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.
Martin RG, Penhale WJ, Williamson P.The influx of protein and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) into the uterine lumen was examined at different intervals after intrauterine infusion of fluids. The intrauterine infusion of both phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and a solution of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Escherichia coli resulted in a biphasic influx of protein in the uterine flushings peaking three and six hours after infusion. LPS infusion caused an additional influx of protein at 24 hours. The initial influx of protein preceded a biphasic influx of PMN which peaked six and 24 hours after both infusions. Uterine flu...
Maclean AA, Jeffcott LB, Lavelle RB, Friend SC.The use of iohexol as a contrast agent for myelography is reported in two groups of horses. Group 1 (n = 6) were used only for myelography and to assess the clinical and pathological effects of intrathecal administration of iohexol. A volume of 20 ml at a concentration of 300 or 350 mg iodine/ml gave satisfactory myelographic detail with no serious clinical or neurological side effects. Only a minimal inflammatory response could be demonstrated in cerebrospinal fluid at four and 14 days after injection. At post mortem examination 14 days after myelography there was no evidence of meningitis no...
Slocombe RF, Slauson DO.Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was identified in 19 horses. In 16 cases mycotic lesions were associated with enterocolitis; 14 cases appeared to result from Salmonella infection. Pulmonary lesions included multifocal areas of acute necrosis, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and thrombosis with fibrinosuppurative inflammation surrounding mycelial masses. Thromboemboli with fungi were in the brain and kidneys of three cases. Factors which appeared to predispose to pulmonary aspergillosis included corticosteroid therapy, disseminated neoplasms, hepatitis, pleuritis, and peritonitis. This study sugg...
Morris DD, Strzemienski PJ, Gaulin G, Spencer P.Neutrophil function was evaluated in six clinically normal adult horses, immediately before and 3-6 hours after they were given one dose of hydrocortisone sodium succinate (1 mg/kg body weight). Random migration, stimulated migration to zymosan-activated serum, bacterial phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity of neutrophils were determined in vitro. The mean indices of stimulated migration (net migration and migration ratio) were significantly greater after CS administration (net migration = 62 +/- 23 micron; migration ratio = 11.5 +/- 6.7) than before CS administration (net migration = 44 +/-...
Watson ED, Stokes CR, Bourne FJ.Acute endometritis was induced in ovariectomized pony mares by infusion of a 1% solution of oyster glycogen. Maximum concentrations of immunoreactive leukotriene B4 in uterine washings coincided with the greatest rate of infiltration of neutrophils into the uterine lumen. Concentrations of immunoreactive leukotriene B4 decreased to basal levels 6 h after infusion and were unaffected by administration of ovarian steroids to ovariectomized mares. Uterine washings from mares with persistent endometritis did not contain significantly different concentrations of leukotriene B4 from genitally normal...
Pycock JF, Allen WE, Porter DJ, Boyd EH.Two independent assay systems were used to study the effect of three antibacterial preparations on in vitro morphology and chemotaxis of equine neutrophils. Incubation of neutrophils with high (200 micrograms/ml) and medium (20 micrograms/ml) concentrations of neomycin impaired their response to standard chemoattractants. Trimethoprim/sulfadoxine (0.4/2.0 micrograms/ml-40/200 micrograms/ml) and benzylpenicillin (0.25-25 micrograms/ml) had no effect. Neutrophils collected from geldings 2 and 24 h after neomycin (5 mg/kg) administration had impaired responses to standard chemoattractants. Benzyl...
Madison JB, Scarratt WK.The deposition of immune complexes in the synovial membrane resulted in polysynovitis in 4 foals. All 4 foals had an infection at a site other than the joints. The polysynovitis was characterized by marked effusions of affected joints and joint stiffness. Bacterial and mycoplasmal cultures of the joints did not yield growth. Staining of synovial membrane biopsy specimens with fluorescein-labeled anti-equine IgG revealed immune complexes in the synovial membrane. Immune-mediated polysynovitis might develop in foals with bacterial infections. We propose that deposition of immunoglobulin in the s...
