"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.
Goodrich LR, McIlwraith CW, Grieger J, Kraus VB, Stabler T, Werpy N, Phillips J, Samulski RJ, Frisbie D.To evaluate the effects of a gene transfer approach to IL-1β inhibition in an equine osteochondral chip fragment model of joint injury using a self-complementary adeno-associated virus with interleukin receptor antagonist transgene cassette (scAAVIL-1ra), as posttraumatic osteoarthritis in horses, similar to people, is a significant clinical problem. Methods: 16 horses were utilized for the study. Methods: All horses had an osteochondral chip fragment induced arthroscopically in one middle carpal joint while the contralateral joint was sham operated. Eight horses received either scAAVIL-1ra o...
Tuniyazi M, Tang R, Hu X, Fu Y, Zhang N.Diarrhea is a common gastrointestinal disorder in horses, with diet-induced diarrhea being an emerging challenge. This study aimed to investigate the gut microbiota differences in healthy and diet-induced diarrheic horses and evaluate the effectiveness of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and carbonate buffer mixture (CBM) as potential therapeutic approaches. Twenty healthy horses were included in the study, with four groups: Control, Diarrhea, CBM, and FMT. Diarrhea was induced using oligofructose, and fecal samples were collected for microbiota analysis. FMT and CBM treatments were admi...
Williams MR, Crisman E, Taylor BM.To describe the microvascular anatomy of the equine hind limb suspensory ligament. Methods: 18 hind limbs harvested from 9 adult horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to lameness. Methods: A catheter was placed in the transected cranial tibial artery at the level of the mid-distal tibia for each hind limb and used to inject 120 to 150 mL of contrast medium (2 limbs) to identify principal vasculature using contrast-enhanced CT or India ink (11 limbs) to identify microvasculature using the Spalteholz tissue-clearing technique. Routine histologic evaluation was performed on transverse sections ...
Okur S, Yanmaz LE, Çınar H, Gölgeli A, Orhun ÖT, Turgut F, Şenocak MG, Arslan T.The aim of this study was to evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements obtained from first, second, and third probe-cornea touch (PCT) and compare them with the average of six PCTs using two rebound tonometers in horses. This study enrolled a total of thirty-eight stallions, comprising of 24 Arabian horses and 14 cross-breeds (with an average age of 8 ± 3 years). The IOP measurements of first, second, and third, as well as the average of six PCTs were obtained using either Tonovet (TV) or Tonovet Plus (TV+) rebound tonometers. The mean differences (95% limits of agreement) between ...
Barrantes Murillo DF, Cattley RC, Cullen JM, Withers C, Towns J, Pfeifle R, Wooldridge A, Neto RLALT.A 17-y-old Arabian mare was presented to the Auburn Large Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a long-term history of intermittent mild recurrent colic that responded to medical treatment. CBC revealed mild lymphopenia; serum biochemistry findings were of increased gamma-glutamyl transferase and creatine kinase activities, hyperferremia, hyperglycemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypokalemia. Abdominocentesis was compatible with low-protein transudate. Due to the progression and duration of clinical signs, the owner elected euthanasia. Postmortem examination and histopathology confirmed a cholangi...
Su Y, Zhang Z, Wang L, Zhang B, Su L. subsp. () is one of the important zoonotic and opportunistic pathogens. In recent years, there has been growing evidence that supports the potential role of in severe diseases in horses and other animals, including humans. Furthermore, the clinical isolation and drug resistance rates of have been increasing yearly, leading to interest in its in-depth genomic analysis. In order to deepen the understanding of the characteristics and genomic features, we investigated the genomic islands, mobile genetic elements, virulence and resistance genes, and phenotype of strain ZHZ 211 (ST147), isolat...
Ragnarsson S, Víkingsdóttir SV, Stefánsdóttir GJ.The natural behaviour of horses is to spend the majority of their time on feed intake The feeding of stabled horses is, however, often far from that, as their feed intake is limited to their nutritional requirements. In order to approach their natural foraging time, it is important to extend the feed intake time of stabled horses. The aim of this study was to estimate if the feed intake time differs when feeding haylage in a haynet, hayball, metal corner manger, or from the box floor. The experimental design consisted of a Latin square, occurred across four days with four adult Icelandic horse...
