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Topic:Lung Health
Lung health in horses encompasses the study of respiratory system function, disease, and maintenance in equine species. The equine respiratory system is vital for oxygen exchange and plays a significant role in overall health and athletic performance. Conditions affecting lung health include inflammatory airway disease (IAD), recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). These conditions can impact a horse's respiratory efficiency and performance capabilities. Research in this area often focuses on understanding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of respiratory diseases, as well as the impact of environmental factors on lung function. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic strategies related to lung health in horses.
Causes and Pathology of Equine Pneumonia and Pleuritis in Southern Brazil. We document the causes and pathological findings in 50 cases of equine pneumonia and pleuritis in Southern Brazil. Suppurative (17/50), pyogranulomatous (14/50), aspiration (5/50), mycotic (4/50), bronchointerstitial (3/50), embolic (3/50) and eosinophilic granulomatous pneumonia (1/50) and pleuritis (3/50) were the main conditions identified. Streptococcus spp. were identified in 11 cases of suppurative pneumonia. Suppurative pneumonia was further divided into acute (8/17), subacute (6/17) and chronic (3/17) based on the morphological pattern of lesions. Rhodococcus equi was identified in all...
Expression of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes in lungs of horses with or without histological evidence of lower airway inflammation. Mild, moderate and severe equine asthma is a problem for equine welfare. The aetiology of the disease is not known in detail but is likely multi-factorial. One important factor may be inhaled dust which carries harmful substances which may be bioactivated and thus can lead to local inflammation in the airways. The aim of this study was to investigate gene expression and protein localisation of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferases (GST) involved in bioactivation and detoxification of harmful substances in lungs of horses with or without histological...
The Relationship between Lung Inflammation and Aerobic Threshold in Standardbred Racehorses with Mild-Moderate Equine Asthma. Mild-moderate equine asthma (MEA) is a common disease of young racehorses characterized by inflammation of the lower airways diagnosed by cytological examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and it is considered an important cause of poor performance. The most common parameter of athletic capacity associated with horse performance is the speed at 4 mmol/L of lactate (VLA4). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the relation between the different BALF inflammatory cells and VLA4 in racehorses affected by MEA. A population of Standardbred racehorses that underwent an accurate pr...
Chronic interstitial pneumonia with features of organizing pneumonia in an adult horse. A 22-y-old American Quarter Horse gelding was presented with a history of chronic progressive respiratory problems and a diffuse pulmonary nodular pattern in thoracic radiographs. The horse was euthanized, and 4 formalin-fixed samples of lung were submitted for histopathology. There were multifocal areas of marked thickening of alveolar septa as a result of proliferation of myofibroblasts embedded in fibromyxoid matrix (interpreted as "Masson bodies"), focal areas of fibrosis, and numerous papillary projections of connective tissue into bronchioles. A diagnosis of organizing pneumonia was reac...
Pulmonary response of severely asthmatic horses after intra-articular administration of methylprednisolone. Intra-articular (IA) administration of corticosteroids is performed routinely in equine practice. The lung function of severe asthmatic horses has recently been shown to be improved by IA triamcinolone acetonide (TA). We therefore hypothesised that IA methylprednisolone acetate (MPA), another commonly used corticosteroids, would also decrease the airway obstruction in severe asthmatic horses. Objective: To compare the effects of intra-articular (IA) and intramuscular (IM) methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) administration on lung function and serum cortisol levels in horses with severe asthma. Me...
Asymmetrical Pulmonary Cytokine Profiles Are Linked to Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Cytology of Horses With Mild Airway Neutrophilia. Few data on cytokine profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) are available for racehorses with mild/moderate equine asthma (EA); cytological diagnosis being most frequently made from only one lung. The purpose of the study was to compare cytokine mRNA expressions and protein concentrations in BALF from both lungs. As part of a larger study, 250 ml saline was randomly instilled in one lung and 500 ml in the contralateral lung of 30 clinically healthy Standardbred racehorses. This procedure was repeated 72 h later, inversing the volume per lung. Cytological cut-off values for diagnosis o...
Molecular detection, histopathological analysis, and immunohistochemical characterization of equine infectious anemia virus in naturally infected equids. Equine infectious anemia (EIA), a disease caused by equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), is considered an obstacle to the development of the horse industry. There is no treatment or vaccine available for EIA, and its pathogenesis, as well as the immune response against the virus, is not fully understood. Therefore, an immunohistochemistry assay was developed for the detection of viral antigens in tissues of equids naturally infected with EIAV. Sections of organs of six equids from Apodi-RN, Brazil, that tested positive for EIA by serological tests (ELISA and AGID) were fixed in 10% formalin ...
