In vitro research involving horses refers to the study of equine cells, tissues, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context, typically in controlled laboratory environments. This research approach allows scientists to investigate cellular processes, molecular interactions, and the effects of various treatments without the ethical and logistical complexities of in vivo studies. In vitro studies contribute to understanding equine physiology, pathology, and pharmacology by providing insights into cellular responses to pathogens, drugs, and other stimuli. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various in vitro methodologies and their applications in equine science, including cell culture techniques, molecular assays, and drug efficacy testing.
Smith TA, Davis E, Carpenter S.Lentiviruses replicate in cells of the immune system, and activation of immune cells has been shown to modulate virus replication. To determine the effects of macrophage activation on replication of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV), primary horse macrophage cultures (HMCs) were established from 20 different horses, infected with an avirulent strain of EIAV, and stimulated with 5 microg/ml of bacterial endotoxin. Supernatants collected from HMCs were assayed for the presence of tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and for production of infectious virus. Results indicated that EIAV replicati...
Nichani AK, Sharma RD, Sarup S.Efficacy of medium RPMI-1640 (supplied by Gibco USA, Centron and Hi-media) supplemented with horse, donkey, sheep and goat sera was evaluated for in vitro propagation of Theileria annulata (Hisar) infected bovine mononuclear cells. The results were compared with the growth rate in RPMI-1640 supplemented with foetal bovine serum (Gibco). RPMI-1640 (Gibco) proved to be the best medium for in vitro cultivation of the parasite infected cells. Foetal bovine serum could be easily, safely and reliably substituted with goat and sheep sera in the growth medium. Horse and donkey sera also gave comparabl...
Sternberg S.Swab samples were collected from the oral cavity of 174 horses in 10 farms and cultured selectively for Actinobacillus equuli. A. equuli could be isolated from 37% of all samples, varying between 12 and 88% in the different farms. Eight horses were sampled repeatedly for several days, with a variation in isolation frequency between 50 and 88%. Isolates were compared by restriction enzyme digestion and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. A high degree of strain variability was found within each horse population as well as some variability over time between strains isolated from the same horse.
Hare JE, Viel L, Conlon PD, Marshall JS.Pulmonary mast cells (PMC) are important components of the inflammatory process in equine allergic lung diseases such as heaves. Very little, however, is known of the degranulation kinetics of these cells and thus, their pathophysiologic role remains largely speculative. The purpose of this study was to develop a repeatable protocol for in vitro equine PMC degranulation. Five mature horses (sex: 2 M, 3 F; age: 8.8 +/- 6.5 y), historically free of pulmonary disease and normal on clinical respiratory examination, arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary mechanics testing and histamine inhalation c...
Hinrichs K, Matthews GL, Freeman DA, Torello EM.Oocytes were collected from dominant preovulatory follicles of donor mares 24 hours after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin. Oocytes were incubated in vitro for 12 or 18 hours before transfer to recipient mares, representing maturation times after human chorionic gonadotropin administration of 36 and 42 hours, respectively. Pregnancy rates after transfer were 4 of 5 in the 36-hour group and 2 of 3 in the 42-hour group. The overall pregnancy rate achieved (6/8 mares) indicated that oocyte transfer may be useful clinically.
Bailey SR, Elliott J.Cumulative concentration response curves to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; 10(-10)-10(-4) mol/l) were constructed using isolated rings of equine digital, facial, tail and coronary arteries (endothelium intact). 5-HT was 17.7 and 41 times more potent as a vasoconstrictor of digital arteries than facial and tail arteries respectively. Removal of the endothelium increased the vasoconstrictor potency of 5-HT in the facial artery by 3.7-fold (P<0.05) but did not alter the sensitivity of digital arteries to 5-HT. Coronary arteries failed to contract to 5-HT. Coronary arteries pre-contracted with U440...
Huszar G, Patrizio P, Vigue L, Willets M, Wilker C, Adhoot D, Johnson L.Although in several species there is a relationship between epididymal sperm transport and fertility, in human in vitro fertilization (IVF), spermatozoa recovered from the caput epididymidis or even the rete testis are fertile. We studied two objective markers of sperm maturity in the sperm of men and stallions: creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, which are a measure of cytoplasmic retention in immature spermatozoa, and the ratio of CK-M and CK-B isoforms (% CK-M/[CK-M + CK-B]), which is proportional to the incidence of mature sperm. The CK markers and the fertilizing function are closely rel...