Rapezzano G, Marcatili M, Stephenson R, Pereira R, Hallowell G, Duz M.Peritoneal fluid lactate concentration is an important diagnostic tool in horses with abdominal pain. Information on peritoneal lactate concentrations is lacking following parturition in the mare. To compare blood and peritoneal lactate concentrations in a population of mares within 36 h post-partum, report a normal reference range and identify any impact of retained foetal membranes (RFMs). This is a retrospective study evaluating healthy mares from which blood and peritoneal samples had been obtained within 36 h of parturition. Exclusion criteria included signs of abdominal pain within thi...
Artman JL, Wesolowski LT, Semanchik PL, Isles JK, Norton SA, White-Springer SH.We aimed to test the hypothesis that repeated muscle collections would impact mitochondrial function, antioxidant status, and markers of inflammation and muscle damage. Twenty-six horses (8 geldings, 18 mares; mean±SD 9.5±3.5 y) had gluteus medius muscle biopsy samples collected at: 0 and 24h (n=7); 0 and 6h (n=6); 0, 6, and 12h (n=7); or 0, 6, 12, and 24h (n=6). Blood was collected from all horses every 6h for 72h, starting 24h prior to the 0h muscle collection. Data were analyzed using mixed linear models. Muscle integrative (per mg tissue) electron transfer capacity of complex II decrease...
Sievers J, Distl O.Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a prevalent and progressive disease in Rhenish German draught horses. The objective of our follow-up study was to evaluate the heritability of this disease in Rhenish German draught horses using pedigree-based and genomic relationship matrices. We employed linear and threshold animal models. Models included the random animal effect and effects of breeding association, coat colour, sex, and age within sex, and farm-related factors, on CPL scores. In addition, we estimated heritabilities in models assuming censoring for data when horses were below an age o...
Ayodele BA, Pagel CN, Mackie EJ, Armour F, Yamada S, Zahra P, Courtman N, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL.Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) are common in racehorses and have been of increasing concern in horses travelling internationally to compete. Understanding the differences in bone turnover between local horses and international horses following long-distance air transportation may inform MSI prevention strategies. Objective: To understand the differences in bone turnover markers and risk of MSI between local horses and international horses following long-distance air transportation. Methods: Prospective cohort. Methods: The concentrations of bone turnover markers (OCN and CTXI), markers of stre...
Attili AR, Nocera FP, Sisto M, Linardi M, Gigli F, Ngwa VN, Fiorito F, Cerracchio C, Meligrana MCT, Bonacucina E, Cuteri V, De Martino L.To evaluate the frequency of Acinetobacter spp., belonging to both Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii (ACB) and non-ACB complex, and their antibiotic resistance profiles in veterinary medicine, a three-year (2020-2022) retrospective study was carried out on sick companion animals. Epidemiological data from different clinical canine, feline, and equine samples, were acquired. For each strain, MALDI-TOF MS identification and susceptibility to a panel of 11 antibiotics, by Kirby-Bauer and E-test methods, were performed. Out of 628 bacteriological examinations, 2.5% resulted positive for strain...
Axt CW, Springer A, Strube C, Jung C, Naucke TJ, Müller E, Schäfer I.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by (.) and/or (.) . The aim was to assess the percentage of positive test results for EP in horses in Europe and to identify risk factors for pathogen contact/infection. This study included results from PCR and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing requested by European veterinarians between 2008 and 2021. Binary bivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors. A total of 4060 horses were included. PCR testing was positive in 9.7% (154/1589), serology for in 15.2% (393/2591) and for in 6.8% (175/2578). The odds of positive...
Kalinovskiy A, Leser S, Ehrle A, Reese S, Jones S, Gerhards H.Cataracts resulting from equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) or other forms of uveitis are usually associated with rapid progression. ERU is the most common ocular disease cause of blindness and cause of cataracts in horses. The necessity for the posterior capsulorhexis (PC) during phacoemulsification (PE) is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate vision and complications after PE combined with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in horses with uveitis-associated cataracts and compare the PE technique with and without posterior capsulorhexis. Methods: Thirty-two eyes of 28 horses with uveitis-associat...