Effects of a propriety oiled mixed hay feeding system on lung function, neutrophilic airway inflammation and oxidative stress in severe asthmatic horses. Hay feeding is considered the main triggering factor for airway obstruction and inflammation in severe equine asthma (SEA). Finding alternate strategies allowing hay feeding while controlling clinical signs of SEA is of importance. The Nutri-Foin Système is believed to decrease inhaled dust by incorporating soybean oil to mechanically processed hay. Objective: We compared airflow obstruction and airway inflammation in horses with SEA fed oiled hay or alfalfa pellet regimen. Methods: Controlled trial in asthmatic research horses. Methods: Twelve horses in exacerbation of SEA from a research he...
Evaluation of histamine-provoked changes in airflow using electrical impedance tomography in horses. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) generates thoracic impedance images of the lungs and has been used to assess ventilation in horses. This technique may have application in the detection of changes in airflow associated with equine asthma. Objective: The objective was to determine if histamine-induced airflow changes observed with flowmetric plethysmography (Δflow) could also be explained using global and regional respiratory gas flow signals calculated from EIT signals. Methods: Experimental in vivo study. Methods: Six horses, sedated using detomidine were fitted with a thoracic EIT b...
Molecular Detection and Genetic Characteristics of Equine Herpesvirus in Korea. Respiratory diseases cause significant economic losses (especially in the horse racing industry). The present study describes the detection and genetic characteristics of equine herpesvirus (EHV) from a total of 1497 samples from clinically healthy horses in Korea, including 926 blood samples, 187 lung tissues, and 384 nasal swabs. EHV-2 and EHV-5 were detected in 386 (41.7%; 95% CI: 38.5-44.9) and 201 (21.7%; 95% CI: 19.1-24.4) blood samples, respectively, and in 25 (13.4%; 95% CI: 8.5-18.2) and 35 (18.7%; 95% CI: 13.1-24.3) lung tissues, respectively. EHV-1 and EHV-4 were not detected in eit...
Efficacy of dexamethasone, salbutamol, and reduced respirable particulate concentration on aerobic capacity in horses with smoke-induced mild asthma. Mild asthma in horses decreases racing performance and impairs gas exchange. The efficacy of treatment on performance is unknown. Objective: Treatment targeting lung inflammation improves V ˙ O2 peak in horses with mild asthma. Methods: Thoroughbred polo horses (n = 12) with smoke-induced mild asthma. Horses were exposed to increased ambient particulate matter (35.51 μg/m3 [PM2.5 ]; day mean, centrally measured) from day -33 to 0, from bushfire smoke (natural model). Methods: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial. All horses completed 3 V ˙ O2 peak t...
Prevalence and severity of ultrasonographic pulmonary findings in horses with asthma – a preliminary study. Asthma is one of the most common non-infectious respiratory diseases in horses. Ultrasound examination is a widely available non-invasive additional diagnostic tool. To date, there are no studies focusing on ultrasonographic findings in horses with asthma. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence and severity of ultrasound lesions in lung tissue in horses with asthma. Lung ultrasonography was carried out on six healthy horses (controls) and 12 horses with asthma (six with mild and six with severe asthma). The sonographic changes in three lung sections were assessed using a scoring s...
Cryptococcus gattii pneumonia in an adult horse which had travelled in an endemic area. A gelding from eastern Canada was presented for cough and exercise intolerance 14 months after it had travelled on Vancouver Island. Cryptococcus gattii pneumonia was diagnosed based on cytology, antigen titers, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The horse was treated with fluconazole for 10 months. Delayed C. gattii infection can occur after travel in an endemic area. Pneumonie à Cryptococcus gattii chez un cheval adulte ayant voyagé dans une région endémique. Un cheval hongre de l’est canadien fut présenté pour de la toux et de l’intolérance à l’exercice 14 mois après avoir ...
The Pattern of Superficial Body Temperatures in Leisure Horses Lunged with Commonly Used Lunging Aids. The natural head and neck position (HNP) of horses differs from the position in horse riding when bit is used. The special lunging aids (LAs) are applied in order to modify HNP. Different types of LAs have the potential to affect the work of horse muscles and the superficial thermographic patterns (STPs). The effects of thre LAs on STPs of neck, chest, back, and hindquarters were investigated. Methods: Sixteen leisure horses were lunged with freely moving head (FMH), rubber band (RB), chambon (CH), and triangle side reins (TRs). The thermographic images (n = 896) were analyzed before/after lun...
