"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.
Labens R, Mellor DJ, Voûte LC.Osteoarthritis of the distal tarsal joints, affecting the centrodistal and tarsometatarsal joints, is a common cause of hindlimb lameness in horses. This paper describes the outcome of the intra-articular treatment of 51 horses with the condition with either methylprednisolone acetate (mpa) or triamcinolone acetonide (tr), either with or without hyaluronic acid (ha). The outcome was assessed in terms of the changes in the horses' grade of lameness. Follow-up information was obtained from the owners by means of a telephone questionnaire. Horses treated once with mpa or tr, either with or withou...
Tydén E, Olsén L, Tallkvist J, Tjälve H, Larsson P.Gene and protein expression as well as catalytic activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A were studied in the nasal olfactory and respiratory mucosa and the tracheal mucosa of the horse. We also examined the activity of NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase (NADPH P450 reductase), the amount of cytochrome b(5) and the total CYP content in these tissues. Comparative values for the above were obtained using liver as a control. The CYP3A related catalytic activity in the tissues of the upper airways was considerably higher than in the liver. The CYP3A gene and protein expression, on the other hand, was hig...
Zacharias JR, Lescun TB, Moore GE, Van Sickle DC.To determine the effect of 2 hydroxyapatite pin coatings on heat generated at the bone-pin interface and torque required for insertion of transfixation pins into cadaveric equine third metacarpal bone. Methods: Third metacarpal bone pairs from 27 cadavers of adult horses. Methods: Peak temperature of the bone at the cis-cortex and the hardware and pin at the trans-cortex was measured during insertion of a plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (PSHA)-coated, biomimetic hydroxyapatite (BMHA)-coated, or uncoated large animal transfixation pin. End-insertional torque was measured for each pin. The bone-pi...
Lam KK, Parkin TD, Riggs CM, Morgan KL.To identify the risk factors for premature retirement because of tendon injury in a Thoroughbred racehorse population. Methods: 175 Thoroughbred racehorses (cases) at the Hong Kong Jockey Club that were retired from racing because of tendon injury between 1997 and 2004 and for which the last preretirement exercise was at a fast pace were each matched with 3 control horses that were randomly selected from all uninjured horses that had galloped on the same date as that last exercise episode. Methods: Training data for all horses were examined. Conditional logistic regression analyses were perfor...
Bailey SR, Menzies-Gow NJ, Harris PA, Habershon-Butcher JL, Crawford C, Berhane Y, Boston RC, Elliott J.To determine whether pasture, and specifically the addition of fructan carbohydrate to the diet, induces exaggerated changes in serum insulin concentration in laminitispredisposed (LP) ponies, compared with ponies with no history of the condition, and also to determine insulin responses to the dexamethasone suppression test. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 10 LP and 11 control adult nonobese mixed-breed ponies. Methods: Insulin-modified IV glucose tolerance tests were performed (5 ponies/group). In diet studies, ponies were kept on pasture and then changed to a hay diet (10 ponies/group)....
Tate LP, Blikslager AT, Papich MG.The objective was to develop a protocol whereby 808-nm diode laser irradiation combined with intravenous (IV) indocyanine green (ICG) could be used in non-contact mode with equal surgical efficacy to the Nd:YAG on equine tissues. Background: The 808-nm diode laser, delivering 20-40 W of power, has been produced for veterinary medical applications. This laser's power output is less than that of most neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers. ICG is absorbed at a wavelength of 810 nm, which when concentrated in tissue should be an excellent absorber for the energy produced by the 808-nm ...
Rietbroek NJ, Dingboom EG, Joosten BJ, Eizema K, Everts ME.To investigate whether training for show jumping that is commenced early after birth affects the characteristics of equine locomotory muscle. Methods: 19 Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: Horses were assigned to a trained or not trained (control) group. After weaning, training (free jumping [2 d/wk] that was alternated with a 20-minute period of exercise in a mechanical rotating walker [3 d/wk]) was started and continued until horses were 3 years old. Fiber type composition (determined from myosin heavy chain [MyHC] content), fiber area, diffusion index (area supplied by 1 capillary), citrate s...
