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.
Hanche-Olsen S, Matiasek K, Molín J, Rosati M, Hahn C, Hultin Jäderlund K, Gröndahl G.Acquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP), formerly also known as Scandinavian knuckling syndrome, is one of the most prevalent polyneuropathies in equids in Norway and Sweden, with more than 400 cases registered since first observations in 1995. Despite geographical clustering and an association to forage feeding, its aetiology remains unknown. Clinically AEP is characterized by knuckling due to dysfunction of metatarsophalangeal extensor muscles. This neuropathological study aimed to gain further insights in the pathobiology of AEP and its underlying aetiopathogenesis. We thereby confirmed that a...
Bland SD, Venable EB, McPherson JL, Atkinson RL.The horse intestinal tract is sensitive and contains a highly complex microbial population. A shift in the microbial population can lead to various issues such as inflammation and colic. The use of nutraceuticals in the equine industry is on the rise and curcumin is thought to possess antimicrobial properties that may help to minimize the proliferation of opportunistic bacteria. Methods: Four cecally-cannulated horses were utilized to determine the optimal dose of liposomal-curcumin (LIPC) on reducing complex (SBEC), K-12, general, , and in the equine hindgut without adversely affecting ce...
Knickelbein KE, Scherrer NM, Lassaline M.To compare corneal sensitivity and tear production in horses with keratitis to horses with other ocular disease. Methods: Retrospective medical record review was used to identify equine patients presented during a 1-year period for an ocular complaint who had Schirmer Tear Test (STT) or Corneal Touch Threshold (CTT) measured. Variables studied included patient age and sex; affected eye; category of presenting ocular complaint (keratitis vs. other ocular complaint); STT; and CTT. Patients with a complaint of ulcerative keratitis, immune-mediated keratitis, and stromal abscess were categorized i...
Engiles JB, Stewart H, Janes J, Kennedy LA.As a pathologist, postmortem examination of the equine carpus can be daunting. The anatomy is complex and oftentimes, small or subtle lesions have significant impact on lameness and secondary lesions such as catastrophic musculoskeletal fractures and other injuries. In performance horses, particularly racehorses, the carpus is a common site of injury and source of lameness. Given the predisposition of racehorses to developing carpal disease, familiarity with clinically relevant anatomy and common developmental, degenerative, traumatic, and inflammatory processes are imperative for thorough pos...
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...
Léguillette R, Tohver T, Bond SL, Nicol JA, McDonald KJ.Airway hyperresponsiveness (AWHR), expressed as hypersensitivity (PC R ) or hyperreactivity (slope of the histamine dose-response curve), is a feature of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) or mild equine asthma in horses. Glucocorticoids are used empirically to treat IAD. Objective: To determine whether dexamethasone (DEX) (0.05 mg/kg IM q24h) and inhaled fluticasone (FLUT) (3,000 μg q12h) administered by inhalation are effective in decreasing AWHR, lung inflammation, and clinical signs in horses with IAD. Methods: A randomized crossover study design was used. Eight horses with IAD were assign...
Cuming RS, Abarca EM, Duran S, Wooldridge AA, Stewart AJ, Ravis W, Babu RJ, Lin YJ, Hathcock T.To determine in vitro release profiles, transcorneal permeation, and ocular injection characteristics of a voriconazole-containing thermogel suitable for injection into the subconjunctival space (SCS). In vitro release rate of voriconazole (0.3% and 1.5%) from poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide-b-ethylene glycol-b-DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) thermogel was determined for 28 days. A Franz cell diffusion chamber was used to evaluate equine transcorneal and transscleral permeation of voriconazole (1.5% topical solution, 0.3% and 1.5% voriconazole-thermogel) for 24 hours. Antifungal activit...
