"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.
Blumer R, Maurer-Gesek B, Gesslbauer B, Blumer M, Pechriggl E, Davis-López de Carrizosa MA, Horn AK, May PJ, Streicher J, de la Cruz RR, Pastor ÁM.To test whether palisade endings are a general feature of mammalian extraocular muscles (EOMs). Methods: Thirteen species, some frontal-eyed (human, monkey, cat, and ferret), and others lateral-eyed (pig, sheep, calf, horse, rabbit, rat, mouse, gerbil, and guinea pig) were analyzed. Palisade endings were labeled by using different combinations of immunofluorescence techniques. Three-dimensional reconstructions of immunolabeled palisade endings were done. Results: In all frontal-eyed species, palisade endings were a consistent feature in the rectus EOMs. Their total number was high and they exh...
Mazhitova AT, Kulmyrzaev AA.This study was carried out to determine the influence of milking season on amino acid (AA) profile and chemical composition of milk samples from Kyrgyz native breed mares under traditional pasture conditions. Milk samples were collected monthly from May to August 2014 from mares grazing at 2,200 m above sea level. The AA composition was determined by precolumn derivatization with diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate in HPLC and 18 AA were determined in mare milk. The analytical parameters of linearity (0.01-4 μg/mL), precision of the method (0.26-4.88% relative standard deviation), derivatization ...
da Silveira EA, Bubeck KA, Batista ER, Piat P, Laverty S, Beauchamp G, Archambault M, Elce Y.This prospective clinical study evaluates the effectiveness of an alcohol-based hand rub (Avagard™) for pre-surgical hand antisepsis in an equine hospital and compares it with traditional scrubbing technique using 4% chlorhexidine gluconate sponges and water. Prior to elective surgery, 3 board-certified surgeons were randomly assigned to hand antisepsis with either technique. Culture samples of each hand were taken at 4 times: before and after neutral soap hand wash, after scrub or rubbing technique, and after surgery. There was no significant difference in mean bacterial colony forming unit...
Azarpeykan S, Dittmer KE, Gee EK, Marshall JC, Elder P, Acke E, Thompson KG.A study was conducted to determine the circadian rhythms and trends of vitamin D metabolites including 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 , 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 , 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone, in addition to serum calcium, phosphorus and magnesium concentrations in horses over 48 h on the shortest and longest days of the year in 2013. Five healthy adult horses (Equus caballus) were on a constant pasture feeding regimen, and blood samples were collected from each horse every 3 h over a 48-h period, starting at 07:00 PM on day one and finishing at 07:00 PM on day three, for the measurem...
Hatazoe T, Kawaguchi H, Hobo S, Misumi K.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) generally occurs in older horses showing hirsutism, delayed molting, weight loss, polydipsia, polyuria, laminitis, and reproductive disorders (in broodmares), but there have been no reports on stallions. This report presents a case of a 21-year-old Thoroughbred stallion that developed hirsutism and experienced delayed molting. There were no abnormal findings for semen quality or the stallion's sexual desire. The horse was diagnosed with PPID based on dexamethasone suppression test and plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone. It was then ...
Cichocki BM, Myrna KE, Moore PA.To describe and evaluate a modified penetrating keratoplasty technique utilizing ACell® for management of equine deep stromal or full-thickness corneal stromal abscesses (SA). Methods: Cases presenting to the University of Georgia Ophthalmology service for surgical management of SA necessitating penetrating keratoplasty (PK) were included in the study population. Surgery entailed the use of an ACell® disk sutured within the deep level of a stepped full-thickness corneal incision with an overlying conjunctival pedicle flap placed in the superficial step incision. Patients were evaluated for s...
Durand B, Haskouri H, Lowenski S, Vachiery N, Beck C, Lecollinet S.A serosurvey of 349 military working horses and 231 military working dogs was conducted in ten sites in Morocco in 2012. This survey revealed a high level of exposure of these animals to flaviviruses: seroprevalence rates of 60% in horses and of 62% in dogs were observed using a competitive West Nile virus (WNV) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). Seroneutralization test results showed that the majority of cELISA-positive results were due to exposure to WNV. Further assays conducted in vaccinated horses with a DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) test indicated that ...
