Mares and horses are integral components of equine studies, focusing on the reproductive and behavioral aspects of equine biology. Mares, or adult female horses, play a significant role in breeding programs and are often studied for their reproductive physiology, gestation, and maternal behaviors. Horses, as a broader category, encompass both sexes and all age groups, providing a comprehensive view of equine anatomy, physiology, and behavior. Research in this area often investigates the differences and similarities between mares and other horses in terms of hormonal cycles, reproductive health, and social interactions. This page compiles peer-reviewed studies and scholarly articles that explore the biological and behavioral characteristics of mares and horses, offering insights into their roles in equine science and management.
Lutzer A, Nagel C, Aurich J, Murphy BA, Aurich C.In horses, blue LED light directed at one eye of pregnant mares shortens gestation length and results in the birth of foals with lower wither heights, similar weight and reduced hair length compared to controls. In this study, we have therefore analysed postnatal development of foals born to either blue LED light-treated (n = 20) or control mares (n = 20). Size, weight and hair coat changes were determined for 1 year and heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and selected haematology parameters for 1 month. Haematocrit decreased (P < .001) and leukocyte and lymphocyte counts increased...
Ginther OJ.Traveling of the fetal-amniotic unit throughout the uterus ceases on ∼ Day 180 followed by closure of each uterine horn. By mean Day 240, the fetus and nearly all of the pool of allantoic fluid are confined to the uterine body. Intrauterine fetal-location changes end, but in-place activity of limbs, head, and body and changes in fetal recumbency and presentation continue, sometimes vigorously. Preference for cranial presentation (fetal sternum toward maternal cervix) has been hypothesized to be stimulated by ∼ 40° incline of uterine body toward the cervix. The uterine body expands forward...
Derisoud E, Jouneau L, Margat A, Gourtay C, Dubois C, Archilla C, Jaszczyszyn Y, Dahirel M, Daniel N, Peynot N, Briot L, De Geoffroy F, Wimel L....No abstract available
Derisoud E, Auclair-Ronzaud J, Palmer E, Robles M, Chavatte-Palmer P.Although puberty can occur as early as 14-15months of age, depending on breed and use, the reproductive career of mares may continue to advanced ages. Once mares are used as broodmares, they will usually produce foals once a year until they become unfertile, and their productivity can be enhanced and/or prolonged through embryo technologies. There is a general consensus that old mares are less fertile, but maternal age and parity are confounding factors because nulliparous mares are usually younger and older mares are multiparous in most studies. This review shows that age critically affects c...
Tong P, Duan R, Palidan N, Deng H, Duan L, Ren M, Song X, Jia C, Tian S, Yang E, Kuang L, Xie J.EHV-1 is one of the most serious viral pathogens that frequently cause abortion in horses around the world. However, so far, relatively little information is available on EHV-1 infections as they occur in China. In January 2021, during an abortion storm which occurred in Yili horses at the Chinese State Studs of Zhaosu (North Xinjiang, China), 43 out of 800 pregnant mares aborted. Results: PCR detection revealed the presence of EHV-1 in all samples as the possible cause of all abortions, although EHV-4, EHV-2 and EHV-5 were also found to circulate in the aborted fetuses. Furthermore, the parti...
Jasiński T, Zdrojkowski Ł, Kautz E, Juszczuk-Kubiak E, Ferreira-Dias G, Domino M.Endometritis is an important issue decreasing mares' fertility. In the case of endometritis, both inflammatory cells infiltration and proinflammatory molecules production are regulated by various cellular and gene regulatory mechanisms, including the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-dependent pathway. NF-κB-signalling pathway has been recently studied in the equine endometrium in the context of endometrosis. Thus, this study aimed to determine gene transcription of NF-κB subunits (RelA; NF-κB1; NF-κB2), proinflammatory molecules (MCP-1; IL-6) and hyaluronan synthases (HAS 1; HAS 2; HAS 3) in en...
Whitty JA, Miller AV, Miller AD, Carney PC, Scrivani PV.The styloid process sheath (SPS) is a part of the tympanic temporal bone and an incomplete bony sleeve surrounding the styloid process, tympanohyoid cartilage, and dorsal part of the stylohyoid bone. In horses undergoing head CT, we observed a range of SPS sizes and questioned whether differences were early features of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) or normal anatomic variations associated with age, body weight, sex, or breed. We hypothesized that SPS sizes were positively correlated with age and body weight, but not with sex or breed. Using a convenience population of horses that underwe...