Pihl TH, Jacobsen S, Olsen DT, Højrup P, Grosche A, Freeman DE, Andersen PH, Houen G.OBJECTIVE To purify and characterize equine vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) from equine serum and to evaluate plasma concentrations of VDBP in healthy horses and horses with gastrointestinal injury or disease. ANIMALS 13 healthy laboratory animals (8 mice and 5 rabbits), 61 healthy horses, 12 horses with experimentally induced intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (IR), and 59 horses with acute gastrointestinal diseases. PROCEDURES VDBP was purified from serum of 2 healthy horses, and recombinant equine VDBP was obtained through a commercial service. Equine VDBP was characterized by mass spectr...
Sherman AB, Gilger BC, Berglund AK, Schnabel LV.We aimed to determine and compare the in vitro effects of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and mesenchymal stem cell supernatant (MSC-Sp) on the wound healing capacity of equine corneal fibroblasts using a scratch assay. Bone marrow aspirates and eyes were collected from normal, euthanized horses with subsequent isolation and culture of BM-MSCs and corneal stromal cells. Corneal stromal cells were culture-expanded in the culture well of transwell plates and then treated with an autologous BM-MSC suspension (dose: 2.5 × 105/100 μL media with the BM-MSCs con...
Haltmayer E, Schwendenwein I, Licka TF.Injuries penetrating synovial structures are common in equine practice and often result in septic synovitis. Significantly increased plasma levels of serum amyloid A (SAA) have been found in various infectious conditions in horses including wounds and septic arthritis. Plasma SAA levels were found to decrease rapidly once the infectious stimulus was eliminated. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the usefulness of serial measurements of plasma SAA as a monitoring tool for the response to treatment of horses presented with injuries penetrating synovial structures. In the current...
Shawaf TM.Occurrence of intra-nasal foreign bodies is uncommon in horses. This report describes -for the first time- a case of a 4-year-old Arabian-cross mare with unilateral mucopurulent nasal discharge, epistaxis and exercise intolerance due to intra-nasal foreign body. Clinical signs, radiography and endoscopic examination confirmed the presence of a tooth fragment (foreign body) embedded in the ventral valve of the left nasal cavity. The foreign body was successfully removed using alligator forceps under endoscopic guidance.
Ziegler A, Fogle C, Blikslager A.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs work through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) and are highly effective for the treatment of pain and inflammation in horses. There are 2 clinically relevant isoforms of COX. Cyclooxygenase-1 is constitutively expressed and is considered important for a variety of physiologic functions, including gastrointestinal homeostasis. Thus, NSAIDs that selectively inhibit COX-2 while sparing COX-1 may be associated with a lower incidence of adverse gastrointestinal effects. Various formulations of firocoxib, a COX-2-selective NSAID, labeled for use in horses are av...
Rizzo D.An 11-year-old crossbred mare was presented with left eye buphthalmia, a mydriatic minimally responsive pupil, locally extensive ventral corneal edema, and corneal striae. Intraocular pressures exceeding 80 mmHg lead to a presumptive diagnosis of glaucoma. Following several days of treatment there was no improvement and enucleation was performed. Glaucome idiopathique chez une jument de race croisée âgée de 11 ans. Une jument de race croisée âgée de 11 ans a été présentée avec une buphtalmie de l’œil gauche, une pupille mydriatique minimalement réactive, un œdème cornéen ventr...
Abdelhamid L, Hussein H, Ghanem M, Eissa N.Retinoic acid (RA), an active metabolite of vitamin A, has shown potential therapeutic immunomodulatory properties. Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapy is an effective approach to induce tissue healing and regeneration in many equine orthopedic conditions. However, MSCs-based therapies induced inflammatory responses in vivo. This study aimed to: 1. Determine the effect of RA cell culture treatment on inflammatory responses of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)- and allogeneic MSCs-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). 2. Determine the effect of RA on stimulated MSCs ...
