"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.
Toribio RE, Kohn CW, Capen CC, Rosol TJ.Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is secreted by the chief cells of the parathyroid gland in response to changes in ionized calcium (Ca(2+)) concentrations. In this study, we measured PTH secretion, and PTH mRNA and calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) mRNA expression by equine parathyroid chief cells in vitro. We also evaluated the effects of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha on PTH secretion, and PTH and CaR mRNA expression. The relationship between PTH and Ca(2+) was inversely related. PTH secretion decreased from 100% (day 0) to 13% (day 30). PTH mRNA expression decline...
Candler C.Occupational performance outcomes from a summer camp for children with sensory modulation disorder were examined. Sensory integration based programming was incorporated into a one week summer day camp that featured therapeutic riding. Using a modified interview format, the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was administered to camp participants and their families two weeks prior to and one week after camp. Ten families participated in the study. Comparison of the families' ratings revealed a significant and positive change in the children's behaviors. The COPM was highly useful a...
Couëtil LL, Ward MP.To identify risk factors for recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) among horses examined at veterinary teaching hospitals in North America. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: 1,444 horses with RAO and 1,444 control horses examined for other reasons. Methods: The Veterinary Medical Database was searched for records of horses in which RAO was diagnosed. A control group was identified by randomly selecting a horse with a diagnosis other than RAO that matched the institution and year of admission for each of the horses with RAO. Information obtained included hospital, admission year ...
Alinovi CA, Ward MP, Couëtil LL, Wu CC.To assess methods of detecting environmental contamination with Salmonella organisms and evaluate a cleaning and disinfection protocol for horse stalls in a veterinary teaching hospital. Methods: Original study. Methods: 37 horses with diarrhea likely to be caused by Salmonella infection and their stall environments. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from horses daily during hospitalization; samples were obtained from stall sites after cleaning and application of disinfectants. Fecal and environmental samples were cultured for Salmonella spp and tested via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) a...
Bentley E, Miller PE, Diehl KA.The recent development of a 20-MHz, high-frequency ultrasound probe has allowed tissue to be visualized at resolutions of 20 to 80 microm, which is similar to a low-power histologic view. This high degree of resolution, however, limits tissue penetration to 5 to 10 mm, which is ideal for examination of the anterior segment of the eye. The detail provided by high-resolution ultrasound readily permits the clinician to distinguish between various anterior segment entities that may appear similar but are treated quite differently, such as anterior uveal tumors, iridociliary cysts, and iris bombé....
Nagy P, Huszenicza G, Reiczigel J, Juhász J, Kulcsár M, Abaváry K, Guillaume D.Factors influencing plasma progesterone concentration were investigated in seven mares. Two-phase logistic curves were fitted (r=0.98) to plasma progesterone concentrations of blood samples collected once daily. In addition to the effect of time (P<0.001), there were differences (P<0.01) among mares in the peak height of the progesterone plateau and in the (area under the curve) AUC. Plasma progesterone concentrations were higher (P<0.001) after a multiple versus single ovulation. There was an effect of season (P<0.001), but no significant effect of luteal morphology. The retrospec...
Kristula MA, Smith BI.Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM), a venereal disease of horses caused by the bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis, was first diagnosed in 1977 and subsequently spread to many nations [Proc 24th AM Assoc Equine Pract (1979) 287]. The disease was confirmed in the United States in 1978 [Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract (1983) 295]. Specific regulatory procedures for this disease have been established in the United States and 37 other countries. From 1999 through 2001, four of 120 imported European stallions tested positive for CEM at a quarantine facility in Darlington, MD, USA. Two stallions were identi...
Bollwein H, Weber F, Steffen S, Stolla R.In previous studies, transrectal color Doppler sonography was used to demonstrate an increase in genital blood flow resistance in subfertile mares. The objectives of the present study were to determine the effects of an anticoagulant (acetylsalicylic acid) and a vasodilator (captopril) on uterine and ovarian perfusion and plasma progesterone concentrations in cycling mares. From Day 1 to 11 of an estrous cycle (Day 0=day of ovulation following prostaglandin-induced luteolysis), five Trotter mares were given 2500 mg lactose, 2500 mg ASA, or 50 mg captopril twice daily in their feed (one compoun...
