"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.
Barreto ÍMLG, Urbano SA, Oliveira CAA, Macêdo CS, Borba LHF, Chags BME, Rangel AHN.The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition and lipid profile of colostrum and milk of purebred Quarter Horse mares. Thirty-four (34) purebred mares were selected, which were then separated into groups according to age, birth order and lactation stage. Colostrum samples were collected in the first six hours after delivery and milk samples from the 7th postpartum day, with intervals of 14 days until the end of lactation. The samples were refrigerated and sent to the Milk Laboratory of the University (Laboleite-UFRN), where they were analyzed for chemical composition...
Saey V, Decloedt A, Van Poucke M, Peelman L, van Loon G, Vanderperren K, Ducatelle R, Chiers K.This case report describes the clinical presentation, the necropsy findings, and genetic results of a 13-year-old Warmblood mare presented with colic and a bilaterally loud, holosystolic murmur. Echocardiographic examination revealed the presence of a thoracic aortic aneurysm, an aortic pseudoaneurysm, a periaortic hematoma (circumferential cuffing by perivascular hemorrhage), and aortopulmonary fistulation. A supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) was visible during echocardiography. Necropsy confirmed that the thoracic aortic aneurysm had ruptured and connected to the pseudoaneurysm, which fis...
Selim A, Khater H.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi and has economic importance particularly in equines reared in poor management systems. This study is based on cELISA test to study the seroprevalence of EP among 370 horses and 150 donkeys in four Governorates north Egypt. Additionally, its risk factors were studied for the first time. The seroprevalence rates 36.5 %, 20 %, and 5.6 % for T. equi, B. caballi, and mixed infections, respectively. The highest antibody levels against T. equi were detected in Kafr ElSheikh (40 %) and Giza (40.1 %) Governorates, whereas thos...
Saleh AG, El-Habashi N, Abd-Ellatieff HA, Abas OM, Anwar S, Fukushi H, Yanai T.Equine herpesvirus-9 (EHV-9), equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) and zebra-borne EHV-1 are members of the family Herpesviridae and cause encephalitis and rhinopneumonitis in a range of animal species. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the rhinopneumonitis induced by experimental intranasal inoculation of groups of hamsters with EHV-9, EHV-1 strain Ab4p or zebra-borne EHV-1 viruses. Animals inoculated with EHV-9 had earlier and more severe neurological and respiratory signs than those inoculated with EHV-1 strain Ab4p or zebra-borne EHV-1. At 4-5 days post inoculation (dpi), hamst...
Nemoto M, Okita N, Kitahata M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kinoshita Y, Kambayashi Y, Cullinane A, Yamanaka T, Ohta M.A rapid and sensitive diagnostic method is needed to help prevent the spread of equine influenza virus. The cobas Influenza A/B & RSV test for the cobas Liat system (Roche Diagnostics) is based on real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and is designed to broadly detect influenza A virus RNA within 20 minutes. It detected a broad range of equine influenza virus strains, and detected equine influenza virus RNA from nasal swabs of infected horses at the same level as real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, although it returned some invalid results (7.7%)...
de Oliveira K, Clayton HM, Dos Santos Harada É.The objective was to evaluate the effects of gymnastic training on stride characteristics of walk and trot in therapy horses carrying riders of different weights. Eighteen horses used for therapeutic riding 5 days/week were randomly divided into 2 groups. Nine horses performed gymnastic (GYM) exercises after therapeutic riding on 4 days/week for 3 months, 9 horses did no additional exercises (SED). On days 0 and 90, an inertial sensor mounted to the girth on the ventral midline was used to evaluate stride characteristics when horses were ridden at walk (1.3 m/second) and trot (3.0 m/secon...
Vasco ACCM, Dubeux JCB, Wallau MO, Wickens CL, Warren LK.This study used an online survey to gather information on forage utilization and pasture management practices implemented on horse farms in Florida. We hypothesized that pastures were inadequately managed and underutilized, resulting in greater reliance on hay. Data from 80 complete responses were submitted to descriptive analysis and Fisher's exact test. Significantly associated variables were also evaluated using multiple correspondence analysis. The primary function of the facility most reported was recreational horse use (62%). Nearly all operations (n = 79) had pasture available, with 57...
