"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.
Ortved KF, Nixon AJ.Damage to the articular cartilage surface is common in the equine athlete and, due to the poor intrinsic healing capabilities of cartilage, can lead to osteoarthritis (OA). Joint disease and OA are the leading cause of retirement in equine athletes and currently there are no effective treatments to stop the progression of OA. Several different cell-based strategies have been investigated to bolster the weak regenerative response of chondrocytes. Such techniques aim to restore the articular surface and prevent further joint degradation. Cell-based cartilage repair strategies include enhancement...
Vandenberghe A, Broeckx SY, Beerts C, Seys B, Zimmerman M, Verweire I, Suls M, Spaas JH.Suspensory ligament injuries are a common injury in sport horses, especially in competing dressage horses. Because of the poor healing of chronic recalcitrant tendon injuries, this represents a major problem in the rehabilitation of sport horses and often compromises the return to the initial performance level. Stem cells are considered as a novel treatment for different pathologies in horses and humans. Autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are well known for their use in the treatment of tendinopathies; however, recent studies report a safe use of allogeneic MSCs for different orthopedic ...
Figueiredo AS, Lampe E, do Espírito-Santo MP, Mello FC, de Almeida FQ, de Lemos ER, Godoi TL, Dimache LA, Dos Santos DR, Villar LM.Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV), as described in horses, is the virus most genetically related to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although detected worldwide, limited data on genomic variability and distribution of NPHV are available in Latin America. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity and prevalence of equine NPHV in Brazil. Thirteen percent of 202 equines from three Brazilian states were positive for NPHV genome by reverse transcriptase PCR. Nucleotide sequences of the partial NS5B genome presented the greatest diversity described to date (25.6%), which is comparable to t...
Ruse K, Davison A, Bridle K.Thoroughbred jump racing sits in the spotlight of contemporary welfare and ethical debates about horse racing. In Australia, jump racing comprises hurdle and steeplechase races and has ceased in all but two states, Victoria and South Australia. This paper documents the size, geography, composition, and dynamics of Australian jump racing for the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons with a focus on debate about risks to horses. We found that the majority of Australian jump racing is regional, based in Victoria, and involves a small group of experienced trainers and jockeys. Australian jump horses are on...
Muñoz A, Esgueva M, Gómez-Díez M, Serrano-Caballero JM, Castejón-Riber C, Serrano-Rodríguez JM.Changes in blood pressure (BP) during acute hypertension in response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) have not been investigated in normotensive horses. In this study, six healthy horses were subjected to five trials, consisting in a treadmill exercise workload of 8 m/s for 1 min, 2 h after oral administration (PO) of placebo (0 mg/kg), enalapril (2.0 mg/kg), quinapril (1.0 mg/kg), ramipril (0.2 mg/kg) or benazepril (0.5 mg/kg). Serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity was measured and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures were recorded...
Mastellar SL, Barnes T, Cybulak K, Urschel KL.This study determined splanchnic extraction of phenylalanine at two intakes of threonine. Six Thoroughbred mares were supplemented with isonitrogenous amounts of either threonine or glutamate. Dietary threonine intakes were 119 (+Thr) and 58 (Basal) mg/kg/day, respectively. Each horse received each diet twice and each was studied once with an oral and once with an intravenous (IV) infusion of [1-(13)C]phenylalanine. A 2-h primed, constant IV infusion of [(13)C]sodium bicarbonate and a 4-h primed, constant infusion of [1-(13)C]phenylalanine, either orally or IV, were used to measure isotopic en...
Payne E, DeAraugo J, Bennett P, McGreevy P.This article reviews evidence for the existence of attachment bonds directed toward humans in dog-human and horse-human dyads. It explores each species' alignment with the four features of a typical attachment bond: separation-related distress, safe haven, secure base and proximity seeking. While dog-human dyads show evidence of each of these, there is limited alignment for horse-human dyads. These differences are discussed in the light of the different selection paths of domestic dogs and horses as well as the different contexts in which the two species interact with humans. The role of emoti...