Ravaioli V, Raffini E, Tamburini M, Galletti G, Frasnelli M.Endometritis is a major cause of infertility and subfertility in the mare. Early diagnosis and identification of the pathogens involved in infectious endometritis are crucial to initiate correct treatments in time, in order to optimize fertility and reduce the risk of bacterial resistance development. In this retrospective study (from 2014 to 2018), 394 samples (uterine swabs and lavages) obtained from mares before breeding, regardless of clinical history of endometritis were analyzed. Our bacteriological procedure included the subculturing from the enrichment in Brain Heart Infusion Broth of ...
Patterson Rosa L, Campos FA, Martin K, Vierra M, Foster G, Lundquist E, Brooks SA, Lafayette C.Pedigrees and horse written ancestry contain numerous inconsistencies and divergence between farm histories, owner accounts and registration records. In particular, the origins of the Brazilian Mangalarga, or "Mangalarga Paulista'' horse breed is controversial, and the breed's popular history claims that one of its most famous individuals, Turbante J.O., may have been sired by an unknown Hanoverian stallion. Turbante J.O. sired over 1678 offspring and is present in about 71% of the male pedigrees. We genotyped Turbante J.O. and 29 registered Mangalarga individuals using a commercially availabl...
Stelletta C, Alberti S, Cil B, Tekin K, Tirpan MB, Arganaraz M, Akcay E, Daskin A.The identification of various substances in seminal plasma has opened the way to study their functionality. It was aimed to identify the electrophoretic protein profile (EPP) and biochemical parameters (BP) of seminal plasma (SP) as predictors of semen quality and fertility in stallion. Forty-six ejaculates from 7 fertile stallions, aged between 6-26 years, were collected from May to July and 117 mares were used to obtain fertility data. For each ejaculate, volume, sperm motility, concentration were determined and seminal plasma samples were collected to perform one- -dimensional electrophores...
Lawson EF, Grupen CG, Baker MA, Aitken RJ, Swegen A, Pollard CL, Gibb Z.Lipids are dynamic biological molecules that play key roles in metabolism, inflammation, cell signalling and structure. They are biologically significant in the physiology of conception and reproduction. Many of the mechanisms surrounding equine conception and the early feto-maternal dialogue are yet to be understood at a biochemical level. Recently, lipidomic technologies have advanced considerably and analytical strategies have been enhanced and diversified. Consequently, in-depth lipidomic exploration now has the potential to reveal new lipid biomarkers and biochemical relationships that im...
Ávila ACA, Diniz NC, Serpa RT, Chaves MMBC, Viu MAO, de Oliveira RA.Endometritis is defined as inflammation of the endometrium that may be acute or chronic, infectious, or non-infectious. Endometritis is an important cause of subfertility in mares. Considering the antimicrobial characteristics, immune-stimulating ability, and low cost of ozone (O3) therapy, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intrauterine O3 therapy as an alternative treatment for endometritis in mares. Twenty-five mares with a known reproductive history of uterine infection and inflammation were allocated into three groups: Group 1 (control; n = 7), uterine lavage with Ringer's lactat...
Mainguy-Seers S, Diaw M, Lavoie JP.While the prevalence of asthma is higher in boys than in girls during childhood, this tendency reverses at puberty, suggesting an effect of sex hormones on the disease pathophysiology. Fluctuations of asthma severity concurring with the estrus cycle are reported in women, but this phenomenon has never been investigated in mares to date. The objective of this exploratory study was to determine whether the estrus cycle modulates airway obstruction in severe equine asthma (SEA). Five mares with SEA during exacerbation of the disease were studied. The whole breath, expiratory and inspiratory resis...
Laseca N, Molina A, Ramón M, Valera M, Azcona F, Encina A, Demyda-Peyrás S.The loss of genetic variability in livestock populations bred under strict selection processes is a growing concern, as it may lead to increased inbreeding values and lower fertility, as a consequence of the "inbreeding depression" effect. This is particularly important in horses, where inbreeding levels tend to rise as individuals become more and more closely related. In this study, we evaluated the effect of increased inbreeding levels on mare fertility by combining an SNP-based genomic approach using runs of homozygosity and the estimation of genetic breeding values for reproductive traits ...
