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.
Barton MH, Bruce EH, Moore JN, Norton N, Anders B, Morris DD.To test efficacy of murine monoclonal, rabbit polyclonal recombinant equine or human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rETNF or rHTNF, respectively) antibodies to inhibit native equine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activity. Methods: 8 and 18 healthy adult horses for parts 1 and 2 of the study, respectively. Methods: In part 1, supernates from endotoxin-activated peritoneal macrophages were incubated with various dilutions of each rETNF antibody and subsequently tested for TNF activity. Serum was also obtained from a horse 1 hour after infusion with 20 ng of endotoxin/kg of body weight and was incuba...
Rijkenhuizen AB, van Swieten HA.A surgical technique is described in which a saphenous vein graft is used to reconstruct the jugular vein in horses with facial oedema due to post thrombophlebitic stenosis of the jugular vein. The saphenous vein was harvested from the contralateral limb and implanted in the occluded vein by 2 side-to-end anastomoses. Intra- and post operatively anticoagulative medication was administered. In 2 out of 3 patients the reconstruction resulted in a permanent patent graft and resolution of the facial oedema. In one patient the graft thrombosed.
Caplazi P, Ehrensperger F.Borna disease (BD) has been recognized as a virally induced T-cell dependent immunopathological disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), as shown by experimental infection of rats with Borna disease virus (BDV). In contrast to the rat model, little is known about the pathogenesis of spontaneous BD in sheep and horses. The present study describes the brain lesions of 12 ovine and 11 equine cases of naturally occurring BD. A set of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies was used in order to determine the cells operative in encephalitic lesions and to detect expression of MHC-I and MHC-II prod...
Schumacher J, Yarbrough T, Pascoe J, Woods P, Meagher D, Honnas C.To examine the response of horses with progressive ethmoidal hematoma (PEH) to intralesional injection of 4% formaldehyde solution. Methods: Nasal passages of horses affected with PEH were examined endoscopically at different intervals to determine the effects of intralesional injection of formaldehyde solution. Methods: 21 horses with PEH. Methods: PEHs were injected transendoscopically with 4% formaldehyde solution. Horses were examined endoscopically and retreated at different intervals until the PEH was eliminated or was so small that reinjection was not possible. Results: Lesions diminish...
Aboul-Enein HY, Van Overbeke A, Vander Weken G, Baeyens W, Oda H, Deprez P, De Kruif A.Racemic ketoprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat musculoskeletal and colic conditions in horses. The enantioselective chiral inversion of ketoprofen administered to horses has been studied by use of cellulose tris(4-methylbenzoate), also known as Chiralcel OJ-R, as chiral stationary phase; acetonitrile - 0.02 M perchlorate buffer (pH 2.0)-methanol, 60:15:25 (v/v/v) was used as mobile phase. Before chromatography, to effect adequate chiral interaction with the chiral stationary phase ketoprofen was derivatized with 9-aminophenanthrene, under acid conditions, after soli...
Hare JE, Viel L.Horses are known to acquire small airway disease (SAD), an allergen-induced naturally occurring syndrome of reversible obstructive lung disease accompanied by airway hyperresponsiveness and increased inflammatory cell numbers on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). This disorder has received scant attention in young racehorses. The purpose of the present report was to examine the effect of BAL eosinophilia in young racehorses on clinical examination, BAL, hematology, airway responsiveness, and on pulmonary function at rest and after a standardized exercise challenge. Five (3 males, 2 females; age 2.6...
Miragaya MH, Woods GL, Losinno L.The occurrence of uterine and oviductal inflammation, and fertilisation rates, were measured on Day 3 post ovulation in inseminated mares that had either exhibited intrauterine lumenal fluid during a previous dioestrus (Experiment 1) or had acute endometritis induced by intrauterine infusion of 1% glycogen (Experiment 2). Endometritis was assessed by uterine cytology and histology whereas oviductal inflammation was measured histologically. Fertilisation rates were calculated from the percentage of cleaved ova recovered by retrograde flushing of the oviducts. Mares with or without pre-existing ...
Topper MJ, Prasse KW.To measure coagulation factor VIII:coagulant (F.VIII:C) and C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), hemostasis-associated acute-phase reactant proteins and coagulation factors VII (F.VII), IX (F.IX), and X (F.X), hemostasis proteins not associated with an acute-phase response, in a select population of horses with colic and hemostasis abnormalities, and presumed to have acute-phase changes. To compare these values and other routine hemostasis test results in the horses with colic with values for a population of healthy horses. To correlate the values of known equine acute-phase reactants, F.VIII:C and...