Reinemeyer CR, Prado JC, Nielsen MK.Despite widespread acknowledgement of cyathostomin resistance to adult icidal dosages of benzimidazole (BZD) anthelmintics, many strongyle control programs continue to feature regularly scheduled larvicidal treatment with fenbendazole (FBZ). However, no studies have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of larvicidal regimens against encysted cyathostomins in a BZD-resistant (BZD-R) population. A masked, randomized, controlled clinical study was conducted with 18 juvenile horses harboring populations of cyathostomins that were considered BZD-R on the basis of fecal egg count reduction (FECR)...
Gomez DE, Radtke CL, Russell LA, Lopez A, Wichtel MW.Acute pancreatitis is a rare disease in horses and is often associated with gastrointestinal disorders. Accurate diagnosis is challenging due to the presence of nonspecific clinical signs. This case represents the first documentation of acute pancreatitis in a horse following surgery of the reproductive tract. La pancréatite aiguë est une maladie rare chez les chevaux et est souvent associée aux troubles gastro-intestinaux. Un diagnostic exact est difficile en raison de la présence de signes cliniques non spécifiques. Ce cas représente la première fois qu’une pancréatite aiguë est ...
Olsen E, Pedersen TL, Robinson R, Haubro Andersen P.Arterial blood pressure (BP) is a relevant clinical parameter that can be measured in standing conscious horses to assess tissue perfusion or pain. However, there are no validated oscillometric noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) devices for use in horses. Methods: Seven healthy horses from a teaching and research herd. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and precision of systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in conscious horses obtained with an oscillometric NIBP device when compared to invasively measured arterial BP. Methods: An ...
Hepworth-Warren KL, Wong DM, Hay-Kraus BL, Wang C, Sun Y.This study compared the effects of IV administration of isotonic fluid therapy and colloidal fluid therapy in healthy neonatal foals. Fifteen healthy neonatal foals were used in a randomized blinded prospective clinical study. Foals were randomly assigned to receive a bolus of 20 mL/kg of tetrastarch (TES) or balanced crystalloid solution. Vital parameters, colloid osmotic pressure (COP), and various clinicopathologic variables were assessed prior to infusion and at various time points up to 120 h after infusion. The treatment group (TES) had a significant increase in both COP and percentage i...
Risberg ÅI, Ranheim B, Krontveit RI, Lervik A, Haga HA.To compare cardiac index and oxygen extraction at equivalent depths of anaesthesia between isoflurane-anaesthetized horses and horses anesthetized with isoflurane and dexmedetomidine CRI. Methods: Sequential, blinded, randomized, balanced, crossover study. Methods: Eight horses weighing a mean ± standard deviation of 478 ± 58 kg. Methods: Horses were premedicated with 0.03 mg kg(-1) acepromazine intramuscularly (IM) and 8 μg kg(-1) dexmedetomidine intravenously (IV). Anaesthesia was induced with 2.5 mg kg(-1) ketamine and 0.1 mg kg(-1) midazolam IV and maintained with isofluran...
Jensen RB, Kyrstein TD, Junghans P, Tauson AH.Energy expenditure (EE) can be estimated based on respiratory gas exchange measurements, traditionally done in respiration chambers by indirect calorimetry (IC). However, the (13)C-bicarbonate technique ((13)C-BT) might be an alternative minimal invasive method for estimation of CO(2) production and EE in the field. In this study, four Shetland ponies were used to explore the effect of feeding on CO(2) production and EE measured simultaneously by IC and (13)C-BT. The ponies were individually housed in respiration chambers and received either a single oral or intravenous (IV) bolus dose of (13)...
Lanata A, Guidi A, Baragli P, Valenza G, Scilingo EP.This study reports on a novel method to detect and reduce the contribution of movement artifact (MA) in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings gathered from horses in free movement conditions. We propose a model that integrates cardiovascular and movement information to estimate the MA contribution. Specifically, ECG and physical activity are continuously acquired from seven horses through a wearable system. Such a system employs completely integrated textile electrodes to monitor ECG and is also equipped with a triaxial accelerometer for movement monitoring. In the literature, the most used techn...
Stowe CJ, Kibler ML.The unwanted horse issue continues to be a major concern in the U.S. equine industry. Nonprofit organizations dedicated to rescuing, retraining, and rehoming unwanted horses are critical in minimizing this problem. This study utilized data collected nationwide from organizations that provide these services for thoroughbreds retired from racing to identify individual horse characteristics that influenced length of stay at the adoption facility as well as characteristics that increased the probability that an adopted horse would be returned to the facility. The results suggested that horses with...