Baker B, Gaffin SL, Wells M, Wessels BC, Brock-Utne JG.Endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides-LPS) and anti-endotoxin IgG antibodies were measured in racehorses before and after races of 1,000, 2,000 and 2,800 m. Results show that the mean plasma concentration of endotoxin increased significantly (p less than 0.02) while the anti-LPS IgG concentration decreased significantly (p less than 0.005) in all horses following the races. Pre-race and post-race anti-LPS IgG levels in racing-fit racehorses were significantly higher than in untrained horses (p less than 0.05). The possibility therefore exists that training-induced stress leads to leakage of LPS into...
Derksen FJ, Robinson NE, Scott JS, Stick JA.Ponies with recurrent airway obstruction (principal ponies) and their controls were given aerosolized Micropolyspora faeni antigen via endotracheal tube during a period when the principal ponies were in disease remission. In both groups of ponies, we performed bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and measured pulmonary function at base line, and 5 hours after aerosol administration of 30 ml of 0.9% NaCl solution or 30 ml of 1% w/v particulate M faeni antigen in 0.9% NaCl solution. In both groups of ponies, aerosolized M faeni antigen increased WBC count, neutrophil numbers, and albumin concentration i...
Lavoie JP, Harnagel SH.A small tear in the urinary bladder of a severely debilitated 4-day-old foal was managed with an indwelling urinary catheter connected to a urine collecting system. Fluid therapy, parenteral nutrition, and antimicrobial agents were used during the initial management of the ruptured bladder. Aseptic technique for catheter care and systemic administration of antimicrobial agents prevented the development of bacterial cystitis. Catheter management required constant monitoring, but the bladder defect was sealed within 5 days. Fungal arthritis caused by Candida tropicalis, immune-mediated anemia, d...
Freeman DE, Cimprich RE, Richardson DW, Gentile DG, Orsini JA, Tulleners EP, Fetrow JP.Strangulation obstruction was induced in anesthetized ponies for periods of 2 and 3 hours by clamping 45-cm segments of jejunum and their veins only (venous strangulation obstruction, VSO) and arteries and veins (arterial and venous strangulation obstruction, AVSO). These types of strangulation obstruction were studied in 4 segments in each of 4 ponies allowed to survive 12 hours (group 1) and in a single segment in each of 10 ponies allowed to survive 42 days (group 2) after the strangulation period ended. On visual inspection, segments subjected to VSO had hemorrhage and edema in the bowel w...
Schneider RK, Meyer DJ, Embertson RM, Gentile DG, Buergelt CD.Peritoneal lavage was performed on ponies to determine the effect on peritoneal surfaces. Lavage solution (20 L) was introduced into each pony's peritoneal cavity through catheters placed in the paralumbar fossa, and the solution was removed by drainage from the ventral portion of the abdomen. Six ponies each were lavaged with sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, sterile saline solution containing 5 X 10(6) U of potassium penicillin and 3 g of neomycin or povidone-iodine diluted to 3% by volume with sterile saline solution, and 3 ponies were lavaged with povidone-iodine diluted to 10% with ste...
Mair TS, Stokes CR, Bourne FJ.The immunoglobulin (Ig) content of serum and tracheal lavage fluid was measured in 50 horses suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 40 control horses. The mean immunoglobulin: albumin ratios of the lavage fluids of both groups were significantly higher than the corresponding values for serum, which indicates significant local production of immunoglobulins in the lower respiratory tract. The IgA: albumin ratio of lavage fluid was significantly higher in diseased compared with normal horses, which implies increased local production of IgA in this disease. The IgG: albumi...
Watson ED, Stokes CR, Bourne FJ.Prostaglandins (PGs) F and E2 were measured in lavage fluid from the uterus of ovariectomised mares after experimental induction of uterine inflammation. Treatment with progesterone alone, or progesterone followed by oestradiol, significantly increased the concentrations of these PGs in the lavage compared with mares treated with oestradiol or control mares. Ovarian steroids, therefore, influenced uterine PG synthesis in response to an inflammatory stimulus. To determine whether the uterine lavage procedure might contribute to the concentrations of prostaglandins in the lavage, the procedure w...
Lloyd KC, Stover SM, Pascoe JR, Pool RR.A 2.5-cm long, 0.8 mm in diameter catheter was placed percutaneously into the palmarolateral pouch of the antebrachiocarpal joint in 6 clinically normal horses. The catheter was affixed in place for 72 hours. Cytologic analysis was performed on synovial fluid specimens obtained through the catheter at postcatheterization hours (PCH) 0, 24, and 72. The horses were euthanatized at PCH 72, and macroscopic and microscopic examinations were performed on the dorsal portion of the joint capsule and the palmarolateral pouch of the catheterized and contralateral (noncatheterized) joint. Clinical, synov...