Plummer AE, Rakestraw PC, Hardy J, Lee RM.To determine short- and long-term outcomes, including recurrence rates, for horses with cecal impaction treated medically or surgically. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 114 horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for information on signalment, history, clinical findings, treatment (medical vs surgical), and short-term outcome. Information on longterm outcome was obtained through a mail survey and telephone interview with owners. Results: 54 horses were treated medically, 49 horses were treated surgically, and 11 horses were euthanized after initial examination without furth...
Rietbroek NJ, Dingboom EG, Schuurman SO, Hengeveld-van der Wiel E, Eizema K, Everts ME.To determine whether postnatal development of oxidative capacity and capillary supply of skeletal muscle is affected by various movement regimens in horses. Methods: 35 foals. Methods: Dutch Warmblood foals were allocated into 3 groups (box stall rest, box stall rest with training, and free pasture exercise). Training comprised an increasing number of gallop sprints from 1 week after birth to 22 weeks of age. From 22 to 48 weeks, the 3 groups were combined and allowed to exercise freely. Capillary supply (diffusion index [ie, area supplied by 1 capillary]), citrate synthase (CS) activity, and ...
Loftus JP, Black SJ, Pettigrew A, Abrahamsen EJ, Belknap JK.To determine proinflammatory gene expression, endothelial adhesion molecule gene expression, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) concentrations in laminar specimens at 1.5 hours after administration of black walnut extract (BWE) and to compare these values with later time points. Methods: 25 horses. Methods: After nasogastric administration of BWE, anesthesia was induced at 1.5 hours in early time point (ETP) horses (n = 5), between 3 and 4 hours in developmental time point horses (5), and between 9 and 10 hours in acute onset of lameness time point horses (5). Anesthesia was induced at 3 and 1...
Donovan DC, Jackson CA, Colahan PT, Norton NN, Clapper JL, Moore JN, Hurley DJ.To evaluate the effects of a standardized exercise test to exhaustion in horses on leukocyte function ex vivo. Methods: 6 Thoroughbred geldings. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from each horse before exercise; at exhaustion (termed failure); and at 2, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after exercise to evaluate hematologic changes, rate of leukocyte apoptosis, and leukocyte production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) ex vivo. To assess leukocyte function, leukocyte ROS production in response to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, zymosan, and phorbol myristate acetate was evaluated....
Kodama A, Yanai T, Yomemaru K, Sakai H, Masegi T, Yamada S, Fukushi H, Kuraishi T, Hattori S, Kai C.Equine herpesvirus 9 (EHV-9) is a new neurotropic equine herpesvirus which induced encephalitis in a variety of animals. However, there was no information on the susceptibility of EHV-9 in primates. Methods: To assess the infectivity of EHV-9, four common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) were inoculated by the nasal route with 10(6) plaque-forming units of EHV-9. Conclusions: All of the inoculated animals exhibited various neurological signs progressing to collapse. Histologically, the affected animals had severe encephalitis characterized by neuronal degeneration and necrosis with intranuclear ...
de Mira MC, Ragle CA, Gablehouse KB, Tucker RL.A 3-year-old Thoroughbred mare was evaluated because of abnormal upper respiratory tract sounds (that had become apparent during race training) of 3 to 4 months' duration. Results: On initial physical evaluation, there were no abnormal findings. During trotting, an abnormal upper airway expiratory sound was audible. Endoscopic examination revealed a small mass protruding into the right ventral nasal meatus. Radiographic images of the skull revealed no abnormal findings. Computed tomography of the head revealed an abnormal structure in the same location as the mass that was observed during endo...
