Inflammation is a biological response of the horse's body to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a complex process that involves the activation of immune cells, the release of inflammatory mediators, and changes in blood flow. In horses, inflammation can manifest in various forms, affecting different tissues and organs, including the joints, respiratory system, and skin. The inflammatory response is an essential component of the horse's immune system, aiming to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out damaged cells and tissues, and establish tissue repair. This topic page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, effects, and management of inflammation in equine health.
Ainsworth DM, Wagner B, Franchini M, Grünig G, Erb HN, Tan JY.To evaluate time-dependent alterations in gene expression of chemokines in bronchial epithelium of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-affected horses and whether alterations resulted from increases in gene expression of interleukin (IL)-17 in cells isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Methods: 8 RAO-susceptible horses and 9 control horses. Methods: In 2 experiments, both groups of horses were evaluated after being maintained on pasture and after being stabled and fed dusty hay for 1, 14, 35, and 49 days (experiment 1) or 14 and 28 days (experiment 2). In experiment 1, gene expres...
Fjordbakk CT, Kenney DG, Rodriguez-Palacios A, Keller S, Stalker M.An inflammatory aural polyp was identified in a 1-year-old standardbred filly, which presented with otorrhea and head rubbing. The polyp was removed by traction-avulsion, and the filly showed no subsequent signs of otorrhea. Aural polyps have not been reported in horses, but they are commonly seen in companion animals and humans. Un polype auditif inflammatoire a été identifié chez une pouliche Standardbred d’un an présentée pour otorrhée et frottage de tête. Le polype a été retiré par traction-avulsion et la pouliche n’a pas manifesté de signes subséquents d’otorrhée. Les ...
Singh K, Holbrook TC, Gilliam LL, Cruz RJ, Duffy J, Confer AW.Multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease was diagnosed histologically in a 17-year-old Quarter Horse intact mare that was presented with a chronic history of respiratory distress. At necropsy, the lungs were poorly collapsed and the pulmonary parenchyma contained innumerable, discrete, spherical nodules in a miliary pattern. A few similar nodules were scattered in the liver and the renal lymph nodes. Histologically, these nodules consisted of fibrosing eosinophilic granulomas. Based on histologic findings and the absence of an etiologic agent, a diagnosis of multisystemic eosinophili...
Huser CA, Davies ME.The objective of this study was the development and characterization of an in vitro model of the initiation of traumatic osteoarthritis (OA). Articular cartilage was obtained from seven healthy horses and from four horses diagnosed with OA. Cartilage disks were subjected to a single-impact load (500 g from 25, 50, or 100 mm) using a simple drop-tower device and cultured in vitro for up to 20 days. Cartilage sections were examined histologically to observe surface damage and proteoglycan loss. Percentage cell death was determined using TUNEL, release of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) to the medium wa...
Lavoie JP, Pasloske K, Joubert P, Cordeau ME, Mancini J, Girard Y, Friesen RW, Frenette R, Blouin M, Young RN, Hickey G.Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE 4) enzyme inhibitors have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in various animal disease processes and therefore could be effective drugs for the treatment of equine airway diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of the PDE 4 inhibitor L-826,141 in horses with heaves. In a blinded parallel design, horses with heaves exposed daily to moldy hay were given a placebo for 14 days and then administered either L-826,141 (n = 6; loading dose of 1 mg/kg IV followed by 0.5 mg/kg IV q48h) or dexamethasone (n = 6; 0.04 mg/kg ...
Laan TT, Bull S, Pirie R, Fink-Gremmels J.When challenged with allergens and pro-inflammatory agents, such as Aspergillus fumigatus (AF), hay dust solution (HDS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the innate immune response will not only activate the immune system but also increase the amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bronchoalveolar space. The aim of this study was to assess the response of equine alveolar macrophages to different aerosolized challenges and to investigate the differences in this response between horses susceptible or nonsusceptible to recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Seven susceptible and 5 nonsusceptible ho...