Grünig G, Hermann M, Winder C, Von Fellenberg R.Cell-free supernatants (sol phases), obtained after centrifugation (50,000 x g for 45 minutes) of respiratory tract secretions from horses with chronic pulmonary disease, were assayed for procoagulant activity (PCA) in a one-stage clotting assay. Of the 103 specimens tested, 59% (61) contained PCA. Procoagulant activity was detected most often in respiratory tract secretions of severely affected horses and was correlated with the quantity of neutrophils in the respiratory tract secretions. In 12 of the 17 secretions tested, the clotting time was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. However, i...
Taylor FG, Mair TS, Brown PJ.Equine steatitis is a rare condition which is usually reported in foals. A case of generalised steatitis in an adult pony mare is described and compared with steatitis in other species. It is concluded that the condition resembled that recorded in foals but that its aetiopathogenesis remains obscure.
Ball BA, Shin SJ, Patten VH, Garcia MC, Woods GL.Pony mares which were detected pregnant by transrectal ultrasonography received a single intrauterine infusion of either sterile saline (control, n = 12 mares) or 10(6)Candida parapsilosis (treated, n = 12 mares) between Days 11 to 14 postovulation. Subsequent embryonic loss was studied by daily ultrasonography of the mare's uterus, by serum progesterone levels, by endometrial swabs for cytologic and microbiologic examination and by endometrial biopsies that were taken after embryonic loss was detected. Significantly fewer (P<0.01) embryonic losses occurred in control than in treated mares (4 ...
Markel MD.Peritonitis and adhesions in the horse are best managed through prevention. Perioperative antimicrobial therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy, experienced personnel, and good surgical techniques should minimize complications after surgery. Despite preventative measures, some horses still develop peritonitis after surgery. Immediate, intensive treatment is necessary to enhance their chances for survival.
Cohen ML, Ming RH, Gogel HK, Davis M, Pitcher JL.Phenylbutazone (PBZ) is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) that is not commonly prescribed due to the high incidence of serious adverse reactions. However, it is still used extensively in equine medicine, and is readily available to those employed in the care and management of horses. Such persons may take the drug indiscriminately, without medical supervision. We present a 33-year-old male race horse track worker who took phenylbutazone horse pills for a chronic toothache and subsequently suffered a major hemorrhage from a gastric ulcer. Human use of phenylbutazone horse pills shoul...
Harrison IW.The average age of 122 horses with ascending colon volvulus was 6.6 +/- 0.4 years. Gastric reflux was a presenting sign in 35% of the cases. Peritoneal fluid protein levels had a mean of 2.54 +/- 0.14 g/dl and 20 horses had grossly normal peritoneal fluid at the time of presentation. Ascending colon volvulus was most commonly found at the level of the cecocolic fold with the initial ventral colon movement in a dorsomedial direction about the ascending mesocolic axis. The overall survival rate was 34.7% with a recurrence rate of only 4.9%.
Firth EC, Klein WR, Nouws JF, Wensing T.Single doses of sodium ampicillin (10 mg/kg) and kanamycin sulfate (5 mg/kg) were administered intramuscularly (i.m.) separately, and then together, to five pony mares. The plasma antibiotic concentration-time curves were constructed. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the antibiotics given separately were not altered by concurrent administration. Four of the five pony mares were then given the i.m. kanamycin/ampicillin combination 4 h after acute synovitis and fever had been induced by injection of lipopolysaccharide into the left intercarpal joint. The plasma concentration-time curves and the...
Winder NC, von Fellenberg R.The peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique was used to demonstrate free and intracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) within the lungs of 23 horses with chronic small airway disease. Histologically, all the horses had chronic bronchiolitis; however, the lesions varied in degree from mild in eight horses, to moderate in nine horses and severe in six horses. Lungs from three horses which had no gross or histopathological lesions were used as controls. In comparison with control horses, horses with mild chronic bronchiolitis had increased numbers of Ig A-containing and non-immunoglobulin staining cells aro...
