In vivo studies involving horses refer to research conducted within living organisms to understand various biological processes, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic interventions in equine species. These studies provide insights into the physiological and pathological responses of horses under natural conditions. In vivo research encompasses a range of investigations, including pharmacokinetics, disease modeling, and the evaluation of treatment efficacy. It often involves the use of controlled environments to simulate real-life scenarios while observing the effects of specific variables on equine health. This page gathers peer-reviewed research articles and scholarly studies that explore the methodologies, findings, and implications of in vivo research in horses, contributing to the advancement of equine science and veterinary medicine.
van Rijn PA, Maris-Veldhuis MA, Grobler M, Wright IM, Erasmus BJ, Maartens LH, Potgieter CA.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a virus species in the genus Orbivirus of the family Reoviridae causing African Horse Sickness (AHS) in equids with a mortality of about 95% in naïve horses. AHS causes serious losses in developing countries where horses play a central role in draft power and transportation. There are nine AHSV serotypes inducing no or low cross-neutralizing antibodies. AHSV is spread by biting Culicoides midges. AHS is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and a serious threat outside Africa, since Culicoides species in moderate climate conditions are spreading the closely rel...
Delvescovo B, Mullen KR, Eicker SW, Ivanek R, Ainsworth DM.Previously we described a clustering of dysphagic foal cases on a Pennsylvania (PA) Standardbred farm which was associated with exposure of pregnant mares to high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the well water. The effect of dysphagia on future athleticism was uncertain. Objective: To determine if, as adults, dysphagic foals were less likely to race and if athleticism (age of first race, Speed Index and Earnings Per Start Index) differed from that of healthy foals that raced as adults. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: All foals born during the study peri...
So YM, Wong JKY, Choi TLS, Prabhu A, Stewart B, Farrington AF, Robinson P, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.This paper describes the studies of the in vitro biotransformation of two selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), namely, RAD140 and S-23, and the in vivo metabolism of RAD140 in horses using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. in vitro metabolic studies of RAD140 and S-23 were performed using homogenised horse liver. The more prominent in vitro biotransformation pathways for RAD140 included hydrolysis, hydroxylation, glucuronidation and sulfation. Metabolic pathways for S-23 were similar to those for other arylpropionamide-based SARMs. The a...
Giessler KS, Samoilowa S, Soboll Hussey G, Kiupel M, Matiasek K, Sledge DG, Liesche F, Schlegel J, Fux R, Goehring LS.Upper respiratory tract infections with Equid Herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) typically result in a peripheral blood mononuclear cell-associated viremia, which can lead to vasculopathy in the central nervous system. Primary EHV-1 infection also likely establishes latency in trigeminal ganglia (TG) via retrograde axonal transport and in respiratory tract-associated lymphatic tissue. However, latency establishment and reactivation are poorly understood. To characterize the pathogenesis of EHV-1 latency establishment and maintenance, two separate groups of yearling horses were experimentally infected intra...
Mustikka MP, Pietilä EM, Mykkänen AK, Grönthal TSC.To obtain a reference range for evaluation of intraocular pressure (IOP) in horses using Tonovet Plus , to compare the IOP readings obtained with Tonovet and Tonovet Plus , and to evaluate the repeatability of readings. Unassigned: Intraocular pressure of 30 client-owned horses (60 eyes) with no signs of illness or ocular disease was evaluated using Tonovet and Tonovet Plus rebound tonometers. Horses' mean age was 10.7 (range 6-17) years. Triplicate measurements were performed without using sedatives or local anesthetics, with minimal restraint. Results: Calculated reference intervals (the CLS...
Del Prete C, Lanci A, Cocchia N, Freccero F, Di Maio C, Castagnetti C, Mariella J, Micieli F.Blood collection by indwelling intravenous catheter (IVC) avoids repeated venipuncture, which could cause thrombophlebitis risk, anxiety and pain in patients. Objective: To compare blood gas parameters, electrolytes, glucose, lactate and haematocrit concentration obtained from venous blood samples collected via a jugular IVC by push-pull (PP) technique to those obtained by venipuncture in hospitalised foals, at the time of catheter placement (T0) and 24 hours after the beginning of intravenous therapy (T24). Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: Paired blood samples were drawn fr...