Latorre CAS, de Souza AF, Ramos PAR, Nóbrega FS, van de Graaf GMM, Pereira CAM, Ferrigno CRA, Hendrickson DA, De Zoppa ALDV.The objective of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties in a single cycle axial loading test and the types of failures in two constructs (a 3-hole 4.5-mm dynamic compression plate (DCP) and 7-hole 5.5-mm Y locking compression plate (Y-LCP)) in equine proximal interphalangeal joint (PIJ) arthrodesis. One limb in each pair was randomly assigned to PIJ arthrodesis using a 3-hole 4.5-mm DCP combined with two transarticular 5.5-mm cortical screws, whereas the contralateral limb was submitted to PIJ arthrodesis using a 7-hole Y-shaped 5.0-mm LCP in conjunction with one transarticular...
Terhaar HM, Allbaugh RA, Mochel JP, Sebbag L.To determine total protein content (TPC) and serum albumin levels in the tears of horses with healthy or diseased eyes. Methods: Forty-two horses with healthy eyes and 11 horses with unilateral (n = 10) or bilateral (n = 1) ocular disease. Methods: Each eye underwent an ophthalmic examination including detailed conjunctivitis scoring and tear collection with Schirmer strips. TPC and serum albumin levels were quantified in tear samples and compared among healthy eyes, affected eyes, and contralateral unaffected eyes. The impact of the following variables on lacrimal protein levels were asse...
Rabba S, Petrucci V, Petrizzi L, Giommi DW, Busoni V.Information concerning B-mode ultrasonographic abnormalities and power Doppler (PD) signal in suspensory ligament branches of nonlame working Quarter Horses are not reported. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of B-mode ultrasonographic abnormalities and PD signal in suspensory ligament branches in a group of nonlame working Quarter Horses and to compare B-mode findings with PD findings of horses in two different training (barrel racing and team roping). Twenty-one Quarter Horses in training, 14 barrel racing (Group B) and seven team roping horses (Group R), were assesse...
Schvartz G, Edery N, Moss L, Hadad R, Steinman A, Karniely S.We report the isolation of Equid herpesvirus 8 from a rescued donkey that suffered severe postcastration complications. Despite intensive treatment, the donkey deteriorated and was euthanized. Postmortem virologic analysis revealed the isolation of a herpesvirus that is closely related to herpesviruses reported from donkeys and horses in Australia, China, and Ireland, causing respiratory disease in donkeys and abortion in mares. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this equid herpesvirus in Israel. The potential significance of this herpesvirus to the equid population in Israel needs ...
Arfuso F, Giannetto C, Giudice E, Fazio F, Panzera F, Piccione G.The aim of this study was to assess whether acid-base profile exhibits changes in regularly trained show jumping horses undergoing increasing exercise workloads. Seven female Italian saddle horses were subjected to three different physical exercise trials of increasing workload identified as three exercise phases (EPs). During EPI horses were subjected to a standardized exercise test consisting of 15 minutes of treadmill, during EPII horses were subjected to a show jumping test (height, 0.9-1.1 m; course length, 300 m), during EPIII horses underwent two jumping sessions carried out over two...
Jung Y, Yoon M.Endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine factors orchestrate the development and physiology of the stallion reproductive system. Oxytocin (OXT) is one of the critical endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine factors for the male reproductive system. Previous studies have investigated OXT receptor (OXTR) expression in testes and epididymides, including humans, marmosets, macaques, swine, and sheep. This study aimed to explore (1) OXTR localization in the testes and epididymides and (2) the seasonal modification of OXTR expression in the testes. Adult stallion testis and epididymis samples were prepared u...
Dixon PM, Puidupin C, Borkent D, Liuti T, Reardon RJM. Computed tomographic (CT) imaging has shown some horses with sinonasal diseases to have changes in their sinus bony structures. Scintigraphic and clinical evidence of sinus osteitis have also been reported. However, no study has objectively examined for the presence and degree of osteitis in equine sinonasal disease. To assess for the presence and extent of osteitis of sinus-related bony structures by examination of CT images of horses with clinically and sinoscopically confirmed unilateral sinonasal disease. Retrospective examination of CT images of horses with confirmed, mainly chronic (&...