Tomal A, Szłapka-Kosarzewska J, Mironiuk M, Michalak I, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a critical endocrine condition in horses, characterized by hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance, posing a significant threat to their health. This study investigates the efficacy of supplementing EMS-affected horses with Arthrospira platensis enriched with Cr(III), Mg(II), and Mn(II) ions using biosorption process in improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, reducing inflammation, and mitigating obesity-related fat accumulation. Our results demonstrate that Arthrospira supplementation reduces baseline insulin and glucose levels,...
Phannithi T, Laikul A, Pathomsakulwong W, Rungsri P, Apichaimongkonkun T, Watchrarat K, Cherdchutham W.External hoof characteristics, balance, and conformation have been extensively studied in horses; however, mules remain understudied in these aspects. This study evaluated the size, shape, and symmetry of untrimmed and unshod forelimb hooves, compared the symmetry between forelimb hooves and stratified external forelimb hoof measurements based on the body condition score of mules raised in the foothill plains of northern Thailand. The forelimb hooves of 38 mules were photographed and 33 parameters, including angular and linear measurements, were analyzed. A multivariate analysis was used to ex...
Guerrero JLS, Brito PHS, Ferreira MA, Arantes JA, Rusch E, Oliveira BVDS, Velasco-Bolaños J, Carregaro AB, Dória RGS.The prevalence of gastric disorders in high-performance horses, especially gastric ulceration, ranges from 50 to 90%. These pathological conditions have negative impacts on athletic performance and health. This study was designed to evaluate changes in gastric pH during a 24 h period and to compare gastrin concentrations at different time points in horses undergoing general inhalation anesthesia and dorsal recumbency. Twenty-two mixed-breed mares weighing 400 ± 50 kg and aged 8 ± 2 years were used. Of these, eight were fasted for 8 h and submitted to 90 min of general inhalation anesthesia i...
Whitfield-Cargile CM, Chung HC, Coleman MC, Cohen ND, Chamoun-Emanuelli AM, Ivanov I, Goldsby JS, Davidson LA, Gaynanova I, Ni Y, Chapkin RS.The equine gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome has been described in the context of various diseases. The observed changes, however, have not been linked to host function and therefore it remains unclear how specific changes in the microbiome alter cellular and molecular pathways within the GI tract. Further, non-invasive techniques to examine the host gene expression profile of the GI mucosa have been described in horses but not evaluated in response to interventions. Therefore, the objectives of our study were to (1) profile gene expression and metabolomic changes in an equine model of non-ster...
Craven A, Todd-Donato A, Stokol T, Liepman R, Glasberg I, Wilkins P, Luethy D, Wong D, Schoster A, van den Brom-Spierenburg AJ, Tomlinson JE.Prognostic indicators for equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF), an interstitial fibrosing lung disease, are poorly described. Objective: Describe diagnostic findings and outcome predictors for EMPF. Methods: Forty-six adult horses with EMPF. Methods: Retrospective multicenter case series from 2009 to 2019. Radiographic (n = 27) and ultrasonographic studies (n = 19) from EMPF horses and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology from 6 EMPF and 13 asthma cases were independently reviewed and blinded to diagnosis and outcome. Associations between predictor variables and surviv...
Zoratti A, Pividori I, Comin A, Prandi A, Peric T.Feces are a noninvasive and easily collectible matrix that may help determine cumulative hormone metabolite concentrations over medium-to-long times. To date, 11-oxoetiocholanolone, an important metabolite of cortisol, has been measured in equine and bovine feces solely by an in-house enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Therefore, we validated the use of a commercial ELISA kit (11-oxoetiocholanolone ELISA kit; Cayman Chemical), which had been validated on sheep feces and human urine, to measure 11-oxoetiocholanolone in feces from 42 horses and 32 bulls. The ELISA kit had good precision (intra- and inter...
Shakeel M, Choi Y, Yoon M.Cryptorchidism affects spermatogenesis and testis development, often resulting in stallion subfertility/infertility. This study aims to identify the specific germ cells impacted by cryptorchism in stallions. In a previous study, we found that PGP9.5 and VASA are molecular markers expressed in different germ cells within stallions. Herein, we assessed the heat stress-induced response of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the seminiferous tubules (ST) of cryptorchid stallion testes (CST) and normal stallion testes (NST). This goal was accomplished by comparing PGP9.5 and VASA expression pattern...