Sierra-Rodriguez T, Groover ES, Lascola KM, Mora-Pereira M, Lee YH, Duran SH, Ravis WR, Spangler E, Hathcock T, Wooldridge AA.Voriconazole (VRC) is a potential treatment for pneumomycosis in horses. The objectives of this study were to determine if the delivery of Vfend using a Flexineb nebulizer produced clinically significant [VRC] in lower airways. The hypothesis was that [VRC] after delivery by nebulization would be greater in the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid than plasma. A secondary objective was to determine [VRC] in upper airways through the collection of nasopharyngeal wash (NPW) samples. Voriconazole solution [Vfend-6.25 mg/mL, 100 (n = 2), 200 (n = 3), 500 (n = 1) mg] was nebulized once in 6 health...
Pluim M, Martens A, Vanderperren K, van Weeren R, Oosterlinck M, Dewulf J, Kichouh M, Van Thielen B, Koene MHW, Luciani A, Plancke L, Delesalle C.High-power laser therapy is often used as a treatment for human sport injuries but controlled standardized studies on its efficacy are lacking. The technique has also been introduced in the equine field and recently promising results were reported in a retrospective study focusing on 150 sporthorses suffering from tendinopathy and desmopathy of the SDFT, DDFT, suspensory ligament, and suspensory branches. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of high-power laser in a standardized lesion model in horses. Lesions were created in all lateral suspensory branches of 12 warmblood ...
Brütsch DR, Hunziker P, Pot S, Tappeiner C, Voelter K.Intraocular fibrin clots caused by severe uveitis can be a sight-threatening condition that needs to be resolved quickly and reliably. Intracameral injection of tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) is commonly used to resolve intraocular fibrin. However, the drug does not reach fibrinolytic concentrations after topical application. Desmoteplase (DSPA) is a structurally similar but smaller fibrinolytic agent with a higher fibrin selectivity, a longer half-life, and better biocompatibility compared with tPA. This study was designed to evaluate the corneal and scleral permeability of DSPA in rabbit...
Weber LA, Puff C, Kalbitz J, Kietzmann M, Feige K, Bosse K, Rohn K, Cavalleri JV.The naturally occurring betulinic acid (BA) and its derivative NVX-207 show anticancer effects against equine malignant melanoma (EMM) cells and a potent permeation in isolated equine skin in vitro. The aim of the study was to determine the in vivo concentration profiles of BA and NVX-207 in equine skin and assess the compounds' local and systemic tolerability with the intent of developing a topical therapy against EMM. Eight horses were treated percutaneously in a crossover design with 1% BA, 1% NVX-207 or a placebo in a respective vehicle twice a day for seven consecutive days with a seven-d...
Machin J, Childers T, Kudrimoti S, Eisenberg R, Fenger C, Hartmann P, Maylin G, Shults T, Tobin T.Aminorex is a US DEA Schedule 1 controlled substance occasionally detected in racing horses. A number of aminorex identifications in sport horses were thought to have been caused by exposure to plant sources of aminorex. Glucobarbarin, found in plants of the Brassicaceae family, has been suggested as a potential proximate chemical source by being metabolized in the plant or the horse to aminorex. In Brassicaceae, glucobarbarin is hydrolyzed by myrosinase to yield barbarin, which serves as an insect repellant and/or attractant and is structurally related to aminorex. The synthesis, purification...
Shihadih DS, Harris TR, Kodani SD, Hwang SH, Lee KSS, Mavangira V, Hamamoto B, Guedes A, Hammock BD, Morisseau C.The veterinary pharmacopeia available to treat pain and inflammation is limited in number, target of action and efficacy. Inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) are a new class of anti-inflammatory, pro-resolving and analgesic drugs being tested in humans that have demonstrated efficacy in laboratory animals. They block the hydrolysis, and thus, increase endogenous concentrations of analgesic and anti-inflammatory signaling molecules called epoxy-fatty acids. Here, we screened a library of 2,300 inhibitors of the sEH human against partially purified feline, canine and equine hepatic sEH...
Much ML, Leatherwood JL, Martinez RE, Silvers BL, Basta CF, Gray LF, Bradbery AN.Twenty stock-type horses (589 ± 126 kg BW; 13 ± 8 yr) were used in a completely randomized design for 28-d to evaluate the impact of a joint supplement on gait kinematics, inflammation, and cartilage metabolism. Horses were stratified by age, sex, body weight (BW), and initial lameness scores and were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments consisting of either a 100-g placebo top-dressed daily to 0.6% BW (as-fed) commercial concentrate (CON; n = 10; SafeChoice Original, Cargill, Inc.), or an oral joint supplement (SmartPak Equine LLC) containing glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, ...