Bartner LR, Robinson NE, Kiupel M, Tesfaigzi Y.This study examined the contribution of delayed apoptosis of bronchial mucous cells to mucus accumulation in equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). In pilot studies, Bcl-2, an apoptosis inhibitor, was detected in airway mucous cells of RAO-affected horses in remission and during acute disease, when most mucus was secreted. To study whether delayed apoptosis results in an increase in the number of mucous cells during disease recovery, six RAO-affected and six control horses were fed hay for 5 days to induce inflammation and then pellets for 7 days to partially resolve RAO before euthanasia....
Neves AP, Keller A, Trein CR, Möller G, Jobim MI, Castilho LF, Cardoso MR, Leibold W, Zerbe H, Klug E, Gregory RM, Mattos RC.This study compared four treatments for bacterial endometritis in mares experimentally infected with Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Twenty-five mares were used, 20 resistant and five susceptible to endometritis. Mares would be in estrus when infected. Twenty-four hours after inoculation, clinical, bacteriological and cytological examinations were performed and repeated until the first occurrence: negative cytology and no Streptococcus growth or the seventh day post-infection. All mares showed clinical signs of endometritis and were assigned to one of the following treatments: (1) intrauterine in...
Deeg CA, Amann B, Raith AJ, Kaspers B.To test the hypothesis that inter- and intramolecular spreading to S-antigen (S-Ag) and interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP)-derived epitopes occurs in a spontaneous model of recurrent uveitis in the horse. Methods: The immune response of eight horses with equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) was compared with that of five control horses with healthy eyes. Lymphocytes derived from peripheral blood (PBLs) were tested every 8 weeks for their reactivity against S-Ag and various S-Ag and IRBP-derived peptides for 12 to 39 months (median, 22 months). During uveitic episodes, additional bloo...
Goodrich LR, Nixon AJ.The medical treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) in the horse is one of the most utilized therapeutic regimens in the equine practice. It is important to understand the anatomy of synovial joints and the pathophysiology of the disease process to treat OA adequately. Once a thorough understanding of the disease process is comprehended the proper combination of systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), intraarticular steroids, viscosupplementation and chondroprotectants can be used to treat the disease and inhibit further progression of degenerative changes to the cartilage surface. Th...
Bosch G, van Duijkeren E, Bergwerff AA, Rijkenhuizen AB, Ensink JM.Ceftiofur concentrations in an infected and uninfected environment were compared and the efficacy of locally administered ceftiofur was evaluated in an experimental infection with Staphylococcus aureus in tissue cages. Eight ponies had tissue cages (TCs) implanted s.c. on each side of the neck. Into one of the cages 150 mg of ceftiofur was administered and fluid samples were taken to determine ceftiofur concentrations. After 1 week the other TC was infected with S. aureus and subsequently treated with 150 mg ceftiofur administered locally into the TC once daily for 21 days. Samples of fluid we...
Mills PC, Cross SE.Little is known about the transdermal penetration of hydrocortisone in the horse and, although commercial formulations containing hydrocortisone are registered for topical use in the horse, there have been no studies investigating the movement of this glucocorticoid through different regions of equine skin. Skin was harvested from the thorax, groin and leg (dorsal metacarpal) regions of five Thoroughbred geldings and frozen (-20 degrees C) until required. Defrosted skin was placed in Franz-type diffusion cells and the amount of radiolabelled ((3)H) hydrocortisone, in a saturated solution of un...
Ganjam VK, Evans TJ.Endometrial periglandular fibrosis (EPF) contributes to embryonic and fetal loss in mares. Equine EPF correlates inversely with conception and successful gestation. In the modified Kenney endometrial biopsy classification system, EPF categories I, IIA, IIB, and III correspond to minimal, mild, moderate, and severe fibrosis (+/-inflammation), respectively. Paraffin sections of biopsy specimens were stained with H&E, and picrosirius red (specific for fibrillar collagens types I and III), to determine %EPCVF. Endometrial ACE-binding activity, TGF-beta1 and 11beta-HSD2 activities were also measure...
Lefebvre R, Theoret C, Doré M, Girard C, Laverty S, Vaillancourt D.An 8-year-old Arabian mare was admitted for a large ovarian anovulatory follicle. A clinical diagnosis of ovarian tumor and endometritis was established. Histological examinations revealed an ovarian teratoma and a grade II endometritis. Three months after unilateral ovariectomy, the mare was confirmed pregnant and eventually gave birth uneventfully. Une jument Arabe de 8 ans fut présentée pour un gros ovaire. Un diagnostic de tumeur ovarienne et d’endométrite fut posé. L’examen histologique confirma un tératoma ovarien et une endométrite grade II. Trois mois après une ovariectomie...