Bohanon TC.An 8-cm compressed mass of dry cracked corn was found obstructing the duodenum of a horse with signs of colic. The mass was manipulated aborally and removed through jejunal enterotomy. The horse recovered and the impaction did not recur.
Hayden DW, Johnson KH, Wolf CB, Westermark P.Systemic amyloidosis involving the digestive tract is described in an 11-year-old Morgan stallion. The disease was characterized clinically by weight loss, ptyalism, anaemia, persistent mature neutrophilia, hypoalbuminaemia and hypergammaglobulinaemia. The D-xylose absorption test indicated malabsorption. Necropsy revealed oral, oesophageal and gastric ulcers and reddened segments of small bowel mucosa with scant haemorrhages. Microscopically, amyloid deposits were found throughout all tissue layers of the digestive tract, except the serosa. Deposits of amyloid were most apparent in the small ...
Boyd EH, Allen WE.Plasma concentrations of neomycin were measured after intrauterine infusion of 3.3 mg/kg neomycin sulphate. Mares infected two hours previously with an intra-uterine infusion of beta-haemolytic streptococci absorbed approximately 12 per cent of the neomycin in both the oestrous and the luteal phases of the cycle. Normal mares in oestrus absorbed 6 per cent of the neomycin infused and luteal mares absorbed 56 per cent. In infected mares the peak plasma concentrations occurred two hours after neomycin infusion, earlier than in healthy mares. Cervical flushings after neomycin infusion in infected...
Dawson J, Lees P, Sedgwick AD.Equine polymorphonuclear (PMN) and mononuclear (MN) leucocytes were separated on Percoll gradients and used to study the chemoattractant properties of the polar ether-linked phospholipid, platelet activating factor (PAF). Six concentrations of PAF ranging from 1 ng/ml to 100 micrograms/ml were studied in each of two in vitro assay systems, the agarose microdroplet and a microfilter technique. Very significant (p less than 0.01) increases in the movement of both PMN and MN cells were obtained with most concentrations of PAF. In two instances there was no apparent concentration-response relation...
Fenwick BW, Schore CE, Osburn BI.Equine, caprine, ovine, canine and feline peripheral blood lymphocytes were evaluated in a short term dose-response study for their in vitro blastogenic responsiveness to human recombinant interleukin-2(125) (HrIL-2(125] alone or in combination with phytohemagglutinin-P, concanavalin-A, and pokeweed mitogen. HrIL-2(125) induced lymphocyte proliferation in all of the animals tested. The magnitude of the proliferative response varied among the species of animal tested. In all cases the proliferative response was dependent on the concentration of HrIL-2(125). HrIL-2(125) at a minimum concentratio...
Saroglu M, Aktas M, Olgun D, Arun SS.A tumor-like tissue mass of lateral-limbal site in the right eye of a 12-year-old Cob Pony mare was presented for surgical removal. The mass, covering the lateral limbus, bulbar conjunctiva and part of the cornea, was surgically removed, and the corneal defect repaired with a pedicle bulbar conjunctival graft. The mass was inflammatory in nature containing mononuclear cells. No recurrence or complication occurred at 6- and 12-month follow-up examination.
Finno CJ.Hoof wall separation disease (HWSD) is a genetic defect in Connemara ponies characterised by separation and cracking of the dorsal hoof wall. The disease can result in chronic inflammation, severe lameness and laminitis. Affected ponies typically show clinical signs within the first six months of life. The disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The genetic mutation is a frameshift mutation in the gene SERPINB11, (c.504_505insC). Carriers are completely normal, only ponies that are homozygous for the mutation will have clinical signs of the disease. Within the Connemara breed, ca...
Clark ES, Moore JN.The effects of slow intravenous (i.v.) infusion of a very low dosage of endotoxin (a cumulative dosage of 0.03 microgram/kg bodyweight [bwt] infused over 60 mins) were evaluated in six conscious healthy horses. Duodenal, right ventral colon, and caecal contractions were detected with strain gauge force transducers. Lateral caecal arterial blood flow was measured using transit time ultrasonic blood flow probes. Duodenal contractile activity was not significantly altered by infusion of endotoxin. In contrast, the contractile activity of the right ventral colon 90 and 270 mins after infusion of e...