Schaaf KL, Kannegieter NJ, Lovell DK.Three horses, a 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding and a 6-year-old Arab gelding, with calcified tumours of the paranasal sinuses, are described. All horses presented with purulent nasal discharges and facial distortion. Exophthalmos, blepharospasm and ocular discharge were also a feature in individual horses. A presumptive diagnosis of a calcified tumour was made on the basis of clinical signs and radiographic and endoscopic findings. The tumours ranged from 15 to 25 cm in diameter. A large frontonasal bone flap was used to expose the tumours, which were cleaved ...
Lindgren K, Ljungvall O, Nilsson O, Ljungström BL, Lindahl C, Höglund J.Environmental contamination and the egg excretion pattern of the ascarid Parascaris equorum (Nematoda) was investigated in relation to anthelmintic treatment on a Swedish stud farm. Faecal samples from 15 foals, dewormed every 8th-week with a paste formulation of ivermectin at the standard dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg bodyweight, were collected at five sampling occasions between August and November 2006. In addition, soil samples were obtained from four paddocks used by these foals in November 2006. The number of eggs per gram (epg) was counted in both faeces and soil. Egg excretion started when the...
Vanderperren K, Raes E, Hoegaerts M, Saunders JH.The equine tarsus is the most commonly affected hindlimb region associated with lameness. Diagnostic imaging is routinely applied but because of its complexity, being composed of 10 multifaceted bones and different joints, multiple ligaments, tendons and bursae, imaging this region can be a challenge. This is the first part of a two-part review of the structures and disorders of the equine tarsus. It describes the principal disorders affecting the soft tissues of the tarsal region and addresses some of the technical aspects in taking radiographic, ultrasonographic and scintigraphic images of t...
Muñoz E, Leiva M, Naranjo C, Peña T.A 4-year-old Andalusian horse was presented for examination following a 3-month history of exophthalmos of the right eye and a soft swelling of the right supraorbital fossa noted after blunt head trauma. Ultrasonographic examination of the swelling showed an anecogenic mass of 5 cm in diameter involving the retrobulbar space. Centesis of the mass through the supraorbital fossa was performed and yielded a serous fluid with 7.2 g/dL of total protein and density of 1040. No cells were seen in the sample. A tentative diagnosis of cyst was made. The cyst was surgically removed and the definitive hi...
Henderson AJ.This article posits that stereotypical behavior patterns and the overall psychological well being of today's performance horse could be substantially enhanced with care that acknowledges the relationship between domesticated horses and their forerunners. Feral horses typically roam in stable, social groups over large grazing territories, spending 16-20 hr per day foraging on mid- to poor-quality roughage. In contrast, today's elite show horses live in relatively small stalls, eat a limited-but rich-diet at specific feedings, and typically live in social isolation. Although the horse has been d...
Gehlen H, Haubold A, Stadler P.The aim of this study was to establish echocardiographic reference values for healthy Icelandic horses. For this purpose cardiologic examinations were performed on 44 healthy trained and untrained Icelandic horses without known cardiologic or pulmonary disease. The atrial diameter of the trained horses were significantly greater than in the untrained horses and the left ventricular free wall diameter was also higher in the trained than in the untrained horses. These findings confirm that the changes of the heart caused by training which have previously been described by other authors in warmbl...
Hendrix DV, Stuffle JL, Cox SK.To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of topically applied ciprofloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution in tears of healthy horses. Methods: Twenty healthy, adult, mixed-breed horses. Methods: Twenty study horses were confirmed free of ophthalmic disease by complete ophthalmic examination. Seventy microliters of 0.3% ciprofloxacin (Ciloxan) was placed in the ventral cul-de-sac of each eye using a microliter syringe and 19-g cannula. Population kinetics were carried out by sampling the tear film from the lower cul-de-sac of each eye with tear test strips at 5, 10, 15 and 30 min and 1, 2, 4 and 6 h post ad...