Piotrowska-Tomala KK, Jonczyk AW, Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Żebrowska E, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski DJ.We examined the effect of prostaglandin (PG) E on the secretory function of equine corpus luteum (CL), according to the application site: intra-CL injection vs. an intrauterine (intra-U) administration. Moreover, the effect of intra-CL injection vs. intra-U administration of both luteotropic factors: PGE and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as a positive control, on CL function was additionally compared. Mares were assigned to the groups ( = 6 per group): (1) an intra-CL saline injection (control); (2) an intra-CL injection of PGE (5 mg/ml); (3) an intra-CL injection of hCG (1,500 IU/ml); (4...
Huricha , Kawai M, Ninomiya S.In this study, we investigated suckling behavior and the distance between a foal and its mare as indicators of foal growth in Hokkaido native horses (HKD) during the first 40 days of life. Direct observations were made of 22 mare and foal pairs from two consecutive days 1 and 2, 5 and 6, 10 and 11, 20 and 21, 30 and 31, and 40 and 41 after birth by focal animal sampling for 3 h per day. Suckling behavior was continuously recorded, along with the terminator. The distance between the foal and its mare was determined using the instantaneous sampling method (1 min), and the percentage was calc...
Cabral LDR, Sato AP, de Sousa RS, Rossa AP, Sanches AWD, Bortoleto CT, Locatelli Dittrich R.The closely related apicomplexa protozoa, Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora spp., and Sarcocystis neurona, have all been associated with neurological and reproductive diseases in horses. However, there is limited data regarding the presence of these three parasites in equine placental tissues and amniotic fluid. The aim of the present report was to investigate the presence of the DNA of T. gondii, Neospora spp. and S. neurona in placentas and amniotic fluid in mares. Anti-T. gondii, anti- S. neurona and anti- Neospora spp. antibody titers were evaluated in 31 mares in the final third of pregnancy by...
Domańska D, Trela M, Pawliński B, Podeszewski B, Domino M.The somatic cell count in milk (SCC) and electrical conductivity of milk (ECM) are indicators of the health status of the mammary gland. Among somatic cells, mainly polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), macrophages (MAC), and lymphocytes (LYM) are rated. This study aimed to determine the SCC, PMN, MAC, LYM, ECM, and bacteriological index (BII) in milk collected from mares with (CM) and without (NCM) clinical symptoms of mastitis concerning mares with (SM) and without (NSM) subclinical mastitis. Milk samples were collected from 27 mares divided into NCM (n = 12) and CM (n = 15) groups. In sample...
Oberhaus EL, Wilson KM, Camp CM, Sones JL.Sulpiride in vegetable shortening (VS) stimulates prolactin in horses for up to 10 days. Although effective, a pharmaceutical grade vehicle is needed for clinical application of sulpiride in horses. Sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB), a hydrophobic polymer, may be an alternative to VS. Four in vivo experiments assessed the efficacy of SAIB for delivery of sulpiride, estradiol cypionate (ECP), and estradiol benzoate (EB). The first three studies utilized geldings to compare prolactin and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations between sulpiride delivered in VS and SAIB, and ECP or EB delivered ...
Steuer AE, Anderson HP, Shepherd T, Clark M, Scare JA, Gravatte HS, Nielsen MK.Horses are host to a plethora of parasites. Knowledge of the seasonality of parasite egg shedding and transmission is important for constructing parasite control programs. However, studies describing these patterns are sparse, and have largely been conducted only in the United Kingdom. This study evaluated strongylid egg shedding patterns and transmission dynamics of Strongylus vulgaris in naturally infected and untreated mares and foals through one calendar year in Kentucky, USA. The study also investigated the existence of a peri-parturient rise (PPR) in strongylid egg counts in foaling mare...
Ginther OJ.Intrauterine mobility of the fetal-amniotic unit is unique in equids among domestic species. Intrinsic activity begins as head nods on ∼ Day 40 (Day 0 = ovulation) and by Day 60 has progressed into intermittent subtle to vigorous head, neck, limb, and body movements. On Days 60-100, fetal mobility is maximal with traveling of the fetal-amniotic unit throughout an allantoic pool that encompasses the uterine horns, and uterine body. The fetus may be entirely within one uterine horn with the horn entrance closed behind it, and then may work through the entrance into the uterine body. Mobility...