Potter JJ, MacFarlane PD, Love EJ, Tremaine H, Taylor PM, Murrell JC.To compare sedative and analgesic properties of buprenorphine or morphine for standing procedures combined with a detomidine continuous rate infusion (CRI). Methods: Blinded, prospective, randomized clinical pilot study. Methods: Ten horses presented for dental or sinus procedures. Methods: Horses received 0.02 mg kg(-1) acepromazine intravenously (IV), followed 30 minutes later by detomidine 10 μg kg(-1) IV. Five minutes later, buprenorphine 0.01 mg kg(-1) (n = 6) or morphine 0.1 mg kg(-1) (n = 4) was administered IV. Detomidine was administered by CRI (0.2 μg kg(-1) minute(-1)) and adjuste...
Raftery AG, Garcia NC, Thompson H, Sutton DG.A 15-year-old Clydesdale cross gelding was investigated and managed over a 2-year period for intermittent collapse. The horse presented initially after an observed episode of collapse at rest, and had a resting tachycardia, elevated Cardiac Troponin I and polycythaemia. Multiple dysrhythmias were detected on telemetric electrocardiography. Vital parameters, cardiac rhythm and red cell count returned to reference range with prolonged rest but further resting syncopal episodes were observed, and due to safety concerns and limited treatment options the horse was euthanased. Post mortem evaluation...
Scruggs JL, Flatland B, McCormick KA, Reed A.To assess the utility of population-based reference intervals (PRIs) for interpreting thromboelastography (TEG) variables in horses using biological variation data. Methods: Prospective cohort biologic variation study conducted over a 5-week period. Methods: Veterinary teaching hospital and research facility. Methods: Ten clinically healthy horses randomly selected from a veterinary school research and teaching herd. Methods: Horse health was determined using physical examination, CBC, and biochemical and coagulation profiles prior to the start of the study. Subsequently, once weekly blood sam...
Brilhante RS, Bittencourt PV, Castelo-Branco Dde S, de Oliveira JS, Alencar LP, Cordeiro Rde A, Pinheiro M, Nogueira-Filho EF, Pereira-Neto Wde A....This was a cross-sectional study to investigate the antifungal susceptibility and production of virulence factors in strains of Candida isolated from the outlet and the lumen of the nasolacrimal duct of horses in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The samples were obtained from 103 horses. Sterile cotton swabs were used to collect the material from the outlet of the nasolacrimal duct and urethral probes, for the instillation of 2 ml of saline solution, were used to collect samples from the lumen of the nasolacrimal duct. A total of 77 Candida isolates were obtained, with C. famata, C. tropicalis, C....
Cheetham J, Perkins JD, Jarvis JC, Cercone M, Maw M, Hermanson JW, Mitchell LM, Piercy RJ, Ducharme NG.Bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVCP) is a life-threatening condition that follows injury to the Recurrent Laryngeal nerve (RLn) and denervation of the intrinsic laryngeal musculature. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) enables restoration and control of a wide variety of motor functions impaired by lower motor neuron lesions. Here we evaluate the effects of FES on the sole arytenoid abductor, the posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle in a large animal model of RLn injury. Ten horses were instrumented with two quadripolar intramuscular electrodes in the left PCA muscle. Following a 12-wee...
Matusovsky OS, Kachmar L, Ijpma G, Bates G, Zitouni N, Benedetti A, Lavoie JP, Lauzon AM.Heaves is a naturally occurring equine disease that shares many similarities with human asthma, including reversible antigen-induced bronchoconstriction, airway inflammation, and remodeling. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the trachealis muscle is mechanically representative of the peripheral airway smooth muscle (ASM) in an equine model of asthma. Tracheal and peripheral ASM of heaves-affected horses under exacerbation, or under clinical remission of the disease, and control horses were dissected and freed of epithelium to measure unloaded shortening velocity (Vmax), stress...
Frischknecht M, Jagannathan V, Plattet P, Neuditschko M, Signer-Hasler H, Bachmann I, Pacholewska A, Drögemüller C, Dietschi E, Flury C, Rieder S....The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) such as height and their underlying causative variants is still challenging and often requires large sample sizes. In humans hundreds of loci with small effects control the heritable portion of height variability. In domestic animals, typically only a few loci with comparatively large effects explain a major fraction of the heritability. We investigated height at withers in Shetland ponies and mapped a QTL to ECA 6 by genome-wide association (GWAS) using a small cohort of only 48 animals and the Illumina equine SNP70 BeadChip. Fine-mapping re...
