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Topic:Kidneys
The kidneys in horses are vital organs responsible for filtering waste products from the blood, regulating fluid and electrolyte balance, and maintaining acid-base homeostasis. They perform essential functions in the excretion of metabolic waste, such as urea and creatinine, and play a role in the regulation of blood pressure through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The kidneys also contribute to erythropoiesis by producing erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of equine kidneys, as well as their role in overall equine health and disease management.
Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Failure in Horses. Nephrotoxic and hemodynamically mediated disorders are the most common causes of acute renal failure (ARF) in horses and foals. Leptospira spp. is the most common infectious cause of ARF. Initial treatments for ARF include elimination of nephrotoxic drugs, correction of predisposing disorders, and fluid therapy to promote diuresis. Horses and foals with polyuric ARF often have a good prognosis, while those with oliguric or anuric ARF have a guarded to poor prognosis. When fluid therapy is unsuccessful in improving urine production, various drugs treatments have been used in an attempt to incre...
Relevant Equine Renal Anatomy, Physiology, and Mechanisms of Acute Kidney Injury: A Review. Regulation of renal blood flow is by both extrinsic and intrinsic systems. Intrinsic regulation occurs via the afferent and efferent arterioles and tubuloglomerular feedback mechanisms with activation of the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Mechanisms of acute kidney injury are frequently associated with changes in renal blood flow. Acute tubular necrosis and apoptosis are common in horses following ischemic or toxic insults and in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. Sepsis-associated renal injury often has a complex mechanism of disease involving both functional and obstructive changes in intrar...
Analytical documentation of an Arabian horse fatality related to Oenanthe crocata poisoning. Analytical detection of Oenanthe crocata toxins in biological samples is challenging because of their instability, the lack of commercially available standards and the exceptionally low detection of these molecules using mass spectrometry. This work aims to report the used analytical methods that allowed identification of the main plant toxins in biological samples from an equid (an Arabian horse) fatality related to hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata Linnaeus) intake. Using both LC-DAD and LC-HRMS methods allowed identification (i) of oenanthotoxin in roots found on the site, root fragm...
Incidence of superficial abdominal organ identification is similar using high-frequency linear (transrectal) and low-frequency curvilinear (abdominal) transducers in clinically healthy horses: A pilot study. Abdominal organ displacement is a potentially life-threatening condition in horses. Primary care veterinarians commonly make referral decisions based on a combination of clinical and ultrasonographic findings. However, published studies describing the effects of transducer on identifying abdominal organ locations in horses are currently lacking. The objective of this prospective, methods comparison, pilot study was to compare organ identification using a high-frequency linear (transrectal) transducer and a low-frequency curvilinear (abdominal) transducer for transcutaneous abdominal ultrasonog...
Symmetric dimethylarginine concentrations in healthy neonatal foals and mares. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a renal biomarker correlated with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Objective: Describe changes in SDMA in clinically healthy foals and their mares during the first month postfoaling. Methods: Convenience sampling of healthy periparturient Thoroughbred mares and their full-term foals from a population of client-owned horses. Methods: Serum and EDTA whole blood samples were collected from mares in their last month of pregnancy and then from mares and foals at approximately <12 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, and 30 days postbirth. Samples were processed ...
Serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration in healthy neonatal Thoroughbred foals. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is widely used in other species as a marker of renal dysfunction and is considered a more sensitive indicator of glomerular filtration rate than creatinine. Reference ranges are established in healthy adult horses (≤14 μg/dL) and concentrations are increased in horses with acute kidney injury (median 32 μg/dL; range 15-92). Objective: To establish the normal range of SDMA concentrations in neonatal Thoroughbreds. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Blood samples were collected from Thoroughbred foals <36 h old deemed healthy by physical examination. E...
Aspergillus Section Fumigati Pneumonia and Oxalate Nephrosis in a Foal. Equine pulmonary aspergillosis is a rare deep mycosis often due to the hematogenous spread of hyphae after gastrointestinal tract disease. We describe herein the main clinic-pathological findings observed in a foal, which spontaneously died after showing diarrhea and respiratory distress. Necropsy and histopathological investigations allowed to diagnose pulmonary aspergillosis, which likely developed after necrotic typhlitis-colitis. Biomolecular studies identified section strain as the causative agent. Notably, severe oxalate nephrosis was concurrently observed. Occasionally, oxalate nephro...