Powers A, Peek SF, Reed S, Donnelly CG, Tinkler S, Gasper D, Woolard KD, Finno CJ.Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects young, genetically predisposed horses that are deficient in vitamin E. Equine NAD/EDM has not previously been documented in Gypsy Vanner horses (GVs). Objective: To evaluate: (1) the clinical phenotype, blood vitamin E concentrations before and after supplementation and pedigree in a cohort of GV horses with a high prevalence of neurologic disease suspicious for eNAD/EDM and (2) to confirm eNAD/EDM in GVs through postmortem evaluation. Methods: Twenty-six GVs from 1 fa...
Saldinger LK, Kilcoyne I, Nieto J.To evaluate if a difference in synovial amikacin concentrations exists in the radiocarpal joint (RCJ) following different durations of instillation of an IV regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) perfusate. Methods: 7 healthy horses. Methods: Horses received 2 IVRLPs with 2 g amikacin diluted to 60 mL with 0.9% NaCl via the cephalic vein in a crossover study design with a wash-out period between procedures. Instillation of the perfusate was administered over a 1-minute (technique 1) and 5-minute (technique 5) period. Concentrations of amikacin within the RCJ were measured at time (T) 5, 10, 15, 20, 2...
Connard SS, Gaesser AM, Clarke EJ, Linardi RL, Even KM, Engiles JB, Koch DW, Peffers MJ, Ortved KF.The objective of this study was to characterize extracellular vesicles (EVs) in plasma and synovial fluid obtained from horses with and without naturally occurring post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Methods: EVs were isolated from plasma and synovial fluid from horses with (n = 6) and without (n = 6) PTOA. Methods: Plasma and synovial fluid EVs were characterized with respect to quantity, size, and surface markers. Small RNA sequencing was performed, and differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) underwent bioinformatic analysis to identify putative targets and to explore potential associa...
You Y, Missanelli JR, Proctor RM, Haughan J, Robinson MA.Oxycodone, an opioid commonly used to treat pain in humans, has the potential to be abused in racehorses to enhance their performance. To understand the pharmacokinetics of oxycodone and its metabolites in horses, as well as to detect the illegal use of oxycodone in racehorses, a method for quantification and confirmation of oxycodone and its metabolites is needed. In this study, we developed and validated an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method that can simultaneously quantify and confirm oxycodone and eight metabolites in equine urine. Sa...
Watrobska N, Gough R, Hallowell G, Haugaard S, McGovern KF.Post-operative reflux (POR) is rare following large colon volvulus (LCV) but does occur despite the absence of a small intestinal lesion. The prevalence, risk factors and association with survival of POR after LCV are currently unknown. Objective: To determine the prevalence of POR in horses with an LCV and its association with survival. A further objective was to assess factors which may predict POR. The hypothesis was that horses with POR following LCV surgery have a worse outcome for survival compared to those without POR. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Clinical da...
Thomson ACS, McCarrel TM, Zakharov A, Gomez B, Lyubimov A, Schwark WS, Mallicote MF, Portela DA, Bisiau AL, Wakshlag JJ.The pharmacokinetics and tolerability of cannabinoids and their metabolites were determined in eight horses after enteral administration of a commercial CBD/CBDA-rich hemp oil product. Each horse was administered 2 mg/kg or 8 mg/kg CBD/CBDA or no treatment in a randomized cross-over design. Serial serum samples collected over 48 h were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Plasma chemistry analysis was performed at 0 h and 24 h. Vital parameters, pedometry, and blinded mentation and gait evaluations were recorded at intervals up to 24 h. ...
Mozo Vives B, Mainguy-Seers S, Lavoie JP.Salbutamol and hyoscine butylbromide (HBB) are commonly used bronchodilators in horses with severe asthma (SA). Objective: To compare the bronchodilation potency, duration, and adverse effects of salbutamol and HBB in SA. Methods: Six horses in exacerbation of SA. Methods: The effects of inhaled salbutamol (1000 μg) and HBB (150 mg, IV) were compared in a randomized, blinded, crossover experiment. Lung function, intestinal borborygmi and heart rate were assessed before and sequentially until 180 minutes after drug administration, and analyzed with 2-way repeated-measures ANOVA and Dunne...
de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Velloso Alvarez A, Neira-Egea P, Cuervo-Arango J.Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) has severe impact on the sport horse population. Objective: Study the influence of EHM on the likelihood of affected horses to return to their previous performance and investigate the association of clinical variables with prognosis. Methods: Twenty-six horses positive for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) were admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital (VTH) during a natural EHM outbreak at an international jumping event. Methods: Data collected from the VTH, the International Equestrian Federation, and surveys completed by the riders and horse own...