Laroucau K, Aaziz R, Vorimore F, Varghese K, Deshayes T, Bertin C, Delannoy S, Sami AM, Al Batel M, El Shorbagy M, Almutawaa KAW, Alanezi SJ....Glanders is a contagious zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei. Following the detection of glanders positive horses using the OIE complement fixation test, the tissues of two horses were analysed by PCR. While PCR systems targeting the Burkholderia pseudomallei complex gave positive signals, the species-specific PCR systems targeting B. mallei (fliP-IS407A) and B. pseudomallei (orf11)-the OIE recommended targets-resulted in negative signals. However, the presence of B. mallei in these tissues was confirmed with a recently described B. mallei-specific real-time PCR system and genot...
van Loon J, Verhaar N, van den Berg E, Ross S, de Grauw J.Pain assessment is very important for monitoring welfare and quality of life in horses. To date, no studies have described pain scales for objective assessment of pain in foals. Studies in other species have shown that facial expression can be used in neonatal animals for objective assessment of acute pain. The aim of the current study was to adapt a facial expression-based pain scale for assessment of acute pain in mature horses for valid pain assessment in foals. The scale was applied to fifty-nine foals (20 patients and 39 healthy controls); animals were assessed from video recordings (30-6...
van Rijn PA, Maris-Veldhuis MA, Grobler M, Wright IM, Erasmus BJ, Maartens LH, Potgieter CA.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a virus species in the genus Orbivirus of the family Reoviridae causing African Horse Sickness (AHS) in equids with a mortality of about 95% in naïve horses. AHS causes serious losses in developing countries where horses play a central role in draft power and transportation. There are nine AHSV serotypes inducing no or low cross-neutralizing antibodies. AHSV is spread by biting Culicoides midges. AHS is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and a serious threat outside Africa, since Culicoides species in moderate climate conditions are spreading the closely rel...
Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Austin CJ, Lightbody KL, Bousquet E, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Effective and sustainable worm control in horses would benefit from detailed information about the current regional occurrence of tapeworms. Different diagnostic methods are currently available to detect Anoplocephala spp. infections in horses. However, the format as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the methods vary considerably. Methods: A coprological, serological and questionnaire study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of tapeworm infections on 48 horse farms in the region of Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany. In total, faecal samples of 484 horses were a...
Mera Y Sierra R, Neira G, Bargues MD, Cuervo PF, Artigas P, Logarzo L, Cortiñas G, Ibaceta DEJ, Lopez Garrido A, Bisutti E, Mas-Coma S.Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by liver flukes transmitted by freshwater lymnaeid snails. Donkey and horse reservoir roles have been highlighted in human endemic areas. Liver fluke infection in mules has received very limited research. Their role in disease transmission, epidemiological importance and Fasciola hepatica pathogenicity are studied for the first time. Prevalence was 39.5% in 81 mules from Aconcagua, and 24.4% in 127 from Uspallata, in high-altitude areas of Mendoza province, Argentina. A mean amount of 101,242 eggs/mule/day is estimated. Lymnaeids from Uspallata proved ...
Miró F, Manso C, Diz A, Novales M.To gain insight into the radiographic appearance of maxillary deciduous incisors and dental germs of maxillary permanent incisors in the period prior to teeth shedding, radiographs and computed tomography (CT) of 25 horse skulls, with an estimated age of between 12 and 42 months, were studied. Data regarding morphology and development were obtained. Dental germs of first maxillary permanent incisors were identified radiographically as rounded radiolucent areas at the level of the apical parts of the first deciduous incisors, in skulls with an estimated age of twelve months. The first sign of c...
De Ridder T, Ruppin M, Wheeless M, Williams S, Reddell P.Tigilanol tiglate is a novel small molecule approved as a veterinary pharmaceutical in Europe for intratumoural treatment of non-metastatic, non-resectable canine mast cell tumors. The drug has a "tumor agnostic" mode of action associated with induction of an acute inflammatory response at the treatment site, immune cell recruitment, and disruption of tumor vasculature. Consequently, tigilanol tiglate has potential in treating a range of tumor types in humans and companion animals. However, it is likely that species-specific dosing and concomitant medication protocols will be required, especia...