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytokine, cytology and IgE allergen in horses with equine asthma. The pathophysiology of equine asthma (EA) is still not fully described, but the involvement of an allergic reaction is strongly suspected. This theory has led to the use of allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E tests to support a diagnosis of asthma. The objective of this descriptive study was to evaluate the correlation between four subgroups of EA (mastocytic mild equine asthma [MEA], neutrophilic MEA, mixed MEA, and severe equine asthma [SEA]), allergen specific IgE (measured in both serum and BALF) and mRNA expression of selected genes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Serum and BAL...
The equine asthma model of airway remodeling: from a veterinary to a human perspective. Human asthma is a complex and heterogeneous disorder characterized by chronic inflammation, bronchospasm and airway remodeling. The latter is a major determinant of the structure-function relationship of the respiratory system and likely contributes to the progressive and accelerated decline in lung function observed in patients over time. Corticosteroids are the cornerstone of asthma treatment. While their action on inflammation and lung function is well characterized, their effect on remodeling remains largely unknown. An important hindrance to the study of airway remodeling as a major focu...
MicroRNA-221 is overexpressed in the equine asthmatic airway smooth muscle and modulates smooth muscle cell proliferation. Airway wall remodeling, including hyperplasia and hypertrophy of smooth muscle (ASM) cells leading to an increased smooth muscle mass, is considered central to asthma. However, molecular pathways responsible for ASM remodeling remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of inflammatory and repair processes affecting the lungs and can downregulate protein expression by inhibiting target mRNA translation. We therefore hypothesized that miRNAs are involved in ASM remodeling in asthma by modulating ASM proliferation. We have analyzed the expression of miRNAs in bron...
Effects of general anaesthesia in dorsal recumbency with and without vatinoxan on bronchoalveolar lavage cytology of healthy horses. Pneumonia is one of the potential complications of general anaesthesia in horses. Anaesthesia is known to increase neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses after lateral recumbency, but studies after dorsal recumbency are lacking. Our primary aim was to determine when lung inflammation reaches its maximum and how rapidly BALF cytology returns to baseline after anaesthesia in dorsal recumbency. A secondary aim was to investigate the possible effect of vatinoxan, a novel drug, on the BALF cytology results. Six healthy experimental horses were enrolled in this observational cr...
Randomised study of the immunomodulatory effects of azithromycin in severely asthmatic horses. Neutrophilic inflammation is believed to contribute to the airway obstruction and remodelling in equine asthma. Azithromycin, an antibiotic with immunomodulatory properties, reduces pulmonary neutrophilia and hyper-responsiveness in human asthmatics and decreases airway remodelling in rodent models of asthma. It was therefore hypothesised that azithromycin would improve lung function, mucus accumulation and central airway remodelling by decreasing luminal neutrophilia in severe equine asthma. The effects of a 10-day treatment with either azithromycin or ceftiofur, an antimicrobial without immu...
The relationship between bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology and airway hyper-reactivity in a population of Australian horses presented for poor performance. To investigate the relationship between bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology, particularly mast cells, and airway hyper-reactivity in athletic horses presented for poor performance that included a respiratory tract evaluation in two disparate locations in Australia. Methods: Multi-centre, retrospective and prospective cross-sectional study METHODS: Eighty four adult horses underwent both pulmonary function testing and histamine bronchoprovocation with a commercial flowmetric plethysmography system. A bronchoalveolar lavage was performed four to twelve hours later. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid...
Clinical efficacy of bronchodilators in equine asthma: Looking for minimal important difference. Airway obstruction is the main trait of severe equine asthma that affects respiratory function and elicits detrimental effects on clinical presentation. Only few and underpowered clinical studies have investigated the impact of improvement in lung function induced by bronchodilators on the clinical signs of asthma-affected horses. Objective: To identify the minimal important difference (MID) in lung function elicited by bronchodilator leading to a meaningful improvement in clinical signs. Methods: Pairwise meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis. Methods: Literature searches were performed ...
Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure alone or an open-lung approach on recruited lung volumes and respiratory mechanics of mechanically ventilated horses. To evaluate the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) alone and PEEP preceded by lung recruitment manoeuvre (LRM) on lung volumes and respiratory system mechanics in healthy horses undergoing general anaesthesia. Methods: Controlled, prospective clinical study. Methods: A group of 15 horses undergoing arthroscopy. Methods: Following anaesthetic induction, initial ventilatory settings were: tidal volume 15 mL kg, inspiratory:expiratory ratio 1:2, respiratory rate to maintain end-tidal CO between 5.3-6.6 kPa (40-50 mmHg). The following settings were implemented sequentially: zero PE...