Felkel S, Vogl C, Rigler D, Dobretsberger V, Chowdhary BP, Distl O, Fries R, Jagannathan V, Janečka JE, Leeb T, Lindgren G, McCue M, Metzger J....Analysis of the Y chromosome is the best-established way to reconstruct paternal family history in humans. Here, we applied fine-scaled Y-chromosomal haplotyping in horses with biallelic markers and demonstrate the potential of our approach to address the ancestry of sire lines. We de novo assembled a draft reference of the male-specific region of the Y chromosome from Illumina short reads and then screened 5.8 million basepairs for variants in 130 specimens from intensively selected and rural breeds and nine Przewalski's horses. Among domestic horses we confirmed the predominance of a young'c...
In 2001, West Nile virus (WNV) activity was reported from 359 counties in 27 states and the District of Columbia (DC) to ArboNET, a web-based, surveillance data network maintained by 54 state and local public health agencies and CDC. This activity represented a marked increase from 2000, when WNV activity was reported from 138 counties in 12 states and DC. This report summarizes surveillance data for 2001, which indicate that 66 human illnesses were reported from 10 states and that widespread WNV activity in birds, horses, and mosquitoes extended into the midwestern United States and several s...
Cortinovis C, Caloni F.Alkaloids, nitrogen-containing secondary plant metabolites, are of major interest to veterinary toxicology because of their occurrence in plant species commonly involved in animal poisoning. Based on epidemiological data, the poisoning of cattle and horses by alkaloid-containing plants is a relatively common occurrence in Europe. Poisoning may occur when the plants contaminate hay or silage or when forage alternatives are unavailable. Cattle and horses are particularly at risk of poisoning by Colchicum autumnale (meadow saffron), Conium maculatum (poison hemlock), Datura stramonium (jimson wee...
Seltenhammer MH, Heere-Ress E, Brandt S, Druml T, Jansen B, Pehamberger H, Niebauer GW.Equine melanoma shows striking features particularly with regard to clinical development in grey horses: in contrast to malignant melanoma in humans and in solid coloured horses that are characterized by early onset of metastasis, pigment cell tumours display almost benign clinical features in ageing grey horses. Through evolution, grey horses appear to be in a favourable position in regard to the biological behaviour of melanomas. Yet unknown factors inhibiting or retarding early melanoma metastasis may be responsible for this phenomenon. In this study, immunostaining profiles and histopathol...
Tamzali Y, Borde L, Rols MP, Golzio M, Lyazrhi F, Teissie J.Sarcoids are the commonest form of equine skin tumour. Several therapeutic measures have been described but none is considered to be universally effective. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a new anticancer therapy that utilises electrical field pulses to induce increased cell membrane permeability to antitumour hydrophilic drugs, such as cisplatin. The increased intracellular concentration of the drugs has a significant therapeutic benefit. The procedure has not been previously reported in a large number of horses. Objective: To validate ECT as a novel alternative treatment for equine sarcoids. Me...
Contentin R, Demoor M, Concari M, Desancé M, Audigié F, Branly T, Galéra P.Osteoarthritis (OA) remains incurable in humans or horses and mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) represent an attractive solution for producing a neocartilage substitute. However, the best MSC source still needs to be identified. This study compared the chondrogenic potential of equine MSCs derived from bone marrow (BM) and umbilical cord blood (UCB), at their undifferentiated status to check if one cell source is better proned, and after chondrogenic-induced differentiation. Chondrogenesis was induced by culture in collagen scaffold with BMP-2 + TGF-ß1 in hypoxia or normoxia. MSCs cho...
Santos AS, Rodrigues MA, Bessa RJ, Ferreira LM, Martin-Rosset W.Having evolved as a grazing animal, a horse's digestive physiology is characterized by rapid gastric transit, a rapid but intense enzymatic digestion along the small intestine, and a long and intense microbial fermentation in the large intestine. The process of understanding and describing feed degradation mechanisms in the equine digestive system in general, and in the hindgut ecosystem in particular, is essential. Regardless of its importance for the nutritional status of the host, the significance of the cecum-colon ecosystem has not yet been fully understood, and few reports have focused d...
