racing Thoroughbreds of all ages (16.4%). This condition was found in 4.7% of flat-racing Thoroughbreds, 3.7% of non-racing Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred crosses, and in none of the ponies examined. High prevalences of left-sided early systolic murmurs (53%), left-sided early diastolic murmurs (23%), right-sided early dias...
Denac M, Bebié P, Scharrer E.The effects of various neurotransmitters and electrical field stimulation on muscle strips from the distal equine esophagus were studied. Acetylcholine (ACH) caused concentration dependent (1.1-55 x 10(-6) mol/l) contractions of the longitudinal and circular muscle strips from the distal esophagus as well as from the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Atropine (10(-5) mol/l) blocked these contractions. Noradrenaline (NA) induced concentration related (1.1-55 x 10(-6) mol/l) contractions of the muscle strips from the LES. This excitatory effect of noradrenaline was antagonized by the alpha 1-rec...
Ross MW, Sponseller ML, Gill HE, Moyer W.Articular fracture of the dorsoproximolateral aspect of the third metatarsal bone (MT3) caused an acute onset of lameness in 5 horses; however, 3 of the horses had historical and radiographic or scintigraphic evidence of chronic tarsal and metatarsal disease before fracture. The pathogenesis of dorsoproximolateral fracture of MT3 remains unclear, but the fracture may occur as a result of the formation of abnormal bone in the proximal aspect of MT3. The prognosis for racing in horses with this fracture appears to be guarded.
Rosin-Arbesfeld R, Rivlin M, Noiman S, Mashiah P, Yaniv A, Miki T, Tronick SR, Gazit A.Three cDNA clones representing structurally distinct transcripts were isolated from a cDNA library prepared from cells infected with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) by using a probe representing the S3 open reading frame, which is thought to encode Rev. One species, designated p2/2, contained four exons and was identical to a previously described polycistronic mRNA that encodes Tat. This transcript was predicted to also direct the synthesis of a truncated form of the transmembrane protein and a putative Rev protein whose N-terminal 29 amino acids, derived from env, are linked to S3 seque...
Robinson JA, Allen GK, Green EM, Garner HE, Loch WE, Walsh DM.Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration was measured in 11 colostrum-fed (CF) and 8 colostrum-deprived (CD) 2- to 3-day-old foals after foals were infused with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; Escherichia coli O55:B5 endotoxin, 0.5 microgram/kg of body weight in sterile saline [0.9% NaCl] solution). Four CF and 2 CD foals were given saline solution alone. Serum IL-6 concentration was estimated by use of an in vitro proliferative bioassay, using the IL-6 dependent B.13.29 clone 9 cells. Interleukin-6 concentration increased in all LPS-infused foals, and geometric mean serum IL-6 concentration was sign...
Oladosu LA, Olayeye OD, Baba SS, Omilabu SA.An outbreak of African horse sickness involving two horse stables in Lagos, Nigeria, was investigated. Inoculation of blood from infected horses into suckling albino mice resulted in isolation of a virus which was identified as African horse sickness virus by the complement fixation test. The clinical, pathological and epizootiological findings (reported elsewhere) were consistent with African horse sickness. Potential threats of the epidemic to international horse trade are briefly highlighted.
Troedsson MH, Liu IK, Thurmond M.The validity of measuring concentrations of immunoglobulins in undiluted uterine secretions was established. The concentrations of IgG, IgA, and cleavage factor C3 of the complement system in uterine secretions were compared in mares with different resistance to chronic uterine infection (CUI). The uteri of mares susceptible (n = 6) and resistant to CUI (n = 5) were inoculated with 5 x 10(6) Streptococcus zooepidemicus when the mares were in estrus. Uterine secretions were sampled, and sampling was immediately followed by a uterine lavage at 5 and 24 h after bacterial inoculation. During a sub...
Hashem A, Keller H.The pharmacokinetics and pharmacological efficacy of orally (p.o.) administered acepromazine were studied and compared with the intravenous (i.v.) route of administration in a cross-over study using six horses. The oral kinetics of acepromazine can be described by a two-compartment open model with first-order absorption. The drug was rapidly absorbed after p.o. administration with a half-life of 0.84 h, tmax of 0.4 h and Cmax of 59 ng/ml. The elimination was slower after p.o. administration (half-life 6.04 h) than after i.v. injection (half-life 2.6 h). The bioavailability of the orally admini...