Williams LA.Many skin disorders in horses share the same appearance-hair loss of various degrees, itchiness, lesions that may or may not be painful to the touch, oozing sores, or skin that is reddened, crusty, scaly, flaky, thickened or swollen- making diagnosis sometimes difficult. A horse owner's documentation of a horse's medical history, the history of the skin disorder, and the horse's environment assists veterinarians and compounding pharmacists in their diagnosis and treatment. This article discusses some of the common skin problems that affect horses, takes a look at causes, and provides a case re...
Kunkle GA, Greiner EC.An episode of dermatitis in 12 horses and many animal handlers in the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of Florida was attributed to the straw itch mite, Pyemotes tritici. The mite was found in abundance alfalfa hay that recently had been delivered to the hospital. Papules were the most common cutaneous lesions, and these developed on areas of the body to which the mites had easiest access. The clinical course was self-limiting, remitting when the hay supply was depleted.
Mendoza FJ, Perez-Ecija RA, Estepa JC.Emphysema of lymph nodes is a rare finding that has been described in different anatomical locations and related to specific diseases in different animal species. Herein is described a foal with Rhodococcus equi infection that presented with emphysema and granulomatous inflammation of the bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes. This is the first report of emphysematous lymphadenitis in a horse.
Bastos CM, Rocha F, Cerqueira Â, Terroso D, Sequeira C, Tilley P.Clays are natural ingredients used to prepare therapeutic cataplasms suitable for topical application. The knowledge about these formulations and their preparations to be applied on humans and animals has been orally transmitted since ancient times. Several empirical methods using clays have demonstrated fast and effective results in the reduction of the inflammatory response and the formation of edemas in horse limbs. The use of traditional and alternative medicine, such as pelotherapy, is now becoming more popular in veterinarian medical practice, alone or combined with other therapies in ho...
Kendall A, Lützelschwab C, Lundblad J, Skiöldebrand E.Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin that is increased in osteoarthritic joints of horses. In humans, NGF has been associated with pain, and both synovial and serum NGF concentrations are increased in osteoarthritic patients. Studies in humans also have shown that serum NGF concentration can increase with stress. Serum NGF concentration should be evaluated in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness. Objective: Quantify and compare serum NGF concentration in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness and sound horses. Additionally, the impact of short-term stress on serum NGF ...
Jones SL.Treating inflammation in the equine gastrointestinal tract remains a challenge. Our most potent anti-inflammatory drugs, COX inhibitors and glucocorticoids, have unwanted effects on the gastrointestinal tract and host defense that often limit their use. Newer strategies targeting specific cells and molecules that regulate a subset of the events occurring during inflammation are rapidly becoming available and should allow clinicians to reduce the detrimental effects of inflammation without inhibiting the beneficial aspects.
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.
Honoré ML, Pihl TH, Busk-Anderson TM, Flintrup LL, Nielsen LN.D-dimer has value as a marker of thrombosis in critically ill horses and can provide additional information about prognosis. However, there are currently no equine species-specific d-dimer assays available, nor has there been any formal investigation of the applicability of human d-dimer assays in horses, so it is unknown, which assay performs best in this species. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate and compare two human d-dimer assays for their applicability in horses. The study included four groups of horses: clinically healthy horses, horses with gastrointestinal (GI) disease a...
Meagher DT, Latimer FG, Sutter WW, Saville WJ.OBJECTIVE-To determine clinical findings and outcome in horses treated by means of a balloon constant rate infusion system. DESIGN-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS-23 horses. PROCEDURES-Medical records of horses examined at The Ohio State University veterinary teaching hospital from 2002 to 2005 that had septic arthritis, septic tenosynovitis, or penetration of a synovial structure and in which treatment involved a balloon constant rate infusion system were searched. Information pertaining to signalment, history, physical examination findings, clinicopathologic data, treatment, and duration ...
Laan TT, Spoorenberg JF, van der Kolk JH.Intake of Rumex, a plant genus of the Polygonaceae family, probably led through the assimilation of oxalic acid, to hypocalcaemia in a four-week old foal. This foal was presented with muscle rigidity and a stiff gait. Both the total and ionized calcium concentrations were low, 1.38 mmol/l and 0.54 mmol/l respectively. The foal was treated with a total of 150 ml of a 20% calcium solution IV. The foals neuromuscular signs resolved within a few hours after receiving calcium solution.