Henríquez C, Morán G, Carrasco C, Sarmiento J, Barría M, Folch H, Uberti B.It is accepted that T regulatory cells (Treg) control different types of immune responses. In connection with this role, we have recently described an important increase in CD4+, CD25, Foxp3+ lymphocytes in the airway system of horses coursing with an exacerbation of severe equine asthma (EA). To explore the potential role of this population in the resolution of EA inflammation, we used a murine experimental model in which airway neutrophilic inflammation, which is similar to that observed in EA, is induced in mice by continual exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus contaminated hay. This model has...
King MR, Haussler KK, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Reiser RF, Frisbie DD, Werpy NM.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of exercise in an underwater treadmill (UWT) on forelimb biomechanics and articular histologic outcomes in horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis of the middle carpal joint. ANIMALS 16 horses. PROCEDURES An osteochondral fragment was induced arthroscopically (day 0) in 1 middle carpal joint of each horse. Beginning on day 15, horses were assigned to exercise in a UWT or in the UWT without water (simulating controlled hand walking) at the same speed, frequency, and duration. Thoracic and pelvic limb ground reaction forces, thoracic limb kinematics, a...
Kilborne AH, Hussein H, Bertone AL.OBJECTIVE To investigate effects of hyaluronic acid (HA) or HA combined with chondroitin sulfate (CS) and N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (NAG) by use of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro method. SAMPLE Monolayer cultures of synovial cells from 4 adult horses. PROCEDURES Synovial cell cultures were untreated or treated with HA alone or HA-CS-NAG for 24 hours, subsequently unchallenged or challenge-exposed with 2 LPS concentrations (20 and 50 ng/mL) for 2 hours, and retreated with HA or HA-CS-NAG for another 24 hours. Cellular morphology of cultures was evaluated at 0, 24 (before LPS), 26 (after LPS),...
Thomsen LN, Thomsen PD, Downing A, Talbot R, Berg LC.The synovial membrane lines the luminal side of the joint capsule in synovial joints. It maintains joint homeostasis and plays a crucial role in equine joint pathology. When trauma or inflammation is induced in a joint, the synovial membrane influences progression of joint damage. Equine synovial membrane research is hampered by a lack of markers of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) to distinguish FLS from other fibroblast-like cells in musculoskeletal connective tissues. The aim of this study is to identify potential FLS markers of the equine synovial membrane using microarray to compare bet...
Braus BK, Miller I, Kummer S, Kleinwort KJH, Hirmer S, Hauck SM, McMullen RJ, Kerschbaumer M, Deeg CA.Immune mediated keratitis (IMMK) is primarily a non-ulcerative keratitis in horses causing intermittent ocular pain, eventually resulting in visual impairment. Affected horses typically respond to immunomodulatory treatment. However, the underlying cause of the disease remains enigmatic. The current study was undertaken to investigate the presence of autoantibodies in horses with immune mediated keratitis. Using 28 horses with IMMK and 27 healthy controls screening for serum autoantibodies against the corneal proteome using indirect immunofluorescence, one-dimensional (1DE) and two-dimensional...
Calzetta L, Roncada P, di Cave D, Bonizzi L, Urbani A, Pistocchini E, Rogliani P, Matera MG.Equine asthma is a disease characterised by reversible airflow obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and airway inflammation following exposure of susceptible horses to specific airborne agents. Although clinical remission can be achieved in a low-airborne dust environment, repeated exacerbations may lead to irreversible airway remodelling. The available data on the pharmacotherapy of equine asthma result from several small studies, and no head-to-head clinical trials have been conducted among the available medications. Objective: To assess the impact of the pharmacological interventions...
Kahn MK, Coverdale JA, Leatherwood JL, Arnold CE, Dabareiner RA, Bradbery AN, Millican AA, Welsh TH.Eighteen Quarter Horses were used in a randomized complete design for a 28-d experiment to evaluate age-related effects on inflammation and cartilage turnover after induction of a single inflammatory insult using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Horses were grouped by age as yearlings (3 males and 3 females), 2 to 3 yr olds (2/3 yr old; 2 males and 4 females), and skeletally mature 5 to 8 yr olds (mature; 2 males and 4 females). On d 0, all horses were individually housed and fed diets that met or exceeded requirements. On d 14, horses were challenged with an intra-articular injection of LPS. Radial ...