Jones E, Viñuela-Fernandez I, Eager RA, Delaney A, Anderson H, Patel A, Robertson DC, Allchorne A, Sirinathsinghji EC, Milne EM, MacIntyre N....Laminitis is a common debilitating disease in horses that involves painful disruption of the lamellar dermo-epidermal junction within the hoof. This condition is often refractory to conventional anti-inflammatory analgesia and results in unremitting pain, which in severe cases requires euthanasia. The mechanisms underlying pain in laminitis were investigated using quantification of behavioural pain indicators in conjunction with histological studies of peripheral nerves innervating the hoof. Laminitic horses displayed consistently altered or abnormal behaviours such as increased forelimb lifti...
Strobel BW, Wilkie DA, Gilger BC.To determine clinical features, ophthalmic examination findings, etiology, treatment, and outcome of horses diagnosed with retinal detachment (RD). Methods: Forty horses, presented to the North Carolina State University and The Ohio State University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals from 1998 to 2005 that were diagnosed with RD. PROCEDURE(S): Horses with documented RD, confirmed either on ophthalmic examination or by ultrasonography, and with a complete medical record were included. Information retrieved from the medical records included signalment, presenting complaint, duration of clinical signs...
de Graaf-Roelfsema E, Keizer HA, van Breda E, Wijnberg ID, van der Kolk JH.Overtraining is an imbalance between training and recovery leading to symptoms associated with a neuroendocrine dysbalance called the overtraining syndrome, a disease characterized by behavioral, emotional and physical symptoms similar with depression. Although the prevalence of overtraining is high in human and equine athletes, at present no sensitive and specific test is available to prevent or diagnose overtraining. Nowadays, it is believed that combination of different (hormonal) parameters appear to be the best indicators of overtraining. Therefore, this review provides a summary of previ...
Gündüz MC, Kaşikci G, Ekiz B.In this study, the aim has been to characterize the profiles of progesterone, estradiol and follicular changes during postpartum period from parturition to first postpartum ovulation. Jugular venous blood was taken daily for progesterone and estradiol assay until first postpartum ovulation. The diameters of the follicles of the ovaries were recorded. The mean progesterone and estrogen concentrations markedly decreased (p<0.05) during the 48h after parturition. No correlation was observed between estradiol concentrations and the diameter of the largest follicle whereas a negative correlation wa...
Knottenbelt DC, Hetzel U, Roberts V.A 14-year-old gray gelding was presented for investigation of a visible, pale-colored ocular mass in the right eye. An intraocular mass was identified clinically and ultrasonographically as originating from the superior nasal quadrant of the ciliary body and retina. The mass occupied the majority of the vitreous chamber and some of the superior anterior chamber of the eye. The affected eye was blind. Following exenteration, a primary intraocular primitive neuroectodermal tumor (i.e. a retinoblastoma/medulloepithelioma), a rarely described intraocular mass in adult horses, was identified by pat...
Sandmeyer LS, Breaux CB, Archer S, Grahn BH.To determine the prevalence of congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses in western Canada, investigate the association with the leopard complex of white spotting patterns, and further characterize the clinical and electroretinographic aspects of CSNB in the Appaloosa. Methods: Three groups of 10 Appaloosas were studied based on coat patterns suggestive of LpLp, Lplp, and lplp genotype. Methods: Neurophthalmic examination, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, measurement of corneal diameter, streak retinoscopy, scotopic and photopic full-field and flicker ER...
Neamat-Allah AN, Damaty HM.Respiratory tract infections are considered the major problem of equine worldwide. Strangles is an infectious and highly contagious respiratory bacterial disease of equine caused by Streptococcus equi. This study is aimed to evaluate some clinical and epidemiological investigation associated with strangles and to study the hematological and biochemical changes in 20 Arabian horse naturally infected with S. equi during the disease and after 10 days from treatment by procaine penicillin with benzathine penicillin. Methods: A total of 490 Arabian horses have been examined, 120 (24.5%) have been c...