Domingues RR, Ginther OJ, Gomez-Leon V, Castro T, Wiltbank MC.In heifers and mares, multiple pulses of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF) are generally associated with complete luteal regression. Although PGF pulses occur before and during luteolysis, little is known about the role of minor PGF pulses during preluteolysis on subsequent luteal and endometrial PGF production that may initiate luteolysis. Heifers (n = 7/group) and mares (n = 6/group) were treated with a single minor dose of PGF (3.0 and 0.5 mg, respectively) during mid-luteal phase (12 and 10 days postovulation respectively). After treatment, a transient decrease in progesterone (P4) con...
Castro T, Jacob JC, Domingues RR, Ginther OJ.Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) are involved in equine embryo mobility throughout the uterus on Days 11-15 (ovulation = Day 0). On a day (Day 12) of maximal embryo mobility in pregnant mares (n = 13) and before luteolysis in nonbred mares (n = 10), gene expressions were compared between the uterine horns that did and did not contain the mobile embryo and between pregnant and nonbred mares. A cytobrush was used to collect an endometrial sample from the middle of each uterine horn. In nonbred mares, there was no difference for any of the considered gene expressions ...
Moustafa A, Elmetwally M, El-Khodery S, Hamed M, Gomaa N, Rizk MA.There is a paucity of information regarding the frequency and risk factors associated with the occurrence of an abdominal hernia in different equine species especially donkeys, and mules. In addition, the effectiveness of using polypropylene mesh for the surgical management of abdominal hernia in donkeys and mules is still unknown. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of using polypropylene mesh for the surgical treatment of abdominal hernia in horses, donkeys, and mules and to address the occurrence and risk factors associated with an abdominal hernia in the selected ...
Catandi GD, LiPuma L, Obeidat YM, Maclellan LJ, Broeckling CD, Chen T, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM.Dietary supplementation is the most feasible method to improve oocyte function and developmental potential . During three experiments, oocytes were collected from maturing, dominant follicles of older mares to determine whether short-term dietary supplements can alter oocyte metabolic function, lipid composition, and developmental potential. Over approximately 8 weeks, control mares were fed hay (CON) or hay and grain products (COB). Treated mares received supplements designed for equine wellness and gastrointestinal health, flaxseed oil, and a proprietary blend of fatty acid and antioxidant s...
David F, Levingstone TJ, Schneeweiss W, de Swarte M, Jahns H, Gleeson JP, O'Brien FJ.An unmet need remains for a bone graft substitute material that is biocompatible, biodegradable and capable of promoting osteogenesis safely in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of a novel collagen-hydroxyapatite (CHA) bone graft substitute in the clinical treatment of a mandibular bone cyst in a young horse and to assess its potential to enhance repair of the affected bone. A 2 year-old thoroughbred filly, presenting with a multilobulated aneurysmal bone cyst, was treated using the CHA scaffold. Post-operative clinical follow-up was carried out at 2 weeks and 3, 6 and...
Tuomola K, Mäki-Kihniä N, Valros A, Mykkänen A, Kujala-Wirth M.Bit-related oral lesions are common and may impair horse welfare. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of oral lesions and their risk factors in a sample of Finnish event horses. The rostral part of the oral cavity (the bit area) of 208 event horses (127 warmbloods, 52 coldbloods, and 29 ponies) was examined in a voluntary inspection after the last competition phase, i.e., the cross-country test. Acute lesions were observed in 52% (109/208) of the horses. The lesion status was graded as no acute lesions for 48% (99/208), mild for 22% (45/208), moderate for 26% (55/208) and s...
MacLachlan NJ.The histologic appearance of the ovaries and persistence of corpora lutea vary considerably among domestic animals, particularly between spontaneous and induced ovulators. The seasonally polyestrous mare has a variety of unique characteristics in ovarian structure and general reproductive function. Among the anomalies of ovarian development is the bovine freemartin with gonads containing a mixture of male and female elements. A variety of ovarian cysts occur in domestic animals, and persistent corpora lutea with associated reproductive perturbations occur in several species. Ovarian tumors are...
Antczak DF, Miller JM, Remick LH.Evidence is presented for a reproducible maternal immune response to histocompatibility antigens during equine pregnancy. Mares were stimulated as a result of pregnancy to produce cytotoxic antibodies to paternal lymphocyte alloantigens. The majority of these antibodies were directed against antigens of the equine lymphocyte antigen (ELA) system, which is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of the horse. In 16 experimental pregnancies produced using 12 mares and 4 stallions which had been typed for ELA antigens, there was correlation between ELA incompatibility between sire and dam and ...