Ropka-Molik K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Żukowski K, Piórkowska K, Gurgul A, Bugno-Poniewierska M.Arabian horses are believed to be one of the oldest and most influential horse breeds in the world. Blood is the main tissue involved in maintaining body homeostasis, and it is considered a marker of the processes taking place in the other tissues. Thus, the aim of our study was to identify the genetic basis of changes occurring in the blood of Arabian horses subjected to a training regimen and to compare the global gene expression profiles between different training periods (T: after a slow canter phase that is considered a conditioning phase, T: after an intense gallop phase, and T: at the e...
López-Álvarez MR, Salze M, Cenier A, Robinson C, Paillot R, Waller AS.Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) is the causative agent of strangles, one of the most frequently diagnosed infectious diseases of horses worldwide. Phospholipase A toxins (PLA) cleave phospholipid molecules at position sn-2 contributing to the production of leukotrienes that are important inflammatory mediators. Two homologous phospholipases, SlaA and SlaB are encoded by the S. equi genome suggesting that PLA toxins may contribute to its pathogenicity. Here we report the immunogenicity and role of PLA toxins during natural and experimental infection of horses with S. equi. The levels o...
Barnett SE, Sellon DC, Hines MT, Seino KK, Knych HK.OBJECTIVE To determine the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of 1% diclofenac sodium cream applied topically to neonatal foals every 12 hours for 7 days. ANIMALS Twelve 2- to 14-day old healthy Arabian and Arabian-pony cross neonatal foals. PROCEDURES A 1.27-cm strip of cream containing 7.3 mg of diclofenac sodium (n = 6 foals) or an equivalent amount of placebo cream (6 foals) was applied topically to a 5-cm square of shaved skin over the anterolateral aspect of the left tarsometatarsal region every 12 hours for 7 days. Physical examination, CBC, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, gastric endos...
Te Moller NCR, van Weeren PR.The maintenance of joint homeostasis is integral to joint health. Knowledge of the influence of exercise on joint homeostasis is not only relevant for determining sustainable levels of equine athletic training, but also for the study of early development of osteoarthritis or cartilage repair in animal models. This review provides an overview of findings derived from in vivo studies and postmortem analyses investigating exercise effects on various joint tissue components in the horse, supplemented where appropriate with data from small animal models. The concept of joint homeostasis and possibl...
Luethy D, Slack J, Kraus MS, Gelzer AR, Habecker P, Johnson AL.Third-degree atrioventricular block (AVB) and primary inflammatory myocarditis are uncommon findings in horses. The horse of this report presented for collapse at rest and was found to have multiple cardiac arrhythmias, most notably 3rd-degree AVB. The horse was subsequently diagnosed with eosinophilic myocarditis on necropsy, a rare form of myocarditis not previously reported in horses. Despite extensive testing, an etiologic agent could not be identified, illustrating the difficulty in identifying a specific cause of myocarditis in horses.
Jørgensen E, Bay L, Bjarnsholt T, Bundgaard L, Sørensen MA, Jacobsen S.In humans, biofilm is a well-known cause of delayed healing and low-grade inflammation of chronic wounds. In horses, biofilm formation in wounds has been studied to a very limited degree. The objective of this study was thus to investigate the occurrence of biofilm in equine experimental wounds healing by secondary intention. Tissue biopsies from non-contaminated, experimental excisional shoulder and limb wounds were obtained on day 1-2, day 7-10 and day 14-15 post-wounding. Limb wounds were either un-bandaged or bandaged to induce exuberant granulation tissue (EGT) formation and thereby impai...