Bonelli F, Meucci V, Divers TJ, Jose-Cunilleras E, Corazza M, Tognetti R, Guidi G, Intorre L, Sgorbini M.The diseases most frequent associated with SIRS in adult horses are those involving the gastrointestinal tract. An early diagnosis should be the goal in the management of horses with SIRS. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the plasma procalcitonin (PCT) concentration in healthy and SIRS horses to assess differences between the two groups. Methods: Seventy-eight horses (30 healthy and 48 SIRS). Methods: Prospective in vivo multicentric study. Horses were classified as SIRS if at least 2 of the following criteria were met: abnormal leukocyte count or distribution, hypertherm...
Swanberg JE, Clouser JM, Bush A, Westneat S.Horse breeding farms are hazardous. Yet, little is known about the injuries of Latino horse workers. This study assesses Latino horse workers' injury prevalence, describes their injuries, and analyzes differences between injuries receiving medical versus those receiving first aid care. Data were gathered from 225 Latino thoroughbred workers via a community-based purposive sampling strategy. Questions included injury experiences in the past year and details about each person's two most severe injuries. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted. Nearly half of workers experienced an injur...
Boysen C, Davis EG, Beard LA, Lubbers BV, Raghavan RK.Kansas witnessed an unprecedented outbreak in Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection among horses, a disease commonly referred to as pigeon fever during fall 2012. Bayesian geostatistical models were developed to identify key environmental and climatic risk factors associated with C. pseudotuberculosis infection in horses. Positive infection status among horses (cases) was determined by positive test results for characteristic abscess formation, positive bacterial culture on purulent material obtained from a lanced abscess (n = 82), or positive serologic evidence of exposure to organism ...
Eyre P.Systemic anaphylaxis was induced in seven groups of ponies. Systemic hypotension, pulmonary hypotension, and apnea were observed in the control group. Suppression of anaphylaxis was achieved most efficiently with sodium meclofenamate followed by acetylsalicylic acid and diethylcarboamazine. Tripelennamine and methysergide reduced anaphylaxis minimally and burimamide not at all. The findings suggest that histamine and serotonin are of relatively low significance in equine anaphylaxis whereas kinins, prostaglandins and slow reacting substance may be more important.
Marshall VL, Secombe C, Nicholls PK.A 6-week-old Warmblood colt foal was presented for investigation of multiple haematoma formation in various locations, poor wound healing and abnormal scar formation. Based on the history and clinical presentation of hyperextensible skin with prolonged skin tenting, the foal was diagnosed with cutaneous asthenia and euthanased because of the poor prognosis. Histopathological and electron microscopic findings were inconclusive. This is the first case report of cutaneous asthenia in a Warmblood horse in Australia. Cutaneous asthenia is reviewed with particular reference to hereditary equine regi...
DeBowes RM, Leipold HW, Turner-Beatty M.Cerebellar abiotrophy is a degenerative condition of Arabian horses that produces signs of head tremors and ataxia. Affected foals demonstrate clinical signs between the time of birth and 6 months of age. The condition is untreatable, although some animals have reportedly improved to varying degrees. The disease is believed to be inherited; however, definitive evidence is lacking at this time.
Delguste C, Amory H, Guyonnet J, Thibaud D, Garnero P, Detilleux J, Lepage OM, Doucet M.Bioavailability and pharmacological effects of tiludronate were compared when administered as an intravenous (i.v.) bolus at a dosage of 0.1 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) once daily for 10 consecutive days (group 1, n = 6) and as a single constant rate infusion (CRI) at a total dose of 1 mg/kg b.w. (group 2, n = 6) in healthy adult horses. Tiludronate and carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-1) were measured in plasma and urine. There was no statistically significant difference in area under the curve (AUC) and clearance (Cl) between the two groups. Bioavailability of ...