Mori M, Ichibangase T, Yamashita S, Kijima-Suda I, Kawahara M, Imai K.In the doping tests currently used in horse racing, prohibited substances or their metabolites are usually directly detected in urine or blood samples. However, despite their lasting pharmaceutical effects, some prohibited substances are rapidly eliminated from horse urine and blood, making them difficult to detect. Therefore, new indirect biomarkers for doping, such as plasma proteins that are increased by the prohibited substances, have recently attracted much attention. Here, a fluorogenic derivatization-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) method was adopted for hor...
Takahashi Y, Akai M, Murase H, Nambo Y.The objective of the present study was to verify the seasonal luteal activity of racehorses in training in Japan from March to August. We allocated 102 horses into a luteal activity group and non-luteal activity group. The luteal activity group included horses with serum progesterone levels that were consistently >1 ng/ml and changed by ± 1 ng/ml. In contrast, the progesterone levels of the non-luteal activity group were consistently <1 ng/ml. In late spring (from May 1 to June 30) and summer (from July 1 to August 31), the percentage of horses in the luteal activity group was significa...
Murase H, Niwa H, Katayama Y, Sato F, Hada T, Nambo Y.Fungal placentitis is an infectious disease inducing abortion in pregnant mares. In the present report, we describe a field case of abortion caused by fungal placentitis with consecutive examinations. The progesterone level and combined thickness of the uterus and placenta (CTUP) were abnormal before the onset of clinical signs. Additionally, the estradiol level started to change before the appearance of clinical signs. Abnormal serum amyloid A values and an abnormal fetal heart rate were observed after the onset of clinical signs. The present report demonstrates that the progesterone level an...
Mair TS, Sherlock CE, Fews D, Harley R, Pearson GR.Histological evidence of fibrosis affecting the outer layer of the large intestinal tunica muscularis was identified in five of 32 horses affected by colic. In three cases, foci of pale eosinophilia and vacuolation of myocytes were observed. These findings are suggestive of a degenerative and fibrotic abnormality in the outer layer of the tunica muscularis of the large intestinal smooth muscle of some horses with colic.
Cook CR.Musculoskeletal ultrasound is a rapidly growing field within veterinary medicine. Ultrasound for musculoskeletal disorders has been commonly used in equine and human medicine and is becoming more commonly performed in small animal patients due to the increase in the recognition of soft tissue injuries. Ultrasound is widely available, cost-effective, but technically difficult to learn. Advantages of musculoskeletal ultrasound are the opposite limb is commonly used for comparison to evaluate symmetry of the tendinous structures and the ease of repeat examinations to assess healing. The article d...
Hyun SH, Ryew CC.The aim of this study was to investigate the motor ability of forelimb according to on- or off-riding during cadences (walk and trot) of horse. Horses and rider selected as subject consisted of total 37 heads of Jeju native horse and 1 female rider. The variables analyzed composed of 1 stride length, 1 step length, elapsed time of stance, elapsed time of swing, elapsed time of 1 step, and forward velocity (x-axis). Two-way analysis of variance of variables was employed for the statistical analysis with the level of significance set at 5% (P<0.05). Trot cadence showed significant difference ...
Yamanaka T, Nemoto M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T, Gildea S, Cullinane A.Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious disease caused by viruses of the H3N8 subtype. The rapid diagnosis of EI is essential to reduce the disease spread. Many rapid antigen detection (RAD) tests for diagnosing human influenza are available, but their ability to diagnose EI has not been systematically evaluated. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of 22 RAD tests in the diagnosis of EI. Methods: The 22 RAD tests were performed on fivefold serial dilutions of EI virus to determine their detection limits. The four most sensitive RAD tests (ImmunoAce Flu, BD Flu ...
Rocha JN, Cohen ND, Bordin AI, Brake CN, Giguère S, Coleman MC, Alaniz RC, Lawhon SD, Mwangi W, Pillai SD.There is currently no licensed vaccine that protects foals against Rhodococcus equi-induced pneumonia. Oral administration of live, virulent R. equi to neonatal foals has been demonstrated to protect against subsequent intrabronchial challenge with virulent R. equi. Electron beam (eBeam)-inactivated R. equi are structurally intact and have been demonstrated to be immunogenic when administered orally to neonatal foals. Thus, we investigated whether eBeam inactivated R. equi could protect foals against developing pneumonia after experimental infection with live, virulent R. equi. Foals (n = 8) w...
Casteleyn C, Cornillie P, Tüllmann V, Van Cruchten S, Van Ginneken C.An Oldenburg colt with wry nose was autopsied after having lived for only 30 min. It presented cyanotic oral mucosae, underdeveloped eyes and a right-sided temporal osseous mass. The applicable nomenclature for the defects is discussed, and the potential etiopathogenesis is explored by describing the normal embryonic development of the affected body parts.