Apprich V, Licka T, Zipfl N, Tichy A, Gabriel C.Hoof canker is described as progressive pododermatitis of the equine hoof with absent epidermal cornification and extensive proliferation of the dermal papillary body; however, in-depth research on the type of proliferative activity has not yet been reported. The aim of the present study was to determine cell-specific proliferation patterns together with morphological analysis of hoof canker tissue. Tissues removed during surgery from 19 horses presented for treatment of canker were compared with similar postmortem tissues of healthy hooves of 10 horses. Morphological alterations visible in li...
Freeland RB, Morello SL, DeLombaert M, Rajamanickam V.To quantify the influence of intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with amikacin on bacterial bioburden in limb wounds. Methods: In vivo, experimental. Methods: Four adult horses. Methods: Full thickness wounds created on each dorsal metacarpus were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus. One forelimb was randomly assigned to cephalic vein IVRLP with amikacin on days 2, 3, and 4 post-wounding. Biopsies on day 2 prior to IVRLP, and on days 5 and 8 were cultured to quantify wound bioburden (CFU/g). Two horses repeated the study in a crossover design, receiving IVRLP on the opposite limb (n...
El-Deeb WM, El-Bahr SM.A total of 30 horses were divided into two groups, one served as a control whereas other was rhabdomyolysis diseased horses. After blood collection, the resulted sera were used for estimation of the activities of creatin kinase (CK), aspartate transaminase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lactic acid, triacylglycerol (TAG), glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, creatinine, Triiodothyronine (T(3)), calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, chloride, vitamin E, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α). In addition, whole blood was used for determination of selenium, reduce...
Leid RW, Grant RF, Suquet CM.Taeniaestatin, a recently isolated Taenia taeniaeformis proteinase inhibitor, was used to inhibit equine neutrophil migration. Taeniaestatin itself was not chemotactic when used as a chemotactic factor but taeniaestatin did inhibit neutrophil chemokinesis when tested in a Zigmond-Hirsch checkerboard assay. A dose-dependent inhibition of both chemokinesis and chemotaxis was observed when zymosan activated bovine sera (ZABS) was used as the chemotactic factor. This inhibition was greater than 95% when 5 mu of taeniaestatin was present on both the cell and chemotactic factor side of the chambers....
Seewald LA, Sabino IG, Montney KL, Delco ML.To evaluate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release from injured chondrocytes and investigate the utility of synovial fluid mtDNA concentration in early detection of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. We measured mtDNA release using four models of osteoarthritis: in vitro interleukin-1β stimulation of cultured equine chondrocytes, ex vivo mechanical impact of bovine cartilage explants, in vivo mechanical impact of equine articular cartilage, and naturally occurring equine intraarticular fracture. In our in vivo model, one group was treated with an intraarticular injection of the mitoprotective peptide S...
Morris DD, Crowe N, Moore JN, Moldawer LL.A study was performed to determine whether equine peritoneal macrophages produce interleukin 6 (IL-6) in vitro in response to endotoxin. Peritoneal fluid was collected from 14 clinically normal adult horses and was used as the source of peritoneal macrophages. Macrophages from each horse were isolated and cultured separately in vitro in the absence or presence of various concentrations (0.5, 5, 500 ng/ml) of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli 055:B5). Culture medium supernatants were collected after 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours' incubation and were frozen at -70 C until assayed for ...
Flammini L, Mantelli L, Volpe A, Domenichini G, Di Lecce R, Dondi M, Cantoni AM, Barocelli E, Quintavalla F.Rifaximin is an unabsorbed oral antibiotic showing anti-inflammatory properties in human pathologies like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. In veterinary medicine, rifaximin is primarily used in the treatment of dermatological diseases in all animal species, in therapy and prophylaxis of mastitis in cows and in the treatment of endometritis in cattle and horses. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of rifaximin on primary cell cultures from bovine endometrium in which inflammatory response was induced by Lipopolysaccaride (LP...