Golafshan N, Vorndran E, Zaharievski S, Brommer H, Kadumudi FB, Dolatshahi-Pirouz A, Gbureck U, van Weeren R, Castilho M, Malda J.One of the important challenges in bone tissue engineering is the development of biodegradable bone substitutes with appropriate mechanical and biological properties for the treatment of larger defects and those with complex shapes. Recently, magnesium phosphate (MgP) doped with biologically active ions like strontium (Sr) have shown to significantly enhance bone formation when compared with the standard calcium phosphate-based ceramics. However, such materials can hardly be shaped into large and complex geometries and more importantly lack the adequate mechanical properties for the treatment ...
How MJ, Gonzales D, Irwin A, Caro T.Of all hypotheses advanced for why zebras have stripes, avoidance of biting fly attack receives by far the most support, yet the mechanisms by which stripes thwart landings are not yet understood. A logical and popular hypothesis is that stripes interfere with optic flow patterns needed by flying insects to execute controlled landings. This could occur through disrupting the radial symmetry of optic flow via the aperture effect (i.e. generation of false motion cues by straight edges), or through spatio-temporal aliasing (i.e. misregistration of repeated features) of evenly spaced stripes. By r...
Fortier LA, Goodrich LR, Ribitsch I, Schnabel LV, Shepard DO, Van de Walle GR, Watts AE, Whealands Smith RK.Regenerative medicine is commonly used in human and equine athletes. Potential therapies include culture expanded stem cells, stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue, platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow concentrate, or autologous conditioned serum. The purpose of this manuscript is to disseminate findings from a workshop on the development of translational regenerative medicine in the equine field. Five themes emerged: stem cell characterization and tenogenic differentiation; interactions between mesenchymal stem cells, other cells and the environment; scaffolds and cell packaging; blood- an...
Yoshimura S, Koziy RV, Dickinson R, Moshynskyy I, McKenzie JA, Simko E, Bracamonte JL.While serum amyloid A (SAA) has been investigated as a potential marker for septic arthritis in horses, no study has reported on whether SAA can be used to detect eradication of joint infection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether the eradication of joint infection in experimentally induced septic arthritis in horses can be detected using serum and synovial fluid SAA. A total of 17 horses were randomly assigned to 3 groups. A middle carpal joint of each horse was injected with saline (control group, = 3), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (nonseptic synovitis group, = 6)...
Youngblood CD, Hodgson DS, Beard WL, Song Y, Prakash P, Heflin LV.Recumbency affects respiratory mechanics and oxygenation in anesthetized horses. Changes in pleural and abdominal pressures that can impair ventilation have not been described in all recumbencies. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of patient positioning on transdiaphragmatic pressure and selected hemodynamic variables. Horses were maintained under total intravenous general anesthesia with nasal oxygen supplementation. Transnasal balloon catheters in the stomach and thoracic esophagus were used to measure intrathoracic and gastric pressures in standing horses and in anest...
Herrera C.Embryo cryopreservation is normally performed with great success in species like humans and cattle. The large size of in vivo-derived equine embryos and the presence of a capsule-impermeable to cryoprotectants-have complicated the use of embryo cryopreservation in equine reproduction. A breakthrough for this technique was obtained when large equine embryos could be successfully cryopreserved after collapsing the blastocoel cavity using a micromanipulation system. High pregnancy rates have been obtained when vitrification is used in combination with embryo collapse.
Fitzharris LE, Meehan LJ, Hezzell MJ, Allen KJ.The diaphragm is an important respiratory muscle, playing a key role during exercise. In humans, diaphragm thickness increases in response to training and is correlated with inspiratory strength. In order to assess respiratory strength in the horse, new evaluation techniques are required and measurement of diaphragm thickness, in a non-invasive and repeatable manner, is a possible approach. The purposes of this four-part, prospective, pilot study were to develop and describe a repeatable method to measure the diaphragm thickness, using ultrasonography, in Thoroughbred racehorses. A standardize...