Hinrichs K, Gentile DG, Hurtgen JP, Richardson DW.A testicular prosthesis was removed from the scrotum of a 3-year-old Quarter Horse stallion. The prosthesis had been placed in the left side of the scrotum 10 months earlier, after an unsuccessful attempt to reposition the retained left testis. Because of a persistent draining fistula on the scrotum, first noted 5 months after placement of the prosthesis, surgery was performed to remove the prosthesis. At surgery, the left testis was found in a fibrous mass surrounding the prosthesis. The left testis had descended after placement of the prosthesis, and its involvement in the fibrous tissue sur...
Shipstone , Mueller , Bettenay , Mason , Friend .The macroscopic and microscopic effects following the intradermal injection of the mast cell degranulator compound 48/80 were investigated in horses. It was found that a 1000 μg mL-1 solution of compound 48/80 could be used as an alternative to histamine as a positive control in equine intradermal allergy tests. An inflammatory cell infiltration was noted on histological examination, following compound 48/80 injection. This inflammatory cell pattern was similar to that noted for Type-I hypersensitivity.
Barton MH, Hallowell GD.The list of medical causes of acute or chronic colic in horses is extensive. The purpose of this article is to review 4 medical causes of equine colic with a focus on newer trends in treatment. The 4 topics selected include gastric impaction, gastric glandular disease, colon displacement, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Barneveld A.The pathogenesis of bone spavin and its implications for diagnosis and therapy are reviewed. The pathogenesis of spavin can be divided into three phases, which are characterised by fibrillation of cartilage, osteolysis and ankylosis respectively. It will depend on the degree of osteolysis whether diagnostic anaesthesia should be added to standard clinical and radiological examinations. Satisfactory results of treatment in the group of patients with severe osteolysis can only be obtained by arthrodesis of the distal tarsal joints. It is expected that biomechanical investigations will provide a ...
Kafarnik C, Donaldson D, Payne R, Holloway A.A 13-year-old cob mare was presented with exophthalmos and periocular swelling of the left eye. The diagnostic work-up included ocular ultrasound, sonographic examination through the thinned frontal bone, radiography, standing computed tomography of the skull and exploratory osteoplastic surgery. Histopathology was consistent with an organized hematoma. An intradiploic hematoma of the frontal bone was diagnosed 5 years after head trauma, with progressive expansion and deformation of the skull resulting in exophthalmos. Exophthalmos with facial bone deformation was the only clinical finding of ...
Asakawa MG, Jamieson CA, David F, Johnson JP, Mehmood W, Oikawa MA.A 5-year-old Arabian broodmare with acute colic was diagnosed with lymphocytic ganglioneuritis of the coeliac-mesenteric ganglia and lymphocytic‒plasmacytic enterocolitis resembling inflammatory bowel disease. No significant pathogens were identified by aerobic culture or histopathological examination. The ganglia were multifocally infiltrated with small lymphocytes that were immunopositive for CD3 and negative for CD20 and CD79a antigens, indicating CD3+ T-lymphocyte-mediated coeliac-mesenteric ganglioneuritis. The findings suggest immune-mediated inflammatory bowel disease resulting in dis...
Minamijima Y, Niwa H, Uchida E, Yamamoto K.In the past decade, mass spectrometry has become an important technology for protein identification. Recent developments in mass spectrometry allow a large number of identifications in samples; therefore, mass-spectrometry-based techniques have been applied to the discovery of biomarkers. Here, we conducted a proteomic study to compare the proteomes in sera between healthy Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbreds with respiratory disease associated with transport (RDT). We found that four proteins, apolipoprotein F, lipopolysaccharide binding protein, lysozyme and protein S100-A8, were upregulated, whi...
Van Hoogmoed LM, Snyder JR, Harmon FA.To evaluate the effect of 2 cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors on contractile activity of the circular smooth muscle layer of the equine dorsal and ventral colon. Methods: Samples of the dorsal and ventral colon obtained from 10 healthy horses. Methods: Full-thickness tissue samples were collected from the dorsal colon in the area of the diaphragmatic flexure and the ventral colon in the area of the sternal flexure. Samples were cut into strips oriented along the fibers of the circular muscle layer and mounted in a tissue bath system for determination of contractile strength. Incremental amount...