Hess MF, Roser JF.The large amount of testicular estrogens produced by the stallion is unique compared to the amounts found in other domestic species. Although the cellular locale of the cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450arom) enzyme that converts C19 androgens to C18 estrogens has been identified in the Leydig cell of adult equine testis, the location in the immature equine testis is not known. The goal of this work was to localize the enzyme in colts and stallions during sexual development. Testes were obtained from prepubertal (n=7), pubertal (n=6), and postpubertal (n=8) colts and stallions during both the bre...
Bollwein H, Weber F, Woschée I, Stolla R.Transrectal color Doppler sonography was used to investigate uterine and umbilical blood flow during pregnancy (duration, 46-48 weeks) in four mares. The resistance index (RI) and blood flow volume (VOL) of the uterine arteries ipsilateral and contralateral to the conceptus, and the presence of an early diastolic notch in the Doppler wave, were evaluated every 4 week throughout pregnancy. Fetal blood flow was calculated semiquantitatively every 2 week (from 20 to 40 weeks), using the RI of the umbilical arteries. During the entire period of investigation, there were no significant individual v...
Ginther OJ, Gastal EL, Gastal MO, Checura CM, Beg MA.The effect of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on the concentrations of follicular fluid factors during follicle deviation and the development of dominance was studied in mares in two experiments. Transvaginal ultrasound guidance was used for intrafollicular injection and subsequent sequential sampling of follicular fluid. Treatment involved a single injection of IGF-I into the second-largest follicle (F2) at the expected beginning of deviation (Hour 0) based on diameter (> or =20 mm) of the largest follicle (F1). Mares in IGF-I groups were given a dose of 500 microg (experiment 1) or 2...
Ouellette AL, Evans RJ, Heath MF.Endotoxaemia is the leading cause of death in horses. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIG), stimulated by induced monocyte proteins, is a prominent feature. Monocyte-platelet cellular interactions are central to the vascular dysfunction produced by circulating endotoxin and are implicated in many thrombotic diseases in the horse. This study reports that endotoxin (0.01-10 microg ml(-1)) and blood platelets (2.5 x 10(7) - 1 x 10(8) ml(-1)) are potent inducers of expression and activity of monocyte tissue factor (TF), the primary activator of the blood coagulation protease cascade. The c...
Chabchoub A, Landolsi F, Zientara S, Amira A, Mejri M, Ghorbel A, Ghram A.The authors describe an equine influenza epizootic that occurred in Tunisia during February and March 1998 in the regions of Tozeur, Sousse and Tunis. They relate the symptoms, the different stages of diagnosis and the serological results.
Bedenice D, Heuwieser W, Brawer R, Solano M, Rand W, Paradis MR.A total of 207 thoracic radiographs obtained from 128 foals were evaluated to assess the impact of pulmonary radiographic pattern, distribution, and severity of pulmonary changes on short-term survival of neonatal foals. The association between selected clinical variables and the radiographic manifestation of neonatal respiratory disease was also investigated. The evaluation of interstitial and alveolar-interstitial radiographic patterns within the caudodorsal, caudoventral, and cranioventral lung regions proved to be highly reliable between viewers in the study. A diagnosis of systemic inflam...
Davis JL, Blikslager AT, Catto K, Jones SL.The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that horses with proximal enteritis (PE) are predisposed to hepatic injury. We also determined whether the presence of liver injury in horses with PE was associated with other clinicopathologic abnormalities or affected outcome. The medical records of all horses admitted for evaluation of colic and gastric reflux between 1984 and 2002 were reviewed. Horses were considered to have PE if the diagnosis was made at surgery or postmortem examination or if they had clinical findings consistent with PE. Horses with a small intestinal strangulating ...
Johansson AM, Gardner SY, Levine JF, Papich MG, LaFevers DH, Fuquay LR, Reagan VH, Atkins CE.Continuous rate infusion (CRI) of furosemide in humans is considered superior to intermittent administration (IA). This study examined whether furosemide CRI, compared with IA, would increase diuretic efficacy with decreased fluid and electrolyte fluctuations and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the horse. Five mares were used in a crossover-design study. During a 24-hour period, each horse received a total of 3 mg/kg furosemide by either CRI (0.12 mg/kg/h preceded by a loading dose of 0.12 mg/kg IV) or IA (1 mg/kg IV q8h). There was not a statistically signific...