Geburek F, Ohnesorge B, Deegen E, Doeleke R, Hewicker-Trautwein M.We report the historical, clinical and histopathological characteristics of skin lesions in biopsies from 37 heavy draught horses with chronic pastern dermatitis. The skin lesions were divided into four macroscopic groups: scaling (group I, n=5), hyperkeratotic and hyperplastic plaque-like lesions (group II, n=14), nodular skin masses (group III, n=16) and verrucous skin lesions (group IV, n=2). The principal histological findings were hyperkeratosis and epidermal hyperplasia. There was a gradual increase in epidermal hyperplasia from groups I to IV, suggesting that the lesions represent diffe...
Archer DC, Cotton JC, Boswell JC.Gamma scintigraphy is an established imaging modality in the horse and is principally utilised to investigate skeletal disease using bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals. However, depending on the radiopharmaceutical and imaging sequence, scintigraphy can be used to investigate disease in virtually any organ system. In this article the indications and validity of scintigraphy as a clinical diagnostic tool to investigate non-skeletal disease in the horse are reviewed. These indications include: investigation of dental disease, identification of inflammatory foci, vascular lesions, muscle and tendo...
Pille F, De Baere S, Ceelen L, Dewulf J, Croubels S, Gasthuys F, De Backer P, Martens A.To determine radiocarpal (RC) joint synovial fluid and plasma ceftiofur concentrations after regional intravenous perfusion (RIP) and systemic intravenous (IV) administration. Methods: Experimental cross-over study. Methods: Five normal adult horses. Methods: One RC joint was randomly selected for RIP and the contralateral RC joint was sampled to determine intrasynovial ceftiofur concentrations after IV administration. Wash-out between IV and RIP was > or = 14 days. After surgical introduction of an intraarticular catheter, ceftiofur (2 g) was administered under general anesthesia either IV or...
Rubio-Martínez L, López-Sanromán J, Cruz AM, Santos M, San Román F.To study the pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in plasma obtained from the medullary sinusoids of the proximal phalanx (P1) after intravenous (IV) and intraosseous (IO) regional limb perfusion (RLP). Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Twelve horses. Methods: IV and IO RLP were performed in 2 groups (n = 6) of horses. Vancomycin hydrochloride (300 mg in 60 mL 0.9% NaCl) was randomly infused in 1 front limb, with the contralateral limb as control (60 mL 0.9% NaCl). A hole was drilled in the lateral cortex of P1, and blood samples from the medullary sinusoids of P1 were collected before infusion,...
Robertson TP, Peroni JF, Lewis SJ, Moore JN.To determine the effects of induction of capacitative Ca2+ entry on tone in equine laminar arteries and veins. Methods: Laminar arteries and veins from 6 adult mixed-breed horses. Methods: Arteries and veins were isolated and mounted on small vessel myographs for the measurement of isometric tension. Capacitative Ca2+ entry was induced by incubating the vessels with the specific Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin (100nM) in a Ca2+-free physiologic salt solution. Capacitative Ca2+ entry-associated contractile responses were determined by the subsequent addition of 2mM Ca2+ to the solution bathi...
Neil KM, Orth MW, Coussens PM, Chan PS, Caron JP.To determine whether glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (CS) at concentrations approximating those achieved in plasma by oral administration would influence gene expression of selected mediators of osteoarthritis in cytokine-stimulated equine articular chondrocytes. Methods: Samples of grossly normal articular cartilage obtained from the metacarpophalangeal joint of 13 horses. Methods: Equine chondrocytes in pellet culture were stimulated with a subsaturating dose of recombinant equine interleukin (reIL)-1beta. Effects of prior incubation with glucosamine (2.5 to 10.0 microg/mL) and CS (5.0 t...