Haouz A, Glandieres JM, Zentz C, Pin S, Ramstein J, Tauc P, Brochon JC, Alpert B.The effects of the solvent conditions (buffer pH 9, 8, or 7 or buffer pH 6.5 alone or mixed with 3.2% ethanol or 6.2% formamide) on the protein dynamics of horse apomyoglobin were investigated through tryptophan fluorescence quenching, spectra, and decay properties. Raising the pH (which induces discontinuous protein conformation changes) increases the structural fluctuations inside the hydrophobic A, G, and H helix core. Mixed solutions containing either 3.2% ethanol or 6.2% formamide (which redistribute water molecules on the protein surface) produce protein dynamics changes in the vicinity ...
Sedrish SA, Moore RM, Kelly K, Martin GS, Burba DJ.To determine and compare the in vitro pullout strength of 5.5-mm cortical versus 6.5-mm cancellous bone screws inserted in the diaphysis and metaphysis of adult equine third metacarpal (MCIII) bones, in threaded 4.5-mm cortical bone screw insertion holes that were then overdrilled with a 4.5-mm drill bit to provide information relevant to the selection of a replacement screw if a 4.5-mm cortical screw is stripped. Methods: In vitro pullout tests of 5.5-mm cortical and 6.5-mm cancellous screws in equine MCIII bones. Methods: Two independent cadaver studies each consisting of 14 adult equine MCI...
Hardy J, Bertone AL, Malemud CJ.To determine the functional response of synovium to infection, and the influence of infected synovium on articular cartilage metabolism. Methods: Synovium and articular cartilage explants from the midcarpal and tarsocrural joints of adult horses. Methods: For experiment 1, synovium explants were incubated as follows: control--incubation in standard medium, infected (I)--incubation with Staphylococcus aureus, and infected-filtered (IF)--incubation with medium collected from the infected group and filtered (0.22-micron filter). Daily collected medium was assayed for interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta...
Lester GD, Merritt AM, Neuwirth L, Vetro-Widenhouse T, Steible C, Rice B.To determine the effect of erythromycin lactobionate (ERY) on ileocecocolic myoelectric activity and passage of radiolabeled markers from the cecum. Methods: 6 healthy adult ponies. Methods: After a 12-hour nonfeeding period, 370 MBq of technetium 99m-labeled sulfur colloid in egg albumen and 37 MBq of indium 111-labeled diethyltriaminepentaacetic acid in 60 ml of water were administered directly into the cecal apex. The following drug concentrations were tested: ERY, 0.01, 0.10, 1.0, and 10.0 mg/kg of body weight; ERY, 0.10 mg/kg bolus; and saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, 10 ml. All treatments, ...
Rakhit S, Murdoch R, Wilson SM.Adrenaline, forskolin and ATP all evoked accumulation of cyclic AMP in equine sweat gland epithelial cells, although the response to adrenaline was more transient than that to forskolin and ATP. Cells preincubated in adrenaline (10 micromol l-1, 32 min) showed essentially complete, homologous desensitisation, and this phenomenon reversed slowly (half-time 6.3+/-0.9 h). After 10 min of recovery from preincubation in adrenaline, isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX, 5 mmol l-1) had no effect upon the desensitisation and the cells showed no loss of sensitivity to ATP and forskolin. After 10 h, however, t...
Goudet G, Leclercq L, Bézard J, Duchamp G, Guillaume D, Palmer E.This study reports the follicular growth and oocyte competence for in vitro maturation and fertilization under the influence of circulating eCG. Three to 7 successive ultrasound-guided follicular punctures were performed on 4 pregnant mares from Day 23 until Day 75 of pregnancy and on 5 control mares whose embryonic vesicle was crushed on Day 22. All follicles larger than 5 mm were punctured 24 h after the largest follicle reached 18 mm. Expanded cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were stained at recovery to analyze the nuclear stage. Compact COCs were cultured in vitro for 46 h and either staine...
Moslemi S, Seralini GE.In order to approach the detailed structure-function relationships of aromatase, we studied the inhibitory and inactivatory potencies of several steroidal androstenedione analogues (1: 4-hydroxyandrostenedione, 2: 4-acetoxyandrostenedione and 3: 7 alpha-(4'-amino)phenylthio-4-androstene-3, 17-dione) and non-steroidal imidazole derivatives (4: ketoconazole, 5: miconazole and 6: fadrozole) on equine aromatase in placental microsomes, a well established mammalian model. Human placental microsomes and the purified enzyme from equine testis were also used to compare inhibition by 1 and 2. In equine...