Symmetric dimethylarginine and renal function analysis in horses with dehydration. Acute dehydration caused by a variety of diseases in horses can lead to acute kidney injury. However, current renal biomarkers usually indicate renal damage late in the course of the disease. A novel biomarker would be helpful to diagnose renal disease earlier. Objective: (1) To estimate the correlation of serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentrations with the degree of dehydration, traditional renal biomarkers and renal function analysis, and (2) to determine the value of SDMA as a prognostic and early biomarker of renal injury in horses. Methods: Prospective cohort. Methods: Serum S...
Renal Resistive Index as A Potential Indicator of Acute Kidney Injury in Horses. Reliable and simple tests are constantly being sought to enable the quick detection of acute kidney injury in humans and animals. Diagnosis of subclinical AKI in horses, mainly in field practice, is difficult. An ultrasound scan is a routine test performed when kidney disease is suspected. The aim of the study was to establish the value of the renal resistive index (RRI) in intrarenal arteries in horses with clinical AKI and compare it to that of healthy horses. The second goal was to determine whether potentially nephrotoxic agents can influence RRI. The kidney ultrasonography examination was...
Evaluation of Serum and Urine Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin and Cystatin C as Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury in Horses. Diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses is difficult at the subclinical stage, due to nonspecific clinical signs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of selected serum and urinary biomarkers in healthy horses, horses at risk of AKI, and those with clinical AKI. Methods: Thirty healthy horses, 30 horses at risk of AKI and 11 horses with clinical AKI and azotaemia were included in the study. Serum and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C were measured using commercially available enzyme immunoassay tests. Results: The median and (...
Short-term infusion of ultralow-dose dopamine in an adult horse with acute kidney injury: A case report. Much is known regarding a good prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is achieved with adequate, intensive, and early treatment, which leads to acceleration of the renal blood flow rate and associated urination. Low-dose dopamine (1 to 5 μg/kg bwt per min) is a treatment option for AKI in humans but remains controversial for use in horses because of the lack of extensive clinical trial data. A 19-year-old Westfalen horse gelding was referred to the Animal Medical Center with a 1-hour history of mild abdominal pain and anorexia after dressage exercise for 1 hour. Since elevated serum levels o...
[Glomerulonephritis after contact with a horse]. Zoonoses are important to consider when humans become ill after being in contact with animals. In such cases thorough patient history is crucial, especially when infections have an unclear cause. We present a patient with infection-associated glomerulonephritis, where a horse was the probable source of infection. A young woman was admitted to the district general hospital in Vestfold, Norway, with infection and acute kidney failure. Renal biopsy suggested glomerulonephritis, and nasopharyngeal culture taken at admission detected Streptococcus equi. It emerged that the patient had daily contact...
Identification of Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizer roxadustat and its possible metabolites in thoroughbred horses for doping control. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizer belongs to a novel class of pharmacologically active substances, which are capable of inducing the endogenous erythropoietic system. The transcriptional activator HIF has been shown to significantly increase blood hemoglobin and is well set for the treatment of anemia resulting from chronic kidney disease. This research work reports a comprehensive study of the most popular HIF stabilizer roxadustat and its metabolites in thoroughbred horse urine after oral administration. The plausible structures of the detected metabolites were postulated using liqui...
Detecting acute kidney injury in horses by measuring the concentration of symmetric dimethylarginine in serum. Acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses may develop as a complication of a primary disease or following the administration of nephrotoxic drugs, and may pose a diagnostic challenge. Hence, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations and diagnostic significance of serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and conventional renal dysfunction biomarkers in healthy horses, horses at risk of developing AKI, and horses with clinically evident AKI. A second aim was to assess how gastrointestinal disease and exposure to potentially nephrotoxic drugs affected SDMA levels. Thirty health...
Acupuncture for Anaemia and Large Intestine Impaction Associated with Hind Limb Weakness in a Horse: A Case Report. A 24-year-old horse was presented with a clinical history of anaemia, large intestine impaction and hind limb weakness. Loss of body weight was also reported. Hematocrit and hemoglobin levels were low and piroplasmosis test was negative. Nasogastric intubation with laxative agents was performed and 50 ml of a red blood-cell-supplement was given daily during a month. An assessment following Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) principles was performed after the last episode of large intestine impaction. A swollen, pale and wet tongue was observed. A superficial, weak pulse combined p...
Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Renal Failure Associated with Oxytetracycline Administration in Two Neonatal Foals Affected by Flexural Limb Deformity. Oxytetracycline (OTC) administration has become a frequent practice in equine neonatology for the treatment of flexural limb deformity. The cause of this condition remains unclear but clinical studies revealed that following IV administration of OTC a relaxation of the metacarpophalangeal joint occurs in foals affected by flexural deformity. Studies concluded that OTC administration in neonatal foals did not adversely affect the kidneys. Other adverse effects of OTC have never been reported. This report presents two cases with different outcomes of 3-day-old foals which presented acute collaps...
Serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration in healthy horses and horses with acute kidney injury. There are limited options to diagnose acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is routinely used in human and small animal medicine. The aim of this study was to assess serum SDMA concentrations in healthy horses and horses with AKI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of: 1) age, 2) sex, 3) body weight and 4) serum creatinine and urea levels on serum SDMA concentrations. Fifty-three healthy horses, including 17 foals (2-6 months of age) and 36 adult horses (3-29 years of age), and 23 horses with AKI were included in the study based on ...
Evaluation of podocin in urine in horses using qualitative and quantitative methods. No sensitive method for diagnosing early kidney dysfunction in horses has been identified so far. Many studies carried out in humans and small animals show that podocin can be useful to diagnose various kidney diseases, mainly affecting the glomeruli. The aim of this study was to perform a qualitative and quantitative analysis of podocin in urine samples obtained from healthy horses, horses with clinical kidney dysfunction and horses at risk of acute kidney injury. The study objectives aimed to assess: (1) whether the selected podocin tryptic peptide for LC-MS-MRM allows for podocin detection ...
Expression of Phosphatonin-Related Genes in Sheep, Dog and Horse Kidneys Using Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase PCR. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the relative expression of phosphatonin pathway-related genes in normal dog, sheep and horse kidneys and to explore the relationships between the different genes. Kidneys were collected post-mortem from 10 sheep, 10 horses and 8 dogs. RNA was extracted, followed by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction for fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 IIIc (), sodium-phosphate co-transporter () 1 (), (), (), parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (), klotho (), vitamin D receptor (), 1a-hydroxylase () and 24-hydroxylase (). was highly ...
Retroperitoneoscopy in the horse: Anatomical study of the retroperitoneal perirenal space and description of a surgical approach. Surgical approaches to the kidneys and perirenal structures are uncommonly performed in horses and several complications have been described with the current procedures. Objective: To describe the anatomy of the retroperitoneal perirenal space and investigate a retroperitoneal minimally invasive approach to access the kidney and perirenal structures in horses. Methods: Descriptive, cadaveric study. Methods: Anatomical description of the retroperitoneal space was performed on three equine cadavers and the surgical approach was developed based on these dissections. Ten cadaveric horses underwent...
[Ultrasonography in neonatal foals: Depiction and measurement of the kidneys]. Aim of the study was to describe the echotexture and dimensions of the kidneys including the renal pelvis in neonatal foals using transabdominal sonography. Methods: In the course of a preliminary examination, sonographic examinations of the kidneys of 10 dead newborn foals were performed in order to determine their localization, measurement parameters, and echotexture. In subsequent necropsies, the kidneys were measured and the obtained values were compared with the sonographic measurements. A high level of agreement between the both measurement values could be demonstrated. In the main exami...
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clodronate disodium evaluated in plasma, synovial fluid and urine. Clodronate is a non-nitrogenated bisphosphonate approved for use in horses. There are no peer-reviewed published reports describing the pharmacokinetics or evaluating renal health indices and urinary excretion patterns in conjunction with plasma and synovial fluid concentration following the systemic administration of clodronate to horses. Objective: Describe clodronate concentrations in plasma, urine and synovial fluid and evaluate the effects on renal indices after intramuscular administration to healthy horses. Methods: Experimental study with repeated measures. Methods: Six healthy adult h...