Gustafsson K, Tatz AJ, Dahan R, Britzi M, Soback S, Sutton GA, Kelmer G. The aim of this study was to determine the time (T) to the maximum concentration (C) of amikacin sulphate in synovial fluid of the radiocarpal joint (RCJ) following cephalic intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) using 2 g of amikacin sulphate. Methods: Cephalic IVRLP was performed with 2 g of amikacin sulphate diluted in 0.9% NaCl to a total volume of 100 mL in six healthy adult mixed breed mares. An Esmarch's rubber tourniquet was applied for 30 minutes and the antibiotic solution was infused through a 23-gauge butterfly catheter. Synovial fluid was collected from the RCJ ...
Karam B, Hines S, Skipper L, Pusterla N.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is considered a major acute phase protein (APP) in horses. Serum amyloid A stall-side assays are commercially available to assess the inflammatory response of patients with various infectious and noninfectious conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the analytical performance of a new point-of-care (POC) assay for the measurement of SAA in whole blood and plasma of horses. One hundred and sixty blood samples were collected from 60 horses at various time points after immunization with an equine core vaccine. Analytical validation of the SAA POC assay inclu...
Peters S, Wilson J, Boyette J.The objective of this study was to determine the influence of age on expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP5), myostatin (MSTN), and myosin (MYH1) genes which are related to growth and muscle development in the American Quarter Horse. Thus, horses (n = 10) from weanling, yearling, 2-, 3-, and 10-year-old age classes were sampled and gene expression was assessed by RT-qPCR. ΔC was calculated using the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase gene as an internal normalizer. The generalized linear model was used to determine di...
Lescun TB, Adams SB, Nauman EA, Breur GJ. The aim of this study was to determine how increasing stiffness of fracture site tissues distal to the pins in an equine distal limb transfixation cast influences stress at the bone-pin interface, within the bones distal to the transcortical pins, and contact pressure between the foot and the cast. Methods: A transfixation cast finite element model was used to compare the bone-pin interface stress, pin stress, bone stress distal to the pins and contact pressure between the foot and the cast, using six stiffness values for a composite tissue block representing progressive stages of fractu...
Chapman GE, Sherlock K, Hesson JC, Blagrove MSC, Lycett GJ, Archer D, Solomon T, Baylis M.There has been no evidence of transmission of mosquito-borne arboviruses of equine or human health concern to date in the UK. However, in recent years there have been a number of outbreaks of viral diseases spread by vectors in Europe. These events, in conjunction with increasing rates of globalisation and climate change, have led to concern over the future risk of mosquito-borne viral disease outbreaks in northern Europe and have highlighted the importance of being prepared for potential disease outbreaks. Here we assess several UK mosquito species for their potential to transmit arboviruses ...
Kalamanova A, Anderson BH, Cust AR, Fulton IC.There are several skin grafting methods described in the human and animal literature. Currently, there are five types of free grafts used in horses: pinch and punch grafts, split and full-thickness sheet or mesh grafts and tunnel grafts. Published methods of tunnel grafting describe the use of alligator forceps. The alligator forceps create a poor tunnel and are excessively traumatic to the granulation bed. This technique utilised a 13G Jamshidi needle that was placed across the granulation bed and created a uniform tunnel. The Jamshidi needle was atraumatic to the granulation bed increasing t...
Giusto G, Gandini M.In equine abdominal surgery, resection and anastomosis of strangulated intestine is a commonly performed procedure. To date, ligatures, vessel sealing devices and the ligate-divide stapler have been described for this use in horses. The objective of this study was to compare the application of haemostatic clips and ligatures to occlude equine mesenteric vessels. Portions of jejunum with ten associated mesenteric vessels were collected from 12 horses at a local abattoir and divided into two groups. Portions of intestine were divided into two sections comprising five vessels each and assigned to...
González-Medina S, Hyde C, Lovera I, Piercy RJ.Measurement of hypoglycin A (HGA) and its toxic metabolite, methylenecyclopropylacetic acid (MCPA), in equine serum confirms a diagnosis of atypical myopathy (AM), a pasture-associated toxic rhabdomyolysis with high mortality linked to the ingestion of Acer trees plant material. Supportive diagnostic tests include plasma acyl-carnitine profiling and urine organic acid testing, but these are not specific for AM. Previously reported HGA and MCPA analytical techniques used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with a derivatising step, but the latter prolongs testing and increases costs...