Rørvang MV, Nielsen BL, McLean AN.Vision, hearing, olfaction, taste, and touch comprise the sensory modalities of most vertebrates. With these senses, the animal receives information about its environment. How this information is organized, interpreted, and experienced is known as perception. The study of the sensory abilities of animals and their implications for behavior is central not only to ethology but also to animal welfare. Sensory ability, perception, and behavior are closely linked. Horses and humans share the five most common sensory modalities, however, their ranges and capacities differ, so that horses are unlikel...
Olusa TAO, Akbar Z, Murray CM, Davies HMS.Despite many reported cases of carpal lameness associated with intercarpal ligament injuries in horses, the morphometry, movement pattern and general intrinsic biomechanics of the carpus are largely unknown. Using osteoligamentous preparation of the carpus prepared from 14 equine cadaver forelimbs (aged 9.62 ± 4.25 years), locomotory simulations of flexion and extension movements of the carpal joint were carried out to observed carpal biomechanics and, thereafter, the limbs were further dissected to obtain morphometric measurements of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MLC and LC...
Zhao S, Wang H, Zhang S, Xie S, Li H, Zhang X, Jia L.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne hemoprotozoan disease of equids, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. Equine piroplasmosis represents a serious challenge to the equine industry due to important economic losses worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in equids from Jilin Province, China. Methods: A total of 220 blood samples (192 horses and 28 donkeys/mules) were collected from March 2018 to October 2019 in five districts of Jilin Province and analyzed by PCR. Potential risk factors, including the region, ...
Tahoun A, Elnafarawy HK, Elmahallawy EK, Abdelhady A, Rizk AM, El-Sharkawy H, Youssef MA, El-Khodery S, Ibrahim HMM.Diagnosis and treatment of ocular fungal infection in equine seems very challenging for owners and clinicians. The present study aimed to identify and characterize fungal species isolated from the eyes of clinically healthy and diseased equines (N = 100) from Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The work also involved morphological and molecular characterization of the major fungal species. In addition, correlations between the occurrence of isolated fungi and some of the potential risk factors were also investigated. Interestingly, the prevalence rate of ocular mycosis in all examined equines in the ...
Abigail McGlennon of the Animal Health Trust and Andrea Vilela of the Redwings Horse Sanctuary describe the creation and impact of a new initiative to tackle strangles in UK horses.
Delvescovo B, Mullen KR, Eicker SW, Ivanek R, Ainsworth DM.Previously we described a clustering of dysphagic foal cases on a Pennsylvania (PA) Standardbred farm which was associated with exposure of pregnant mares to high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the well water. The effect of dysphagia on future athleticism was uncertain. Objective: To determine if, as adults, dysphagic foals were less likely to race and if athleticism (age of first race, Speed Index and Earnings Per Start Index) differed from that of healthy foals that raced as adults. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: All foals born during the study peri...
Bauminger ER, Harrison PM, Nowik I, Treffry A.Ferritin stores iron within a hollow protein shell as a polynuclear Fe(III) hydrous oxide core. Although iron uptake into ferritin has been studied previously, the early stages in the creation of the core need to be clarified. These are dealt with in this paper by using Mössbauer spectroscopy, a technique that enables several types of Fe(II) and Fe(III) to be distinguished. Systematic Mössbauer studies were performed on samples prepared by adding 57Fe(II) atoms to apoferritin as a function of pH (5.6-7.0), n [the number of Fe/molecule (4-480)], and tf (the time the samples were held at room ...
Cross DL, Redmond LM, Strickland JR.Gravid mares grazing endophyte-infested (E+) tall fescue exhibit increased gestation lengths, agalactia, foal and mare mortality, tough and thickened placentas, weak and dysmature foals, increased sweating during warm weather, reduced serum prolactin and progesterone, and increased serum estradiol-17 beta levels. Also, E+ tall fescue hay is less digestible than endophyte-free (E-) hay. Unlike many other species, horses consuming E+ tall fescue do not exhibit increased body temperature. Young horses consuming only E+ pasture do not gain as well as those consuming E- pasture. There is little dif...