Dart AJ, Hodgson DR.All horses undergoing coeliotomy for an acute abdominal crisis are at risk of developing ileus and should receive therapy aimed at promoting gastrointestinal function by restoring fluid and electrolyte balance. Adequate analgesia and prevention against peritonitis, bacteraemia and endotoxaemia should be provided. Horses that at the time of surgery have a strangulating or non-strangulating small intestinal obstruction should be considered to be at greater risk of developing a persistent ileus that is refractory to treatment than those horses with lesions involving the large intestine. In horses...
Mills PC, Auer DE, Kramer H, Barry D, Ng JC.To determine the effect of an acute soft tissue inflammatory response on biochemical and haematological indices of hepatic and renal function in the Thoroughbred horse. Methods: Soft tissue inflammation was induced in four Thoroughbred horses by intramuscular injections of Freund's complete adjuvant. The horses were clinically examined and blood and urine samples were collected before and after the adjuvant injections. Biochemical and haematological indices were measured in samples collected and used to determine the onset of the acute-phase response and to assess hepatic and renal function at...
Oikawa M, Narama I.Two cases of enthesopathy of the radial tuberosity in Thoroughbred racehorses are described. Soft X-ray pictures revealed separated bony fragments at the anterior aspect of the radial tuberosity, resembling the lesions of Osgood-Schlatter disease in children. Osgood-Schlatter lesions result from detachment of a portion of the apophysis of the tibial tuberosity. However, in the affected horses, the detached bony fragments consisted of cortical bone tissue composed of trabeculae with osteons similar to lamellar bone, the main component of the radial tuberosity. Tendon fibrils were inserted into ...
Vandenput S, Votion D, Duvivier DH, Van Erck E, Anciaux N, Art T, Lekeux P.The aim of this study was to evaluate the respiratory function of horses affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when maintained in a barn on wood shavings and fed grass silage for a period of 6 weeks. The mechanics of breathing, blood gas analysis and bronchial reactivity were examined on five horses with COPD at the end of the environment-controlled period (Period B) and the results compared with values obtained after 2 months at pasture (Period A) and after the onset of clinical signs of acute crisis (Period C). The results showed that clinical and functional parameters w...
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...
La Perle KM, Piercy RJ, Long JF, Blomme EA.Multisystemic, eosinophilic, epitheliotropic disease and intestinal lymphosarcoma were diagnosed in a Paso Fino mare that presented with anorexia and weight loss. The stomach, ileum, cecum, colon, pancreas, and lungs were infiltrated by large numbers of eosinophils forming prominent eosinophilic granulomas, as well as lymphocytes and plasma cells. Two jejunal masses composed of solid sheets of neoplastic lymphocytes were present. In contrast to the regions of inflammation, the infiltrates in these masses did not contain plasma cells, eosinophils, and eosinophilic granulomas. Immunohistochemica...
Rebhun WC, Del Piero F.To determine the most common ocular lesions in horses with lymphosarcoma. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 79 horses histologically confirmed to have lymphosarcoma. Methods: Ophthalmic examinations were performed by a single individual. Results: 21 of 79 horses had lesions involving the eye or ocular adnexa. Infiltration of the palpebral conjunctiva and eyelids was the most common lesion (n = 11). Other lesions included uveitis (n = 4), corneoscleral masses (2), third eyelid masses (2), and diffuse retrobulbar infiltrates (2). Conclusions: In horses with lymphosarcoma, ocular lesions may...
Hague BA, Honnas CM, Berridge BR, Easter JL.To evaluate the postoperative use of peritoneal lavage for prevention of experimentally induced intraabdominal adhesions in horses. Methods: Areas of serosal abrasion were created on the jejunum of 12 horses. Postoperatively, six horses had peritoneal lavage, and six horses did not (controls). The number of adhesions was determined at necropsy 2 weeks after surgery. Methods: 12 horses. Methods: Five sites of jejunal serosal abrasion were created in each horse. A 32 French thoracic catheter was placed into the right ventral aspect of the abdomen before closure of the abdominal incision. Treated...