Frisbie DD, Smith RK.Stem cells have received much attention in recent times because of their potential to improve healing of othropaedic problems. This manuscript presents the genesis, issues and current state of stem cell treatment in equine medicine. Current literature supports the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treatment of orthopaedic problems.
Nakamura K, Takimoto-Inose A, Hasegawa T.Humans have domesticated many kinds of animals in their history. Dogs and horses have particularly close relationships with humans as cooperative partners. However, fewer scientific studies have been conducted on cognition in horses compared to dogs. Studies have shown that horses cross-modally distinguish human facial expressions and recognize familiar people, which suggests that they also cross-modally distinguish human emotions. In the present study, we used the expectancy violation method to investigate whether horses cross-modally perceive human emotions. Horses were shown a picture of a ...
Geburek F, Roggel F, van Schie HTM, Beineke A, Estrada R, Weber K, Hellige M, Rohn K, Jagodzinski M, Welke B, Hurschler C, Conrad S, Skutella T....Adipose tissue is a promising source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for the treatment of tendon disease. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of a single intralesional implantation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AT-MSCs) on artificial lesions in equine superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFTs). During this randomized, controlled, blinded experimental study, either autologous cultured AT-MSCs suspended in autologous inactivated serum (AT-MSC-serum) or autologous inactivated serum (serum) were injected intralesionally 2 weeks after surgical creation of cen...
Cemazar M, Tamzali Y, Sersa G, Tozon N, Mir LM, Miklavcic D, Lowe R, Teissie J.Electropermeabilization is a method that uses electric field pulses to induce an electrically mediated reorganization of the plasma membrane of cells. Electrochemotherapy combines local or systemic administration of chemotherapeutic drugs such as bleomycin or cisplatin that have poor membrane permeability with electropermeabilization by direct application of electric pulses to the tumors. Preclinical studies have demonstrated excellent antitumor effectiveness of electrochemotherapy on different animal models and various tumor types, minimal toxicity, and safety of the procedure. Based on resul...
Brown DJ, Rush JE, MacGregor J, Ross JN, Brewer B, Rand WM.A novel method for quantitative echocardiographic interpretations is introduced based on the calculation of ratio indices in which each raw M-mode measurement is divided by the aortic root dimension (Ao). "Aorta-based" indices were calculated with the animal's measured aortic root dimension (Ao(m)) as the length standard. Conversely, "weight-based" indices employed an idealized estimate of aortic dimension (Ao(w)) with a weighted least squares linear regression against the cube root of body weight (Ao(w) = kW(1/3)). Use of these indices circumvented undesirable statistical characteristics inhe...
Frontiers in zoologyFebruary 11, 2017
Volume 14 8 doi: 10.1186/s12983-017-0193-1
Briefer EF, Mandel R, Maigrot AL, Briefer Freymond S, Bachmann I, Hillmann E.Non-human animals often produce different types of vocalisations in negative and positive contexts (i.e. different valence), similar to humans, in which crying is associated with negative emotions and laughter is associated with positive ones. However, some types of vocalisations (e.g. contact calls, human speech) can be produced in both negative and positive contexts, and changes in valence are only accompanied by slight structural differences. Although such acoustically graded signals associated with opposite valence have been highlighted in some species, it is not known if conspecifics disc...
Villalta M, Pla D, Yang SL, Sanz L, Segura A, Vargas M, Chen PY, Herrera M, Estrada R, Cheng YF, Lee CD, Cerdas M, Chiang JR, Angulo Y, León G....The proteomes of the venoms of the snakes Viridovipera stejnegeri and Protobothrops mucrosquamatus from Taiwan were characterized by N-terminal sequencing, MALDI-TOF mass fingerprinting, and collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry of in-gel generated tryptic peptides. Proteins belonging to the following toxin classes were identified: metalloproteinase, phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), serine proteinase, C-type lectin-like, CRISP, l-amino acid oxidase, disintegrin, and peptides (vasoactive and inhibitors of SVMPs). Nine horses were immunized with a mixture of these venoms. All horse...