Rochais C, Fureix C, Lesimple C, Hausberger M.Chronic pain is thought to affect patients' cognitive functioning, including attention. Loss of attention is likely to have an impact on the execution of daily tasks, and, therefore, to have negative effects. However, relationships between chronic pain and cognitive deficits are still debated. Pre-clinical studies using laboratory animals prove useful to model pain-related cognitive impairment, but animal models had to predict effects in the real world. This study investigates attentional engagement of domestic horses by comparing observations in a home setting and evaluations of vertebral dis...
Fazio E, Medica P, Cravana C, Bruschetta G, Ferlazzo A.The purpose of this study was to determine which physiological seasonal thyroid and lipid panel (triglyceride, [TG], total cholesterol, [tCho], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, [HDL Cho], LDL cholesterol, phospholipids, [PDs]) changes occur in 12 Thoroughbred pregnant and six nonpregnant mares over a period of 12 months, from April to March, by into account the lactation stage. Serum total triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels were measured using immunoenzymatic assay kits; the serum lipid panel was analyzed using the enzymatic colorimetric method. One-way ANOVA reported a sign...
Stasiak K, Rola J, Zmudzinski JF.A highly sensitive and specific real-time PCR assay was used for detection and quantitation of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) in the different internal organs of aborted fetuses. Tissue samples from 23 aborted fetuses submitted to the Department of Virology of the National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy between 2012 and 2013 were used for testing. Total DNA was extracted using a phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol standard protocol. A real-time PCR with forward and reverse primers encompassing a highly conserved region encoding viral glycoprotein B was adapted for diagnosis of EHV-1 ...
Lane EA, Bijnen ML, Osborne M, More SJ, Henderson IS, Duffy P, Crowe MA.To evaluate factors contributing to fertility of thoroughbred mares, data from 3743 oestrous periods of 2385 mares were collected on a large thoroughbred farm in Ireland. Fourteen stallions (mean age 8.3 years; range 4-15 years) had bred 2385 mares (mean age 9.4 years; range 3-24 years). Maiden mares accounted for 12%, mares with a foal at foot for 64%, and barren, slipped or rested mares for 24% of the total. The mean pregnancy rate per cycle was 67.8% (68.6% in year 1 and 66.9% in year 2). Backward stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis was utilized to develop two models to eval...
Jago RC, Handel I, Hahn CN, Pirie RS, Keen JA, Waggett BE, McGorum BC.Objective criteria for predicting survival of chronic grass sickness cases are currently lacking. Objective: To determine whether the rate and/or magnitude of bodyweight change during hospitalisation of chronic grass sickness cases can provide an objective predictor of survival to discharge from hospital. Clinicians' recorded indication(s) for euthanasia were also reviewed. Methods: Single centre retrospective observational study. Methods: Case records of all horses admitted for management of chronic grass sickness to The Dick Vet Equine Hospital between 1998 and 2013 were analysed. Case backg...
Delcambre GH, Liu J, Herrington JM, Vallario K, Long MT.Phenotypic characterization of cellular responses in equine infectious encephalitides has had limited description of both peripheral and resident cell populations in central nervous system (CNS) tissues due to limited species-specific reagents that react with formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue (FFPE). This study identified a set of antibodies for investigating the immunopathology of infectious CNS diseases in horses. Multiple commercially available staining reagents and antibodies derived from antigens of various species for manual immunohistochemistry (IHC) were screened. Several techni...
Madrigal RG, Shaw SD, Witkowski LA, Sisson BE, Blodgett GP, Chaffin MK, Cohen ND.Current screening tests for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals lack adequate accuracy for clinical use. Real-time, quantitative PCR (qPCR) for virulent R. equi in feces has not been systematically evaluated as a screening test. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of qPCR for vapA in serially collected fecal samples as a screening test for R. equi pneumonia in foals. Methods: One hundred and twenty-five foals born in 2011 at a ranch in Texas. Methods: Fecal samples were collected concurrently with thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) screening examinations at ages 3, ...