Gemensky-Metzler AJ, Wilkie DA, Cook CS.To describe semiconductor diode laser use for anterior uveal cyst deflation and coagulation in dogs, horses and cats. Methods: The presenting clinical signs, surgical technique and postoperative results for four dogs, nine horses and seven cats with anterior uveal cysts treated with diode laser are described. Treated cysts were of sufficient size and/or number to potentially impair vision, damage the corneal endothelium, or increase intraocular pressure (IOP). One dog with free-floating cysts exhibited 'fly biting' behavior. Cysts were suspected of causing shying on the affected side and/or he...
Rossi HS, Koho NM, Ilves M, Rajamäki MM, Mykkänen AK.OBJECTIVE To examine whether expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) can be detected in equine lungs and whether it correlates with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses with chronic inflammation of the lungs (ie, lower airway inflammation [LAI]). ANIMALS 29 horses with signs of chronic respiratory tract disease, which were classified as the LAI (n = 17) and LAI with respiratory distress (RDLAI [12]) groups, and 15 control horses. PROCEDURES BALF, tracheal aspirate, and blood samples were obtained, and...
Faleiros RR, Leise BB, Westerman T, Yin C, Nuovo GJ, Belknap JK.C-X-C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1) is an important chemokine of epithelial origin in rodents and humans. Objective: To assess in vivo and in vitro the regulation of CXCL1 in equine laminitis. Methods: Twenty adult horses. Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess expression of CXCL1 in samples of laminae, liver, skin, and lung from the black walnut extract (BWE) model of laminitis, and in cultured equine epithelial cells (EpCs). Tissue was obtained from control animals (CON, n = 5), and at 1.5 hours (early time point [ETP] group, n = 5), at the onset of leuko...
Khumsap S, Lanovaz JL, Rosenstein DS, Byron C, Clayton HM.To study the effect of unilateral synovitis in the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints on locomotion, including the compensating effects within and between limbs. Methods: 4 clinically normal horses. Methods: Gait analyses including kinematics, force plate, and inverse dynamic analysis were performed at the trot before lameness, after which synovitis was induced by injecting endotoxin into the right distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints. Gait analyses were repeated 24 to 30 hours later during lameness. Differences between the stride variables during the 2 conditions (lame and...
Bourebaba L, Serwotka-Suszczak A, Bourebaba N, Zyzak M, Marycz K.Hyperactivation of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP1B) has been associated with several metabolic malfunctions ranging from insulin resistance, metaflammation, lipotoxicity, and hyperglycaemia. Liver metabolism failure has been proposed as a core element in underlying endocrine disorders through persistent inflammation and highly fibrotic phenotype. Unassigned: In this study, the outcomes of PTP1B inhibition using trodusquemine (MSI-1436) on key equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)-related alterations including inflammation, fibrosis, and glucose uptake have been analyzed in liver explants collect...
Burk J, Wittenberg-Voges L, Schubert S, Horstmeier C, Brehm W, Geburek F.The treatment of tendinopathies with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a promising option in equine and human medicine. However, conclusive clinical evidence is lacking. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into clinical treatment efficacy and to identify suitable outcome measures for larger clinical studies. Fifteen horses with early naturally occurring tendon disease were assigned to intralesional treatment with allogeneic adipose-derived MSCs suspended in serum or with serum alone through block randomization (dosage adapted to lesion size). Clinicians and horse owners...
Mönki J, Holopainen M, Ruhanen H, Karikoski N, Käkelä R, Mykkänen A.The lipidome of equine BALF cells has not been described. The objectives of this prospective repeated-measures study were to explore the BALF cells' lipidome in horses and to identify lipids associated with progression or resolution of airway inflammation. BALF cells from 22 horses exposed to two bedding materials (Peat 1-Wood shavings [WS]-Peat 2) were studied by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The effects of bedding on lipid class and species compositions were tested with rmANOVA. Correlations between lipids and cell counts were examined. The BALF cells' lipidome s...