Farley J, Sirois J, MacFarlane PH, Kombé A, Laverty S.To characterize expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) and regulation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production by equine articular chondrocytes. Methods: Articular cartilage from the metacarpophalangeal joints of 7 adult horses. Methods: Equine chondrocyte monolayer cultures were stimulated with different concentrations (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 ng/mL) of recombinant human interleukin-1beta (rhIL-1beta) for 24 hours and then with rhIL-1beta (5 ng/mL) for 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 hours. Concentration of PGE2 in the media was measured via radioimmunoassay. T...
Anour R, Leinker S, van den Hoven R.The effects of an oral preparation containing a mixture of extracts from yellow gentian, garden sorrel, cowslip, verbena and common elder on the lung function of nine horses suffering from heaves were determined in a longitudinal crossover study. The horses were divided at random into a group of five (group 1) and a group of four (group 2). The horses in group 1 were each given 15 tablets of the preparation twice daily, while the horses in group 2 were left untreated. Fourteen days later, the horses in group 2 were given the same course of treatment while the horses in group 1 were left untrea...
Jacobsen S, Niewold TA, Halling-Thomsen M, Nanni S, Olsen E, Lindegaard C, Andersen PH.The aim of the study was to determine the intraarticular serum amyloid A (SAA) response pattern in horses with inflammatory arthritis. Inflammatory arthritis was induced by injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the radiocarpal joint of four horses. Serum and synovial fluid (SF) samples were collected before and at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 144 h after injection. Concentrations of SAA were measured by immunoturbidometry, and expression of SAA isoforms was visualized by denaturing isoelectric focusing and Western blotting. The LPS injection caused systemic and local clinical signs of in...
Oikawa M, Masawa N, Yoshikawa H.To test the hypothesis that mesenteric arterionecrosis (MA) occurs in horses with naturally occurring endotoxaemia (ET) and in those with experimentally induced ET, the mesentery and gastrointestinal tract of 21 Thoroughbred racehorses (15 with spontaneous colic suspected to be due to ET, and six with experimentally induced ET) were examined. MA, which occurred in 13 of the 15 horses with spontaneous colic and in all six of the cases of experimental ET, was morphologically similar in the two groups of animals. This suggested that the pathogenesis of the MA was fundamentally similar in the two ...
Gee EK, Firth EC, Morel PC, Fennessy PF, Grace ND, Mogg TD.To assess the relationship between the radiographic and microscopic appearance of the physeal regions of the distal third metacarpal (Mc3) and metatarsal (Mt3) bones of Thoroughbred foals at 160 days of age, and to clinically assess changes in contour of the distal Mc3 and Mt3 physeal regions from birth to 160 days of age. To assess relationships between maximum clinical physis scores and age, time of year, foal's sex, condition score, growth rate, copper (Cu) concentration in the liver of the foal, and supplementation of the dam with Cu in late gestation. Methods: Dams were given Cu (n=5 and ...
Franck T, Grulke S, Deby-Dupont G, Deby C, Duvivier H, Peters F, Serteyn D.Equine inflammatory disease is accompanied by a neutrophil activation resulting in the release of granulocytic enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO). To measure MPO in horse plasma as marker of neutrophil activation, the authors purified equine neutrophil MPO and developed a specific enzyme immunoassay using 2 specific polyclonal antibodies obtained from rabbit (primary antibody) and guinea pig (secondary antibody). The sandwich complex "primary antibody-MPO-secondary antibody" was detected using a goat anti-guinea pig immunoglobulin antibody conjugated to alkaline phosphatase. The enzyme-linked immuno...
Frisbie DD.Osteoarthritis is one of the most economically important diseases facing equine practitioners. The loss of use associated with joint disease is a leading problem in the equine industry. Although osteoarthritis in all species is believed to be a multifactorial disease that is not well understood, significant advances are being made. This article presents areas of research that are relatively well developed but have not made it to commercialization or routine clinical practice and looks at new applications being investigated for peo-ple that may have an equine application.
Manfredi JM, Jacob SI, Boger BL, Norton EM.Endocrinopathies affect multiple species in ever-increasing percentages of their populations, creating an opportunity to apply one-health approaches to determining creative preventative measures and therapies in athletes. Obesity and alterations in insulin and glucose dynamics are medical concerns that play a role in whole-body health and homeostasis in both horses and humans. The role and impact of endocrine disorders on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems are of particular interest to the athlete. Elucidation of both physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms invol...