Hemida MG, Chu DKW, Perera RAPM, Ko RLW, So RTY, Ng BCY, Chan SMS, Chu S, Alnaeem AA, Alhammadi MA, Webby RJ, Poon LLM, Balasuriya UBR, Peiris M.Equine coronaviruses (ECoV) are the only coronavirus known to infect horses. So far, data on ECoV infection in horses remain limited to the USA, France and Japan and its geographic distribution is not well understood. We carried out RT-PCR on 306 nasal and 315 rectal swabs and tested 243 sera for antibodies to detect coronavirus infections in apparently healthy horses in Saudi Arabia and Oman. We document evidence of infection with ECoV and HKU23 coronavirus by RT-PCR. There was no conclusive evidence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in horses. Serological data suggest...
Bowling AT, Del Valle A, Bowling M.Through DNA sequence comparisons of a mitochondrial D-loop hypervariable region, we investigated matrilineal diversity for Arabian horses in the United States. Sixty-two horses were tested. From published pedigrees they traced in the maternal line to 34 mares acquired primarily in the mid to late 19th century from nomadic Bedouin tribes. Compared with the reference sequence (GenBank X79547), these samples showed 27 haplotypes with altogether 31 base substitution sites within 397 bp of sequence. Based on examination of pedigrees from a random sampling of 200 horses in current studbooks of the A...
Cerri D, Ebani VV, Fratini F, Pinzauti P, Andreani E.Serological data on leptospira infection were reported and discussed. From 1995 to 2001, the blood serum samples of 9885 domestic and wild animals and humans, living in Northern and Central Italy, were examined by the macroagglutination test (MAT) employing bratislava, ballum, canicola, grippotyphosa, icterohaemorrhagiae, pomona, hardjo and tarassovi serovars as antigens. Considering sera with > or = 1:400 antibody titers as positive, 674 (6.81%) animals scored positive. Sheep, horses, pigs and dogs gave the highest number of positive responses, particularly against the serovar bratislava and,...
Boyde A, Firth EC.To characterise and explain the increase in density evident by computerised tomography (CT) and radiography in companion studies as a response to training, in bone in the palmar and dorsal regions of the condyles of the third metacarpal bone (Mc3) of 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Compositional back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) were conducted on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-embedded mediolateral slices of the right distal Mc3 from seven 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses trained on a racetrack and s...
Di Sabatino D, Bruno R, Sauro F, Danzetta ML, Cito F, Iannetti S, Narcisi V, De Massis F, Calistri P.West Nile virus (WNV) transmission has been confirmed in the last four years in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin. An increasing concern towards West Nile disease (WND) has been observed due to the high number of human and animal cases reported in these areas confirming the importance of this zoonosis. A new epidemiological scenario is currently emerging: although new introductions of the virus from abroad are always possible, confirming the epidemiological role played by migratory birds, the infection endemisation in some European territories today is a reality supported by the constant r...
Ebani VV, Bertelloni F, Pinzauti P, Cerri D.The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in healthy horses living in 7 provinces of central Italy. In the period 2007-2009, sera from 386 horses were tested by microagglutination test (MAT) to detect antibodies to Leptospira spp., employing the following serovars as antigens: Bratislava, Ballum, Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Hardjo, Pomona, Tarassovi. 3 animals were positive for the serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae, 2 to Bratislava, and 1 to Pomona, for a total 1.5% seroprevalence. All sera were examined by immu...
Becerra P, Valdés Vázquez MA, Dudhia J, Fiske-Jackson AR, Neves F, Hartman NG, Smith RK.This study aimed to investigate immediate cell survival and distribution following different administration routes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into naturally occurring tendon injuries. Ten million MSCs, labeled with technetium-99m hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime, were implanted into 13 horses with naturally occurring tendon or ligament injuries intra-lesionally, intravenously and by regional perfusion, and traced for up to 48 h using planar gamma scintigraphy. Labeling efficiencies varied between 1.8% and 18.5% (mean 9.3%). Cells were retained in the damaged area after intra-lesional adm...