Johansson AM, Gardner SY, Jones SL, Fuquay LR, Reagan VH, Levine JF.This study was initiated to identify the signalment and clinical variables potentially associated with hypomagnesemia in horses evaluated at the North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine (NCSU-CVM) veterinary teaching hospital between January 1999 and May 2001. A nested case reference study (nested case-control study) was conducted to examine the potential relationship between hypomagnesemia and signalment, serum chemistry panel analyses, number of hospitalization days, discharge status, and diagnosis. A series of independent and multivariable logistic regression models w...
Pospísil L.Glanders (malleus), attacking equids and transmissible to humans, does not occur in our geographical area any more, but world-wide eradication has not yet been achieved. Cases of glanders have been reported from India, Iraq, Mongolia and China and in 2001 also from South America. The disease is caused by Burkholderia mallei (earlied known as Bacillus, Pfeiferella, Loefflerella, Malleomyces, Actinobacillus, or Pseudomonas mallei). The continual interest of microbiologists in the causative agents indicates that glanders cannot be regarded as a closed historic episode. Occupational infections of ...
Pitel PH, Romand S, Pronost S, Foucher N, Gargala G, Maillard K, Thulliez P, Collobert-Laugier C, Tainturier D, Fortier G, Ballet JJ.Neospora caninum, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite, is recognized as a major cause of abortion in cattle while limited information is presently available on association between equine Neospora infections and abortions. The aim of the present study was to document prevalence of antibodies against Neospora sp. in aborted mares as a clue to the role of N. caninum in mare reproductive failure in Normandy, France. Using an agglutination test, the number of animals with elevated (>80) anti-Neospora sp. antibody titer was higher in a group of 54 aborted mares than in randomly chosen groups of 45 ma...
Contreiras EC, Lenzi HL, Meirelles MN, Caputo LF, Calado TJ, Villa-Verde DM, Savino W.We characterized herein the microarchitecture of the equine thymus along with post-natal development (6 months-->18 years). Thymuses showed an involutional process, beginning before the puberty and defined by five histological grades, which consider the progressive cortical thymocyte depletion, shrinkage and rearrangement of the epithelial network and increase in extracellular matrix (ECM). A second feature of the equine thymus was the presence of eosinopoiesis, erythropoiesis, mastocytopoiesis and plasmacytogenesis. Additionally, lymphatic vessels, full of lymphocytes, were particularly pr...
Oliveira PR, Borges LM, Leite RC, Freitas CM.The population dynamics of all stages of the Cayenne tick, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) (Acari: Ixodidae) on horses was evaluated over a period of 2 years in the district of Pedro Leopoldo, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Every 14 days, the left side of 20 horses was brushed for collection of immature stages; counts of adults were also undertaken. Infestation by larvae was detected from April to August, whereas nymphs were observed from June to October. Infestation by adults was detected throughout the year, and the highest population density occurred from September to March. The number of ...
Wieringa R, De Vries AA, Post SM, Rottier PJ.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is an enveloped, positive-strand RNA virus belonging to the family Arteriviridae of the order NIDOVIRALES: EAV virions contain six different envelope proteins. The glycoprotein GP(5) (previously named G(L)) and the unglycosylated membrane protein M are the major envelope proteins, while the glycoproteins GP(2b) (previously named G(S)), GP(3), and GP(4) are minor structural proteins. The unglycosylated small hydrophobic envelope protein E is present in virus particles in intermediate molar amounts compared to the other transmembrane proteins. The GP(5) and M protein...
Doyle AJ, Freeman DE, Rapp H, Murrell JA, Wilkins PA.To report our experience with horses that presumptively had severe intraluminal hemorrhage from enterotomy or anastomosis. Methods: Clinical study. Methods: Six adult horses and 1 adult donkey. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the University of Illinois (April 1994 to December 2001) to determine the clinical course and outcome of horses with melena and/or anemia and evidence of life-threatening hemorrhage from intestinal incisions. Medical records of all horses that had colic surgery were reviewed to determine the proportion of horses with this complication. In addition, horses ...