Mugnier S, Kervella M, Douet C, Canepa S, Pascal G, Deleuze S, Duchamp G, Monget P, Goudet G.Oviduct epithelial cells (OEC) co-culture promotes in vitro fertilization (IVF) in human, bovine and porcine species, but no data are available from equine species. Yet, despite numerous attempts, equine IVF rates remain low. Our first aim was to verify a beneficial effect of the OEC on equine IVF. In mammals, oviductal proteins have been shown to interact with gametes and play a role in fertilization. Thus, our second aim was to identify the proteins involved in fertilization in the horse. Results: In the first experiment, we co-incubated fresh equine spermatozoa treated with calcium ionophor...
Stabenfeldt GH, Hughes JP, Kennedy PC, Meagher DM, Neely DP.The clinical, structural and functional characteristics of ovarian tumours were studied in 10 mares. Proliferation of the granulosa cells of large and small follicles and the presence of various numbers of Leydig-like cells in the theca interna were the predominant microscopic findings in 9 of the mares. All 9 of these animals had higher than normal (P less than 0.005) concentrations of testosterone in the peripheral plasma; 2 animals which exhibited male behaviour had testosterone concentrations greater than 100 pg/ml and the largest number of Leydig-like cells in the theca. Mares with lower ...
Rosanowski SM, Cogger N, Rogers CW.Utilising a face-to-face interview of stud managers, a survey was conducted to investigate the movement patterns around, and biosecurity practices on, Thoroughbred and Standardbred stud farms. Eligible stud farms (n=60) were identified from the 2009 Thoroughbred stallion register and 2009 Standardbred stallion register, and stud managers were asked to participate in the interview. In total, 27 stud managers agreed to participate in the study, and participating stud farms included 38% of Thoroughbred and 60% of Standardbred mares bred in 2009. All stud managers reported the movement of horses t...
Chowdhary BP, Paria N, Raudsepp T.Following the recent development of high-resolution gene maps and generation of several basic tools and resources to use them in analyzing traits that are economically important to horse owners, genome analysis in horses is witnessing a shift towards developing an ability to analyze complex traits. The likelihood of this happening in the very near future is great, mainly because of the recent availability of the whole genome sequence in the horse. The latter has triggered the development of novel tools like SNP-chip and expression arrays that will permit rapid genome-wide analysis. While these...
Maclellan LJ, Carnevale EM, Coutinho da Silva MA, Scoggin CF, Bruemmer JE, Squires EL.The objectives were to compare embryo development rates after transfer into inseminated recipients, vitrified thawed oocytes collected from super-stimulated versus non-stimulated mares. In vivo matured oocytes were collected by transvaginal, ultrasound guided follicular aspiration from super-stimulated and non-stimulated mares 24-26 h after administration of hCG. Oocytes were cultured for 2-4 h prior to vitrification. Cryoprotectants were loaded in three steps before oocytes were placed onto a 0.5-0.7 mm diameter nylon cryoloop and plunged directly into liquid nitrogen. Oocytes were thawed and...
Haneda S, Nagaoka K, Nambo Y, Kikuchi M, Nakano Y, Matsui M, Miyake Y, Macleod JN, Imakawa K.To identify factors involved in the establishment of pregnancy in the mare, endometrium was collected from day 13 (day 0=day of ovulation) cyclic and day 13, 19, and 25 pregnant animals. From initial cDNA subtraction studies, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) mRNA was found as a candidate molecule expressed uniquely in the pregnant endometrium. Expression of IL-1RN mRNA was markedly increased in day 19 and 25 gravid endometrium. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that IL-1RN mRNA was localized to the glandular epithelium. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) protein was fou...
Wooding FB, Morgan G, Fowden AL, Allen WR.Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) production by the fetally derived endometrial cups appears to be necessary for the establishment and maintenance of normal equine pregnancy. Starting at about the 27th day of pregnancy, an equatorial band of trophectodermal cells on the surface of the spherical conceptus forms the chorionic girdle. This girdle consists initially of flat trophectodermal epithelium which corrugates into folds as the cells proliferate. The folds are then pressed against the uterine epithelium by expansion of the conceptus. The cells on the apices of the folds become binucleate ...