Weatherall KM, Boone LH, Caldwell FJ, Cole RC, Cattley RC, Lascola KM, Clark-Price SC, Farag R, Perkins E, Hanson RR.To compare the biomechanical properties and healing of ventral midline celiotomies (VMC) closed with a self-locking knot combination and forwarder start and Aberdeen end (F-A) vs a traditional knot combination and surgeon's start and end (S-S). Methods: In vivo, experimental. Methods: Twenty-one horses. Methods: Fourteen horses underwent VMC, which was closed with either an F-A (n = 7) or an S-S (n = 7) knot combination. Incisions were subjectively graded by masked evaluators for dehiscence, edema, and drainage. Biomechanical testing was performed on three abdominal segments, and histology was...
Bermingham E, Davis JL, Whittem T.The goal of this editorial is to discuss best practice design, execution and reporting of a pharmacokinetic (PK) study in horses. Our target readers are clinicians who plan to perform this type of research, in a field, clinic or research setting but we also hope that this article might help readers of such work to appraise the articles and understand the quality of the studies. Our emphasis will be on appropriate study design and analytical method, drug and drug formulation choice and route of administration, animal choice, sample collection, storage and shipping, and reporting, rather than th...
de Laat MA, van Eps AW, McGowan CM, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC.Laminitis has many triggers and comparing the histopathology of lesions induced by different causes may help to establish whether a common mechanism or multiple pathologies are involved. The aim of this study was to describe the microscopical lesions and to quantify morphometric changes in the lamellae of horses with insulin-induced (n=4) and oligofructose (OF)-induced laminitis (n=4) compared with normal controls (n=4). Archived lamellar samples collected during two previous studies were used. Laminitis was induced within 48 h in standardbred horses with either a euglycaemic, hyperinsulinaemi...
Merritt AM, Burrow JA, Hartless CS.To evaluate the effect on equine duodenal motility of some analgesic agents commonly used to treat colic. Methods: 4 healthy adult healthy horses--2 mares and 2 geldings--which were carrying an indwelling gastric cannula made of silastic rubber. One horse also carried 2 long-term indwelling bipolar electrodes that had been sutured onto the duodenum and jejunum. Methods: To ensure an empty stomach, solid food was withheld from horses for around 20 hours prior to an experiment. Using videoendoscopic guidance, an 8-F catheter with 3 small, discrete pressure sensors was passed through the gastric ...
Chambers G, Ellsmore VA, O'Brien PM, Reid SW, Love S, Campo MS, Nasir L.The equine sarcoid, one of the most common dermatological lesions in equids, is a benign, locally invasive dermal fibroblastic lesion. Previous studies have suggested an association with two bovine papilloma virus (BPV) types, BPV-1 and BPV-2. In the present study, we examined sarcoids from horses from two geographical areas, Switzerland and the UK, for the major transforming gene of BPV, E5. We detected BPV DNA for the E5 open reading frame and viral E5 RNA transcripts in most sarcoids. Sequence analysis of the E5 open reading frame of sarcoid-associated BPV detected several unique DNA sequen...
Shikichi M, Kitamura HP, Yanase H, Konno A, Takahashi-Iwanaga H, Iwanaga T.The synovial membrane displays a superficial cellular lining composed of two types of synoviocytes: "absorptive" macrophages (type A cells) and "secretory" fibroblast-like cells (type B cells). The types are intermingled and extend a variety of processes, rendering the cellular architecture of the synovial membrane difficult to visualize. Previous electron microscopic and histochemical studies failed to demonstrate the entire shape of synoviocytes, except our immunohistochemical study for protein gene product 9.5 in the horse joint. The present SEM study is the first to demonstrate the three-d...
BMC research notesDecember 11, 2009
Volume 2 246 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-246
Smits K, Goossens K, Van Soom A, Govaere J, Hoogewijs M, Vanhaesebrouck E, Galli C, Colleoni S, Vandesompele J, Peelman L.Application of reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction is very well suited to reveal differences in gene expression between in vivo and in vitro produced embryos. Ultimately, this may lead to optimized equine assisted reproductive techniques. However, for a correct interpretation of the real-time PCR results, all data must be normalized, which is most reliably achieved by calculating the geometric mean of the most stable reference genes. In this study a set of reliable reference genes was identified for equine in vivo and fresh and frozen-thawed in vitro embryos....
Stewart-Hunt L, Geor RJ, McCutcheon LJ.Increased insulin sensitivity occurs after a period of exercise training, but the mechanisms underlying this training-associated increase in insulin action have not been investigated. Objective: To examine the effects of short-term endurance training (7 consecutive days) and a subsequent period of inactivity (5 days) on whole body insulin sensitivity and GLUT-4 protein and the activities of glycogen synthase (GS) and hexokinase (HK) in skeletal muscle. It was hypothesised that training would increase insulin sensitivity in association with increased GLUT-4 protein and activities of GS and HK, ...