Tanaka Y, Adilbish A, Koyama K, Bayasgalan MO, Horiuchi N, Uranbileg N, Watanabe K, Purevdorj B, Gurdorj S, Banzragch B, Badgar B, Suganuma K....Dourine is a deadly protozoan disease in equids caused by infection with Trypanosoma equiperdum. Neurological signs in the later stage of infection may be caused by peripheral polyneuritis and related axonal degeneration. This neuritis involves T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and macrophages, and is observed in cases without obvious neurological signs. However, the pathogenesis of neuritis remains unclear. We identified M2 macrophages and CD8 T cells as the predominant phenotypes in neuritis of dourine-affected horses with or without neurological signs. In contrast, the populations of M1 macroph...
Bird JL, May S, Bayliss MT.Arthroses are debilitating diseases of articular joints which result in erosion of the cartilage extracellular matrix. Nitric oxide (NO) is a major component of the inflammatory response, and has been implicated as a mediator of some of the effects of the proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 (IL-1). In this study, we investigated the role of NO in the regulation of proteoglycan degradation in equine articular cartilage. NO fully mediated the suppressive effect of IL-1 on proteoglycan synthesis. However, NO was also antagonistic to proteoglycan degradation, irrespective of whether degradatio...
Meyers SA.The plasma membrane over the sperm head of several mammalian species has been shown to express a glycerolphosphatidylinositol-linked hyaluronidase known as PH-20. This protein has been associated with the sperm's interaction with the oocyte cumulus matrix and zona pellucida. The characteristics of PH-20 in equine sperm have not been clearly defined. In this study, ejaculated gel-free semen from five stallions and epididymal sperm from isolated epididymis from 10 stallions was used to characterize the PH-20 activity in equine sperm. Affinity purified anti-equine PH-20 polyclonal antibody was us...
Morgan RE, Clegg PD, Hunt JA, Innes JF, Tew SR.The joint synovium consists of a heterogeneous cell population, chiefly comprised of macrophages, and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). An inter-species co-culture model was developed to examine interactions between these cells. Equine FLS and the canine macrophage line DH82 were differentially labeled using fluorescent markers and results from direct co-culture compared with those from both indirect co-culture, and conditioned media experiments. The transcript expression of IL-1β, IL-6, ADAMTS4, and ADAMTS5 in each cell type were determined using species-specific qPCR assays. Lipopolysacch...
Plumlee Q, Meason-Smith C, Dieterly A, Gomez G, Porter BF, Rodrigues Hoffmann A.Many previously unrecognized fungi are emerging as potential pathogens. One such group is dematiaceous fungi of the Chaetomiaceae family (phylum Ascomycota, class Sordariomycetes). These fungi are rare causes of opportunistic, neurotropic phaeohyphomycosis in humans but are not known to cause similar infections in animals. The aims of this study were to investigate equine hyphal mycotic encephalitis, characterize key histopathologic features, and classify causative organisms with molecular diagnostic techniques. Seven cases were evaluated by histopathology. Panfungal PCR targeting the ribosoma...
Murase H, El-Sheikh Ali H, Ruby RE, Scoggin KE, Ball BA.Equine premature placental separation (PPS) is poorly understood and represents an important risk factor for fetal/neonatal hypoxia. Objective: To examine transcriptomic changes in the chorioallantois (CA) from mares with clinical PPS compared with the CA from normal foaling mares. Differential gene expression was determined and gene ontology as well as molecular pathways related to PPS were characterised. Methods: Retrospective case: control study. Methods: CA were collected from Thoroughbred mares with a clinical history of PPS (n = 33) and from control Thoroughbred mares (n = 4) with no...
Russell JW, Hall MS, Kelly GM.A 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was presented with a grade 3/5 lameness of the right forelimb and effusion of the extensor carpi radialis tendon sheath (ECRTS). Radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations revealed an osteochondroma on the cranial aspect of the distal radius projecting into the fibrous lining of the ECRTS. An open surgical approach was used to remove the osteochondroma and some of the proliferative synovial tissue. Conclusions: Six months after surgery the clinical signs had resolved and the horse raced successfully.