Prasse KW, Topper MJ, Moore JN, Welles EG.Eight tests of hemostasis were measured in 233 horses with colic. Blood samples were obtained at admission and for 4 consecutive days of hospitalization. Data were analyzed retrospectively by outcome, by broad-category diagnosis group, by small intestinal disorder, and by smaller categories for comparing specific diseases. Nonsurviving horses and horses with the most severe forms of intestinal ischemia had changes interpreted as hypercoagulative, the intensity of which was increased on the first and second mornings (sample times 2 and 3) after admission, when most significant differences for r...
Komori M, Higami A, Imai Y, Imaoka S, Funae Y.A form of P450 [termed P450(h-1)] was purified from the liver microsomes of a male horse to electrophoretic homogeneity. The specific content of the final P450(h-1) preparation was 14.8 nmol/mg of protein and the recovery was 0.38% of the microsomal P450. The apparent molecular weight of P450(h-1) was 52,000 Da. The absorption spectra of P450(h-1) indicated that P450(h-1) was a low- and high-spin mixed type P450 in the oxidized form. The reconstituted system containing P450(h-1) could catalyze benzphetamine N-demethylation, 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylation, and testosterone 16 alpha-hydroxylati...
Peloso JG, Stick JA, Soutas-Little RW, Caron JC, DeCamp CE, Leach DH.Motion of 6 clinically sound horses trotting at a speed of 4 m/s on a treadmill was captured by video cameras before and 9, 16, and 23 days after amphotericin-induced lameness to determine the quantitative variables of three-dimensional computer-assisted image analysis that objectively describe carpal lameness. Amphotericin-B was used to induce lameness, and phenylbutazone (2.2 mg/kg of body weight, PO, once) and butorphanol tartrate (0.1 mg/kg IM, q 6 h, to effect) were used to control discomfort. Four 60-Hz cameras were symmetrically placed around the treadmill to capture 6 seconds of images...
Hamor RE, Roberts SM, Severin GA.Eye enucleations performed on 109 dogs, 29 horses, and 23 cats involved placement of 136 silicone orbital implants and 7 mesh implants. Mean follow-up times were 2.4 years (range, 3 weeks to 9 years) in dogs, 3.4 years (range, 10 days to 10.5 years) in horses, and 1.5 years (range, 3 weeks to 7.5 years) in cats. Implants failed in 1 of 96 dogs (1.04%), 3 of 29 horses (10.3%), and 3 of 18 cats (16.7%). Implant failure was attributable to various causes in all species; however, cats appeared to be more prone to late extrusion that were dogs and horses. Implantation of an orbital prosthesis was a...
Lakritz J, Wilson WD, Berry CR, Schrenzel MD, Carlson GP, Madigan JE.Twenty-three foals, between 1 and 7 months old, with signs of acute respiratory distress, were examined at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), University of California, Davis, between 1984 and 1989. Characteristic features included sudden onset of severe respiratory distress and tachypnea, cyanosis unresponsive to nasal oxygen, pyrexia, hypoxemia, hypercapneic respiratory acidosis, poor response to treatment, and histopathologic lesions of bronchiolitis and bronchointerstitial pneumonia. Seven of the 23 foals were normal before the onset of respiratory distress, 3 foals were found...
Phillips TJ, Walmsley JP.Of 149 horses that underwent 151 exploratory laparotomies for gastrointestinal disorders from September 1987 to May 1991, 107 (72%) were discharged from the hospital: 100 (66%) survived for > 7 months, 94 of which returned to their intended use. Survival rate (64/80) for horses with caecum/large colon obstruction was significantly (P = 0.003) higher than for horses with small intestinal obstruction (33/64). Prolonged surgery was associated with significantly (P < 0.001) lower survival rates than short surgical time. In the large intestine, survival rate (15/29) for strangulated obstructions wa...
Barrey E, Galloux P, Valette JP, Auvinet B, Wolter R.The purpose of this study was to define the most suitable treadmill slope for reproducing the same heart rate response as in horses being ridden on a track. Seven French saddle horses were exercised first on a level turf track and then on a treadmill. On the track the exercise test consisted of four periods of three minutes of increasing speeds at the trot and the gallop (96 to 600 m/minute). The treadmill exercise tests consisted of seven steps of increasing slope (0 to 9.6 per cent) at the trot (252 m/minute), followed, after an active recovery period at the walk with a 0 per cent slope, by ...
Takeda S, Ohta M, Ebina S, Nagayama K.Horse L-ferritin cDNA was cloned from horse liver, and the base sequence was determined. The L-ferritin was expressed using pTZ18U encoding lac promoter, and found to possess an additional 8-amino acid sequence at the N-terminus as compared with commercially obtained horse spleen (natural) ferritin. It was determined that there was Pro at position 94 in both the recombinant and natural L-ferritin, although it was previously reported that Leu was in this position in the natural species. Transmission electron microscopy showed that this recombinant ferritin formed a 24-mer shell.