Brommer H, van Weeren PR, Brama PA, Barneveld A.The equine fetlock joint has the largest number of traumatic and degenerative lesions of all joints of the appendicular skeleton. Objective: To gain insight into the distribution of cartilage degeneration across the articular surface in relation to age in order better to understand the dynamic nature and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Objective: That there would be a specific age-related distribution pattern of cartilage degeneration in the equine metacarpophalangeal joint. Methods: The proximal articular cartilage surfaces of the first phalanges (P1) of 73 slaughter horses (age range 0.4...
Edwards JG, Newtont JR, Ramzan PH, Pilsworth RC, Shepherd MC.Dantrolene sodium (Dantrium) has been used extensively for the treatment of myopathies in man and anecdotal evidence suggests it is of clinical benefit in the control of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis (ER) in racehorses, although data to support this are currently lacking. Objective: To investigate the efficacy of oral dantrolene sodium in controlling ER in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial involving 77 Thoroughbred racehorses in Newmarket, UK. Methods: Horses were treated on 2 occasions 1 week apart, with treatment days coinciding with a return to exercise follow...
Hinz A, Fischer AT.To compare the accuracy of ultrasonographic and radiographic examination for evaluation of articular lesions in horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Horses (n = 137) with articular lesions. Methods: Radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations of the affected joint(s) were performed before diagnostic or therapeutic arthroscopic surgery. Findings were recorded and compared to lesions identified during arthroscopy. Results: In 254 joints, 432 lesions were identified by arthroscopy. The overall accuracy was 82.9% for ultrasonography and 62.2% for radiography (P < .0001) with a se...
Littlewood JD, Rose JF, Paterson S.A single blind controlled clinical trial of oral ivermectin paste at a dose rate of 0.1 mg/kg daily for seven days for the treatment of chorioptic mange in horses was carried out. There was a statistically significant reduction in the numbers of mites in the samples taken from the treated horses compared with the untreated horses, but the mites were not eliminated from all the treated animals. Two further groups of horses were treated, one at a dose rate of 0.1 mg/kg daily for 10 days and the other with two doses of 0.2 mg/kg given two weeks apart. There were no statistically significant diffe...
Duarte PC, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Creekmore LH.To identify factors associated with development of vesicular stomatitis (VS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 138 livestock premises and 118 horses suspected of having VS in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. Methods: Premises with >or= 1 animal with clinical signs and laboratory confirmation of infection were classified as case premises. Premises where laboratory confirmation results were negative were control premises. Among equine premises, case and control horses were selected on the basis of premises status. A survey was conducted to identify factors associated with VS for premises an...
Seabaugh KA, Selberg KT, Valdés-Martínez A, Rao S, Baxter GM.To investigate tissue diffusion of anesthetic agent following administration of low palmar nerve blocks (LPBs) in horses. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: 12 adult horses. Methods: In 9 horses, mepivacaine hydrochloride-iohexol (50:50 dilution) injections were administered bilaterally (2 or 4 mL/site) to affect the medial and lateral palmar and palmar metacarpal nerves (4 sites). Lateral radiographic views of both metacarpal regions were obtained before and at 5, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after block administration; proximal and distal extents of contrast medium (and presumab...
Easton-Jones CA, Madigan JE, Barnum S, Maxwell LK, Taylor SD, Arnesen T, Pusterla N.Equine herpesvirus-5 is commonly isolated from the lungs of horses with EMPF, suggesting an etiological link. Valacyclovir is used empirically to treat EMPF; however, no data is available concerning its impact on EHV-5 viral kinetics. Objective: To determine the effect of oral administration of valacyclovir on EHV-5 viral load measured by qPCR in blood, nasal secretions (NS) and BALF in horses with EMPF. Methods: Six horses diagnosed with EMPF. Methods: A prospective clinical trial was performed. Horses received 10 days of PO administered valacyclovir (loading dose 30 mg/kg, maintenance dose 2...
Vandeplassche M, Bouters R, Spincemaille J, Bonte P.Eight cases of severe dropsy of the fetal sacs have been observed in mares. All were in multiparous mares whose ages ranged from five to 20 years and who were 7 1/2 to 10 3/4 months pregnant. Abortion started spontaneously in four cases and had to be induced in the remaining four by manual dilation of the cervix, rupture of the tough allantochorion and the siphoning off of 120 to 220 litres of allantoic fluid. The amnion was normal. Dystocia, due to uterine inertia, occurred in all eight cases, one hydrocephalic fetus needing fetotomy. All fetuses were alive at delivery although four were tera...