Brazil TJ, Rossi AG, Haslett C, McGorum B, Dixon PM, Chilvers ER.The synthetic formylpeptide fMLP is widely used as a model chemoattractant and secretagogue for mammalian neutrophils. Despite possessing fMLP receptors, equine neutrophils do not produce superoxide anions in response to fMLP and there is no inflammatory reaction in the horse when fMLP is injected intradermally. The functional capability of these receptors was investigated after pretreatment with recognized priming agents. Purified neutrophils were pretreated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), platelet-activating factor (PAF), or tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and superoxide anion generat...
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...
Ingle-Fehr JE, Baxter GM.To measure blood flow in the palmar digital artery and laminae corium, using ultrasonic and laser Doppler flowmetry, respectively. Methods: 6 healthy horses. Methods: Digital blood flow and laminar perfusion, respectively, were measured by placing a flow probe around the palmar digital artery and a laser Doppler flow probe in a hole in the dorsal aspect of the hoof wall. All horses were given saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (1 L, IV, during a 30-minute period). Seven days later, each horse was given endotoxin (0.1 microgram/kg of body weight, IV, in 1 L of saline solution, during a 30-minute perio...
Foster AP, Cunningham FM.Equine eosinophils and neutrophils are believed to play an important part in the protection of horses against parasitic and bacterial invasion. Eosinophils may also play a key role in the pathogenesis of equine inflammatory conditions such as the allergic skin disease, insect hypersensitivity. The factors which stimulate the respiratory burst of equine eosinophils and neutrophils are poorly understood. The first aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the phorbol ester, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), which is believed to activate intracellular protein kinase C, and opsonised...
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...
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 ...
Paterson S.Three horses with superficial ulcerative squamous cell carcinoma were successfully treated with topical 5-fluorouracil. Two of them remain in remission after a single course of treatment and the third case is controlled by the application of the cream for seven days every six weeks. No systemic side-effects were observed but there was a localised inflammatory reaction in the skin in each case.
Hardy J, Bertone AL, Weisbrode SE, Muir WW, O'Dorisio TM, Masty J.To describe the acute cellular response, inflammatory mediator release, and effect on chondrocyte metabolism of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) in isolated innervated or denervated equine metacarpophalangeal joints. Methods: One metacarpophalangeal joint of 24 adult horses. Methods: The metacarpophalangeal joint was isolated for 6 hours in a pump-perfused, auto-oxygenated, innervated or denervated metacarpophalangeal joint preparation. Isolated joints were assigned to 4 groups: control, control-denervated, inflamed, and inflamed-denervated, and inflammation was induced by intra-articular inject...
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...
Faber E, Tshilwane SI, Van Kleef M, Pretorius A.Transcriptome analysis was used to characterise the in vitro primary and secondary immune responses induced in horse peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated for 24Â h with the individual recombinant proteins of a virulent AHSV serotype 4 (AHSV4) field isolate (rAHSV4 proteins) that were previously expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). The results showed that the E. coli contamination products greatly affected the innate and humoral immune response transcripts. Hence, the impact of E. coli contamination products present in the individual rAHSV4 proteins on the translational immu...
Naef A, Damerau B, Keller HU.The relationship between the short transient intracellular increase in cAMP levels on the one hand and chemotaxis or crawling movements on the other hand was investigated using human and equine granulocytes. C5ades arg, f-met-leu-phe, human serum albumin and immunoglobulin were used as stimulating agents. There was no strict correlation between the induction of crawling movements or of chemokinesis in general and the generation of the cAMP peak. But there was so far a strict parallelism between the occurrence of the chemotactic response and the cAMP peak. However, the magnitude of the peak was...
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...
Mamede FV, Laus JL, Cabral VP, Vicenti FA, Barbieri-Neto J.To possibly reduce postoperative adhesions that occur after ocular myoplasties, we investigated the topical effects of 0.04% mitomycin C on the repaired areas of the medial rectus muscle using an equine renal capsule preserved in 98% glycerin for reinforcement of the sutures. Twenty-four rabbits, divided into two groups of 12 animals each [untreated (control) and treated group (MMC)], were submitted to surgical rupture of the medial rectus muscle of one eye and repair of the defect 24 h later with sutures and an equine renal capsule. Post-operative prophylactic treatment of the two groups cons...
Minguet G, de la Rebière G, Franck T, Joris J, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.To investigate the effects of the volatile anaesthetic sevoflurane on the release of total and active myeloperoxidase (MPO) by non-stimulated and stimulated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in whole blood from healthy horses. Methods: In vitro experimental study. Methods: Adult healthy horses. Methods: Samples of whole venous blood were collected and incubated in air or in air plus 2.3% or 4.6% sevoflurane for 1 hour. PMNs were stimulated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), with a combination of cytochalasin B (CB) and fMLP or with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Total an...