Benammar A, Derisoud E, Vialard F, Palmer E, Ayoubi JM, Poulain M, Chavatte-Palmer P.Although there are large differences between horses and humans for reproductive anatomy, follicular dynamics, mono-ovulation, and embryo development kinetics until the blastocyst stage are similar. In contrast to humans, however, horses are seasonal animals and do not have a menstrual cycle. Moreover, horse implantation takes place 30 days later than in humans. In terms of artificial reproduction techniques (ART), oocytes are generally matured in vitro in horses because ovarian stimulation remains inefficient. This allows the collection of oocytes without hormonal treatments. In humans, in viv...
Atli MO, Guzeloglu A, Dinc DA.WNT signaling pathway plays important roles in reproductive events. Aims were to (1) determine presence of WNT genes and their antagonists in equine endometrium; and (2) to evaluate their expression profiles during early pregnancy. Endometrial biopsies were obtained from mares on day of ovulation (d0, n=4) and on days of 14 (P14, n=4), 18 (P18, n=4), 22 (P22, n=4) of early pregnancy. Biopsies were also collected from cyclic mares during late diestrus (LD, on day of 13.5-14, n=4) and after luteolysis in estrus phase (AL, on day of 17.5-18, n=4) of the cycle. PCR was used to detect expression of...
van Erck E, Votion D, Art T, Lekeux P.Due to technical implementations and lack of sensitivity, pulmonary function tests are seldom used in clinical practice. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) could represent an alternative method. Objective: To define feasibility, methodology and repeatability of IOS, a forced oscillation technique that measures respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) from 5 to 35 Hz during spontaneous breathing, in horses. Methods: Using 38 healthy horses, Rrs and Xrs reference values were defined and influence of individual biometrical parameters was investigated. In addition, IOS measurements of 6 horses sho...
Sostaric E, Aalberts M, Gadella BM, Stout TA.The epididymis is a long, tightly coiled tube within the lumen of which sperm matures. Sperm maturation involves morphological and biochemical changes in the sperm plasma membrane in response to epididymal secretions and their various proteins. Some of these proteins become outer membrane components while others become integral membrane proteins; transfer of some proteins to the sperm plasma membrane may be mediated by epididymosomes. Nevertheless, the molecular pathways by which spermatozoa acquire fertilizing capacity during their transit through the epididymis remain ambiguous. In a recent ...
Luo J, Wang Z, Tang C, Yin Z, Huang J, Ruan D, Fei Y, Wang C, Mo X, Li J, Zhang J, Fang C, Li J, Chen X, Shen W.Tendinopathy is a common motor system disease that leads to pain and reduced function. Despite its prevalence, our mechanistic understanding is incomplete, leading to limited efficacy of treatment options. Animal models contribute significantly to our understanding of tendinopathy and some therapeutic options. However, the inadequacies of animal models are also evident, largely due to differences in anatomical structure and the complexity of human tendinopathy. Different animal models reproduce different aspects of human tendinopathy and are therefore suitable for different scenarios. This rev...
Dillon PF, Root-Bernstein R, Robinson NE, Abraham WM, Berney C.Previous in vitro research demonstrated that ascorbate enhances potency and duration of activity of agonists binding to alpha 1 adrenergic and histamine receptors. Objective: Extending this work to beta 2 adrenergic systems in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Ultraviolet spectroscopy was used to study ascorbate binding to adrenergic receptor preparations and peptides. Force transduction studies on acetylcholine-contracted trachealis preparations from pigs and guinea pigs measured the effect of ascorbate on relaxation due to submaximal doses of beta adrenergic agonists. The effect of inhaled albuter...
Kenéz Á, Warnken T, Feige K, Huber K.Insulin dysregulation in horses is a metabolic condition defined by high insulin concentrations in the blood and peripheral insulin resistance. This hyperinsulinemia is often associated with severe damage in the hooves, resulting in laminitis. However, we currently lack detailed information regarding the potential involvement of particular metabolic pathways in pathophysiological causes and consequences of equine insulin dysregulation. This study aimed to assess the dynamic metabolic responses given to an oral glucose test (OGT) in insulin-sensitive and insulin-dysregulated horses by a targete...