Watts AE, Johnson AL, Felippe MJ, Divers TJ.A Thoroughbred gelding in North America was evaluated for Actinobacillus peritonitis on three different occasions over a 4-year period. At each presentation, peritoneal fluid had an elevated nucleated cell count (220,000-550,000 cells/µL) characterised by non-degenerate neutrophils, no visible bacteria, an elevated total protein (4.6-5.5 g/dL) and bacterial culture yielding Actinobacillus spp. Actinobacillus peritonitis appears to be a regional disease occurring in Australia and less commonly in New Zealand and North America. Recurrence, other than incomplete resolution, has not been previous...
Howard J, Graubner C.This study aimed to evaluate whether equine serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations could be reliably measured in plasma with a turbidimetric immunoassay previously validated for equine SAA concentrations in serum. Paired serum and lithium-heparin samples obtained from 40 horses were evaluated. No difference was found in SAA concentrations between serum and plasma using a paired t test (P=0.48). The correlation between paired samples was 0.97 (Spearman's rank P<0.0001; 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.99). Passing-Bablok regression analyses revealed no differences between paired samples. Bland-A...
Stünzi H, Ehrensperger F, Wild P, Leemann W.A 9-year-old horse had numerous firm, painless nodules of the skin and subcutis. Moderately vascular granulation tissue with numerous uni- or multinuclear reticuloendothelial cells was in the nodules and the regional lymph nodes but not in the viscera. By using special stains and electron microscopy, widespread amyloid deposits, mainly in the cytoplasm of reticuloendothelial cells, were identified. Amyloid was probably produced within the reticuloendothelial cells, then expelled from the dying cell and deposited in the intercellular space.
Gillis C, Meagher DM, Cloninger A, Locatelli L, Willits N.Fifty Thoroughbred horses were examined. All horses had been in race training for a minimum of 4 months before examination and had worked at racing speed; 24 horses had raced. All horses were clinically sound at the time of examination. Ultrasonography was performed, using a 7.5-MHz transducer with built-in fluid offset. Videotaped images of the palmar soft tissue structures were obtained at 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 cm distal to the base of the accessory carpal bone (DACB). Images were digitized, and each image was calibrated. Values for cross-sectional area (CSA) and mean echogenicity (ME) wer...
Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Becker D, Bracher V, Pineroli B, Schelling C.Numerical and structural aberrations of chromosomes may cause malformations, embryonal losses and reduced or missing fertility. In male horses the fertility is rather well controlled through their semen evaluation. For mares there are no mandatory regulations which specify their use in a breeding programme. Therefore, mares with chromosomal aberrations, which exclude reproduction success may be chosen for breeding. The present case describes a horse, offically registered as a female, which was presented for a breeding exam. On this occasion, small and inactive ovaries were diagnosed. Although ...
Scudamore CL, Pemberton A, Watson ED, Miller HR.Studies have demonstrated that as a result of proteolytic inactivation or complex formation (with neutrophil elastase), human alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor (API) becomes a potent chemoattractant for human neutrophils. The present study aimed to investigate the in vitro chemotactic response of equine neutrophils to an equivalent complex of equine API and neutrophil elastase. No evidence of neutrophil migration was observed towards purified complex derived from equine neutrophil elastase and the Spi 1 isoform of equine API, or to crude mixtures of porcine pancreatic elastase and unseparated equin...
Schuler G.The pituitary gonadotrophins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) play a prominent role in the control of gonadal functions. Therefore, their use in the treatment of fertility disorders (e. g. anovulatory anestrus) as well as in biotechnology (e. g. superovulation, hormone programs for cycle synchronization) is of substantial interest. Preparations of FSH or LH are relatively expensive due to the laborious extraction from pituitary tissue and are therefore reserved for special indications. In primates and equids, the chorionic epithelium expresses an LH-like molecule...