Kirkpatrick JF, Liu IM, Turner JW, Naugle R, Keiper R.Ten feral mares free-roaming in Maryland, USA, were inoculated with porcine zonae pellucidae (PZP) protein before the breeding season for three consecutive years (1988-90). Ovarian function was monitored for 51 days during the peak of the breeding season after the third annual PZP inoculation, in seven of these mares and in four untreated control mares, by means of urinary oestrone conjugates and nonspecific progesterone metabolites. None of the ten inoculated mares became pregnant in 1990, compared with 55% of 20 control mares, which included two of the four monitored for ovarian function. Th...
Kamber R, Farah Z, Rusch P, Hassig M.A major problem in camel productivity is the high mortality rate of camel calves in the first 3 months. The causes for mortality are mainly poor management practice and infectious diseases. The purpose of this research, carried out on a ranch in Kenya, was to determine the immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in camel colostrum as well as the extent of the calves' passive immunization by maternal antibodies. IgG concentration in colostrum and in the serum of the calf were measured during the first 3 d of life. Evaluation was carried out by comparing the respective values with those for horses ...
Bae SE, Corcoran BM, Watson ED.Little is known about neurogenic regulation of uterine contractility in mares. The present study investigated the distribution of adrenergic and peptidergic nerves in the mare uterus. Samples from the uterine horn, body and cervix were collected from 18 cyclic mares for immunohistochemistry. The uterus was well supplied with adrenergic nerves. A large number of tyrosine hydroxylase- and dopamine beta-hydroxylase-immunoreactive nerve bundles and fibres were present in the myometrium and endometrium in all regions of the uterus and cervix. These adrenergic nerve bundles and fibres travelled para...
Rasmussen CD, Haugaard MM, Petersen MR, Nielsen JM, Pedersen HG, Bojesen AM.Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus is the pathogen most commonly isolated from the uterus of mares. S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen and part of the resident flora in the caudal reproductive tract. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a genotypically distinct subpopulation of S. zooepidemicus is associated with endometritis in the mare, by genotyping and comparing uterine S. zooepidemicus strains with isolates from the vagina and clitoral fossa. Mares with (n=18) or without (n=11) clinical symptoms of endometritis were included. Uterine samples were obtained using...
Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Słowińska M, Pacewicz J, Skarzynski DJ, Okuda K.Equine endometrial fibrosis (endometrosis) is described as a degenerative chronic condition in the uterus. Its characteristic feature is excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components around the endometrial glands and stroma. Although matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) that mediate ECM turnover are important factors in the process of fibrosis, knowledge of their expression and regulation in endometrosis is limited. In other species, one of the important regulators of MMPs and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) is transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. The goal of this study was to de...
Reef VB, Vaala WE, Worth LT, Sertich PL, Spencer PA.Mares with complicated pregnancies (illness, problems at parturition or delivery of an abnormal foal, n = 30) were scanned transabdominally from 298 days gestation to term in order to measure fetal size, evaluate fetal well-being and characterise the intrauterine environment. The results of the last scan obtained prior to parturition were compared to normal data obtained from fetuses of comparable gestational age to develop a biophysical profile specific for the equine fetus. Twelve mares produced a normal foal (positive outcome) and 18 mares delivered 19 abnormal foals (negative outcome). Bot...
Lumsden JH, Rowe R, Mullen K.Reference hematology and biochemistry intervals are presented for a number of variables of clinical interest determined for blood samples obtained from 60 thoroughbred mares, 12 thoroughbred foals and 50 standardbred horses in training. The observations for each variable were examined for outliers and Gaussian distribution. Parametric analysis was used where the observations were Gaussian initially or after any of four transformations, otherwise nonparametric analysis was required for estimation of the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles. Description of the sample collection procedures, laboratory method...
Cantón GJ, Navarro MA, Asin J, Chu P, Henderson EE, Mete A, Uzal FA.Reproductive failure represents an important cause of economic loss for the equine industry. We reviewed the cases of equine abortion and stillbirth submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, University of California-Davis from 1990 to 2022. A total of 1,774 cases were reviewed. A confirmed cause of abortion was determined in 29.2% of the cases. Abortion or stillbirth was attributed to infectious agents in 18.7% of the cases, with Streptococcus spp., equine herpesvirus 1, and Leptospira spp. being the most prevalent. Noninfectious causes of abortion were estab...