Freestone JF, Paccamonti DL, Eilts BE, McClure JJ, Swiderski CE, Causey RC.A 5-year-old stallion was referred because of signs of abdominal pain. During the initial examination, signs of pain were elicited when the right seminal vesicle was palpated per rectum. Signs of pain were also elicited during sexual arousal and attempts at semen collection. The right seminal vesicle was subsequently determined to be abnormal by ultrasonographic and endoscopic examination. The stallion was treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for 6 weeks. Five months later, there had been no recurrence of the condition.
Dabareiner RM, Sullins KE, Bradley W.A 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding sustained a fracture of the palmar tuberosity of the intermediate carpal bone 2 weeks prior to admission. The dorsolateral-palmaromedial oblique and flexed lateromedial radiographic views revealed the fracture line. The palmar fracture fragment from the intermediate carpal bone was removed by arthrotomy of the palmar intercarpal joint, which was approached through the carpal canal. Twenty months after surgery, the horse was show jumping without evidence of lameness.
Ruggles AJ, Beech J, Gillette DM, Midla LT, Reef VB, Freeman DE.A 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was referred for evaluation of a draining tract and fracture of the right hemimandible of 4 weeks' duration. Two days prior to admission, the horse had developed pigmenturia. Radiography of the mandible revealed a fracture of the vertical ramus of the right hemimandible, loss of the right lower second premolar, and osteomyelitis involving an extensive portion of the hemimandible. Ultrasonography of the left kidney revealed loss of normal renal architecture. Histologic examination of tissue obtained from the right hemimandible revealed granulomatous osteomyel...
Rose RJ, Davis PE.A 4-year-old thoroughbred stallion with a history of loss of racing form was studied over a period of approximately 7 months. At the initial examination he showed positive T waves in 1 chest lead and wandering of the pacemaker. This was followed by an episode of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation which disappeared spontaneously and was replaced by significant T wave changes in all the chest leads. During a period when these changes persisted, there was progressive lengthening of the P wave and the P-R interval. Because the last ECG showed evidence of intra-atrial block, first degree A-V block and ...
Blue MG.Four cases of enterolith obstruction in horses aged from six to 14 years are reported. All four cases had symptoms of persistent low grade abdominal pain and anorexia with an absence of defaecation. Examination revealed reduced gut motility and accumulation of gas, but heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperatures and complete blood counts were all within normal limits. Enteroliths of varying sizes were removed from the region of the transverse colon in all four horses.
Dirikolu L, Mollett BA, Troppmann A, Woods WE, Bratton C, Cashman CP, Schroedter D, Mayer B, Lehner AF, Karpiesiuk W, Hughes C, Boyles J, Harkins JD....Single doses of one, three, and six actuations (120 micro g albuterol/actuation) and multiple daily doses (six actuations per dose four times daily) for 5 days of aerosol albuterol sulfate were sequentially administered to each of six horses using an equine inhaler device (Torpex, 3M Animal Care Products, St. Paul, MN [corrected] and Boehringer Ingleheim Vetmedica, Inc., St. Joseph, MO [corrected]). A 2-week washout period was allowed between each dose. ELISA testing revealed no evidence of albuterol in urine at 24 hours after any single-dose administration. Results indicated that 48 hours or ...
Torres LEC, Florez CO, Oliveira JG, Vieira GD, Ribeiro IS, Keller KM, Leme FOP, Fantini P, Maranhão RPA.In equine ophthalmology, ulcerative keratitis is among the most common conditions and, in general, arises as a consequence of some trauma suffered. Secondarily, subsequent contamination by pathogenic or resident bacteria of the horse's ocular microbiota may have undesirable consequences. Under physiological conditions, the normal microbiota coexists with the immune status of the host, serving as a barrier, ensuring the health of the ocular surface, and inhibiting the proliferation of pathogens. However, in the imbalance of immune barriers, the normal microbiota can become pathogenic and lead t...
Schneberger D, Sethi RS, Singh B.Endothelium plays an important role in maintaining the vascular barrier and physiological homeostasis. Endothelium also is fundamental to the initiation and regulation of inflammation. Endothelium demonstrates phenotypic and functional heterogeneity not only among various organs but also within an organ. One of the striking examples would be the pulmonary endothelium that participates in creating blood-air barrier. Endothelium in large pulmonary blood vessels is distinct in structure and function from that lining of the pulmonary capillaries. This chapter focuses on the comparative aspects of ...