Zakia LS, Olivo G, Basso RM, Mira J, Herman M, Araujo JP, Borges AS, Oliveira-Filho JP.Aural plaques are a dermatopathy associated with Equus caballus papillomavirus (EcPV). This disease affects horses of all ages, genders and breeds, and causes sensitivity of the ears. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 5% imiquimod cream for the treatment of aural plaques and to compare the PCR detection of EcPV 3, 4, 5 and 6 before and after treatment. Methods: Eight horses diagnosed with aural plaques (14 ears) were used. Three mares with unilateral aural plaques were used as untreated controls. Methods: Imiquimod cream was applied every 48 h until comp...
Duren SE, Pagan JD, Harris PA, Crandell KG.Six Thoroughbreds were used to evaluate time of feeding on changes in exercise response in horses receiving either a textured feed or a fat-supplemented textured feed. Using a crossover design, 3 horses were fed a fat-supplemented diet while 3 horses received a control ration of textured feed. Horses performed a standardised exercise test (SET) on a high speed treadmill. The SET was performed at 3 different times: 1) following an overnight 12 h fast, 2) 3 h after feeding and 3) 8 h after feeding. The SET consisted of a 2 min walk at 1.4 m/s, 800 m trot at 4.2 m/s, 800 m gallop at 7.7 m/s, 1600...
Weiss DJ, Evanson OA, MacLeay J, Brown DR.To determine whether mucosal permeability is altered during the prodromal stages of alimentary laminitis. Methods: 15 healthy adult ponies. Methods: intestinal permeability was evaluated for control ponies (n = 5) and for ponies 4 to 12 (n = 5) and 20 to 28 (n = 5) hours after administration of carbohydrate overload. Mucosal permeability was determined by measuring the percentage of orally administered technetium Tc99m diethylenetriaminopentaacetate (99mTc-DTPA) excreted in urine during an 8-hour period, then measuring blood radioactivity at hourly intervals. Plasma endotoxin-like activity was...
Slinker BK, Campbell KB, Alexander JE, Klavano PA.The heart rate (HR) response to stepwise changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) produced by methoxamine and sodium nitroprusside was studied in conscious horses, pigs, and calves. The respective steady-state arterial baroreflex sensitivities (delta HR/delta MAP expressed as beats min-1 . mm of Hg-1) were -1.20, -1.21, and -0.39 for decreasing MAP and -0.08, -0.91, and -0.56 for increasing MAP. After parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) blockade with atropine, the reflex sensitivity to decreasing MAP in horses and the pigs decreased to -0.62 and -0.65, respectively (P less than 0.05), whereas ...
Rütten S, Schusser GF, Abraham G, Schrödl W.Horses are much predisposed and susceptible to excessive and acute inflammatory responses that cause the recruitment and stimulation of polymorphnuclear granulocytes (PMN) together with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the release of cytokines. The aim of the study is to develop easy, quick, cheap and reproducible methods for measuring tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in the equine whole blood cultures ex-vivo time- and concentration-dependently. Results: Horse whole blood diluted to 10, 20 and 50 % was stimulated with lipopolysa...
McClay CB, Weiss DJ, Smith CM, Gordon B.Hematologic and rheologic changes were examined in 49 Thoroughbreds before and after competitive racing. Mean postrace values for RBC count, hemoglobin concentration, and PCV increased by 58 to 61%, whereas blood viscosity increased 2 to 3 times. Postrace echinocyte numbers were 162% greater than prerace values. Smaller, but statistically significant, changes were found for mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, red cell distribution width, plasma total protein concentration, total WBC count, neutrophil count, and lymphocyte count. Variables measured did not predict whether a horse was a b...
de Laat MA, Kheder MH, Pollitt CC, Sillence MN.Hyperinsulinemia is a major risk factor for equine laminitis, a debilitating and painful foot condition. Sweet taste receptor (T1R2/3) inhibitors have been used to reduce the insulin and glucose responses to oral carbohydrates in other species. However, their effect in horses has not been investigated. It would be useful to be able to attenuate the large post-prandial insulin response that typically occurs when a carbohydrate-rich meal is fed to insulin-dysregulated horses. Here we have determined the efficacy of two T1R2/3 inhibitors, lactisole and Gymnema sylvestre, for reducing glucose upta...
Fisher RA, Scott AM.A new method for separating the isozymes of horse serum esterase is described. The improved resolution has enabled us to detect several previously undescribed phenotypes. This method has also been used to detect two different apparently 'silent' alleles.