Foster AP, Cunningham FM, Lees P.Intradermal administration of PAF (0.001-1 micrograms/site), but not lyso-PAF (10 micrograms/site), in the horse caused an increase in cutaneous vascular permeability which was maximal by 32 min. Responses to PAF and histamine were reduced by coadministration of the histamine 1 receptor antagonist chlorpheniramine, although only the inhibition of histamine-induced responses was dose-related and statistically significant. The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin was without effect on PAF-induced increases in vascular permeability. These findings suggest that the actions of PAF on equine skin ...
Anour R, Leinker S, van den Hoven R.The effects of an oral preparation containing a mixture of extracts from yellow gentian, garden sorrel, cowslip, verbena and common elder on the lung function of nine horses suffering from heaves were determined in a longitudinal crossover study. The horses were divided at random into a group of five (group 1) and a group of four (group 2). The horses in group 1 were each given 15 tablets of the preparation twice daily, while the horses in group 2 were left untreated. Fourteen days later, the horses in group 2 were given the same course of treatment while the horses in group 1 were left untrea...
Kaneko M, Oikawa M, Yoshihara T.Pathomorphological analysis was performed on fractured bones of 470 race horses. The most common fracture site was the limb (98% of cases), and the majority of fractures were intra-articular. Focal osteochondral lesions consisting of osteochondrosis, osteonecrosis and osteosclerosis were observed frequently in fractured and non-fractured bones. In the fractured bones, the lesions frequently appeared in the vicinity of the fractured site. Under the influence of antecedent osteochondrosis from the young stage, osteosclerotic and osteonecrotic lesions may have been induced by immoderate exercise ...
Littlewood JD, Whitwell KE, Day MJ.Résumé- Les commémoratifs, les symptômes, l'histologie et la réponse au traitement d'un cheval de 15 ans atteint de lymphome cutané sont décrits. La jument présente de multiples nodules cutanés depuis 11 ans. Un diagnostic de lymphome cutané est poséà l'examen histologique de biopsies réalisées 2 fois à 4 ans d'intervalle. Des marquages immunihistochimiques identifient ces cellules comme appartenant à la lignée T. Ceci est la première description du marquage immunophénotypique d'un lymphome cutané chez le cheval. La jument a été traitée par des glucorticoïdes intralési...
Scharner D, Winter K, Brehm W, Kämpfert M, Gittel C.Despite advances in surgical technique in abdominal surgery, incisional complications are frequently reported following ventral midline laparotomy in horses. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of incisional complications at our clinic and to identify possible risk factors. Furthermore, we investigated whether suturing the peritoneum leads to a reduction of incisional complications. Methods: In this retrospective study, records of patients of the Large Animal Clinic for Surgery of the University of Leipzig from January 2010 to December 2015 were analysed. Horses with ventral m...
Hoffmann SL, Seminoff K, McKemie DS, Kass PH, Knych HK.Grapiprant is a prostaglandin E2 receptor antagonist that has been found to be an effective anti-inflammatory in dogs and that is devoid of some of the adverse effects associated with traditional NSAIDs that elicit their effects through inhibition of PGE2 production. Previously published reports have described the pharmacokinetics of this drug in horses when administered at 2 mg/kg; however, pharmacodynamic effects in this species have yet to be described. The objective of the current study was to describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of grapiprant at a higher dose. Eight horses...
LeBlanc PH, Broadstone RV, Derksen FJ, Robinson NE.Distal airway segments (ID, 3 to 4 mm; length, 5 mm) from 2 groups of horses were isolated and suspended in tissue baths filled with Krebs solution, aerated with 5% CO2 in oxygen and maintained at 37 degrees C. Responses to exogenous acetylcholine, isoproterenol, or electrical field stimulation were compared. Control horses (n = 30) had no history of recurrent airway obstruction, whereas principal horses (n = 15) had recurrent airway obstruction and were studied during an acute episode of airway obstruction. Although the distal airways contracted in response to the cumulative half-logarithmic ...