Verde C, Ferrante M, Simpson MI, Babusci M, Broglia G, Landoni MF.Twelve healthy horses were subject to the monoioidoacetate (MIA) carpitis model, which was allowed to develop for 7 days. The horses were then randomly divided into two groups. Group A (control) received an intramuscular injection of normal saline every 4 days for a total of seven injections while group B received 500 mg of a PSGAG (SYNTEX CSY36) intramuscularly every 4 days for seven treatments. Efficacy of the PSGAG was evaluated by three clinical outcomes: lameness score, carpal circumference and maximum carpal flexion. Clinical outcomes were measured on days -8 (previous to carpitis induct...
Philip M, Karakka Kal AK, Subhahar MB, Karatt TK, Mathew B, Perwad Z, Graiban FM, Caveney MR, Sayed R, Kadry AM.According to previous research, aminorex is the major metabolite of levamisole; however, in the screening of levamisole-positive racehorse urine and plasma samples, aminorex could only be detected in trace amounts or not at all. In forensic laboratories, hydroxy levamisole and its phase II conjugates make it easier to confirm levamisole misuse and to differentiate between the abuse of levamisole and aminorex. This study aimed to identify the major levamisole metabolites that can be detected along with the parent drug. Methods: The study describes levamisole and its metabolites in thoroughbred ...
Dyke TM, Hinchcliff KW, Sams RA.The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of phenylbutazone premedication on the pharmacokinetics and urinary excretion of frusemide in horses; and on frusemide-induced changes in urinary electrolyte excretion. Six Standardbred mares were used in a 3-way crossover design. The pharmacokinetics and renal effects of frusemide (1 mg/kg bwt i.v.) were studied with and without phenylbutazone premedication (8.8 mg/kg bwt per os 24 h before, followed by 4.4 mg/kg bwt i.v. 30 min before frusemide administration). A control (saline) treatment was also studied. Administration of frusemide...
Bergfelt DR, Ginther OJ.In two experiments, PGF(2alpha) was given to all mares on Day 10 (ovulation = Day 0). In experiment 1, mares received either whole follicular fluid or saline i.v. every 12 hours on Days 10 to 14. Experiment 2 was similar to experiment 1, except the follicular fluid was extracted with charcoal to remove steroids. Analysis of the FSH data for Days 10 to 21 indicated an effect of treatment (P<0.08) with whole follicular fluid, but not with charcoal-extracted follicular fluid. However, there was an effect of day (P<0.05) and an interaction (P<0.01) of treatment with day for both experimen...
Rajabi-Toustani R, Tsogtgerel M, Gao Y, Li C, Sakato M, Haneda S, Cheong SH, Nambo Y.Japanese native horses, which consists of 8 breeds, are threatened with extinction. Embryo transfer (ET) is used to reproduce endangered animals in various mammalian species. We aimed to perform ET using native ponies from Kiso and Hokkaido as donors and recipients, respectively. ET operation included long-distance transport of non-cryopreserved embryos from Nagano Prefecture to Hokkaido. Embryos were transported 1500 km over 9 h in a container maintained at 22°C. After transferring two embryos to two recipients, one mare delivered a healthy live foal. These results demonstrated that reciproc...
Taylor KR, MacKay RJ, Nelson EA, Stieler AL, Roberts JF, Castleman WL.Two horses euthanized for neurologic deficits were diagnosed with hamartomatous myelodysplasia of the spinal cord. One was a 5-week-old Holsteiner colt exhibiting spasms of muscle rigidity in the extensor muscles of the limbs and epaxial muscles, and the other was a 3-year-old Thoroughbred colt exhibiting progressive ataxia and hypermetria in the pelvic limbs. Each had focal disorganization of the white and gray matter of the spinal cord forming a mass interspersed with neurons, glial cells, and disoriented axon bundles. In the Holsteiner colt, the mass was at the level of C5 and included isla...
Hillyer MH, Innes JF, Patteson MW, Barr AR.Discospondylitis, of presumed bacterial origin, was diagnosed in an adult thoroughbred racehorse. The clinical signs were vague and associated with abnormal mobility of the neck and forelimbs. Clinical pathology showed only a non-specific inflammatory response. A scintigraphic examination revealed the site of the lesion and the diagnosis was confirmed by the identification of radiographic changes affecting two thoracic vertebrae. A prolonged course of antimicrobial agents produced a complete recovery and the horse returned to full athletic use.