West Nile virus in Europe and the USA. Evidence that the spread of vesicular stomatitis in the USA is beginning to slow. Summary of UK surveillance testing, July to September 2015 These are among matters discussed in the most recent quarterly equine disease surveillance report, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Liu Q, Ma J, Wang XF, Xiao F, Li LJ, Zhang JE, Lin YZ, Du C, He XJ, Wang X, Zhou JH.The live equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vaccine strain EIAVDLV121 was developed by in vitro attenuation of a virulent strain, EIAVLN40, in the 1970s, and it has been demonstrated to induce protective immunity under laboratory and natural EIAV infection conditions. The detailed biological features of this attenuated virus remain to be further investigated. Experimental inoculation with EIAVDLV121 did not result in clinical symptoms even with immunosuppressive treatment in our previous studies. Here, we further investigated whether the replication of the vaccine strain EIAVDLV121 in exper...
Waller AS.Strangles, characterised by pyrexia followed by abscessation of the lymph nodes of the head and neck, was first described in 1251 (Rufus 1251) and the causative agent, Streptococcus equi, was identified in 1888 (Schutz 1888). However, despite more than a century of research into this disease, strangles remains the most frequently diagnosed infection of horses with over 600 outbreaks being identified in the UK alone each year (Parkinson and others 2011). Here, Andrew Waller reviews some of the recent advances in the understanding of the evolution of S equi and puts this into the context of prev...
Adams C, Arratoon C, Boucher J, Cartier G, Chalmers D, Dell CA, Dell D, Dryka D, Duncan R, Dunn K, Hopkins C, Longclaws L, MacKinnon T, Sauve E....There has been recent interest in Canada exploring the benefits of equine assisted interventions in the treatment of First Nations youth who misuse volatile substances. Using the richness of an exploratory case study involving the White Buffalo Youth Inhalant Treatment Centre and the Cartier Equine Learning Center, our community-based study examined the question of how an Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) program contributes to the wellbeing of First Nations female youth who misuse volatile substances. Both programs are grounded in a holistic bio-psycho-social-spiritual framework of healing. Our ...
Ryu SH, Bak UB, Kim JG, Yoon HJ, Seo HS, Kim JT, Park JY, Lee CW.A 7-year-old Thoroughbred horse was admitted to the Equine Hospital, Korea Racing Association with signs of colic. Based on the size of impactions, the clinical signs, the results of abdominal paracentesis and medical treatment, the prognosis was poor. The horse died 3 hours later following hopeless discharge. At necropsy, the caecum and large colon were fully filled with fecal contents and there was a rupture (10 cm in dia) in the latero- ventral caecum. The mucosa of the ileo-caecal and caeco- colic valves appeared to the hyperemic, edematous and ulcerous. There were many tapeworms in the af...
Hendriks WK, Colenbrander B, van der Weijden GC, Stout TA.Ultrasonographic examination of the equine fetus in mid-late gestation is usually performed only if there are concerns about fetal or maternal health. Even then it is difficult to determine whether development is 'normal' for gestational age because the reference values include considerable error margins. This study examined maternal factors that influence fetal growth with the aim of producing more precise late gestation fetal growth curves for Dutch Warmblood horses. Fetal development was monitored at 2-week intervals from day 100 of gestation until term in 32 mares ranging from 4 to 18 year...
Kulikov EE, Golomidova AK, Efimov AD, Belalov IS, Letarova MA, Zdorovenko EL, Knirel YA, Dmitrenok AS, Letarov AV.Tailed bacteriophages constitute the bulk of the intestinal viromes of vertebrate animals. However, the relationships between lytic and lysogenic lifestyles of phages in these ecosystems are not always clear and may vary between the species or even between the individuals. The human intestinal (fecal) viromes are dominated mostly by temperate phages, while in horse feces virulent phages are more prevalent. To our knowledge, all the previously reported isolates of horse fecal coliphages are virulent. Temperate coliphage Hf4s was isolated from horse feces, from the indigenous equine Escherichia ...
Pösö AR, Eklund-Uusitalo S, Hyyppä S, Pirilä E.In response to stress, cells synthesise heat shock proteins (HSP) to maintain protein homeostasis. To study whether exercise and training induce expression of HSP72 in the middle gluteal muscle, 10 Finnhorses performed a submaximal 60 min exercise test on a treadmill. Test A was performed after 3 months of training, and the other two tests 2 (B) and 5 (C) weeks later. Blood samples were taken during and after the tests, and biopsy samples before, immediately after and 23 h after each test. HSP72 mRNA was analysed using a digoxigenin-labelled probe. Blood lactate concentration in the 3 tests va...
Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Katayama Y.Microbial substitution occasionally occurs following the administration of antimicrobials to horses that have pneumonia or pleuropneumonia. Four specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays were developed to detect some equine respiratory pathogens, namely strains of the Bacteroides-Prevotella group, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Staphylococcus aureus. These four LAMP assays and two previously published LAMP assays targeting Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used on clinical respiratory specimens and a high accordance found between the ...
Mira J, Herman M, Zakia LS, Olivo G, Araújo JP, Borges AS, Oliveira-Filho JP.Despite the reported association between aural plaques and the presence of Equus caballus papillomavirus (EcPV), there are few data regarding the distribution of viral types in different geographic regions or possible correlations for different papillomaviruses and lesion characteristics. We detected the presence and frequency of EcPV (1-7) DNA in aural plaque biopsies of horses from different regions of Brazil and identified the patterns of these infections or coinfections and their possible association with lesion severity. A total of 108 aural plaque biopsies from horses in the 5 geopolitic...
Zannoni A, Bombardi C, Dondi F, Morini M, Forni M, Chiocchetti R, Spadari A, Romagnoli N.Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is a G-protein-coupled receptor for trypsin and mast cell tryptase; it is highly expressed at the intestinal level with multiple functions, such as epithelial permeability and intestinal motility. Many proteases activate PAR2 during tissue damage, suggesting a role of the inflammatory response receptors. The aim of the study was to evaluate the distribution and expression of PAR2 in the jejunum, the ileum and the pelvic flexure, using samples collected from healthy adult horses after slaughter. Proteinase-activated receptor 2 immunoreactivity (PAR2-IR) wa...
Back W, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.In purchase examinations or at studbook selection sales the locomotor apparatus of horses is judged both at walk and trot. To evaluate whether kinematics of the walk are related to the locomotion at the trot, fore and hind limb movements of a group of 24 26-month-old warmbloods were recorded at walk and trot on a treadmill (1.6 and 4 m/s) using a modified CODA-3 gait analysis system. The intralimb coordination patterns at walk and trot were compared, and temporal and spatial variables of these gaits were related. Stride and stance durations (s) were shorter at the trot, while the stance distan...
Baghi HB, Laval K, Favoreel H, Nauwynck HJ.The nasal mucosa surface is continuously confronted with a broad variety of environmental antigens, ranging from harmless agents to potentially harmful pathogens. This area is under rigorous control of professional antigen presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages. Mucosal APCs play a crucial role in inducing primary immune responses and the establishment of an immunological memory. In the present study, a detailed characterization of CD172a(+) cells, containing the APCs residing in the equine nasal mucosa was performed for the first time. CD172a(+) cells were isol...
Paßlack N, Mainzer B, Lahrssen-Wiederholt M, Schafft H, Palavinskas R, Breithaupt A, Neumann K, Zentek J.The concentrations of specific elements in the equine liver and kidneys are of practical relevance since horses are not only food-producing animals, but also partially serve as an indicator for the environmental pollution, as the basic feed includes plants like grass, grain and fruits. In this study, the concentrations of strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se) and lead (Pb) were measured in the liver, renal cortex and renal medulla of 21 horses (8 male; 13 female; aged between 5 months-28 years), using indu...
Brooks SA, Terry RB, Bailey E.An MspI polymorphism was identified in intron 13 of the equine homologue of proto-oncogene c-kit (KIT) by comparing DNA sequences from horses with solid coat colour and horses homozygous for the tobiano spotting (To) gene. The allele associated with solid coat colour was designated KM0, while the allele associated with the tobiano pattern created an additional MspI restriction site and was designated KM1. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) studies using DNA from hair follicles demonstrated that all 129 of 129 tobiano patterned horses possessed the KM1...
Errecalde JO, Carmely D, Mariño EL, Mestorino N.The serum and synovial pharmacokinetics of amoxycillin (AMX) were studied after i.v. administration at a dosage of 40 mg/kg to normal horses and horses with induced aseptic carpal arthritis. The best estimates of serum and synovial pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by mono or bivariable non-linear regression analysis. A biexponential equation was used to describe the concentration vs. time profiles in both normal and arthritic horses. There were no serum kinetic differences between normal and arthritic horses. There were, however, major synovial kinetic changes between these groups. T...