Southwood LL, Baxter GM, Hutchison JM, Shuster R.To obtain information from specialists in equine surgery as to prevalence of, predisposing factors for, and methods to prevent postoperative adhesion formation in horses undergoing abdominal surgery. Methods: Survey. Methods: Surveys were mailed to 196 diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons involved in equine practice. Results: 60 (31%) surveys were returned. Most respondents (55/60) routinely informed clients of the risk of postoperative adhesion formation in horses with small intestinal lesions. When asked after which procedures they routinely used measures to prevent adhe...
Wagner B, Brandt K, Sheoran A, Holmes MA, Deegen E, Leibold W.The functional properties of different immunoglobulin isotypes in equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) has not been investigated yet. Here, we describe the quantitative determination of total immunoglobulin levels and isotype differentiation in the vitreous of four horses with ERU as compared to that of seven healthy horses. In contrast to almost equal amounts of total immunoglobulin in the vitreous of both groups, remarkable differences were found: All four of the horses with ERU had significantly higher IgA contents in their vitreous as compared to the control group. However, the other isotypes mo...
Lees P, Taylor JB, Higgins AJ, Sharma SC.The clinically recommended dose rate of phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg) was administered intravenously as a single dose to five Welsh Mountain ponies. Distribution of phenylbutazone and its active metabolite oxyphenbutazone into body fluids was studied by measuring concentrations in plasma, tissue-cage fluid, peritoneal fluid and acute inflammatory exudate harvested from a polyester sponge model of inflammation. The ready penetration of phenylbutazone into inflammatory exudate was demonstrated by the relatively high mean value for Cmax of 12.4 micrograms/ml occurring at a time of 4.6 h and a mean A...
Sotelo EDP, Vendruscolo CP, Fülber J, Seidel SRT, Jaramillo FM, Agreste FR, Silva LCLCD, Baccarin RYA.Several studies in human and equine medicine have produced controversial results regarding the role of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as a therapeutic agent. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of joint lavage with different DMSO concentrations on biomarkers of synovial fluid inflammation and cartilage degradation in joints with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced synovitis. Twenty-six tibiotarsal joints of 13 horses were randomly distributed into four groups (lactated Ringer's solution; 5% DMSO in lactated Ringer's; 10% DMSO in lactated Ringer's; and sham). All animals were evaluated for the prese...
Janda J, Lehmann M, Luttmann W, Marti E.Interleukin-3 is a growth and differentiation factor for various hematopoietic cells. IL-3 also enhances stimulus-dependent release of mediators and cytokine production by mature basophils. Function of IL-3 has not been studied in horses because of lack of horse-specific reagents. Our aim was to produce recombinant equine IL-3 and test its effect on sulfidoleukotriene and cytokine production by equine peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL). Equine IL-3 was cloned, expressed in E. coli and purified. PBL of 19 healthy and 20 insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH)-affected horses were stimulated with Culi...
Eaton SA, Allen D, Eades SC, Schneider DA.Starling forces and hemodynamics in the digits of 5 horses were studied during early laminitis induced by oral administration of an aqueous extract of black walnut (Juglans nigra). The black walnut extract was prepared from heartwood shavings and was administered by nasogastric tube. Heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, central venous and arterial pressures, digital pulses, and signs of lameness were monitored. Blood samples were collected for determination of WBC count, hemoglobin concentration, and PCV and for endotoxin and tumor necrosis factor assays. Total WBC count and centra...
Jacquay ET, Harris PA, Adams AA.Transportation of horses on short journeys can lead to an increase in stress. There are known age-associated changes in immune and metabolic responses in horses; however, no research exists evaluating how age may influence these responses to transportation stress. Eleven mares within two age groups, aged (n = 5, 22 ± 1 year) or young (n = 6, 2 ± 1 year), were transported 1 hour and 20 minutes. Peripheral blood and saliva were collected before and after transportation at baseline (2 to 3 weeks prior to transportation), 24 hours pre-transport, 1 hour before loading, 15 minutes, 30 minutes,...
Kusano K, Hobo S, Ode H, Ishikawa Y.Cytology of tracheal aspirates, tracheal endoscopic and blood tests were carried out to 86 Thoroughbred racehorses presenting coughs or poor performance which were suspected to have lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) to assess the conditions of the disorders. Racehorses were classified into coughing (66 horses) and non-coughing (20 horses) groups based on clinical symptoms. Nine Thoroughbred racehorses without respiratory abnormality were used as controls. Assessment of grades of airway mucus, cytology of tracheal aspirates and serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen (Fbg) and pulmonary surfacta...