Bourebaba L, Kępska M, Qasem B, Zyzak M, Łyczko J, Klemens M, Mularczyk M, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a steadily growing endocrine disorder representing a real challenge in veterinary practice. As a multifactorial condition, EMS is characterized by three main metabolic abnormalities including insulin resistance, increased adiposity or obesity and hoof laminitis. Adipose tissue dysfunction is recognized as a core pathophysiological determinant of EMS, as it strongly participates to lipotoxicity and systemic metaflammation, both of which have been closely linked to the development of generalized insulin resistance. Besides, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) i...
Sage SE, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Gerber V.Severe equine asthma (SEA) is a complex respiratory condition characterized by chronic airway inflammation. It shares many clinical and pathological features with human neutrophilic asthma, making it a valuable model for studying this condition. However, the immune mechanisms driving SEA have remained elusive. Although SEA has been primarily associated with a Th2 response, there have also been reports of Th1, Th17, or mixed-mediated responses. To uncover the elusive immune mechanisms driving SEA, we performed single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on cryopreserved bronchoalveolar cells from 1...
Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O, Malin K, Dąbrowska I, Grzędzicka J, Ostaszewski P, Carter C.Domestic horses routinely participate in vigorous and various athletic activities. This enables the horse to serve as a model for studying athletic physiology and immunology in other species, including humans. For instance, as a model of physical efforts, such as endurance rides (long-distance running/aerobic exercise) and races (anaerobic exercise), the horse can be useful in evaluating post-exercise response. Currently, there has been significant interest in finding biomarkers, which characterize the advancement of training and adaptation to physical exercise in the horse. The parallels in c...
Fortier LA.Bone marrow concentrate is generated by centrifugation of bone marrow aspirate. It contains mesenchymal stromal cells, anabolic chemokines/cytokines, and supraphysiological concentrations of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IL-1RA). It is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis or desmitis, or as an adjunct in surgery to enhance bone or cartilage repair.
Koj A, Chudzik J, Dubin A.Two proteinases (2A and 2B) purified from the granular fraction of horse blood leucocytes degrade casein (Km values 12.8 and 6mg/ml respectively) with maximum activity at pH 7.4 and in the presence of 2m-urea. Urea-denatured haemoglobin, fibrinogen, albumin and resorcin/fuchsin-stained elastin are digested at a slower rate. The enzymes hydrolyse synthetic substrates of elastase, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine 4-nitrophenyl ester (Km 0.114 and 0.178 mM) and N-acetyl-tri-L-alanine methyl ester (Km 5.55 and 0.98 mM), but they do not hydrolyse synthetic substrates of trypsin, chymotrypsin and throm...
Moore JN, Garner HE, Berg JN, Sprouse RF.Cecal fluid from two adult horses was assayed by the limulus amebocyte lysate system for endotoxin before and after carbohydrate overload of the gastrointestinal tract. There were increases in cecal fluid endotoxin concentrations at the 3-, 6-, and 12-hour samplings when compared with base-line values. Concomitant cecal fluid lactate concentrations and pH values increased and decreased, respectively. Both horses subsequently developed clinical signs of acute laminitis.
Pierce RL.This article focuses on obstructive diseases of the large intestine (large and small colons) caused by intraluminal bodies. Large intestinal obstructions from intraluminal bodies can be divided into the following categories: enteroliths or mineral concretions, bezoars (hair or plant material), and ingested foreign objects. Clinical presentation and treatment of obstructive diseases are presented in this article and are similar regardless of the cause.
Erol E, Jackson C, Horohov D, Locke S, Smith J, Carter C.Determination of fetal serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations in aborted fetuses can provide valuable information regarding the infectious and/or inflammatory process of abortion in horses. To investigate the relationship between fetal SAA levels and the infectious/inflammatory disease process in feto-placental tissues, a SAA ELISA was used to test heart serum samples of 89 equine fetuses that were necropsied and diagnosed in the following groups: a multiorgan disease process diagnosed with an identified microorganism (14 cases, group 1); only placentitis diagnosed with an identified microorgan...