Cozzi B, De Giorgio A, Peruffo A, Montelli S, Panin M, Bombardi C, Grandis A, Pirone A, Zambenedetti P, Corain L, Granato A.The architecture of the neocortex classically consists of six layers, based on cytological criteria and on the layout of intra/interlaminar connections. Yet, the comparison of cortical cytoarchitectonic features across different species proves overwhelmingly difficult, due to the lack of a reliable model to analyze the connection patterns of neuronal ensembles forming the different layers. We first defined a set of suitable morphometric cell features, obtained in digitized Nissl-stained sections of the motor cortex of the horse, chimpanzee, and crab-eating macaque. We then modeled them using a...
McGowan C.Horses form a unique and special part of their owners' lives and aged horses are no exception. This review considers the health and management of aged horses, including the role of the owner and their perceptions of aged horses, potential threats or risks to their welfare and finally, factors affecting quality of life and euthanasia of aged horses. Owners of aged horses are concerned about the health, welfare and quality of life of their aged animals. Yet surveys of management and preventive healthcare reflect that there may be some limitations to what owners are actually achieving in practice...
Weishaupt MA, Byström A, von Peinen K, Wiestner T, Meyers H, Waldern N, Johnston C, van Weeren R, Roepstorff L.The load acting on the limbs and the load distribution between fore- and hindlimbs while performing specific dressage exercises lack objective assessment. Objective: The greater a horse's level of collection, the more load is shifted to the rear and that during the passage the vertical load on the limbs increases in relation to the accentuated vertical movement of the centre of mass. Methods: Back and limb kinematics, vertical ground reaction force and time parameters of each limb were measured in 6 Grand Prix dressage horses performing on an instrumented treadmill at the trot and the passage....
Stepnik MW, Radtke CL, Scollay MC, Oshel PE, Albrecht RM, Santschi EM, Markel MD, Muir P.To examine the fracture failure surfaces from Thoroughbred horses that had sustained a catastrophic condylar fracture. Methods: Bone specimens from the failure surface were obtained from 12 Thoroughbred racehorses with catastrophic injury and 2 non-racing horses with accidental long bone fracture. Methods: Bone specimens from the failure surface of each fracture were incubated with gold microspheres to label microcracks before examination at x50 to x60,000 using scanning electron microscopy. Microcracking at the failure surface was assessed using a visual analog scale. Results: Branching array...
Ballagi-Pordány A, Klingeborn B, Flensburg J, Belák S.Primers and probes were selected from the gene encoding glycoprotein 13 (gp 13) of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was run on infected and noninfected cultured cells and on 63 specimens from 29 aborted equine fetuses. The results were evaluated by electrophoresis and dot-blot hybridization using an oligonucleotide probe labeled with biotin. In the infected samples electrophoresis showed a PCR product of about 280 base pairs. The dot-blot hybridization confirmed that this product contained EHV-1 DNA sequences. PCR took 4 h and hybridization another 14 h; the re...
Moro LN, Amin G, Furmento V, Waisman A, Garate X, Neiman G, La Greca A, Santín Velazque NL, Luzzani C, Sevlever GE, Vichera G, Miriuka SG.Cell reprogramming has been well described in mouse and human cells. The expression of specific microRNAs has demonstrated to be essential for pluripotent maintenance and cell differentiation, but not much information is available in domestic species. We aim to generate horse iPSCs, characterize them and evaluate the expression of different microRNAs (miR-302a,b,c,d, miR-205, miR-145, miR-9, miR-96, miR-125b and miR-296). Two equine iPSC lines (L2 and L3) were characterized after the reprogramming of equine fibroblasts with the four human Yamanaka's factors (OCT-4/SOX-2/c-MYC/KLF4). The plurip...
Ball JM, Henry NL, Montelaro RC, Newman MJ.A simple, versatile and very inexpensive procedure for cross-linking synthetic peptides to the polystyrene surfaces of micro-well assay plates for use in ELISA was developed. The method is based on the use of poly-L-lysine (PLL) as the anchor protein for synthetic peptides which were then easily and covalently linked to the PLL using glutaraldehyde. The synthetic peptides used for the study were based on the amino acid sequence of the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) envelope sequence and evaluated as antigens in an ELISA designed to detect antibodies in serum of EIAV-infected horses and ...