Watson ED, Stokes CR, Bourne FJ.Both random and directional migration of blood neutrophils from 9 mares susceptible to persistent endometritis were significantly less (p less than 0.05) than neutrophils from 8 resistant mares. Serum from susceptible mares had significantly more (p less than 0.01) chemotactic activity than serum from resistant mares. Although phagocytosis of yeast blastospores by blood neutrophils from 4 resistant and 3 susceptible mares was similar, uterine neutrophils from susceptible mares were significantly worse (p less than 0.01) at phagocytosis than uterine neutrophils from resistant mares. Uterine was...
Magro AM, Rudofsky UH, Schrader WP, Prendergast J.In vitro IgE-mediated histamine release by equine blood basophils was characterised as the basis for a screening test for immediate hypersensitivity responses in horses. The responses are initiated by inducing agents that are capable of crosslinking or bridging the membrane-bound IgE molecules. The release process is complete within 40 mins. In vitro histamine release is dose-dependent, with a submaximal response at less or greater than the optimal dose of inducing agent. Exogenous calcium is required but not magnesium; the optimal release calcium concentration is 1.0 to 1.5 mM. If an IgE-medi...
Abd El-Rahman SS, Amer MS, Hassan MH, Fahmy HM, Shamaa AA.Lyophilized equine platelet derived growth factors (LGF) is a novel advanced platelet rich protein growth factor. It has been successfully applied in various fields of regenerative medicine to treat a variety of inflammatory and degenerative musculoskeletal conditions. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intraarticularly injected LGF for the remedy of articular cartilage injury, commonly characterized by progressive pain and loss of joint function in osteoarthritic rabbits. Full-thickness cylindrical cartilage defects were generated in both femoral condylar articular surfaces in twenty...
Peyrecave-Capo X, Saulnier N, Maddens S, Gremillet B, Desjardins I.Human autologous serum (AS) and umbilical cord serum (UCS) both contain growth and neurotrophic factors that promote corneal healing. Unassigned: Our objectives were to compare equine AS and UCS cytokine and growth factor profiles and to assess the safety and clinical feasibility of the therapeutic use of UCS eye drops in cases of spontaneous complex ulcers. Unassigned: Prospective clinical trial. Unassigned: Vitamin A insulin growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor-BB, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, interferon-γ, an...
Shaba JJ, Behan Braman A, Robinson NE.In many inflammatory diseases plasma cortisol concentration (CORT) increases at the onset of acute inflammation, but the situation in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) of horses is unknown. Methods: Split-plot repeated measures design with one grouping factor (disease) and two repeated factors (day and 3-hour intervals). Objective: To test the hypothesis that CORT increases as acute exacerbations of RAO develop. Methods: Four RAO-susceptible and 4 control horses were placed in a low dust environment (LDEnv) for 2 days followed by 2 days in a high dust environment (HDEnv). Exacerbations of RAO...
Monteiro de Barros MR, Davies-Morel MCG, Mur LAJ, Creevey CJ, Alison RH, Nash DM.Persistent mating-induced endometritis is a major cause of poor fertility rates in the mare. Endometritis can be investigated using an ex vivo equine endometrial explant system which measures uterine inflammation using prostaglandin F2α as a biomarker. However, this model has yet to undergo a wide-ranging assessment through transcriptomics. In this study, we assessed the transcriptomes of cultured endometrial explants and the optimal temporal window for their use. Endometrium harvested immediately post-mortem from native pony mares (n = 8) were sampled (0 h) and tissue explants were cultured ...
Hammersley E, Duz M, Marshall JF.Triamcinolone is commonly used in equine practice for the treatment of orthopaedic conditions. A serious potential adverse effect of triamcinolone is laminitis. However, evidence for the risk of laminitis associated with triamcinolone use is limited. Objective: To determine the risk of laminitis within 90 days of triamcinolone administration and compare with the risk of laminitis in a veterinary-attended horse population. Methods: Retrospective study of clinical records. Methods: Text mining and data extraction was performed using content analysis software (SimStat-WordStat v.6) on a database ...