Marr KA, Lees P, Cunningham FM.Adherence to vascular endothelium and extracellular matrix proteins is a pre-requisite for neutrophil accumulation at sites of inflammation. In this study, equine neutrophil adherence to fibronectin and autologous serum-coated plastic in response to PAF, hrIL-8, hrC5a and PMA has been measured. In addition, the mechanisms involved have been investigated using monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against the beta2 integrin CD18. PAF and hrC5a caused similar, concentration dependent, increases in adherence to fibronectin- and serum-coated plastic (maximum responses 19 +/- 4% and 19 +/- 3% for PAF and 1...
Kurotaki T, Narayama K, Oyamada T, Yoshikawa H, Yoshikawa T.An immunohistochemical study was carried out on the kinetics of Langerhans cells (LCs) at various pathological stages of "Kasen". Skin lesions of "Kasen" that were collected by biopsy from May to October were classified histopathologically into three stages: initial (Group I, 31 cases), developing (Group II, 50 cases) and regressing (Group III, 13 cases). LCs showed a positive reaction with anti-equine thymocytes (EqT6) monoclonal antibody (MoAb) and anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II MoAb by immunohistochemical staining. The anti-EqT6 MoAb was intensely positive along the cy...
Sparks HD, Nixon AJ, Bogenrief DS.3 horses were referred for treatment of subchondral cystic lesions of 1 or both medial femoral condyles. Results: All horses had clinically apparent lameness confirmed to be due to a radiographically evident subchondral cystic lesion of the medial femoral condyle with a large articular component (> 15 mm) and shallow subchondral depth (< 10 mm). Arthroscopic assessment of affected cartilage revealed undulating cartilage with a relatively smooth surface and extensive residual perimeter attachment. Results: Resorbable polydioxanone pins were used arthroscopically to reattach the cartilage ...
Fenger CK, Bertone JJ, Biller D, Merryman J.Generalized medullary infarction of the long bones was diagnosed in a 12-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse mare. The mare was referred after a 6-week course of shifting weight on her hind limbs, and kicking. Physical examination revealed mild stifle joint distention and withdrawal reactions to digital pressure over the long bones. Radiography revealed patchy areas of medullary sclerosis in the distal portion of each femur and proximal portion of each tibia. A full-thickness cortical and cancellous tibial biopsy revealed infarcted bone marrow, with cortical and periosteal osteonecrosis. The caus...
Curnow B, Rich AF, Ireland J, Correa DC, Dunn J, Jenkins D, Carslake H, Ressel L.Although the equine sarcoid is the most common skin neoplasm in domesticated horses, histopathological characteristics have not previously been evaluated for association with recurrence. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate clinical and histopathological features of excised equine sarcoids and to evaluate their association with recurrence at the original surgical site and at new sites. Clinical records and excisional biopsies from 106 equine sarcoids from 64 horses referred to Leahurst Equine Hospital, University of Liverpool, between March 2010 and February 2015 were ...
Johnston JK, Freeman DE, Gillette D, Soma LR.Sheets of mucosa from the jejunum of healthy horses were mounted in incubation chambers and bathed with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution. Changes in tissue function and histologic appearance were compared after the following conditions: (1) control conditions for 30 minutes with 95% O2/5% CO2 in the gas phase; (2) same conditions as control, except incubation with superoxide dismutase (300 U/ml) during the last 18 minutes; (3) anoxia for 15 minutes with 95% N2/5% CO2, followed by reoxygenation for 15 minutes; (4) same conditions as 3, except incubation with superoxide dismutase during reoxyge...
Thomsen LN, Berg LC, Markussen B, Thomsen PD.Cervical synovial folds have been suggested as a potential cause of neck pain in humans. Little is known about the extent and characteristics of cervical synovial folds in horses. Objective: The objective of this explorative study was to determine the frequency of synovial folds in equine cervical articular process joints and to provide a characterisation of the size and morphology of the synovial folds. Methods: Equine cervical articular process joints from 6 horses were included in the study, ranging from cervical vertebra 2 (C2) to cervical vertebra 7 (C7) bilaterally. The articular process...