Weese JS, Staempfli HR, Prescott JF.An environmental survey of a veterinary teaching hospital for the presence of Clostridium difficile was performed using contact plates and cycloserine-cefoxitin-fructose with 0.1% sodium taurocholate agar. Clostridium difficile was isolated from 24 of 381 sites (6.3%). Growth was obtained from 4.5% (9/202) of sites sampled in the Large Animal Clinic, from 8.1% (13/160) of sites within the Small Animal Clinic, and from 20% (2/10) of sites sampled elsewhere. Fourteen of 21 strains tested produced toxins in vitro. A geographic association was found with areas in the large animal clinic where noso...
Yoon J, Park T, Kim A, Song H, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) and equine hepacivirus (EqHV) are etiologically associated with Theiler's disease (TD), causing fulminant equine hepatitis, but the transmission route and co-infection effect remain unclear. We determined EqPV-H and EqHV prevalence and coinfection rate in 160 serum and 114 faecal samples using nested polymerase chain reaction. Amino acid and nucleotide analyses were performed and phylogenetic trees were constructed. By measuring liver-specific parameters (AST, GGT, TBIL and A/G ratio), hepatopathological changes in viremia status were compared. We found a h...
Boyle AG, Stefanovski D, Rankin SC.Streptococcus equi subsp equi (S. equi) is the cause of "equine strangles" which is a highly infectious upper respiratory disease. Detection of S. equi is influenced by site of specimen collection, method of sampling, and type of diagnostic test that is performed. We hypothesized i) that a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that targets the S. equi-specific eqbE gene would be more sensitive than a realtime PCR assay that targets the S. equi-specific seeI gene and ii) that LAMP of specimens obtained by guttural pouch lavage (GPL) would be more sensitive than LAMP of nasopharyng...
Maury W, Perryman S, Oaks JL, Seid BK, Crawford T, McGuire T, Carpenter S.The role of in vivo long terminal repeat (LTR) sequence variation of the lentivirus equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the heterogeneity found in the LTR sequences from seven EIAV-seropositive horses: three horses with clinical disease and four horses without any detectable signs of disease. LTR sequences were targeted in this study because the LTR U3 enhancer region of tissue culture-derived isolates has been identified as one of the few hypervariable regions of the EIAV genome. Furthermore, LTR variation may regulate EIAV expression in...
Hapke HJ, Strathmann W.Hordenine is an ingredient of some plants which are used as feed for animals, i.e. in sprouting barley. After ingestion of such feed hordenine may be detected in blood or urine of horses which in case of racing horses may be the facts of using prohibited compounds. Results of some experiments in pharmacological models show that hordenine is an indirectly acting adrenergic drug. It liberates norepinephrine from stores. In isolated organs and those structures with reduced epinephrine contents the hordenine-effect is only very poor. Experiments in intact animals (rats, dogs) show that hordenine h...
Rejmanek D, Vanwormer E, Miller MA, Mazet JA, Nichelason AE, Melli AC, Packham AE, Jessup DA, Conrad PA.Sarcocystis neurona, a protozoal parasite shed by opossums (Didelphis virginiana), has been shown to cause significant morbidity and mortality in horses, sea otters, and other marine mammals. Over the course of 3 years (fall 2005-summer 2008), opossums from central California were tested for infection with S. neurona. Of 288 opossums sampled, 17 (5.9%) were infected with S. neurona based on the molecular characterization of sporocysts from intestinal scrapings or feces. Risk factors evaluated for association with S. neurona infection in opossums included: age, sex, location, season, presence o...
Nolen-Walston RD, Kuehn H, Boston RC, Mazan MR, Wilkins PA, Bruns S, Hoffman AM.Inflammatory airway disease has a high prevalence in horses, but is often a diagnostic challenge. Flowmetric plethysmography and histamine bronchoprovocation (FP/HBP) is a simple and effective tool for diagnosis, but reproducibility of these measurements made over time has not been established. Objective: We hypothesize that the measurement of airway responsiveness in horses using FP/HBP is consistent over both short and long periods of time. Methods: Twenty-nine healthy adult horses from 2 university herds. Methods: In this prospective experimental study, airway responsiveness was determined ...