Trachsel DS, Grenacher B, Weishaupt MA, Schwarzwald CC.Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a cardiovascular biomarker that might be useful in assessing the severity of cardiac disease in horses. Plasma ANP concentrations (Cp(ANP)) were compared between horses with heart disease but normal chamber size and function (Group A; n=6), horses with heart disease associated with left atrial (LA) enlargement, LA dysfunction, and/or left ventricular (LV) enlargement (Group B; n=5), and horses with no clinically apparent cardiovascular disease (Group C; n=13). The median (min-max) for Cp(ANP) was significantly higher in Group B (53.5 (36.0-70.7) pg/mL), comp...
Thompson DL, DePew CL.This experiment was designed to determine 1) the efficacy of daily s.c. injections of a dopamine antagonist, sulpiride, for increasing prolactin secretion in geldings in winter and 2) whether increasing prolactin concentrations would hasten the onset of hair shedding or enhance gonadotropin secretion. Five geldings each received vehicle (vegetable oil) or sulpiride (100 mg in vehicle) daily from February 8 through March 29. On February 8 and every 7 d thereafter through March 29, blood samples were drawn around treatment injections and hair samples were collected. On March 30, all geldings rec...
Hobbs SJ, Clayton HM.One of the goals of the neuromotor control system is to minimize the cost of locomotion by reducing mechanical energy losses. Collisional mechanics, which studies the redirection of the downwards motion of the center of mass (COM) by ground reaction forces (GRF) generated by the limbs, represents an important source of energy loss. The primary objective of this study was to compare collisional mechanics and the associated mechanical energy losses in horses performing diagonally-synchronized gaits over a range of speeds. It is to be expected that collisional energy losses will be high when the ...
Tyner GA, Nolen-Walston RD, Hall T, Palmero JP, Couëtil L, Javsicas L, Stack A, Schott H, Johnson A, Hardefeldt L, Gruntman A, Sommardahl C....Renal biopsies are uncommonly performed in horses and little is known about their diagnostic utility and associated complication rate. Objective: To describe the techniques, the complication rate, risk factors, and histopathology results; as well as evaluate the safety and diagnostic utility of renal biopsy in the horse. Methods: One hundred and forty-six horses from which 151 renal biopsies were obtained. Animals ranged in age from 48 hours to 30 years. Methods: Multicenter retrospective study, with participation of 14 institutions (1983-2009). Results: Renal biopsy in horses was associated w...
Ragno VM, Klein CD, Sereda NS, Uehlinger FD, Zello GA, Robinson KA, Montgomery JB.In human metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes, methylglyoxal (MG), D-lactate, and several cytokines have been recognized as biomarkers of important metabolic and inflammatory processes. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) shares many similarities with these human counterparts. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to compare body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), resting insulin, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) between horses with and without insulin dysregulation, as clas...
Burd MA, Craig JJ, Craig MF.Digital radiographs are often used to subjectively assess the equine digit. Recently, quantitative and objective radiographic measurements have been reported that give new insight into the form and function of the equine digit. We investigated a radio-dense curvilinear profile along the distal phalanx on lateral radiographs we term the Palmar Curve (PC) that we believe provides a measurement of the concavity of the distal phalanx of the horse. A second quantitative measurement, the Palmar Metric (PM) was defined as the percent area under the PC. We correlated the PM and age from 544 radiograph...
Giguère S, Sanchez LC, Shih A.To (1) assess the agreement between calculated values for arterial hemoglobin saturation of oxygen (SaO2 ) and values obtained by co-oximetry, (2) assess the accuracy of 2 pulse oximetry monitors for measurement of SaO2 in foals, and for each monitor, and (3) determine the optimal combination of sensor type and site of sensor placement for SaO2 monitoring. Methods: Prospective experimental study. Methods: University teaching hospital. Methods: Six neonatal foals. Methods: Foals were anesthetized with isoflurane and SaO2 was manipulated by varying the inspired fraction of oxygen. SaO2 was calcu...
van den Wollenberg L, Butler CM, Houwers DJ, de Grootv MW, Panhuijzen H, van Maanen C, van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is an emerging infectious enteric disease caused by the obligate intracellular gram-negative bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis. EPE was tentatively diagnosed in six weanling foals, aged between 5 and 7 months. Clinical signs included depression, anorexia, ventral oedema, and weight loss. Plasma biochemistry consistently revealed severe hypoproteinaemia. The ante-mortem diagnosis of EPE was based on clinical signs, hypoproteinaemia (6/6), the detection of moderate-to-high titres of L. intracellularis antibody (6/6), and severe thickening of the small inte...