Brooks DE, Andrew SE, Dillavou CL, Ellis G, Kubilis PS.To evaluate in vitro susceptibility to topical antifungal medications, as measured by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50%), of fungal isolates from horses with ulcerative keratomycosis in Florida; to compare results with those of other studies to identify differences in susceptibility patterns among fungi isolated from horses in different geographic regions; and to note indications of fungal resistance to drugs tested in other studies. Methods: Corneal fungal cultures from client-owned horses from Florida with ulcerative keratomycosis (n = 22). Method...
Hopper SA, Schneider RK, Ratzlaff MH, White KK, Johnson CH.To determine the ability of a full-limb transfixation pin cast to protect the distal portion of the equine forelimb from weight-bearing forces by measuring bone strain in vitro on cadaver limbs loaded in a mechanical testing machine. Methods: 6 forelimbs from 6 horses. Methods: Each limb was instrumented with 3 unidirectional metal foil electrical resistant strain gauges. Gauges were placed on the dorsal aspect of the distal portion of the radius and the mid-dorsal portion of the cortex of the third metacarpal bone and the first phalanx. Each limb was tested 3 times, once supported with a tran...
Hopper SA, Schneider RK, Ratzlaff MH, White KK, Johnson CH.To determine the effect of pin hole size and number on the breaking strength of the adult equine radius when loaded in torsion to failure. Methods: 54 pairs of equine radii from adult horses. Methods: For test one, 12 pairs of radii were used to determine the effect of pin hole size on torsional breaking strength. A 6.35-mm hole was drilled in 1 radius, and a 9.5-mm hole was drilled in the contralateral radius. For test two, 36 pairs of radii were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups (n = 12) to determine the effect of pin hole number on the torsional breaking strength of the equine ra...
Koepf EK, Hewitt J, Vo H, Macgillivray RT, Burtnick LD.We have generated and characterized the cDNA from equine smooth muscle that encodes gelsolin, an actin-modulating protein. Overlapping cDNA clones synthesized by the reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction and clones isolated from a horse genomic library provided the complete primary structure for the intracellular isoform of gelsolin, while cDNA complemented with protein sequence data produced the full-length primary transcript of the gelsolin isoform found circulating in equine plasma. The deduced amino acid sequences of the intracellular and secreted versions of equine gelsolin infe...
Sahagun-Ruiz A, Waghela SD, Holman PJ, Chieves LP, Wagner GG.A DNA probe from Babesia caballi (Bc1) was selected by antibody screening of a genomic library. The Bc1 probe hybridized specifically to B. caballi genomic DNA. A polymerase-chain-reaction-based assay for B. caballi DNA was developed from primers deduced from the probe nucleotide sequence. An amplified product of 1.6 kb was detected from as little as 500 fg B. caballi template DNA. Sensitivity increased 1000-fold when the biotin-labeled Bc1 probe was hybridized to the amplicons in a Southern blot.
Dutta SK, Vemulapalli R, Biswas B.Ehrlichia risticii is the causative agent of Potomac horse fever (PHF), which continues to be an important disease of horses. Commercial inactivated whole-cell vaccines are regularly used for immunization of horses against the disease. However, PHF is occurring in large numbers of horses in spite of vaccination. In a limited study, 43 confirmed cases of PHF occurred between the 1994 and 1996 seasons; of these, 38 (89%) were in horses that had been vaccinated for the respective season, thereby clearly indicating vaccine failure. A field study of horses vaccinated with two PHF vaccines indicated...
Carter RA, Ericsson SA, Corn CD, Weyerts PR, Dart MG, Escue SG, Mesta J.The objective of this study was to determine if spermatozoal reduction of the dyes methylene green to colorless and resazurin to pink or colorless was associated with the fertility potential of an equine semen sample. Fifty samples from 38 stallions were evaluated for the number of spermatozoa per milliliter and number of motile sperm per milliliter. Methylene green (20 micrograms/mL of semen) or resazurin (85 micrograms/mL of semen) was added to 3-mL aliquots of semen. Semen samples were identified as having low fertility potential (< 200 x 10(6) total cells/mL and or = 200 x 10(6) total ...