Weinstock J, Willerslev E, Sher A, Tong W, Ho SY, Rubenstein D, Storer J, Burns J, Martin L, Bravi C, Prieto A, Froese D, Scott E, Xulong L, Cooper A.The rich fossil record of horses has made them a classic example of evolutionary processes. However, while the overall picture of equid evolution is well known, the details are surprisingly poorly understood, especially for the later Pliocene and Pleistocene, c. 3 million to 0.01 million years (Ma) ago, and nowhere more so than in the Americas. There is no consensus on the number of equid species or even the number of lineages that existed in these continents. Likewise, the origin of the endemic South American genus Hippidion is unresolved, as is the phylogenetic position of the "stilt-legged"...
Mackie RI, Wilkins CA.Samples from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, as well as from the cecum and colon, were obtained from 11 mature grass-fed horses. Viable counts of total culturable and proteolytic bacteria were made on habitat-simulating media containing 40% clarified ruminal fluid. The mean pHs in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were 6.32, 7.10, and 7.47, respectively; the mean pH decreased to 6.7 in the hindgut. The acetate concentration increased along the length of the small intestine and was the only volatile fatty acid present in this gut segment. Molar proportions of acetate, propionate, and butyrate ...
Pybus OG, Thézé J.Just 5 years ago the hepatitis C virus (HCV) - a major cause of liver disease infecting >3% of people worldwide - was the sole confirmed member of the Hepacivirus genus. Since then, genetically-diverse hepaciviruses have been isolated from bats, dogs, cows, horses, primates and rodents. Here we review current information on the hepaciviruses and speculate on the zoonotic origins of the viruses in humans, horses and dogs. Recent and direct cross-species transmission from horses to dogs appears plausible, but the zoonotic origins of HCV in humans remain opaque. Mechanical transmission by biting ...
Argüelles D, Carmona JU, Pastor J, Iborra A, Viñals L, Martínez P, Bach E, Prades M.The aim of this study was to evaluate single and double centrifugation tube methods for concentrating equine platelets. Whole blood samples were collected from clinically normal horses and processed by use of single and double centrifugation tube methods to obtain four platelet concentrates (PCs): PC-A, PC-B, PC-C, and PC-D, which were analyzed using a flow cytometry hematology system for hemogram and additional platelet parameters (mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, mean platelet component concentration, mean platelet component distribution width). Concentrations of transformi...
Yi J, Heinecke J, Tan H, Ford PC, Richter-Addo GB.It is now well-established that mammalian heme proteins are reactive with various nitrogen oxide species and that these reactions may play significant roles in mammalian physiology. For example, the ferrous heme protein myoglobin (Mb) has been shown to reduce nitrite (NO(2)(-)) to nitric oxide (NO) under hypoxic conditions. We demonstrate here that the distal pocket histidine residue (His64) of horse heart metMb(III) (i.e., ferric Mb(III)) has marked effects on the mode of nitrite ion coordination to the iron center. X-ray crystal structures were determined for the mutant proteins metMb(III) H...
Bidwell LA, Bramlage LR, Rood WA.To determine the fatality rate of horses undergoing general anaesthesia at a private equine referral practice using a limited number of anaesthetic protocols. Methods: A retrospective analysis of records (n = 17 961) from all horses undergoing general anaesthesia for surgical procedures from 1997 to 2001 at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Results were reported as percentage of the population, and as crude mortality rates for each procedure (deaths per 1000). Results: The prevalence of equine fatalities directly related to anaesthesia was 0.12% (n = 21) and this rose ...
Loroño-Pino MA, Blitvich BJ, Farfán-Ale JA, Puerto FI, Blanco JM, Marlenee NL, Rosado-Paredes EP, García-Rejón JE, Gubler DJ, Calisher CH....Serum samples were obtained from 252 horses in the State of Yucatan, Mexico, from July to October 2002. Antibodies to West Nile virus were detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in three (1.2%) horses and confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test. We report the first West Nile virus activity in the State of Yucatan.
Pollock PJ, Prendergast M, Schumacher J, Bellenger CR.The serum concentrations of serum amyloid A, haptoglobin and fibrinogen were measured in a group of horses before and at intervals after elective and non-elective surgery, and in a control group of normal horses. There was a significant, rapid and repeatable increase in the concentration of serum amyloid A in response to both elective and non-elective surgery. In the control horses its serum concentration was within the normal range, from 0 to 0.2 microg/ml. Twenty-four hours after elective surgery its mean peak concentration was 16.4 microg/ml, and after non-elective surgery it was 27.3 micro...