Pascoe RR.Twelve medicaments were tested for their efficacy in the treatment of Trichophyton equinum var. autotrophicum; povidone iodine, thiabendazole ointment, captan ointment and Burroughs Wellcome Ringworm Ointment gave satisfactory results but their usefulness may be limited for treatment of large numbers of horses. Aqueous washes containing 0.5% hexetidine or 0.3% chloramine-T did not prevent fungi being isolated from lesions for up to 7 days after treatment. Similarly neither etisazole nor thiabendazole suspension prevented fungi from being isolated from lesions for up to 15 days after treatment....
Szeredi L, Hornyák A, Pálfi V, Molnár T, Glávits R, Dénes B.The occurrence of equine arteritis virus (EAV) induced equine abortions was studied with different laboratory methods during a 3-year period. Tissue samples from 96 aborted equine foetuses or newborn foals were collected from 57 farms located in different parts of Hungary. Virus isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry and serology were used for the detection of EAV infection. The overall seroprevalence of EAV infection in mares was 65%. EAV induced abortion was diagnosed in eight (8.3%) cases from six (10.5%) herds. Abortion was sporadic in all herds except for one, wh...
Gerber JD, Marron AE, Bass EP, Beckenhauer WH.The cell-mediated immune response and antibody response of horses of varying ages and of pregnant horses to equine herpesvirus 1 antigen were examined. Six to eight month old horses showed either no increase or slight increases in anti-equine herpesvirus 1 serum neutralizing antibody following vaccination and revaccination with a modified live equine herpesvirus 1 vaccine. However, these same horses showed a marked increase in the cell-mediated immune response to equine herpesvirus 1 as measured by the lymphocyte transformation test. Eighteen to 21 month old horses showed four to 64-fold incre...
Butler AJ, Greenbank H, Parrish R, Nielsen MK, Stoughton WB.Cyathostomins are the most common parasites of adult horses worldwide. Currently, the three classes of anthelmintics used to treat cyathostomin infections includes benzimidazoles, pyrimidines and macrocyclic lactones. However, due to widespread overuse, cyathostomins have developed varying degrees of resistance to all classes of anthelmintics. Fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) are currently used to determine the presence of anthelmintic resistance (AR), while egg reappearance periods (ERP) are used to investigate early macrocyclic lactone resistance. The objective of this study was to in...
Hinden S, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Janda J, Marti EI, Gerber V, Roosje PJ.Recurrent urticaria (RU) is a common skin disease of horses, but little is known about its pathogenesis. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the inflammatory cell infiltrate and cytokine expression pattern in the skin of horses with RU. Methods: Biopsies of lesional and nonlesional skin of horses with RU (n = 8) and of skin from healthy control horses (n = 8) were evaluated. Methods: The inflammatory cell infiltrate was analysed by routine histology. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify T cells (CD3), B ells (CD79), macrophages (MAC387) and mast cells (tryptase). E...
Blikslager AT, Roberts MC.To assess the ability of clinicians to predict the site and type of lesion as well as outcome in horses with colic. Methods: Prospective case study. Methods: 139 horses admitted for evaluation of signs of colic. Methods: Six interns and residents examined horses with colic and predicted the segment of intestine that was affected, the type of lesion, and whether the horse would survive to discharge. Accuracy of prediction of site and type of lesion and survival prediction was compared between the first and second halves of the year, using chi 2 analysis and 95% confidence intervals on sensitivi...