Santagostino M, Piras FM, Cappelletti E, Del Giudice S, Semino O, Nergadze SG, Giulotto E.Interstitial telomeric sequences (ITSs) are short stretches of telomeric-like repeats (TTAGGG)n at nonterminal chromosomal sites. We previously demonstrated that, in the genomes of primates and rodents, ITSs were inserted during the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. These conclusions were derived from sequence comparisons of ITS-containing loci and ITS-less orthologous loci in different species. To our knowledge, insertion polymorphism of ITSs, i.e., the presence of an ITS-containing allele and an ITS-less allele in the same species, has not been described. In this work, we carried out a gen...
Marcus LC, Patterson MM, Gilfillan RE, Urband PH.Twelve of 50 randomly selected horses from areas endemic for Borrelia burgdorferi had indirect fluorescent antibody titers of 1:8 to 1:2,048 against B burgdorferi. One of 50 horses from nonendemic areas had a titer of 1:8. This difference in the number of horses seropositive for B burgdorferi (P less than 0.002) and our finding that seropositive horses did not have agglutinating antibodies against potentially cross-reacting Leptospira spp indicated that horses in endemic areas were exposed to B burgdorferi and that the spirochete induced an antibody response in the horses.
Graïc JM, Peruffo A, Corain L, Finos L, Grisan E, Cozzi B.Cetartiodactyls include terrestrial and marine species, all generally endowed with a comparatively lateral position of their eyes and a relatively limited binocular field of vision. To this day, our understanding of the visual system in mammals beyond the few studied animal models remains limited. In the present study, we examined the primary visual cortex of Cetartiodactyls that live on land (sheep, Père David deer, giraffe); in the sea (bottlenose dolphin, Risso's dolphin, long-finned pilot whale, Cuvier's beaked whale, sperm whale and fin whale); or in an amphibious environment (hippopotam...
Côté O, Lillie BN, Hayes MA, Clark ME, van den Bosch L, Katavolos P, Viel L, Bienzle D.Secretoglobin 1A1 (SCGB 1A1), also called Clara cell secretory protein, is the most abundantly secreted protein of the airway. The SCGB1A1 gene has been characterized in mammals as a single copy in the genome. However, analysis of the equine genome suggested that horses might have multiple SCGB1A1 gene copies. Non-ciliated lung epithelial cells produce SCGB 1A1 during inhalation of noxious substances to counter airway inflammation. Airway fluid and lung tissue of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a chronic inflammatory lung disease affecting mature horses similar to environmental...
Solano AM, Valverde A, Desrochers A, Nykamp S, Boure LP.Standing surgical procedures are performed commonly in horses under sedation. This approach minimises the morbidity/mortality risks associated with general anaesthesia. The use of a medetomidine and morphine combination has not been investigated in horses despite the usefulness of each drug individually. Objective: To determine the efficacy of a medetomidine and morphine combination to produce standing sedation with minimal cardiorespiratory changes and adequate analgesia for exploratory laparascopy in mature horses. Objective: The combination of medetomidine and morphine will induce reliable ...
Fleury C, Bérard F, Leblond A, Faure C, Ganem N, Thomas L.An epidemiological survey was made on cutaneous melanomas occurring in Camargue-type, gray-skinned horses in southern France. The population investigated was composed of 264 horses, which were selected from the Camargue horse stud registry and were allowed to be examined by the owners. The presence of tumors was inspected macroscopically according to the standardized protocols of veterinary medicine specialists, and some tumors were subjected to macroscopic histopathological examination. The results indicated that: 1) the prevalence of melanomas in the overall population was 31.4%; 2) the odds...
De Clercq D, Decloedt A, Sys SU, Verheyen T, Van Der Vekens N, van Loon G.Atrial fibrillation (AF) cycle length (CL) and atrial size have been used in humans to characterize electrical and structural remodeling to predict outcome of cardioversion of AF and risk for AF recurrence (rAF). Objective: Atrial fibrillation cycle length can be determined in horses with AF, and AFCL and atrial size are related to risk for rAF. Methods: Eighteen horses with naturally occurring AF that were successfully converted to sinus rhythm (SR) by transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC). Methods: Prospective study. Horses with severe valvular regurgitation, left atrial enlargement, o...
