Equine metabolism encompasses the biochemical processes that occur within horses to maintain life, including the conversion of food into energy, the synthesis of necessary compounds, and the elimination of waste products. These processes are essential for supporting various physiological functions such as growth, reproduction, and physical performance. Key components of equine metabolism include carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, each of which contributes to the overall energy balance and health of the horse. Factors influencing metabolic rate and efficiency in horses include age, breed, diet, exercise, and health status. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, regulation, and implications of metabolic processes in equine physiology.
Menendez MI, Phelps MA, Bertone AL.To the date, no reports exist of the pharmacokinetics (PK) of betamethasone (BTM) sodium phosphate and betamethasone acetate administered intra-articular (IA) into multiple joints in exercising horses. The purpose of the study was to determine the PK of BTM and HYD concentrations in plasma and urine after IA administration of a total of 30 mg BTM. Eight 4 years old Thoroughbred mares were exercised on a treadmill and BTM was administered IA. Plasma and urine BTM and HYD were determined via high performance liquid chromatography spectrometry for 6 weeks. Concentration-time profiles of BTM and H...
Peters LW, Smiet E, de Sain-van der Velden MG, van der Kolk JH.Acylcarnitines play an important role in fuel metabolism in skeletal muscle. Objective: To assess acylcarnitine ester utilization by the hindlimb of horses at rest and following low intensity exercise and carnitine supplementation. Methods: Acylcarnitine ester uptake by the hindlimb was investigated using the arteriovenous difference technique. Blood from six warmblood mares (mean age 12 ± 3 (SD) years and weighing 538 ± 39 kg) was collected simultaneously from the transverse facial artery and from the caudal vena cava. Food was withheld for 12 hours prior to exercise. Exercise comprised a s...
van der Kolk JH, Pacholewska A, Gerber V.The search for new markers of diseases in human as well as veterinary medicine is ongoing. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) have emerged as potential new biomarkers. MiRNAs are short sequences of RNA (∼22 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression via their target messenger RNA (mRNA). Circulating miRNAs in blood can be used as novel diagnostic markers for diseases due to their evolutionary conservation and stability. As a consequence of their systemic and manifold effects on the gene expression in various target organs, the concept that miRNAs could function as hormones has been suggest...
Dall'Aglio C, Bazzucchi C, Mercati F, Ceccarelli P.Leptin is a hormone widely diffused in the mammalian body in which it plays functions that go far beyond control of appetite and energy metabolism. The finding that it is present in the major salivary glands of various animal species is of interest for the functional implications that it may imply. Since there are no data on the presence of leptin and its receptor in the minor salivary glands, the aim of this study was to demonstrate their presence and distribution in such glands of donkeys. This latter was chosen as species of reference because the monogastric herbivore shows intense salivati...
Ringmark S, Lindholm A, Hedenström U, Lindinger M, Dahlborn K, Kvart C, Jansson A.Training of Standardbred race horses aims to improve cardiovascular and metabolic functions but studies on the effects of different training strategies from breaking till racing are lacking. Sixteen horses with the goal to race as 3-year-olds were studied from breaking (1-year-olds) to December as 3-year-olds. Horses were allocated to either a control (C) or reduced (R) training program from 2 years of age. The aim was to evaluate the effect of reducing the distance of high intensity exercise by 30% with respect to velocity at lactate concentration 4 mmol/l (VLa4), blood lactate and cardiovasc...
Sinatra ST, Caiazzo C.d-Ribose is a popular dietary supplement for humans and the equine because of its crucial role in cellular bioenergetics. However, as a reducing sugar, it has been suggested that ingestion of d-ribose might promote the formation of glycated proteins in vivo with potential adverse consequences. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine if d-Ribose would promote the formation of glycated proteins in vivo following exercise in training thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Two groups of horses received the supplement (30 and 50 g d-Ribose daily) for 17 weeks, during which period the horses were...
Elroy NN, Rogers J, Mafi GG, VanOverbeke DL, Hartson SD, Ramanathan R.Our objectives were to determine the non-enzymatic metmyoglobin reduction properties of bovine, porcine, and equine myoglobins and to characterize the effects of pre-incubation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) with myoglobins on non-enzymatic metmyoglobin reduction in vitro. Purified bovine, porcine, and equine metmyoglobins (0.05 mM) were reduced at pH 5.6 and 7.4 in the presence or absence of HNE. Rates of metmyoglobin reduction were monitored by spectrophotometry, and myoglobin adducts were characterized by high-resolution mass-spectrometry. Results showed that the species origins of individual...