Jansen WL, Geelen SN, van der Kuilen J, Beynen AC.The aim of the present study was to establish whether the inhibitory effect of fat feeding on fibre digestion has been underestimated due to the substitution of fat for corn starch. A high fat intake has been shown to lower total intestinal tract apparent digestibility of crude fibre in horses but, since fat was substituted for nonstructural carbohydrates, including starch, the specific effect of fat could not be ascertained. The possibility could not be excluded that starch also inhibits fibre digestibility, so that the fat effect observed earlier would have been underestimated. In this study...
Broström H, Bredberg-Rådén U, England J, Obel N, Perlmann P.Cell-mediated immunity in horses with sarcoid tumor against sarcoid antigens was studied in vitro by means of mixed lymphocyte tumor cell culture assay and lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity of 52Cr-labeled target cells. When Mc-1 sarcoid cells were used as stimulatory cells for peripheral blood lymphocytes in the mixed lymphocyte tumor cell assay, a clear difference in the kinetics of the generated lymphocytic proliferative response could be detected between sarcoid and control horses. With sarcoid horses, their proliferative maximum was reached 3 days earlier than that of the control horses, a...
Tschetter JR, Davis WC, Perryman LE, McGuire TC.Eight murine monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were used to identify the equine CD8 alpha or CD8 beta chains and to define the expression of these chains on lymphocytes from various lymphoid tissues. CD8 alpha was a 39 kDa protein and CD8 beta was a 32 kDa protein. Both chains were expressed on most of the CD8+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, spleen, thymus, mesenteric lymph nodes and ileal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), however, in each lymphoid compartment a percentage of lymphocytes expressed only the CD8 alpha chain. The largest percentage of CD8 alpha alpha expressing T lymphocytes w...
Johns IC, Del Piero F, Wilkins PA.An 11-year-old Thoroughbred broodmare was evaluated for suspected hepatic dysfunction. Clinical signs of hepatic encephalopathy were evident at admission. Hepatic ultrasonographic evaluation revealed an increase in hepatic size, rounded borders and normal echogenicity. There was no evidence of cholelithiasis or bile duct distention. Increased activity of hepatic enzymes, increased bile acid and bilirubin concentration and an increased ammonia concentration were supportive of a diagnosis of hepatic disease and hepatic encephalopathy. Histopathological evaluation of a liver biopsy specimen was c...
de Oliveira Bussiman F, Carvalho RSB, E Silva FF, Ventura RV, Ferraz JBS, Mattos EC, Eler JP, Balieiro JCC.Multitrait models can increase the accuracy of breeding value prediction and reduce bias due to selection by using traits measured before and after it has occurred. However, as the number of traits grows, a similar trend is expected for the number of parameters to be estimated, which directly affects the computing power and the amount of data required. The aim of the present study was to apply reduced rank (principal components model-PCM) and factor analytical models (FAM), to estimate (co)variance components for nineteen traits, jointly evaluated in a single analysis in Campolina horses. A to...
Oreff GL, Tatz AJ, Dahan R, Segev G, Haberman S, Britzi M, Kelmer G.To determine the metacarpophalangeal joint fluid concentrations of ceftazidime administered via regional limb perfusion (RLP). Methods: Eight healthy horses. Methods: RLP was performed by injecting 2 g of ceftazidime and 60 mL of perfusate volume in the cephalic vein of standing, sedated horses. Serum and synovial fluid from the metacarpophalangeal joint were collected before perfusion and at 0.5, 2, 6, 12, 24 hours postperfusion. Ceftazidime concentrations were measured via liquid chromatography. Maximal concentration (C ), area under the curve (AUC), half-life of the drug (T ½), and the tim...