Zhang XY, Zhu FX, Olszewski MA, Robinson NE.The beta 2-agonists currently used as bronchodilators are racemic mixtures of R- and S-enantiomers. In the present study, we examined the effects of enantiomers of the beta 2-agonists albuterol and formoterol on acetylcholine (ACh) release from equine trachealis parasympathetic nerves. ACh release was evoked by electrical field stimulation (20 V, 0.5 ms, 0.5 Hz) and measured by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection. We also tested the effects of enantiomers of albuterol and formoterol on equine tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) contraction in response to exog...
Magdaleno L, Gasset M, Varea J, Schambony AM, Urbanke C, Raida M, Töpfer-Petersen E, Calvete JJ.HSP-3 is a member of the cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP) family from stallion seminal plasma. We report a large-scale purification protocol for native HSP-3. This protein is a non-glycosylated polypeptide chain with a pI of 8-9 and an isotope-averaged molecular mass of 24987 +/- 3 Da. The molecular mass of HSP-3, determined by equilibrium sedimentation, is 26 kDa, showing that the protein exists in solution as a monomer. The concentration of HSP-3 in the seminal plasma of different stallions ranged from 0.3 to 1.3 mg/ml. On average, 0.9-9 million HSP-3 molecules/cell coat the postacros...
Dell'Aquila ME, Cho YS, Minoia P, Traina V, Lacalandra GM, Maritato F.The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the addition of follicular fluid (FF) collected from preovulatory follicles with that of oestrous mare serum (EMS) (acting as the control) to TCM-199 medium on the in-vitro maturation, fertilization and development of equine cumulus-enclosed oocytes. Oocytes (<30 mm in diameter) were obtained from the ovaries of slaughtered mares. After in-vitro maturation in the presence of the two supplements, their fertilization, cleavage and developmental potential were compared after conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm inje...
Barton MH, Ferguson D, Davis PJ, Moore JN.Pentoxifylline (7.5 mg/kg) was bolused intravenously to eight healthy horses and was immediately followed by infusion (1.5 mg/kg/h) for 3 h. Clinical parameters were recorded and blood samples were collected for 24 h. Plasma was separated and concentrations of pentoxifylline, its reduced metabolite I, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha were determined. Heparinized whole blood was also incubated ex vivo with 1 ng Escherichi coli endotoxin/mL blood for 6 h before determination of plasma tumour necrosis factor activity. The peak plasma concentrations of pentoxifylline and metabolite I occurred at ...
Mizuguchi M, Nara M, Ke Y, Kawano K, Hiraoki T, Nitta K.Interactions between Ca2+ and the Asp side chains in the Ca2+-binding site of equine lysozyme were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. In the spectrum of equine lysozyme, the intensities of the bands at about 1595 cm-1 and 1578 cm-1 in the region of the COO antisymmetric stretches increased upon Ca2+ binding. In the region of the COO- symmetric stretches, the loss of intensity at about 1388 cm-1 and gains of intensities at about 1423 cm-1 and 1403 cm-1 were observed due to Ca2+ binding to equine lysozyme. The spectral changes for equine lysozyme indicate that the C...
Murray A, Pearson GT, Cottrell DF.Small intestine was taken from the caudal flexure of the duodenum and the terminal ileum proximal to the ileocaecal fold of 25 horses, 9 with acute grass sickness (AGS), 12 with subacute grass sickness (SAGS) and 12 with chronic grass sickness (CGS). The motility in the samples was measured isometrically either within 1 h of death or after storage for 24 h at 4 degree C. In control tissue, noradrenaline produced contractions of muscle strips which did not involve a muscarinic cholinergic mechanism and which were unaffected by the alpha 1 antagonist prazosin but were blocked by the alpha 2 anta...
Inoue OJ, Freeman DE, Wallig M.To study effects of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) on equine colonic mucosa in vitro, and determine whether addition of ascorbic acid protects against the effects. Methods: 6 healthy horses and ponies. Methods: Short-circuit current was measured in mucosa mounted in Ussing chambers. Incubation conditions were: control (no additions); 5 mM HOCl; 1 mM HOCl; same and 5 mM ascorbic acid; 3 mM HOCl; 3 mM HOCl and 5 mM ascorbic acid; 7 mM HOCl; and 7 mM HOCl plus 5 mM ascorbic acid. Permeability was measured with [3H]mannitol and, at the conclusion of each experiment, tissues were examined microscopically...