Morelli KG, Lourenço GG, Marangon VR, Feltrin IR, Imura Oshiro TS, Rodrigues da Silva IV, Pugliesi G.We aimed to evaluate the impact of corpus luteum (CL) and uterine characteristics accessed by B-mode and Color-Doppler ultrasonography in recipient mares at the time of embryo transfer (ET) on pregnancy outcomes. Recipient mares (n = 110), between days 3-9 after spontaneous ovulation, received a fresh embryo. Immediately before ET, the reproductive system was assessed by transrectal palpation for the following parameters: uterine tone (0-3), CL echogenicity (0-6), CL type (homogeneous, trabecular or anechoic center), luteal area (cm2), uterine echogenicity (0-3), uterine edema (0-3), luteal ...
Zilch TJ, Lee JJ, Bressan GC, McDonough SP, Mohammed HO, Divers TJ, Chang YF.The current gold standard diagnostic test for leptospirosis is the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), which has many drawbacks; therefore, the development of a better and easier serological test for leptospirosis is needed. Objective: To apply reverse vaccinology (RV) and antigenic selection on the assortment of leptospiral targets and evaluate their potential for use as reagents for the diagnosis of equine leptospirosis. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The antigenic selection parameters were: proteins with antigenicity score ≥0.5 (VaxiJen), at least one B cell epitope and size b...
Gish A, Robveille C, Gicquel T, Allorge D, Gault G, Gaulier JM.Analytical detection of Oenanthe crocata toxins in biological samples is challenging because of their instability, the lack of commercially available standards and the exceptionally low detection of these molecules using mass spectrometry. This work aims to report the used analytical methods that allowed identification of the main plant toxins in biological samples from an equid (an Arabian horse) fatality related to hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata Linnaeus) intake. Using both LC-DAD and LC-HRMS methods allowed identification (i) of oenanthotoxin in roots found on the site, root fragm...
Lauteri E, Mariella J, Beccati F, Roelfsema E, Castagnetti C, Pepe M, Peric T, Barbato O, Montillo M, Rouge S, Freccero F.Adrenal hormones, ACTH plasma concentrations and the ultrasonographic evaluation of the adrenal glands are considered complementary in clinical evaluations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in several species. In dogs, age, size and weight have a significant effect on the ultrasonographic size of the adrenal glands. In neonatal foals, ultrasonographic evaluation and measurements of the adrenal glands have been demonstrated to be reliable; however, the effect of individual variables on ultrasonographic features has not been investigated, and the clinical usefulness of ad...
Weitkamp LR, MacCluer JW, Guttormsen SA, King RH.The transmission ratios of alleles at 12 protein marker loci were computed individually for American Standardbred stallions in a genealogy of 5392 phenotyped horses. Over all loci there was significant gene transmission distortion for trotting stallions (p = 0.0019) but not for pacing stallions (p = 0.99). The transmission distortion was due to sire-specific effects (p = 0.0024) and not to increased transmission of one or the other allele of a given heterozygous genotype (p = 0.21). Individual-specific, non-random transmission of homologous chromosomes may provide a mechanism for selection to ...
Westermann CM, de Bie AG, Olave C, de Grauw JC, Teske E, Couetil LL.Equine bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is usually performed with 250-500 mL of isotonic saline at pH 5.5. The acidic pH of saline may cause an increase in airway neutrophil count 48 h after BAL. Other isotonic solutions such as Ringer's solution, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or Plasma-Lyte 148 have a neutral pH of 7.4 and might be a better choice for BAL by not provoking inflammation and the influx of neutrophils into airways. BAL was performed in four healthy horses in four different lung lobes using four different solutions in a randomized crossover design. In each lobe, BAL was performed tw...
Maisi P, Koivunen AL, Rantala AR, Turgut K.The health of the respiratory tracts of 19 horses was studied for 11 months. The horses were placed into 3 groups (healthy, periodically diseased and continuously diseased) based on the measurements of blood gases, intrapleural pressure and on neutrophil content of tracheal mucus. Lysosomal enzymes (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase) and reflectors of the proteolytic system (plasmin, plasminogen, trypsin inhibitor capacity) were determined. beta-glucuronidase appeared to be a good indicator of the presence of disease of the respiratory system. High beta-glucuronidase value...
Chen JW, Uboh CE, Soma LR, Li X, Guan F, You Y, Liu Y.A novel multiplex of independent dinucleotide tandem repeat (DTR) loci was previously described that is capable of not only discriminating human and equine DNA, but of identifying a single equine source. We report a case in which a bloodstained syringe and two needles were found during inspection of a barn by inspectors of the Pennsylvania Racing Commissions. Using the multiplex and single-locus detection, all 21 equine DTR markers were detected in a suspect horse and two evidence samples, indicating the evidence samples came from the suspect animal. Only six markers were detected in the third...