Pourmohammad R, Mohri M, Seifi HA, Sardari K.Limited information existed on performance tests in Iranian Arab horses. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate time related changes of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and oxidative/antioxidant biomarkers in the serum of Arabian horses before and after regular training. Methods: Blood samples were collected from jugular vein of 25 Arabian horses before exercise; 5 h and 18 h after exercise and used to measure the cTnI, ANP, malondialdehyde (MDA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) ...
Kyaw-Tanner MT, Wattle O, van Eps AW, Pollitt CC.Enzymatic separation at the hoof lamellar dermal-epidermal interface may play a role in the development of laminitis and characterising and locating matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (tissue inhibitors of MMPs or TIMPs) in lamellar tissues may further understanding of pathogenesis. Objective: To clone and sequence the cDNA encoding lamellar MMP-14 and TIMP-2, and quantify their transcription in normal and laminitic tissue; and to develop antibody to locate MMP-14 in lamellar tissues. Methods: Tissue samples were obtained from an oligofructose induced model of laminitis. Tot...
Trachsel DS, Bitschnau C, Waldern N, Weishaupt MA, Schwarzwald CC.Frequent supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias during and after exercise are considered pathological in horses. Prevalence of arrhythmias seen in apparently healthy horses is still a matter of debate and may depend on breed, athletic condition and exercise intensity. Objective: To determine intra- and interobserver agreement for detection of arrhythmias at rest, during and after exercise using a telemetric electrocardiography device. Methods: The electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings of 10 healthy Warmblood horses (5 of which had an intracardiac catheter in place) undergoing a standardised ...
Toribio RE, Kohn CW, Sams RA, Capen CC, Rosol TJ.Abnormalities in calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis are reported in horses with several pathological conditions; however, there is little information on Ca(2+) regulation in horses. The objectives of the present study were to determine the Ca(2+) set-point in healthy horses, to determine whether the Ca(2+)/parathyroid hormone (PTH) response curves were characterized by hysteresis, and to determine if the order of experimentally induced hypocalcemia or hypercalcemia had an effect on PTH secretion. The Ca(2+) set-point and hysteresis were determined in 12 healthy horses by infusing Na(2)EDTA and calci...
Stewart F, Gerstenberg C, Suire S, Allen WR.One of the major progesterone-dependent endometrial proteins in the mare is a novel 19 kDa lipocalin (P19). This protein is secreted by the endometrial glands and is readily detectable in uterine secretions during the luteal phase of the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. The function of P19 is unknown, but since most lipocalins act as carriers of small hydrophobic molecules, it probably transports a maternal factor to the conceptus during pregnancy. In this study, a high titre antiserum raised against recombinant-derived P19 was used to detect by immunohistochemistry the protein in endometri...
Lan DL, Wang CS, Deng B, Zhou JP, Cui L, Tang C, Yue H, Hua XG.West Nile virus (WNV) infection is an emerging zoonosis that threatens global public health. In this study, a total of 95 bird serum samples from 14 species and 341 horse serum samples were collected from 2008 to 2010 in Shanghai, China. All serum samples were screened initially for WNV-reactive antibodies using a competitive ELISA. The positive samples detected by ELISA were further confirmed using a plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT) for WNV and its most closely related flaviviruses in the area to avoid false positives due to cross-reactivity. Five (5·3%) of the bird serum samples ...
Perkins NR, Webster WR, Wright T, Denney I, Links I.At the time of the initial notification of the occurrence of equine influenza (EI) in Australia in August 2007, vaccination was restricted to horses for which it was an import requirement and only with the approval of the state or territory Chief Veterinary Officer. This paper describes the complexities involved in the selection of a vaccine and its distribution. A combination of ring, predictive and blanket vaccination was implemented during the response. The specific vaccination programs, including its use in buffer zones and for movement of horses, the performance of the vaccine, any advers...
Niemelä TM, Tulamo RM, Carmona JU, López C.Inflammatory and degenerative activity inside the joint can be studied in vivo by analysis of synovial fluid biomarkers. In addition to pro-inflammatory mediators, several anabolic and anti-inflammatory substances are produced during the disease process. They counteract the catabolic effects of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and thus diminish the cartilage damage. The response of synovial fluid biomarkers after intra-articular hyaluronan injection, alone or in combination with other substances, has been examined only in a few equine studies. The effects of hyaluronan on some pro-inflammatory m...