Two Cases of Equine Multinodular Pulmonary Fibrosis in Japan. Equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) is a recently described form of interstitial pneumonia associated with equine herpesvirus type 5 (EHV-5). This disease has been reported in North and South America, Europe and Oceania but not, to our knowledge, in horses in Japan. We diagnosed EMPF in two Thoroughbred horses in Japan on the basis of gross and histopathological findings. In both cases, significant gross lesions, restricted to the lungs, consisted of numerous firm and coalescing nodules widely distributed throughout the lung. The nodules were <3 cm in diameter and pale white to t...
Intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide improves lung function in horses with severe asthma. Locally administered corticosteroids are commonly used to treat joint diseases in sport and racehorses. As they are also the most potent drugs for the treatment of equine asthma, we hypothesised that the intra-articular corticosteroids used to treat joint diseases also improve the lung function in horses with severe asthma, thus potentially delaying the diagnosis of this common lung condition. Objective: To compare the effects of intra-articular (IA) and intramuscular (IM) triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on lung function in horses with severe asthma. Methods: Randomised and controlled experiment ...
Effect of different doses of inhaled ciclesonide on lung function, clinical signs related to airflow limitation and serum cortisol levels in horses with experimentally induced mild to severe airway obstruction. Inhaled corticosteroids are effective for the treatment of equine asthma but they induce cortisol suppression with potential side effects. Objective: To study the efficacy of ciclesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid with an improved safety profile, on lung function, clinical signs related to airway obstruction, and serum cortisol levels in asthmatic horses exposed to a mouldy hay challenge. Methods: Cross-over placebo controlled, blinded, randomised experiment. Methods: Sixteen horses were enrolled in three subsequent dose-titration studies (8 horses/study) to investigate the effects of inhaled ...
Insights into animal models for cell-based therapies in translational studies of lung diseases: Is the horse with naturally occurring asthma the right choice? Human asthma is a widespread disease associated with chronic inflammation of the airways, leading to loss of quality of life, disability and death. Corticosteroid administration is the mainstream treatment for asthmatic patients. Corticosteroids reduce airway obstruction and improve quality of life, although symptoms persist despite treatment in many patients. Moreover, available therapies failed to reverse the lung pathology present in asthma. Animal models, mostly rats and mice, in which the disease is experimentally induced, have been studied to identify new therapeutic targets for human as...
Nebulisation of dexamethasone sodium phosphate for the treatment of severe asthmatic horses. Inhaled corticosteroids are effective in the treatment of equine asthma. A recent study reported that nebulisation of injectable dexamethasone had low systemic bioavailability in healthy horses and could represent a cost-effective therapy for equine inflammatory lung diseases. Objective: To determine the effects of dexamethasone nebulisation on lung function in severe asthmatic horses. It was hypothesised that dexamethasone administered by nebulisation would be more effective than the same dose administered orally. Methods: Randomised blinded experimental study in severe asthmatic horses. Meth...
Exogenous Expression of Equine MHC Class I Molecules in Mice Increases Susceptibility to Equine Herpesvirus 1 Pulmonary Infection. Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) uses equine major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC class I) as an entry receptor. Exogenous expression of equine MHC class I genes in murine cell lines confers susceptibility to EHV-1 infection. To examine the in vivo role of equine MHC class I as an entry receptor for EHV-1, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice expressing equine MHC class I under the control of the CAG promoter. Equine MHC class I protein was expressed in the liver, spleen, lung, and brain of Tg mice, which was confirmed by Western blot. However, equine MHC class I antigen was only detected in...
Mediastinal Ectopic Thyroid Carcinoma and Concurrent Multinodular Pulmonary Fibrosis in a Horse. A 30-year-old Standardbred gelding was referred for chronic pleural effusion. Thoracic ultrasound revealed marked bilateral pleural effusion and a large heterogeneous mass within the cranial mediastinum, which extended from the right 5th to the 11th intercostal space. Subsequently, on thoracic radiographs, the cranial mediastinal mass was confirmed, and a nodular interstitial pattern was identified in the lungs. Because of progressive clinical deterioration of the patient, the owners elected humane euthanasia and necropsy was performed. The mediastinal mass was consistent with an ectopic thyro...
The effect of single pretreatment with salbutamol on recovery of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in horses with suspected or confirmed severe equine asthma. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a method for the recovery of respiratory secretion from the lower airways. Objective: To investigate if the administration of a single dose of a bronchodilatator in horses with a suspected or confirmed severe equine asthma could improve recovery of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Methods: Twenty-eight horses with severe equine asthma. Methods: Horses were divided into 2 groups: group "treated" was given salbutamol before endoscopic examination and BALF collection, whereas group "not treated" was not given. BAL was performed with BAL-catheter by instilling 3...