Jonsdottir S, Svansson V, Stefansdottir SB, Schüpbach G, Rhyner C, Marti E, Torsteinsdottir S.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated dermatitis of horses caused by bites of Culicoides insects, not indigenous to Iceland. Horses born in Iceland and exported to Culicoides-rich areas are frequently affected with IBH. The aims of the study were to compare immunization with recombinant allergens using the adjuvant aluminum hydroxide (Alum) alone or combined with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) for development of a preventive immunization against IBH. Twelve healthy Icelandic horses were vaccinated intralymphatically three times with 10 μg each of four recombinant Culicoides nub...
Briefer Freymond S, Bardou D, Briefer EF, Bruckmaier R, Fouché N, Fleury J, Maigrot AL, Ramseyer A, Zuberbühler K, Bachmann I.Stereotypies are repetitive and relatively invariant patterns of behavior, which are observed in a wide range of species in captivity. Stereotypic behavior occurs when environmental demands produce a physiological response that, if sustained for an extended period, exceeds the natural physiological regulatory capacity of the organism, particularly in situations that include unpredictability and uncontrollability. One hypothesis is that stereotypic behavior functions to cope with stressful environments, but the existing evidence is contradictory. To address the coping hypothesis of stereotypies...
Feary DJ, Mama KR, Wagner AE, Thomasy S.To compare the disposition of lidocaine administered IV in awake and anesthetized horses. Methods: 16 horses. Methods: After instrumentation and collection of baseline data, lidocaine (loading infusion, 1.3 mg/kg administered during 15 minutes (87 microg/kg/min); constant rate infusion, 50 microg/kg/min) was administered IV to awake or anesthetized horses for a total of 105 minutes. Blood samples were collected at fixed times during the loading and maintenance infusion periods and after the infusion period for analysis of serum lidocaine concentrations by use of liquid chromatography with mass...
Puchalski SM, Galuppo LD, Hornof WJ, Wisner ER.A technique for regional delivery of contrast medium to the foot of the horse to increase the diagnostic utility of computed tomography (CT) for the characterization of soft tissue structures within the hoof capsule was developed. An intraarterial catheter was placed under ultrasound guidance into the medial palmar artery at the level of the carpus to facilitate a steady-state infusion of iodinated contrast medium. Two 5 mm collimated contiguous acquisition CT scans were performed in 10 horses without lameness or radiographic evidence of distal sesamoid bone degeneration. CT examination was pe...
Kleinwort KJ, Amann B, Hauck SM, Feederle R, Sekundo W, Deeg CA.Recently, formation of tertiary lymphoid structures was demonstrated and further characterized in the R161H mouse model of spontaneous autoimmune uveitis. In the horse model of spontaneous recurrent uveitis, intraocular lymphoid follicle formation is highly characteristic, and found in all stages and scores of disease, but in depth analyses of immunologic features of these structures are lacking to date. Paraffin-embedded eye sections of cases with equine spontaneous recurrent uveitis (ERU) were characterized with immunohistochemistry to gain insight into the distribution, localization, and si...
Wagner B, Erb HN.Reported cases of Lyme disease (a chronic disease caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi) in humans increased more than two-fold between 1992 and 2006 in the United States. Recently, the annual number of reported human Lyme disease cases stabilized (according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention) but the geographic distribution seemed to increase. In New York (NY) State, USA, a spread from the original Lyme disease focus in southeastern parts of the state has occurred. We determined incidence risks of new companion animal infection in 2011 with B. burgdorferi by county in 45...
Bollwein H, Maierl J, Mayer R, Stolla R.Color Doppler ultrasound was used transrectally in 6 mares to locate both the left and right Aa. uterinae and to obtain flow velocity waveforms at defined times (Days 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20) during 4 estrous cycles. Blood flow reflected by the resistance index (RI) was determined for both arteries on 120 occasions. As there was no significant difference and a high correlation in the RI values between the left and right arteries (paired Student's t-test, correlation coefficient r > 0.94; P < 0.05), the average RI value was used for subsequent analyses. There were correlations between RI valu...