Ginther OJ, Wolf CA, Baldrighi JM, Greene JM.Hourly circulating concentrations of a PGF2α metabolite (PGFM), progesterone (P4), and LH were obtained from a reported project, and concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) metabolites (NOMs; nitrates and nitrites) were determined in eight mares. Unlike the reported project, hormone concentrations were normalized to the peak of the first PGFM pulse of luteolysis (early luteolysis), second PGFM pulse (late luteolysis), and a pulse after luteolysis. The duration of luteolysis was 23.1 ± 1.0 hours, and the peak of the first and second PGFM pulses occurred 6.5 ± 0.9 and 14.8 ± 0.8 hours after the ...
Medina-Torres CE, Underwood C, Pollitt CC, Castro-Olivera EM, Hodson MP, Richardson DW, van Eps AW.Failure of lamellar energy metabolism, with or without ischaemia, may be important in the pathophysiology of sepsis-associated laminitis. Objective: To examine lamellar perfusion and energy balance during laminitis development in the oligofructose model using tissue microdialysis. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Six Standardbred horses underwent laminitis induction using the oligofructose model (OFT group) and 6 horses were untreated controls (CON group). Microdialysis probes were placed in the lamellar tissue of one forelimb (all horses) as well as the skin dermis of the tail in OFT hor...
Mendoza FJ, Estepa JC, Gonzalez-De Cara CA, Aguilera-Aguilera R, Toribio RE, Perez-Ecija A.Donkeys are commonly afflicted by endocrine and metabolic disturbances but few studies have investigated endocrine variables involved in energy regulation and their association with morphometric indices, age or gender in this species. Hemostatic and clinical differences have been demonstrated between horses and donkeys, so to consider both species as metabolically and endocrinologically similar could lead to misdiagnosis. In this study, plasma concentrations of glucose, triglycerides and endocrine factors involved in energy homeostasis (insulin, glucagon, leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin and insul...
Prutton JS, Kass PH, Watson JL, Pusterla N.The stability of equine adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) in blood samples is not fully known. The study objectives were to determine ACTH stability (1) in whole blood and plasma over 72 h at either 4 or 21 °C, and (2) in plasma frozen at either -20 or -80 °C over 30 days. Nine horses were sampled and ACTH concentration were measured after storage as whole blood or plasma, at 4, 21, -20 and -80 °C for up to 30 days. The ACTH concentration was significantly reduced at 24 h but remained stable when plasma was frozen at -20 and -80 °C for 30 days. Beyond 24 h, samples stored a...
Blazejewski T, Nursimulu N, Pszenny V, Dangoudoubiyam S, Namasivayam S, Chiasson MA, Chessman K, Tonkin M, Swapna LS, Hung SS, Bridgers J....Sarcocystis neurona is a member of the coccidia, a clade of single-celled parasites of medical and veterinary importance including Eimeria, Sarcocystis, Neospora, and Toxoplasma. Unlike Eimeria, a single-host enteric pathogen, Sarcocystis, Neospora, and Toxoplasma are two-host parasites that infect and produce infectious tissue cysts in a wide range of intermediate hosts. As a genus, Sarcocystis is one of the most successful protozoan parasites; all vertebrates, including birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals are hosts to at least one Sarcocystis species. Here we sequenced Sarcocystis neurona, th...
Zeyner A, Kirchhof S, Susenbeth A, Südekum KH, Kienzle E.Few data on apparent pre-caecal digestibility (APCD) of crude protein (CP) and particularly amino acids (AA) are available from studies with horses. Protein bound in cell walls (i.e. neutral detergent insoluble CP (NDICP)) is unlikely to be decomposed by digestive enzymes in the small intestine. In contrast the corresponding analytical fraction of neutral detergent soluble CP (NDSCP) (NDSCP = CP-NDICP) is likely to be available for auto-enzymatic digestion. A literature analysis on the relationship between NDICP/NDSCP and pre-caecal indigestible/digestible CP was carried out. There was a str...