Balkman CE, Nixon AJ.To clone and determine molecular structure of equine stromelysin 1 (matrix metalloproteinase 3) and examine stromelysin expression in articular cartilage. SAMPLES AND PROCEDURE: Total RNA was harvested from equine arthritic cartilage specimens and was used for reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction amplification to develop overlapping complementary DNA (cDNA) clones. Four cDNA sequences were ligated into plasmid (pGEM3Z) constructs and subcloned into bacterial expression vectors, and sequence was determined by automated dye terminator sequencing. Stromelysin mRNA expression was as...
Akens MK, Holznagel E, Franchini M, Bracher V.In the present study, two methods of lymphocyte preparation, whole blood lysis and Ficoll-Paque separation, prior to FACS analysis were compared. The comparison was done with single and dual-colour staining techniques. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against eCD4, eCD5, eCD8 and eMHC class II were used. There was no significant difference in the results obtained by these two methods.
Wauters J, Franck T, Pille F, Martens A, Demeyere K, Sys S, Serteyn D, Gasthuys F, Meyer E.Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a protein of interest due to its involvement in equine pathologies. Until now, results in equine diagnostic research were achieved through extracellular MPO detection. However, studying the cellular MPO content in neutrophils has revealed important insights in human diseases. This study aimed to develop a technique for the specific detection of MPO on the single cell level defining a flow cytometric protocol for the detection of both equine surface-bound and cellular MPO. Both indirect and direct labeling techniques are described which include the comparison of two sec...
McKelvie J, Little S, Foster AP, Cunningham FM, Hamblin A.It has been reported that equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNs) do not proliferate in response to tetanus toxoid (TT) (Frayne and Stokes 1995, Research in Veterinary Science 59, 79-81). Here we demonstrate that lymphocyte proliferation responses to TT, which are characteristic of a recall antigen, may be achieved under certain culture conditions. Given that TT vaccination is routinely applied to many horses, TT is a suitable antigen for the investigation of cellular immune responses by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the horse.
Chen JW, Uboh CE, Soma LR, Li X, Guan F, You Y.To evaluate whether urine supernatant contains amplifiable DNA and to determine factors that influence genotyping of samples from racehorses after storage and transportation. Methods: 580 urine, 279 whole blood, and 40 plasma samples obtained from 261 Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from stored blood and urine samples collected from racehorses after competition. Quantified DNA was evaluated to determine whether 5 equine microsatellite loci (VHL20, HTG4, AHT4, HMS6, and HMS7) could be amplified by use of PCR techniques. Fragment size of each amplified locus wa...
Desantis S, Accogli G, Crovace A, Francioso EG, Crovace AM.The use of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for clinical and experimental studies is increasing, but full characterization of MSCs in veterinary species is hindered by the variability in species-specific cell surface marker expression and antibody cross reactivity. Recent studies demonstrated that the glycans in the glycocalyx of MSCs are promising candidates as cell biomarkers. In the present study, we analyzed the glycocalyx of canine MSCs (cMSCs), ovine MSCs (oMSCs), and equine MSCs (eMSCs) using a cell microarray procedure in which MSCs were spotted on microarray slides an...
Wilson SM, Gallagher M, Rakhit S, Remsbury AL, Ko WH.Uridine triphosphate (UTP) evoked inhibition of adrenaline-evoked cAMP accumulation in cultured equine epithelial cells (EC50, 1.8 +/- 0.2 microM) and this effect was mimicked by 5-Br-UTP (EC50, 6.6 +/- 1.8 microM) and uridine diphosphate (UDP; EC50, 96 +/- 26 microM). This inhibitory action of UTP was abolished by pre-treating cells with pertussis toxin (10 ng ml-1, 24 h). UTP (EC50, 2.3 +/- 0.3 microM) and 5-Br-UTP (EC50, 29.4 +/- 9.4 microM) also increased intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) whilst UDP did not; the two effects are thus differentially sensitive to these pyrimidine nucleotid...
Turner GA, Taylor DM.The interactions between tetravalent plutonium and horse serum proteins were studied in vitro by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate and by gel filtration. The results show that in horse serum, as in other mammalian sera, the plutonium is associated principally with the transferrin component of the beta1-globulins. The formation of the plutonium-transferrin complex requires the presence of HCO3-, and plutonium is displaced from the complex by excess iron, thus indicating that similar binding sites may be involved in the complexing of iron and plutonium. The plutonium complex is considered to ...