Aleman M, Pickles KJ, Conley AJ, Stanley S, Haggett E, Toth B, Madigan JE.Increased levels of pregnanes have been reported in foals with neonatal maladjustment syndrome (NMS). These steroids may cross the blood-brain barrier and have depressive effects in the central nervous system leading to behavioural abnormalities and altered states of consciousness in affected foals. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the pregnane profile of foals with NMS and compare it with that of healthy controls and sick, non-NMS foals. Methods: Prospective-clinical study. Methods: Thirty-two foals with a clinical diagnosis of NMS, 12 foals with other neonatal disorders and ...
Marfe G, Massaro-Giordano M, Ranalli M, Cozzoli E, Di Stefano C, Malafoglia V, Polettini M, Gambacurta A.Stem cell technology has evoked considerable excitement among people interested in the welfare of animals, as it has suggested the potential availability of new tools for several pathologies, including eye disease, which in many cases is considered incurable. One such example is ulcerative keratitis, which is very frequent in horses. Because some of these corneal ulcers can be very severe, progress rapidly and, therefore, can be a possible cause of vision loss, it is important to diagnose them at an early stage and administer an appropriate treatment, which can be medical, surgical, or a combi...
Rink BE, Beyer T, French HM, Watson E, Aurich C, Donadeu FX.Because of their distinct differentiation, immunomodulatory, and migratory capacities, endometrial mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may provide an optimum source of therapeutic cells not only in relation to the uterus but also for regeneration of other tissues. This study reports the fate of endometrial MSCs following intrauterine application in mares. Stromal cell fractions were isolated from endometrial biopsies taken from seven reproductively healthy mares, expanded, and fluorescence labeled in culture. Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or MSCs (15 × 10) were autologously infused into ea...
Troedsson MH, Liu IK, Crabo BG.Following the deposition of semen in the mares uterus, spermatozoa must be transported to the site of fertilization, be maintained in the female tract until ovulation occurs, and be prepared to fertilize the released ovum. Sperm motility, myometrial contractions, and a spontaneous post-mating uterine inflammation are important factors for the transport and survival of spermatozoa in the mares reproductive tract. Fertilizable sperm are present in the oviduct within 4 hours after insemination. At this time, the uterus is the site of a hostile inflammatory environment. Our data suggest that sperm...
Pusterla N, Mapes S, Wilson WD.The objective of this study was to detect and characterise the biovar of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) from submandibular lymph nodes (SMLNs) and trigeminal ganglia from 153 equids undergoing routine postmortem examination for various medical and surgical reasons. A combination of nucleic acid precipitation and preamplification steps was used to increase the analytical sensitivity of the analysis. The presence of latent EHV-1 was determined when tissue samples were PCR-positive for the glycoprotein B (gB) gene and the DNA polymerase (ORF 30) gene of EHV-1 in the absence of detectable late ...
Holyoak GR, Little TV, McCollam WH, Timoney PJ.The relationship between stage of reproductive tract maturity and susceptibility to the experimental establishment of persistent infection with equine arteritis virus (EAV) was investigated in 21 prepubertal and 15 peripubertal colts. Five of six prepubertal colts inoculated intranasally remained infected in the reproductive tract from post-challenge day 28 to 93 and two of six from post-challenge day 120 to 180. No virus was detected in five of these animals killed on post-challenge day 210. Each of two peripubertal colts remained infected in the reproductive tract at post-challenge day 60 an...
Klohnen A, Vachon AM, Fischer AT.To evaluate the use of abdominal ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool in horses with signs of colic. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 226 horses with signs of acute abdominal pain were compared to 20 clinical normal horses. Methods: The following were performed in horses with signs of colic: physical examination, CBC, abdominal fluid analysis, placement of a nasogastric tube to obtain gastric reflux, abdominal palpation per rectum, and ultrasonography of the abdomen. Results of ultrasonography were compared with the surgical, necropsy, or medical findings. Results: Ultrasonography of horse...
Te Moller NCR, van Weeren PR.The maintenance of joint homeostasis is integral to joint health. Knowledge of the influence of exercise on joint homeostasis is not only relevant for determining sustainable levels of equine athletic training, but also for the study of early development of osteoarthritis or cartilage repair in animal models. This review provides an overview of findings derived from in vivo studies and postmortem analyses investigating exercise effects on various joint tissue components in the horse, supplemented where appropriate with data from small animal models. The concept of joint homeostasis and possibl...