Doppler evaluation of renal resistivity index in healthy conscious horses and donkeys. The renal resistive index (RRI) is used as a measurement of downstream resistance in arteries. The aim of this study was to assess the RRI of the arcuate arteries by pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography in healthy conscious horses and donkeys, and to verify any differences related to age, breed, bodyweight (BW) or body condition (BCS). Thirty-three healthy conscious horses and nine donkeys had their systolic and diastolic flow velocities at the level of the arcuate arteries estimated by pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound, and the RRI was calculated. The relationship of RRI with age, breed (Trotters...
Acute kidney injury due to Leptospira interrogans in 4 foals and use of renal replacement therapy with intermittent hemodiafiltration in 1 foal. Four 2-month-old foals were presented to an equine hospital with acute kidney injury caused by Leptospira interrogans infection. Clinical signs were nonspecific and included lethargy, fever, and unwillingness to nurse. The most important hematologic and clinicopathologic findings were azotemia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyponatremia, and hypochloremia. The diagnosis was based on urinary real-time PCR, serology using a microscopic agglutination test, or both. The most important serovars involved were L. interrogans serogroup australis serovar Bratislava and Australis. Treatment consisted of IV ...
Evidence of Leptospiral Presence in the Cumberland Gap Region. Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease that causes reproductive losses and/or hepatorenal failure in a number of animal species. Wild reservoirs of the disease, such as rodents, harbor the causative bacterium, Leptospira spp., in their kidneys and contaminate the environment by excreting infected urine. In this study, we tested small wild mammals, environmental water, and livestock in the Cumberland Gap region of southeastern Appalachia for the presence of pathogenic Leptospira or leptospiral antibodies. Small wild mammals (n = 101) and environmental water samples (n = 89) were screene...
An assessment of the utility and repeatability of the renal resistive index in horses. The aim of this study was to establish the value of the renal resistive index (RI) of intrarenal arteries in healthy warmblood non-racing horses of different ages to assess the influence of physiologic factors and repeatability of measurement. The kidney ultrasonography examination was performed in three age groups: 15 foals, 15 adults and 15 elderly horses. The procedure was performed in unsedated standing animals. RI values were measured using pulsed-wave Doppler at the medial part of each kidney in the intrarenal arteries. To evaluate repeatability, all measurements were repeated two hours ...
Prenatal Diagnosis of Megacystitis and Hydronephrosis in an Equine Fetus: How Transabdominal Ultrasonography Can Help to Diagnose Fetal Abnormalities. Premature udder development constitutes an alarm signal in pregnant mares. The objective of this clinical case report is to highlight the importance of transabdominal ultrasound examination of the fetus in these cases and to report a unique case of prenatal diagnosis of obstructive uropathy based on the observation of severe fetal hydronephrosis and megacystitis in utero. A 4-year-old French chaser primiparous mare was referred for evaluation of premature udder development during the ninth month of pregnancy. The mare had clinical signs within normal limits, a developed and sensitive udder wit...
Estimation of glomerular filtration rate by plasma clearance of iohexol in healthy horses of various ages. Plasma clearance of iohexol is a reliable method to assess the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The relationship between aging and GFR in horses is unclear. To compare GFR estimated by iohexol clearance in horses of different ages. Twenty-one clinically healthy horses were enrolled. Prospective study. Groups: (A) composed by 8 young horses (≤14 years old) with serum creatinine <1.5 mg/dL, (B) by 7 aged horses (≥20 years old) with serum creatinine <1.5 mg/dL, and (C) by 6 aged horses (≥20 years old) with serum creatinine ≥1.5 mg/dL. Iohexol was injected (75.5 mg/kg) through...
Epitope Analysis of an Antihorse Podoplanin Monoclonal Antibody PMab-219. Podoplanin (PDPN), which is a mucin-type membrane glycoprotein, is expressed on lymphatic endothelial cells and epithelial cells of many organs. PDPN is also overexpressed in several malignant cancers, and its expression is associated with cancer progression and poor prognosis. Human PDPN possesses three platelet aggregation-stimulating (PLAG) domains and the PLAG-like domain (PLD), which binds to C-type lectin-like receptor-2 (CLEC-2). Previously, we reported a novel antihorse PDPN (horPDPN) monoclonal antibody (mAb), PMab-219, using Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. PMab-2...