Carsana A, Furia A, Gallo A, Beintema JJ, Libonati M.1. Extensively glycosylated ribonucleases, like the enzymes from pig and horse pancreas, show a much higher activity on double-stranded RNAs than similarly charged, carbohydrate-free RNAases under stranded assay conditions (relatively high salt concentrations). Glycosylated pig and horse pancreas RNAases also show a larger destabilizing effect on double-stranded poly[d(A-T)] X poly[d(A-T)], than that displayed by bovine RNAase A under these conditions. Both activities show a similar dependence on the ionic strength of the medium. 2. A partial enzymic removal of the heterosaccharide side chains...
Yu MF, Ewaskiewicz JI, Adda S, Bailey K, Harris V, Sosnoski D, Tomasic M, Wilson J, Kotlikoff MI.We report adenovirus-mediated gene transfer into airway smooth muscle cells in cultured cells and organ-cultured tracheal segments. Incubation of cultured rat tracheal myocytes with virus (5 x 10(8) pfu/ml) for 6 h resulted in beta-galactosidase expression in 94.8 +/- 2.5% of cells (n = 4). Following incubation of thin (less than 200 microns diameter) equine trachealis muscle segments with virus in organ culture (5 x 10(8)-5 x 10(10) pfu/ml) the average expression of the Lac Z gene was approximately 19 +/- 10% (n = 9). Expression was markedly improved, however, in segments from neonatal rats (...
Siemsen DW, Kirpotina LN, Malachowa N, Schepetkin IA, Porter AR, Lei B, DeLeo FR, Quinn MT.The development of new advances in understanding the role of neutrophils in inflammation requires effective procedures for isolating and purifying neutrophils. Methods for isolating human neutrophils are fairly standard, and some are covered in other chapters of this volume and previous editions. However, procedures for isolating neutrophils from nonhuman species used to model human diseases vary from those used in isolating human neutrophils and are not as well developed. Since neutrophils are highly reactive and sensitive to small perturbations, the methods of isolation are important to avo...
Díaz S, Kienast ME, Villegas-Castagnasso EE, Pena NL, Manganare MM, Posik D, Peral-García P, Giovambattista G.In order to detect switching and/or manipulation of samples, the owner of a stallion asked our lab to perform a DNA test on a positive doping urine sample. The objective was to compare the urine DNA profile versus blood and hair DNA profiles from the same stallion. At first, 10 microsatellite markers were investigated to determine the horse identity. No results were obtained when horse specific markers were typed in the urine sample. In order to confirm the species origin of this sample we analyzed the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. This analysis from blood and hair samples produced reproduc...
Anderson LW, Banks KL.Equine macrophages were obtained from female Shetland ponies by injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide through the lactiferous ducts of the mammary gland. After 6 to 11 days, balanced salt solution was injected into the mammary gland to wash out accumulated cells. Harvested cells contained a mixture of macrophages, lymphocytes, and neutrophils, with the majority of the cells of mononuclear type. In culture, cells adherent after 24 hours were characterized as macrophages by morphologic features, nonspecific esterase staining, and by the presence of complement and immunoglobulin recept...
Liu DY, Lopata A, Pantke P, Baker HW.The present study demonstrates that horse and marmoset monkey sperm can bind to the human zona of salt-stored oocytes that failed to fertilize in vitro. Marmoset monkey sperm are also able to penetrate the salt-stored human zona. In contrast, human sperm do not bind to the zona of either horse or marmoset monkey oocytes. These results suggest that human sperm binding to the zona pellucida is more strictly species-specific than it is for horse and marmoset monkey sperm. In contrast, horse and marmoset monkey sperm contain receptors recognized by the human zona.
Weiss DJ, Geor RJ, Burris SM, Smith CM.Pentoxifylline has been reported to improve peripheral vascular circulation by altering the flow properties of blood. To determine if the hemorrheological effects of pentoxifylline were mediated by alterations in neutrophil function and/or flow properties, we evaluated the drug's effects on equine neutrophils in vitro. Pentoxifylline, at a concentration of 1 x 10(-1) M, but not at concentrations of 1 x 10(-6) M to 1 x 10(-2) M, markedly suppressed neutrophil superoxide production, zymosan phagocytosis and adherence to nylon wool. Pentoxifylline failed to improve neutrophil filterability throug...
Sampaio MU, Galembeck F, Paiva AC, Prado ES.The kinetic constants for horse urinary kallikrein and trypsin hydrolysis of BAEE, TAME, bradykinin methyl ester and bradykinyl-Ser-Val-Gin-Val-Ser were determined. The values of the ratio kcat/Km show that (1) kallikrein is catalytically less efficient than trypsin for all the substrates (2) the three esters are equally good substrates for trypsin while horse urinary kallikrein is 100-fold more effective on bradykinin methyl ester than on the other substrates (3) for both enzymes the ester of bradykinin is a better substrate than the tetradecapeptide.