Gabner S, Ertl R, Velde K, Renner M, Jenner F, Egerbacher M, Hlavaty J.A combination of tissue engineering methods employing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) together with gene transfer takes advantage of innovative strategies and highlights a new approach for targeting osteoarthritis (OA) and other cartilage defects. Furthermore, the development of systems allowing tunable transgene expression as regulated by natural disease-induced substances is highly desirable. Bone marrow-derived equine MSCs were transduced with a lentiviral vector expressing interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene under the control of an inducible nuclear factor-kappa B-responsive prom...
Diaz GJ, Boermans HJ.Fumonisins are the most recently discovered group of mycotoxins with important implications in animal health. Equine leucoencephalomalacia and porcine pulmonary edema are diseases observed for many years, but their etiology was unknown. These 2 syndromes were recently reproduced experimentally after administration of purified fumonisin B1 (FB1). The main target organs for the toxic actions of FB1 are the brain in horses and the lungs in the case of swine. However, severe liver damage in both species and pancreatic lesions in swine are also observed, especially when Fusarium moniliforme culture...
Bonelli F, Meucci V, Divers TJ, Wagner B, Intorre L, Sgorbini M.Endotoxemia represents a significant clinical and economic problem for the equine industry. This study assesses the kinetics of soluble CD14 (sCD14), chemokine (CC motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and plasma procalcitonin (PCT) in healthy horses after the intravenous infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The aim was to contribute to the basic understanding of the equine species-specific kinetics of these molecules in response to LPS exposure, which could support further findings in clinical studies and identify valuable inflammatory biomarkers for equine practice. Eleven healthy ...
Denwood MJ, Reid SW, Love S, Nielsen MK, Matthews L, McKendrick IJ, Innocent GT.The Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) is the most widely used method of assessing the efficacy of anthelmintics, and is the only in vivo technique currently approved for use with horses. Equine Faecal Egg Count (FEC) data are frequently characterised by a low mean, high variability, small sample size and frequent zero count observations. Accurate analysis of the data therefore depends on the use of an appropriate statistical technique. Analyses of simulated FECRT data by methods based on calculation of the empirical mean and variance, non-parametric bootstrapping, and Markov chain Monte ...
Blikslager AT, Yin C, Cochran AM, Wooten JG, Pettigrew A, Belknap JK.Recent reports indicate increased amounts of mRNA from inflammation-related genes in the prodromal stage of laminitis. Objective: Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) undergo distinct patterns of expression in equine laminae in the developmental stage (DEV) and acute clinical stage (LAM) of laminitis. Methods: Horses selected from an outbred population were placed into 1 of 4 groups: DEV (n = 5), CON-3h (control group for DEV, n = 5), LAM (n = 5) and CON-10h (control group for LAM, n = 5). Methods: Laminar and skin samples were obtained from (1) animals either undergoing leuko...
Gérard N, Delpuech T, Oxvig C, Overgaard MT, Monget P.In the ovary of mammalian species, terminal follicular growth is accompanied by a decrease in intrafollicular levels of IGF-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) and IGFBP-4. The decrease in IGFBP-4 levels is essentially due to an increase in proteolytic cleavage by intrafollicular pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) in growing healthy follicles. The decrease in IGFBP-2 levels is partly due to a decrease in mRNA expression by follicular cells. In addition, we have recently shown that IGFBP-2 is also proteolytically cleaved by PAPP-A in bovine and porcine growing follicles. In the present work...
Rho JY, Currey JD, Zioupos P, Pharr GM.The equine radius is a useful subject for examining the adaptation of bone histology to loading because in life the anterior cortex is loaded almost entirely in tension, the posterior cortex in compression. The histology of the two cortices is correspondingly different, the osteones and the interstitial lamellae in the posterior cortex having a more transversely oriented fibre arrangement than those in the anterior cortex. Presumably as a result of this histological difference, the posterior cortex is stronger in compression than the anterior cortex; the anterior cortex is stronger in tension ...
Schmidt MJ, Knemeyer C, Heinsen H.In this study, the morphology of the horse brain (Equus caballus) is decribed in detail using high field MRI. The study includes sagittal, dorsal, and transverse T2-weighted images at 0.25 mm resolution at 3 Tesla and 3D models of the brain presenting the external morphology of the brain. Representative gallocyanin stained histological slides of the same brain are presented. The images represent a useful tool for MR image interpretation in horses and may serve as a starting point for further research aiming at in vivo analysis in this species.