Jeffcott LB.A description of some of the clinical features of low back pain in the horse has been given and a number of methods for assisting diagnosis considered. As well as a complete clinical examination both at rest and during exercise, a useful diagnostic aid in some chronic cases was the injection of local anaesthetic into the interspinous spaces. A laboratory examination, including haematological and biochemical profiles, was undertaken in all cases. The serum enzymes GOT and CPK were particularly valuable as an aid to diagnosis in atypical tying-up. A technique for radiography of the vertebral col...
Robinson NE, Sorenson PR.Obstruction of the upper and lower airways is common in horses. In the upper airway, paresis of abductor muscles of the nares and larynx allows inspiratory collapse of soft tissues, which is accentuated by factors increasing upper airway resistance and by high inspiratory flow rates. Intrapulmonary airway obstruction occurs due to accumulation of secretions, release of chemical mediators in response to a variety of stimuli, and parasympathetic stimulation of airways. Obstruction of large airways increases the work of breathing, whereas obstruction of small airways may cause no measurable incre...
Giessler KS, Samoilowa S, Soboll Hussey G, Kiupel M, Matiasek K, Sledge DG, Liesche F, Schlegel J, Fux R, Goehring LS.Upper respiratory tract infections with Equid Herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) typically result in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell-associated viremia, which can lead to vasculopathy in the central nervous system. Primary EHV-1 infection also likely establishes latency in trigeminal ganglia (TG) via retrograde axonal transport and in respiratory tract-associated lymphatic tissue. However, latency establishment and reactivation are poorly understood. To characterize the pathogenesis of EHV-1 latency establishment and maintenance, two separate groups of yearling horses were experimentally infected intra...
Acosta Ida C, Da Costa AP, Gennari SM, Marcili A.Trypanosoma and Leishmania infections affect wild and domestic animals and human populations. The growing process of deforestation and urbanization of Atlantic Rainforest areas has given rise to introduction of humans and domestic animals to the sylvatic cycles of Trypanosoma and Leishmania species. Serological, parasitological, and molecular surveys among wild and domestic animals in the Corrego do Veado Biological Reserve, which is an Atlantic Rainforest fragment in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil, were evaluated. In total, 154 wild animals of 25 species and 67 domestic ani...
McCue PM.Granulosa cell tumors of the ovary and SCC and melanoma of the external genitalia are the most common neoplasms in the mare. Tumors of the tubular reproductive tract and the mammary gland are rare.
Mendoza FJ, Perez-Ecija RA, Toribio RE, Estepa JC.Reference intervals for thyroid hormones (TH) concentrations have not been previously established for donkeys, leading to potential misdiagnosis of thyroid disease. Objective: To determine the normal values of TH in healthy adult donkeys and compare them to TH values from healthy adult horses. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy Andalusian donkeys and 19 healthy Andalusian horses from 2 different farms were used. Donkeys were divided into 3 age groups: 11 years and into 2 gender groups. Serum concentrations of fT3, tT3, rT3, fT4 and tT4 were quantified by radioimmunoassay. All blood samples were col...
Zamboulis DE, Senior JM, Clegg PD, Gallagher JA, Carter SD, Milner PI.Purinergic pathways are considered important in pain transmission, and P2X receptors are a key part of this system which has received little attention in the horse. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise the distribution of P2X receptor subtypes in the equine digit and associated vasculature and nervous tissue, including peripheral nerves, dorsal root ganglia and cervical spinal cord, using PCR, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. mRNA signal for most of the tested P2X receptor subunits (P2X1-5, 7) was detected in all sampled equine tissues, whereas P2X6 receptor su...
Doherty TJ, Andrews FM, Provenza MK, Frazier DL.Gastric emptying was evaluated in ponies using the acetaminophen (AP) method. Fifteen minutes after i.v. administration of metoclopramide, erythromycin, yohimbine, atropine or saline, the ponies were given AP by stomach tube. Blood samples for AP analysis were collected at baseline and 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 min after AP administration. Time to reach peak serum concentration (Tmax), maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and area under the AP serum concentration vs. time curve (AUC) were determined for each treatment group. In the control group, Tmax was 31 min and this decreased sign...
Jurado-Tarifa E, Daly JM, Pérez-Écija A, Barba-Recreo M, Mendoza FJ, Al-Shuwaikh AM, García-Bocanegra I.Equine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease considered the most important respiratory disease in equids. Although influenza A virus (IAV) has caused outbreaks in equids worldwide, surveillance in these species in Spain has not been conducted. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the individual and herd prevalence of antibodies against H3N8 and H7N7 IAV in equids in Andalusia (southern Spain). Antibodies againsts IAV were measured by the single radial haemolysis assay. A spatial scan statistical analysis was carried out using a Bernoulli model. Risk factors assoc...