Stokol T, Gold J, Johnson A, Ainsworth D.A 3-day-old filly was presented to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals with an umbilical hematoma and mild aspiration pneumonia. The foal underwent abdominal surgery for resection of the hematoma. Recovery was uneventful, but 3 days after surgery, the foal became progressively tachypneic. Imaging studies revealed bilateral pleural effusion and pleuropneumonia. Cytologic evaluation and bacterial culture of the pleural fluid from both sides of the chest revealed sterile exudates, consisting mostly of neutrophils, with fewer macrophages and lymphocytes. Pleural fluid macrophages contained...
Hinckley KA, Fearn S, Howard BR, Henderson IW.Laminitis, a microvascular disease of the equine hoof leads to severe lameness. Exogenous iv 1-arginine and transdermal nitric oxide donors, such as GTN, applied to the pasterns improve lameness during acute laminitis. Near Infrared spectroscopy in an earlier study showed haemostasis and ischaemia in the hoof during acute laminitis, both were alleviated by 1-arginine. Quantitative NIRS in the present study shows that transdermal GTN increases blood flow in the equine hoof. It is concluded that glyceryl trinitrate enhances nitric oxide mediated perfusion within the equine hoof in normal and chr...
Rebhun WC.Most ocular and orbital injuries or acute ocular inflammation in horses result in similar signs of adnexal swelling, photophobia, blepharospasm, and lacrimation. It is hoped that detailed examination and the suggestions in this article will enable veterinarians attending horses having ocular emergencies to arrive at a correct diagnosis and appropriate therapy.
This section includes clinical conditions which have unique characteristics which make them unsuitable for inclusion in the first six sections. The clinical description, aetiology and histopathologic findings of the unusual ear lesion, aural plaques, are described. Dermatoses complicated by, or caused by, photosensitivity are discussed in regards to their aetiology and pathogenesis as well as clinical features. The suggestion that photosensitization plays a role in the development of the lesions seen in pastern leukocytoclastic vasculitis is made. This section ends with an in depth discussion ...
Cohen ML, Ming RH, Gogel HK, Davis M, Pitcher JL.Phenylbutazone (PBZ) is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) that is not commonly prescribed due to the high incidence of serious adverse reactions. However, it is still used extensively in equine medicine, and is readily available to those employed in the care and management of horses. Such persons may take the drug indiscriminately, without medical supervision. We present a 33-year-old male race horse track worker who took phenylbutazone horse pills for a chronic toothache and subsequently suffered a major hemorrhage from a gastric ulcer. Human use of phenylbutazone horse pills shoul...
Hilbe M, Meier D, Feige K.This article describes an eleven year old mare with apathy, fever, enlarged mandibular lymph nodes, skin lesions on the upper lip and edematous, grey-red mucous membranes in the nose, mouth and vulva. Histopathology revealed infiltrates with atypical lymphocytes forming Pautrier's microabscesses. The neoplastic cells had large, often indented nuclei. Immunohistology showed that some cells were CD3-positive (Pan T-cell-marker). The diagnosis of cutaneous epitheliotropic malignant lymphoma (Mycosis fungoides) was made. The etiology in the horse is unknown.
Grabner A.Using a fibreoptic endoscope ("small gastroscope" with outside diameter of 9.3 mm) a simple and sparing inspection of the guttural pouch is performed. The flap-type tube cover is opened by means of medial leverage with a guidance probe shifted through the work duct of the endoscope. The same procedure is used in diagnostic specimen collection and therapeutical measures such as irrigations. Guttural pouch topography and pathological disorders are illustrated by endoscopic photography. The different diseases such as follicular hyperplasia, ascending pharyngeal catarrh, perforating abscesses of t...
Gelatt KN.Traumatic iridocyclitis and hyphema in the horse usually follow blunt blows to the orbit and eye. The condition is characterized by miosis, ocular hypotony, ciliary flush, swelling of the iris, and hemorrhage with excessive fibrin in the anterior chamber which permits from 2 to 6 weeks. Vigorous treatment with mydriatics, topical and systemic corticosteroids is recommended. Possible complications include anterior and posterior synechiae, cataracts, and fibropupillary membranes.