MacKay RJ, King RR, Dankert JR, Reis KJ, Skelley LA.Blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AM) were harvested from foals (aged 46 days to 6 months) and cultured in either medium alone or medium containing 10 micrograms/ml bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After 24 h, culture supernates were collected and analyzed for cytotoxic activity on sensitized L929 cells. Both monocytes and AM that had been treated with LPS produced significantly more cytotoxic activity than the same cell type exposed to medium lacking LPS. LPS-treated macrophages secreted significantly more cytotoxic activity (120 +/- 17.8 U/ml) than did LPS-treated monocytes (47.3 ...
Fernandez NJ, Roy MF.The plasma protein:fibrinogen (PP:F) ratio was introduced to aid interpretation of hyperfibrinogenemia by accounting for dehydration. However, this ratio is inconsistently assessed in practice and its clinical value remains unknown. Our objective was to determine whether the PP:F ratio provides additional information in adult horses beyond fibrinogen concentration alone. Two databases were reviewed to identify 412 hyperfibrinogenemic horses. Plasma protein:fibrinogen ratios were calculated and their interpretation compared to the fibrinogen concentration. Ratios < 15 were supportive of infl...
Schusser GE, White NA.To determine the number of myenteric plexuses and neurons in the large colon of clinically normal horses and whether the number was decreased in the large colon of horses with colon disease. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Colon samples from 15 clinically normal horses and 31 horses with colon disease. Methods: Samples were obtained, fixed, and stained with H&E. The number of myenteric plexuses and neurons and longitudinal muscle thickness were determined in each segment of colon for clinically normal horses. Counts for segments were compared with each other and with counts in the sam...
Perrin R, Diguet AC, Cantet P, Bailly C, Brogniez L, Dugdale A, Nisolle JF, Vandeweerd JM.Synovitis of the navicular bursa is common in performance horses. The objective of this study was to describe an ultrasound-guided technique to inject a distended navicular bursa and to evaluate its feasibility for use by a clinician not trained in the technique. Twenty distal limbs of horses of various breeds and sizes were used. To produce synovial distension, the navicular bursa of each limb was injected with contrast medium using a lateral approach and radiography was performed to confirm that the contrast medium was distending the bursa. The digit was positioned with the distal interphala...
Dixon PM, Loh N, Barakzai SZ.Disorders of the horizontal ramus (body) of the equine mandible are well reported, but there is minimal documentation of disorders of the angle of mandible. A retrospective examination of the records of Edinburgh University Equine Hospital (1997-2011) showed that 32 horses were referred due to swellings of the angle of the mandible. The aetiology of these swellings was identified in just 13/32 cases (41%) including fractures (n=2), traumatic, localised periosteal/cortical lesions (n=4), traumatic soft tissue lesions (n=2), neoplasia (n=3), and inflammation of the adjacent salivary gland (n=1) ...
Roberts MC, Seawright AA.Colic was induced in horses and ponies following topical or intravenous (iv) administration of amitraz, a formamidine acaricide. The condition was characterised by rapid cessation of intestinal sounds, stasis, extensive impaction and tympany throughout the large colon. Three animals that were necropsied had a faecalith obstructing the proximal small colon aboral to marked colonic impaction. A reproducible and reversible impaction colic syndrome could be induced by an iv injection of 1 mg amitraz/kg body weight in solvent. There were immediate central nervous system and intestinal signs. Large ...
Bowker RM, Abhold RH, Caron JP, Sonea IM, Vex KB, Kotyk R.Immunocytochemical analysis of equine synovial membranes revealed presence of several neuropeptides, including substance P (SP), neurokinin A, and neuropeptide Y, in nerves of the radiocarpal, middle carpal, and metacarpophalangeal (fetlock) joints. Within the subsynovium, these neuropeptides were located perivascularly, whereas in the fronds, only neuropeptide Y was restricted to the vessels of the synovial membrane. Only SP and neurokinin A were found in the intimal layer. The intimal layer of the metacarpophalangeal joint contained more SP-immunoreactive fibers than were observed in the int...
Verwilghen D, Easley J, Zwick T, Uhlhorn M, Grulke S, Simhofer H, Townsend N, Liyou O, Bodeus F, Zani DD, Vlaminck L, Pearce C, Staszyk C....Suture exostosis is an intriguing and not uncommon pathology that has to be included in the differential diagnosis for horses with swelling of the head. Although several singular case reports have been published, no large case series is available. The aim of this study is to report a multicentric retrospective collection of suture exostosis cases. Data concerning horses with suture exostosis in the facial region were collected retrospectively. Information regarding breed, age, gender, history, imaging findings, initiated treatment, response to treatment and follow up was recorded. One hundred ...