Johnson AL, McAdams-Gallagher SC, Sweeney RW.Botulism in horses in the USA is attributed to Clostridium botulinum types A, B or C. In this study, a duplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) for detection of the neurotoxin genes of C. botulinum types A and B, and a singleplex qPCR for detection of the neurotoxin gene of C. botulinum type C, were optimized and validated for equine gastrointestinal, faecal and feed samples. The performance of these assays was evaluated and compared to the standard mouse bioassay (MBA) using 148 well-characterized samples, most of which were acquired from a repository of veterinary diagnostic samples from cas...
Wilkins PA.The newborn foal can experience problems of the lower respiratory tract that are unique to the neonate. The transition to extrauterine life usually occurs rapidly and in a coordinated manner, but problems associated with the peripartum period, including placentitis, dystocia, infection, and trauma, can result in conditions that compromise gas exchange in the newborn foal. This article reviews the normal transition and presents some of the problems seen in these small patients.
Cwiklinski K, Kooyman FN, Van Doorn DC, Matthews JB, Hodgkinson JE.Cyathostomins comprise a group of 50 species of parasitic nematodes that infect equids. Ribosomal DNA sequences, in particular the intergenic spacer (IGS) region, have been utilized via several methodologies to identify pre-parasitic stages of the commonest species that affect horses. These methods rely on the availability of accurate sequence information for each species, as well as detailed knowledge of the levels of intra- and inter-specific variation. Here, the IGS DNA region was amplified and sequenced from 10 cyathostomin species for which sequence was not previously available. Also, add...
Maxson AD, Reef VB.A retrospective study of 10 horses with bacterial endocarditis was performed in order to describe the echocardiographic findings in horses with bacterial endocarditis, in conjunction with clinical signs and post mortem findings, and to evaluate the usefulness and the formulation of a prognosis. Echocardiographic and post mortem examinations were performed in 7 horses. Post mortem examination alone was performed in 2 horses and echocardiographic examination alone performed in one horse. No breed or sex predilection was obvious. Mean age +/- s.d. was 2.12 +/- 3.32 years. Predominant clinical sig...
Guschlbauer M, Feige K, Geburek F, Hoppe S, Hopster K, Pröpsting MJ, Huber K.To determine whether administration of lidocaine during ischemia and reperfusion in horses results in concentrations in smooth muscle sufficient to protect against the negative consequences of ischemia-reperfusion injury on smooth muscle motility. Methods: 12 horses. Methods: Artificial ischemia and reperfusion injury of jejunal segments was induced in vivo in conjunction with lidocaine treatment during ischemia (IRL) or without lidocaine treatment (IR). Isometric force performance was measured in vitro in IRL and IR smooth muscle preparations with and without additional in vitro application o...
Peugnet P, Robles M, Mendoza L, Wimel L, Dubois C, Dahirel M, Guillaume D, Camous S, Berthelot V, Toquet MP, Richard E, Sandersen C, Chaffaux S....In stud management, broodmares are commonly fed concentrates in late pregnancy. This practice, however, was shown to correlate with an increased incidence of osteochondrosis in foals, which may be related to insulin sensitivity. We hypothesized that supplementation of the mare with barley in the last trimester of pregnancy alters the pre-weaning foal growth, glucose metabolism and osteoarticular status. Here, pregnant multiparous saddlebred mares were fed forage only (group F, n=13) or both forage and cracked barley (group B, n=12) from the 7th month of pregnancy until term, as calculated to c...
Duran MC, Dumrath CAC, Bartmann CP, Medina Torres CE, Moschos A, Goehring LS.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a sensitive acute-phase response (APR) marker in equids. Prominent APRs with elevations of SAA concentrations ([SAA]) have been reported after vaccination. The authors hypothesized that vaccination with an inactivated EHV-1/-4 vaccine would cause increase in [SAA] and antibody responses and that higher [SAA] would be positively correlated with the antibody titer in both equids. Twelve Haflinger horses and 12 mules were included in this longitudinal prospective study. All horses and mules were vaccinated with a commercially available EHV-1/-4 vaccine. Blood was sampled ...
Sheats MK, Cook VL, Jones SL, Blikslager AT, Pease AP.The post operative response of the large colon wall after a surgically corrected large colon volvulus (LCV) has not been investigated. Objective: To use transabdominal ultrasound to monitor the post operative change in large colon wall thickness following surgical correction of LCV. Objective: A prolonged period to colon wall involution is correlated with an increased rate of post operative morbidity and mortality. Methods: A prospective clinical study including horses that presented to the North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for colic between September 2006 and March,...