Lisiecki P, Sobiś-Glinkowska M, Mikucki J.Under iron-restricted conditions staphylococcal strains could utilize in vitro several animals body iron sources in form of bovine haemoglobin, hemin, lactoferrin and transferrin, ovotransferrin, horse myoglobin ferritin and cytochrome C. Spectrum of utilized iron sources was not dependent on species affiliation and kind of siderophores system. Strains isolated from clinical materials utilized largest spectrum of animal iron body sources.
Borovanský J, Vedralová E, Hach P.Concentration of melanosomes in various tissues has been unknown because of the impracticability of their direct quantification. Using an indirect approach comprising the estimation of melanin both in freeze-dried tissue samples and in isolated melanosomes, we obtained data on the amount of melanosomes in various pigment tissues. The concentrations of melanosomes found in the tissues were relatively high, not only reflecting the dark color of pigment tissues but also explaining their capacity to perform various functions ascribed to the presence of melanin.
Gospodarek E.Direct and intermediate hemolytic activity of 526 strains of Acinetobacter was investigated. Their ability to produce lipase and lecithinase was also studied. Measurements were performed parallely on human, horse, sheep and bovine erythrocytes. Direct hemolytic activity was exhibited by 16% of tested strains (17 out of 24 strains of A. haemolyticus). Human, sheep and bovine erythrocytes were useful for testing the hemolytic activity of Acinetobacter. The hemolysis was occurring faster and was visible more frequently during incubation at 37 degrees C. Indirect hemolytic activity was observed in...
Potgieter LN, Rouse BT, Webb-Martin TA.A modification of the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed which used staphylococcal protein A linked to horseradish peroxidase. Virus antibodies in equine, bovine, porcine, feline, canine, lagomorphic (rabbit), and human sera were detected, using the indirect ELISA in which the antiglobulin enzyme conjugate was replaced by protein A linked to horseradish peroxidase. Results of the ELISA were compared with the results of the serum-virus neutralization test. The application of the test in laboratories performing serologic assays with sera from diverse animal species ...
Mills PC, Cross SE.An increasing number of formulations are applied to equine skin, yet variable penetration can affect efficacy, or the incidence of adverse effects, or both. To investigate the effects of common methods of skin preparation on transdermal drug penetration in vitro, we clipped, harvested, and froze skin samples from 5 Thoroughbred geldings. Thawed samples were prepared as follows: control (no preparation); cleaned with aqueous chlorhexidine (Aq-C, 0.1% w/v); cleaned with alcoholic chlorhexidine (Al-C, 0.5% w/v); shaved (Sh); or tape-stripped (Ta) with the use of adhesive tape. The samples were th...
Katayama Y, Oikawa M, Kaneko M, Yoshihara T, Yoshikawa H, Yoshikawa T.Three monoclonal antibodies capable of individually recognizing chondrocytes, osteoblasts and osteocytes were prepared. EB-1 reacted with a 55-kDa antigen on the chondrocyte membrane, EB-2 with a 110-kDa antigen on the membrane of osteoblasts and/or partial osteocytes, and EB-3 with a 130-kDa antigen on the membrane of osteocytes. These monoclonal antibodies may be useful probes for studying the differentiation and maturation of osteogenic cells.
Ceriotti S, Consiglio AL, Casati L, Cremonesi F, Sibilia V, Ferrucci F.Increasing evidence suggests a role for ghrelin in the control of articular inflammatory diseases like osteoarthritis (OA). In the present study we examined the ability of ghrelin to counteract LPS-induced necrosis and apoptosis of chondrocytes and the involvement of GH secretagogue receptor (GHS-R)1a in the protective action of ghrelin. The effects of ghrelin (10-10 mol/L) on equine primary cultured chondrocytes viability and necrosis in basal conditions and under LPS treatment (100 ng/ml) were detected by using both acridine orange/propidium iodide staining and annexin-5/propidium iodide...
Flores M, Wajnberg E, Bemski G.Electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy has been used to study protons in nitrosyl horse heart myoglobin (MbNO). (1)H ENDOR spectra were recorded for different settings of the magnetic field. Detailed analysis of the ENDOR powder spectra, using computer simulation, based on the "orientation-selection" principle, leads to the identification of the available protons in the heme pocket. We observe hyperfine interactions of the N(HisF8)-Fe(2+)-N(NO) complex with five protons in axial and with eight protons in the rhombic symmetry along different orientations, including those of the ...