Freel KM, Morrison LR, Thompson H, Else RW.Postmortem and histological examination of the hearts from two horses, a five-year-old Clydesdale gelding and a 15-year-old cob gelding, revealed changes characteristic of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. In both cases, on gross examination, the right ventricular endocardium and interventricular septum were almost entirely replaced with a gelatinous yellow fibroareolar tissue. This tissue was histologically a combination of fibrous and adipose tissue that had replaced the normal myofibres and disrupted the Purkinje fibres.
Larsdotter S, Nostell K, von Euler H.Serum thymidine kinase (sTK) activity is a tumour marker used as a prognostic indicator for lymphoma in humans, dogs and cats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of sTK as a biomarker for lymphoma in horses. Serum samples were collected from clinically normal horses (n = 37), horses with lymphoma (n = 23), horses with non-haematopoietic neoplasia (n = 9) and horses with inflammatory disease (n = 14). sTK was measured using a radioenzyme assay. A reference cut-off value of <2.7 U/L (mean + 2 standard deviations, SDs) was established using data fro...
Bartner LR, Robinson NE, Kiupel M, Tesfaigzi Y.This study examined the contribution of delayed apoptosis of bronchial mucous cells to mucus accumulation in equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). In pilot studies, Bcl-2, an apoptosis inhibitor, was detected in airway mucous cells of RAO-affected horses in remission and during acute disease, when most mucus was secreted. To study whether delayed apoptosis results in an increase in the number of mucous cells during disease recovery, six RAO-affected and six control horses were fed hay for 5 days to induce inflammation and then pellets for 7 days to partially resolve RAO before euthanasia....
Ewart SL, Schott HC, Robison RL, Dwyer RM, Eberhart SW, Walker RD.To determine sources of Salmonella organisms in a veterinary teaching hospital, compare bacterial culture with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for detection of Salmonella organisms in environmental samples, and evaluate the effects of various disinfectants on detection of Salmonella organisms on surface materials. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Fecal samples from 638 hospitalized horses and 783 environmental samples. Methods: Standard bacterial culture techniques were used; the PCR test amplified a segment of the Salmonella DNA. Five disinfectants were mixed with Salmonella suspe...
Hobo S, Oikawa M, Kuwano A, Yoshida K, Yoshihara T.To study the effects of extended transportation on the composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from horses. Methods: 30 horses (14 males, 16 females: 25 Thoroughbreds and 5 Thoroughbred-Arabian cross-breds; 27 to 30 months old) without a history or clinical signs of respiratory tract disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on nontransported control horses (groups 1 and 2) and transported horses (group 3). Methods: 20 horses were used to determine the effect of 41 hours of transportation on the composition of BALF (group 3). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was analyzed fo...
Kaps S, Richter M, Philipp M, Bart M, Eule C, Spiess BM.A 12-year-old Haflinger gelding was presented to the veterinary medical teaching hospital of the University of Zurich with a light-pink raised mass on the temporal limbus and conjunctiva of the left eye. Squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed histologically after keratectomy and cryotherapy. Seven months later, a smooth pink, progressively enlarging mass was observed within the cornea of the left eye. Ultrasonographically, the mass was not only infiltrating the corneal stroma but seemed to protrude into the anterior chamber. The globe was surgically removed and submitted for pathology. A histol...
Estell K.Periocular neoplasia is common in horses. Treatment of the periocular skin and ocular adnexal structures can be technically challenging. Common neoplastic conditions, a treatment algorithm, surgical principles, and therapeutic modalities are reviewed. Regardless of the type of neoplasia found or the treatment that is applied, success is most likely when the neoplastic tumor is small.
Álvarez R, Meléndez-Martínez AJ, Vicario IM, Alcalde MJ.Carotenoids are important for human health because of their provitamin A function among other biological actions. Their implication on consumer point of view of cattle products have been widely studied, but very little information is available for horse products. The aim of this study was to study the accumulation of carotenoids, retinoids and tocopherol by HPLC and HPLC-MS analysis in different horse tissues (plasma, milk, adipose tissue and liver) and compare it with that of cattle. Fat color was also studied. Four groups of animals were studied (15 animals within each group): lactating mare...