Rivera Del Alamo MM, Katila T, Palviainen M, Reilas T.Intrauterine devices block luteolysis in cyclic mares, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. To clarify the mechanisms, the protein profile of the endometrial secretome was analyzed using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Twenty-seven mares were classified according to whether they were inseminated (AI) or had an intrauterine device (IUD), a water-filled plastic sphere, inserted into the uterus on Day 3 after ovulation. Uterine lavage fluids were collected on Day 15 from pregnant inseminated mares (AI-P; n = 8), non-pregnant inseminated mares (AI-N; n = 4), and m...
Billinghurst RC, Fretz PB, Gordon JR.Synovial fluid (SF) was collected at 2, 12 and 26 h post racing from 5 Thoroughbred horses (6 joints) with degenerative joint disease. The effects of serial arthrocentesis on SF TNF alpha levels were controlled for by testing, in parallel, site- and time-matched samples from clinically normal horses (i.e. without arthritis). A significant induction in TNF alpha bioactivity was detected in SF from arthritic joints (compared to the control joints) over the 26 h following racing. After subtraction of values for the arthrocentesis control SF, TNF alpha and protein levels and WBC and mononuclear ce...
Pezzanite L, Chow L, Hendrickson D, Gustafson DL, Russell Moore A, Stoneback J, Griffenhagen GM, Piquini G, Phillips J, Lunghofer P, Dow S....Septic arthritis causes significant morbidity and mortality in veterinary and human clinical practice and is increasingly complicated by multidrug-resistant infections. Intra-articular (IA) antibiotic administration achieves high local drug concentrations but is considered off-label usage, and appropriate doses have not been defined. Using an equine joint model, we investigated the effects of amikacin injected at three different doses (500, 125, and 31.25 mg) on the immune and cartilage responses in tibiotarsal joints. Synovial fluid (SF) was sampled at multiple time points over 24 h, the cell...
Gu W, Bertone AL.To create high-quality sequence data for the generation of an equine gene expression microarray and evaluate array performance by use of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure of synoviocytes. Methods: Public nucleotide sequence database from Equus caballus and synoviocytes from clinically normal adult horses. Methods: Computer procurement of equine gene sequences, probe design, and manufacture of an oligomicroarray were performed. Array performance was evaluated by use of patterns for equine synoviocytes in response to LPS. Results: Starting with 18,924 equine gene sequences, 3,098 equine 3' seque...
Meschter CL, Gilbert M, Krook L, Maylin G, Corradino R.Phenylbutazone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug known to produce intestinal erosions, was administered intravenously (13.46 mg/kg bodyweight) to 12 horses which were killed after 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Eight untreated horses served as controls. Annular erosions in the duodenum and mucosal necrosis in the colon were seen after 48 h which progressed in severity. The erosions were characterised by sloughing of the surface epithelium, subepithelial cleft and bleb formation, necrosis of the lamina propria, degeneration of the walls of subsurface capillaries and microthrombosis. Large numbers o...
McCraw BM, Slocombe JO.Pony foals inoculated with infective Strongylus edentatus larvae were examined at necropsy from ten to 72 weeks postinfection. At ten weeks postinfection larvae were visible retroperitoneally in the liver and flanks and were recovered from the ligaments of the liver. The fourth molt was detected at 16 weeks postinfection and larvae were also recovered from the wall of the cecum at this time. By 40 weeks adult S. edentatus containing eggs were found in the contents of the cecum and colon. While many larvae migrate to remote parts of the body, it is likely that only those that attain the base of...
Laws EG, Freeman DE.Fifteen horses under halothane anesthesia were assigned randomly to three groups of 5 horses each as follows. In group 1, the distal 50% of the small intestine was measured through a ventral midline celiotomy and replaced in the abdomen so that these horses could serve as sham-operated controls. In group 2, the same segment of small intestine was subjected to venous strangulation obstruction (VSO) for 180 min. In group 3, the same segment of small intestine was subjected to VSO for 90 minutes, followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion. Biopsies of small intestine were taken from all horses to asse...