Sanmartí J, Robles-Guirado JA, Jose-Cunilleras E, Bassols A.The determination of iCa and iMg is important in veterinary medicine, but their immediate determination in whole blood is not always possible. Their stability in other sample types and the existence of interferences must be evaluated before its use. Objective: We aimed to analyze the effects of storage time on the stability of iCa, iMg, and other analytes in whole blood, plasma, and serum samples in horses and assess the interference of heparin in these measurements. Methods: Whole blood, heparin-plasma, and serum samples from 10 horses were stored at 4°C and analyzed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, ...
Cohen D, Bosler EM, Bernard W, Meirs D, Eisner R, Schulze TL.A serologic survey of horses in the New Jersey-Pennsylvania area demonstrated that about 10% (6.2-14.2%) have significant levels of serum antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi. However, in a highly endemic area of central New Jersey, up to 60% of the mares and yearlings samples on one farm were seropositive. In 1983, sera from this same farm exhibited only 12% positives in mares and 35% positives in yearlings. Longitudinal studies of paired sera obtained from individual yearlings over a 6-month period in 1985 showed that 34% of them declined during the period. A new clinical syndrome associated wit...
Verwilghen DR, Enzerink E, Martens A, Franck T, Balligand M, Henrotin Y, Detilleux J, Serteyn D.To evaluate the levels of plasmatic and synovial Coll2-1, Coll2-1NO(2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in horses with osteochondral lesions of the tarsocrural joint and to investigate how these levels relate to arthroscopic findings of inflammation and degeneration. Methods: Venous blood and synovial fluid samples were collected from 63 horses presented for arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments in the tarsocrural joint. Prior to removal of the osteochondral fragment, an exploration of the joint was performed and an inflammatory and degenerative score was determined. The blood and synovial ...
Lopes MA, Salter CE, Vandenplas ML, Berghaus R, Hurley DJ, Moore JN.To investigate whether expression of inflammation-associated genes in leukocytes from horses with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) diseases correlated with the type of disease and outcome. Methods: 10 healthy horses and 50 horses with GIT disease. Methods: A blood sample was collected from each healthy horse or horse with GIT disease (during admission to the hospital). Leukocytes were isolated, diluted to a standard concentration, and frozen until RNA extraction. Expression of 14 genes associated with inflammation was quantified by use of a real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR assay. R...
Herbach N, Breuer W, Hermanns W.Post-mortem examination was performed on a horse that died after exhibiting signs of colic. Gross findings included haemoperitoneum and a large round encapsulated mass located in the sublumbar area cranial to the left kidney. On sectioning the mass was solid red to brown and small nodules of similar tissue were noted at the periphery of the mass. The spleen was firm and three nodules were found in one thyroid gland. Microscopically, the abdominal mass, adjacent nodules, the spleen and one thyroid nodule consisted of clusters and cords of round to oval neoplastic cells, separated by a fine coll...
Lafortuna CL, Albertini M, Ferrucci F, Zucca E, Braghieri M, Clement MG, Saibene F.A video-laryngoscopic method, implemented with an algorithm for the correction of the deformation inherent in the endoscope optical system, has been used to measure the dorsoventral diameter (Drg) and the cross-sectional area (CSArg) of the rima glottidis in five healthy workhorses during conscious breathing at rest. Simultaneous recording of the respiratory airflow was also obtained in two horses. Drg measured 82.7 +/- 4.5 mm (mean +/- S.D.) independently of the respiratory phase, and did not differ from the measurement in post-mortem anatomical specimens of the same horses. CSArg ranged from...
Meireles MC, Riet-Correa F, Fischman O, Zambrano AF, Zambrano MS, Ribeiro GA.Equine pythiosis was studied in five animals from two farms located in a swampy region of southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul State). Granulomatous lesions exuding necrotic material and containing a central yellow and firm tissue core, the 'kunker', were observed on the top of the nose of one horse, on the abdomen of two horses and on the hind limbs of two other animals. Direct microscopic preparations, histopathological examination of lesion material, and macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the isolates confirmed the diagnosis of pythiosis. Surgical intervention of the inflammatory ...