Silva ES, Scoggin KE, Canisso IF, Troedsson MH, Squires EL, Ball BA.The objective of this study was to compare expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α), β (ER-β), progesterone receptor (PR), as well as prostaglandin E2 type 2 (EP2) and 4 (EP4) receptors in the equine myometrium and endometrium during estrus, diestrus and early pregnancy. Tissues were collected during estrus, diestrus, and early pregnancy. Transcripts for ER-α (ESR1), ER-β (ESR2), PR (PGR), EP2 (PTGER2) and EP4 (PTGER4) were quantified by qPCR. Immunohistochemistry was used to localize ER-α, ER-β, PR, EP2 and EP4. Differences in transcript in endometrium and myometrium were compared ...
Sharifzadeh A, Shokri H.Due to the limited range of antifungals available to treat genital Candida infections and the emergence of resistant isolates, attention has focused on the antifungal potency of natural compounds with promising biological properties. Objective: To examine whether eugenol synergises the in vitro efficacy of voriconazole against Candida strains isolated from the genital tract of mares. Methods: In vitro experiment. Methods: The antifungal activity of eugenol and voriconazole was evaluated using the broth microdilution assay (CLSI- M27-A3). Synergism of eugenol and voriconazole against genital Ca...
Hanson CA, Galuppo LD.To describe a technique for laparoscopic bilateral ovariectomy in standing mares and report the outcome of 22 clinical cases. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: A total of 22 mares between 4 and 23 years of age, weighing between 360 and 600 kg. Methods: Mares with normal ovaries, as determined by palpation per rectum, were restrained in standing stocks and sedated with detomidine (0.01 to 0.02 mg/kg intravenously [i.v.]) and butorphanol (0.01 to 0.02 mg/kg i.v.). The laparoscope and instrument insertion sites were infiltrated with 2% lidocaine before incision. One laparoscope portal and two ...
Schnabel CL, Steinig P, Schuberth HJ, Koy M, Wagner B, Wittig B, Juhls C, Willenbrock S, Murua Escobar H, Jaehnig P, Feige K, Cavalleri JM.Leukocytes and their functional capacities are used extensively as biomarkers in immunological research. Commonly employed indicators concerning leukocytes are as follows: number, composition in blood, response to discrete stimuli, cytokine release, and morphometric characteristics. In order to employ leukocytes as biomarkers for disease and therapeutic monitoring, physiological variations and influencing factors on the parameters measured have to be considered. The aim of this report was to describe the ranges of selected leukocyte parameters in a sample of healthy horses and to analyse wheth...
Rioja E, Cernicchiaro N, Costa MC, Valverde A.This study investigated associations between perioperative factors and probability of death and length of hospitalization of mares with dystocia that survived following general anesthesia. Demographics and perioperative characteristics from 65 mares were reviewed retrospectively and used in a risk factor analysis. Mortality rate was 21.5% during the first 24 h post-anesthesia. The mean ± standard deviation number of days of hospitalization of surviving mares was 6.3 ± 5.4 d. Several factors were found in the univariable analysis to be significantly associated (P < 0.1) with increased probabi...
Gomes RG, Lisboa LA, Silva CB, Max MC, Marino PC, Oliveira RL, González SM, Barreiros TR, Marinho LS, Seneda MM.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of ascorbic acid (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) in supplemented minimum essential medium (MEM+) on the development of equine preantral follicles that were cultured in vitro for 2 or 6 days. The contralateral ovaries (n = 5) from five mares in seasonal anestrus were collected from a local abattoir. Nine ovarian tissue fragments of approximately 5 × 5 × 1 mm were obtained from each animal. One fragment was immediately fixed and subjected to histologic analysis (control group; Day 0), and the other eight were placed in PBS ...
Schott HC, Hodgson DR, Bayly WM.The effects of exercise on urinary excretion of red blood cells, pigments (haemoglobin and myoglobin) and protein were studied in 8 mares performing treadmill exercise at speeds eliciting 40, 60 and 95% of the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). Gross haematuria and pigmenturia were observed in all horses during exercise at the 2 higher intensities, while these findings were detected in only one of 8 mares during exercise at 40% of the VO2max. For the remaining 7 mares exercised at 40% of the VO2max, increased urinary excretion of red blood cells (RBCs) and pigments was evident after centrifu...