Tobin T, Tai CY, Arnett S.A published method for the recovery of procaine from human plasma using 5M NaOH gave very poor recoveries. Investigation showed that under the recommended extraction conditions procaine was rapidly hydrolysed. Extraction into benzene of samples buffered to pH 9.0 with borate buffer allowed essentially 100% recovery of procaine from equine plasma and urine.
Ignatchenko AP, Bogomaz VI, Tugaĭ VA, Chuĭko AA.Biospecific sorbents for affinity chromatography of proteolytic enzymes have been synthesized by attaching cyclopeptide antibiotic gramicidin S to organo-silica supports. It is shown possible to attach gramicidin S to the organo-silica supports using glutaric aldehyde, p-benzoquinone, soluble and insoluble carbodiimides. The sorbents prepared by these methods were successfully applied for the purification of the crude pepsin from horse gastric juice and proteolytic complex produced by Acremonium chrysogenum.
Abraham-Peskir JV, Chantler E, Uggerhøj E.We have investigated fresh and cryopreserved bovine and equine spermatozoa using light and transmission soft X-ray microscopy. Spermatozoa were examined, in the presence or absence of semen, after using Percoll gradient centrifugation and re-suspending in medium. X-ray microscopy provided high resolution (30 nm) transmission images of whole cells in solution with high contrast, while retaining the simple preparation techniques used in light microscopy. We demonstrated translucent, membrane-bound vesicles in the acrosomal and midpiece regions that were similar in size and we noted their inciden...
Wang Z, Takezawa Y, Aoyagi H, Abe S, Hikage T, Watanabe Y, Kitagawa S, Ueno T.Apo-ferritin (apo-Fr) mutants are used as scaffolds to accommodate palladium (allyl) complexes. Various coordination arrangements of the Pd complexes are achieved by adjusting the positions of cysteine and histidine residues on the interior surface of the apo-Fr cage.
Weiss DJ, Evanson OA, Wells RE.To determine whether synthetic peptides containing the arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) sequence inhibit equine platelet function. Methods: For in vitro studies of blood, 3 healthy Thoroughbreds; for in vivo and ex vivo studies of administration of RGD-containing peptides, 4 young adult pony mares. Methods: Blood was incubated with and without addition of aspirin or RGD-containing peptides (RGDS, RPR 110885) and platelet aggregation responses and platelet adhesion to subendothelial collagen were determined. RPR 110885 was administered IV, and platelet function was evaluated. Platelet aggregati...
Sahagun-Ruiz A, Waghela SD, Holman PJ, Chieves LP, Wagner GG.A DNA probe from Babesia caballi (Bc1) was selected by antibody screening of a genomic library. The Bc1 probe hybridized specifically to B. caballi genomic DNA. A polymerase-chain-reaction-based assay for B. caballi DNA was developed from primers deduced from the probe nucleotide sequence. An amplified product of 1.6 kb was detected from as little as 500 fg B. caballi template DNA. Sensitivity increased 1000-fold when the biotin-labeled Bc1 probe was hybridized to the amplicons in a Southern blot.
Ko WH, Pediani JD, Bovell DL, Wilson SM.We have explored the properties of a Ca(2+)-dependent cell-signalling pathway that becomes active when cultured equine sweat gland cells are stimulated with ATP. The ATP-regulated, Ca(2+)-influx pathway allowed Sr2+ to enter the cytoplasm but permitted only a minimal influx of Ba2+. Experiments in which cells were repeatedly stimulated with ATP suggested that Sr2+, but not Ba2+, could become incorporated into the agonist-sensitive, cytoplasmic Ca2+ store. Further evidence for this was provided by experiments using ionomycin, a Ca2+ ionophore which has no affinity for Sr2+.
Lindeberg H, Kurtén A, Koskinen E, Katila T.The effect of addition of glycine betaine to a lactose-EDTA freezing medium on the post-thaw motility of stallion semen was determined. The first three semen-rich fractions of nine stallions were collected with an open-end Krakow artificial vagina on consecutive weekdays. Semen was frozen using the Hannover method with freezing media containing glycine betaine in various concentrations from 0 to 5%. After thawing, sperm motility was analysed both by a light microscope and by a Hamilton-Thorn Motility Analyser. Total and progressive post-thaw motilities of semen containing 0.25-3% glycine betai...