Noronha LE, Antczak DF.Pregnant mares demonstrate a reduction in cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) reactivity against cells from the breeding stallion. We investigated whether this effect is limited to activity against paternal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens, and whether it occurs during MHC-compatible pregnancy. Methods: Mares were mated to carry MHC-compatible or MHC-incompatible pregnancies. CTL activity of these mares when pregnant and non-pregnant was measured against cells from horses with MHC haplotypes unrelated to the mare or breeding stallion. Results: While carrying MHC-incompatible pregnancie...
Riquelme G, Sepúlveda JM, Al Ghumgham Z, Del Campo M, Montero C, Lagos N.Local anesthesia is an effective method to control pain. Neosaxitoxin is a phycotoxin whose molecular mechanism includes a reversible inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels at the axonal level, impeding nerve impulse propagation. The present study was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Neosaxitoxin as a local long-acting pain blocker in horse bucked shins, and it was found to effectively control pain. While Neosaxitoxin and Gonyautoxin, another Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) toxin, have been successfully used in humans as long-lasting pain blockers, this finding marks the fir...
Rovel T, Zimmerman M, Duchateau L, Delesalle C, Adriaensen E, Mariën T, Saunders JH, Vanderperren K.To describe articular process joints (APJs) of the cervical spine in horses on the basis of CT and to determine whether abnormalities were associated with clinical signs. 86 client-owned warmblood horses. Horses that underwent CT of the cervical spine between January 2015 and January 2017 were eligible for study inclusion. Medical records were reviewed for age, body weight, breed, sex, history, clinical signs, and CT findings. Horses were divided into 3 case groups and 1 control group on the basis of clinical signs. 70 warmblood horses were cases, and 16 were controls. Abnormalities were more ...
Hurcombe SD.Hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) dysfunction has been documented in a limited capacity in horses and foals associated with critical illness, stress, and pain. This article reviews species-specific details of anatomy, function, hormones, receptors, and testing of the HP axis in the horse. A discussion of critical care medicine relevant to HP dysfunction in the horse with some reference to current understanding in human medicine is made, focusing primarily on current and relevant literature. A brief mention of other conditions described in human and veterinary medicine is also provided for reference ...
Fenner MF, Gatta G, Sattler S, Kuiper M, Hesselkilde EM, Adler DMT, Smerup M, Schotten U, Sørensen U, Diness JG, Jespersen T, Verheule S....Small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa2) channels have been proposed as a possible atrial-selective target to pharmacologically terminate atrial fibrillation (AF) and to maintain sinus rhythm. However, it has been hypothesized that the importance of the KCa2 current-and thereby the efficacy of small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ current (I K,Ca) inhibition-might be negatively related to AF duration and the extent of AF-induced remodeling. Unassigned: To address the hypothesis of the efficacy of I K,Ca inhibition being dependent on AF duration, the anti-arrhythmic properties of the I K,Ca inh...
Connysson M, Muhonen S, Jansson A.This study investigated the effects of transport and diet on metabolic response during a subsequent race-like test in Standardbred horses in training fed a forage-only diet and a 50:50 forage:oats diet. Six trained and raced Standardbred trotter mares were used. Two diets, 1 forage-only diet (FONLY) and 1 diet with 50% of DM intake from forage and 50% from oats (FOATS), were fed for two 29-d periods in a crossover design. At Day 21, the horses were subjected to transport for 100 km before and after they performed an exercise test (transport test [TT]). At Day 26, the horses performed a control...
Videla R, Sommardahl CS, Elliott SB, Vasili A, Andrews FM.Gastric ulcers are common in horses and treatment of horses that cannot be administered oral medication can be problematic. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of esomeprazole sodium administered intravenously on gastric juice pH and gastric ulcer scores in horses. Methods: Twelve adult female Quarter Horses. Methods: Esomeprazole sodium (0.5 mg/kg IV) was administered once daily to 8 horses (treatment group) and saline (5 mL IV) was administered to 4 horses (control group) for 13 consecutive days. Gastroscopy was performed and gastric juice pH and gastric ulcer score were recorded before and ...