Packer MJ, German AJ, Hunter L, Trayhurn P, Proudman CJ.Adipose tissue is an important source of inflammatory cytokines (adipokines) and adiposity has been identified as having a significant effect on human morbidity and mortality. Obesity is also an emerging welfare problem in the UK horse population, but the role that it plays in secondary diseases is unclear. Objective: To examine the expression of inflammation-related adipokine genes in retroperitoneal adipose tissue of horses undergoing emergency abdominal surgery and to explore associations with adiposity and post operative survival. Methods: Retroperitoneal adipose tissue samples were obtain...
Jones DL, Barber SM, Jack SW, Doige CE.Gross and microscopic effects of arthroscopic partial synovectomy on synovium and articular cartilage of middle carpal joints were studied in 15 horses. A 7-mm diameter motorized synovial resector was inserted into each middle carpal joint and arthroscopic partial synovectomy and lavage or arthroscopic lavage alone was performed. Study periods were 0 (three horses), 16 (three horses), and 30 days (six horses). No gross evidence of degenerative joint disease was observed at day 16 or 30. At 30 days, resected areas lacked villi and there was deposition of fibrin on the synovial surface with vary...
Lawler DF, Brazil TJ, Dagleish MP, Watson ED.This study investigated the chemotactic activity of equine CL at different stages of the oestrous cycle. The purpose of this was to ascertain whether luteal tissue itself contributes to the massive influx of leucocytes around the time of natural and induced luteal regression. Corpora lutea were collected at different stages of dioestrus and after treatment with PGF2alpha. Culture medium harvested after incubation of luteal tissue for 20 h was chemotactic for both polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells in late dioestrus (before functional regression) as well as after natural and induced luteal...
Temple-Wong MM, Raleigh AR, Frisbie DD, Sah RL, McIlwraith CW.To assess whether the combination of hyaluronan, sodium chondroitin sulfate, and -acetyl-d-glucosamine (HCSG) lubricates articular cartilage in vitro and modulates joint lubrication in vivo. Methods: 16 healthy adult horses. Methods: The effects of HCSG injections on SF lubricant properties and joint health, immediately after injury and 2 weeks later, were analyzed by use an equine osteochondral fracture model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA). Middle carpal joints of adult horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 surgical treatment groups as follows: normal nonsurgical group (n = 8), norma...
Wilson DV, Patterson JS, Stick JA, Provost PJ.The role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in mediating the colonic damage that develops after large-colon torsion was studied in 14 ponies. Morphologic changes in areas of the ascending colon and selected abdominal and thoracic viscera after 1 hour of large-colon torsion and 3 to 5 hours of reperfusion were determined, as well as the protective effects of systemic administration of a specific PAF antagonist (WEB 2086). Ponies were selected then allocated at random and in equal numbers to 2 groups that received 1 of 2 treatments prior to induction of large-colon torsion: group 1--control (sa...
Simmons EJ, Bertone AL, Hardy J, Weisbrode SE.To quantitate nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in healthy and interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta)-exposed equine synovial membrane. Methods: 6 healthy horses, 2 to 8 years old. Methods: Recombinant human IL-1beta (0.35 ng/kg of body weight) was injected intra-articularly into 1 metacarpophalangeal joint of each horse. The contralateral joint served as an unexposed control. All horses were euthanatized 6 hours after injection of IL-1beta, and synovial membrane specimens were assayed for NOS activity by measuring conversion of arginine to citrulline. Severity of inflammation was semiquantitated by ...
Easther R, Manthorpe E, Woolford L, Kawarizadeh A, Hemmatzadeh F, Ferlini Agne G.Equine idiopathic haemorrhagic cystitis (EIHC) is a recently described form of aseptic cystitis in horses in which there is no discernible underlying cause. This case report describes a 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that presented with stranguria, pollakiuria, and haematuria. Cystoscopy revealed ulceration and haemorrhage of the bladder mucosa, diffuse mural hyperaemia and marked urine sedimentation. Histopathological evaluation of the bladder revealed chronic active ulcerative neutrophilic, lymphoplasmacytic, and eosinophilic cystitis. There was no bacterial or fungal growth upon culture bu...