Karasu GK, Krabbenborg R, Einspanier A, Vervuert I.This study aimed to investigate the effect of a second meal of a fibre- or starch-enriched compound feed on glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in healthy horses. In a cross-over design, horses were fed either a starch-enriched compound feed (SCF) or a fibre-enriched compound feed (FCF). On days of blood collection, test diets were fed in the morning (0800 h, first meal) and a second meal was fed 510 min after the first meal was finished (second meal). Significantly higher glycaemic and insulinaemic responses were associated with SCF compared with FCF. Feeding FCF for the second meal yiel...
Holcombe SJ, Embertson RM, Kurtz KA, Roessner HA, Wismer SE, Geor RJ, Kaneene JB.Increased serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and decreased serum electrolytes are linked to abdomasal displacements in post partum dairy cattle. Post partum colic in mares may be associated with metabolic changes specific to pregnancy and the periparturient period. Objective: To determine if fluctuations in serum NEFA, ionised calcium (iCa) and magnesium (iMg) occurred in periparturient mares and if these alterations were associated with post partum colic. Methods: Longitudinal observational study. Methods: Mares from 3 farms in central Kentucky were enrolled. Blood samples were collected ...
Escalona EE, Leng J, Dona AC, Merrifield CA, Holmes E, Proudman CJ, Swann JR.Metabonomics is emerging as a powerful tool for disease screening and investigating mammalian metabolism. This study aims to create a metabolic framework by producing a preliminary reference guide for the normal equine metabolic milieu. Objective: To metabolically profile plasma, urine and faecal water from healthy racehorses using high resolution (1) H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and to provide a list of dominant metabolites present in each biofluid for the benefit of future research in this area. Methods: This study was performed using 7 Thoroughbreds in race training at a ...
Oliveira CA, Azevedo JF, Martins JA, Barreto MP, Silva VP, Julliand V, Almeida FQ.This study was performed to evaluate the impact of dietary protein levels on nutrient digestibility and water and nitrogen balances in conditioning eventing horses. Twenty-four Brazilian Sport Horses, male and female (8.0 to 15.0 yr; 488 ± 32 kg BW), were used in a randomized design with 4 levels of CP diets: 7.5%, 9.0%, 11.0%, and 13.0%. A digestion assay was performed with partial feces collection over 4 d, followed by 1 d of total urine collection. Data were submitted to regression analysis and adjusted to linear and quadratic models (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in the intake o...
Hansson A, Knych H, Stanley S, Thevis M, Bondesson U, Hedeland M.Selective androgen receptor modulators, SARMs, constitute a class of compounds with anabolic properties but with few androgenic side-effects. This makes them possible substances of abuse and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has banned the entire class of substances. There have been several cases of illicit use of aryl propionamide SARMs in human sports and in 2013, 13 cases were reported. These substances have been found to be extensively metabolized in humans, making detection of metabolites necessary for doping control. SARMs are also of great interest to equine doping control, but the in...
Zielinski J, Mevissen M.Testosterone hydroxylation was investigated in human, canine and equine liver microsomes and in human and canine single CYPs. The contribution of the CYP families 1, 2 and 3 was studied using chemical inhibitors. Testosterone metabolites were analyzed by HPLC. The metabolites androstenedione, 6β- and 11β-hydroxytestosterone were found in microsomes of all species, but the pattern of metabolites varied within species. Androstenedione was more prominent in the animal species, and an increase over time was seen in equines. Testosterone hydroxylation was predominantly catalyzed by the CYP3A subf...
Kwok WH, Kwok KY, Leung DK, Leung GN, Wong CH, Wong JK, Wan TS.The positive findings of norbolethone in 2002 and tetrahydrogestrinone in 2003 in human athlete samples confirmed that designer steroids were indeed being abused in human sports. In 2005, an addition to the family of designer steroids called 'Madol' [also known as desoxy-methyltestosterone (DMT)] was seized by government officials at the US-Canadian border. Two years later, a positive finding of DMT was reported in a mixed martial arts athlete's sample. It is not uncommon that doping agents used in human sports would likewise be abused in equine sports. Designer steroids would, therefore, pose...
Barsuren E, Namkhai B, Kong HS.The objective of this study was to assess differences in serum protein expression profiles of Przewalski's (Mongolian wild horse) and thoroughbred horses using proteome analysis. The serum proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and five different gene products were identified. Proteins represented by the five spots were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS)/MS technology. The identities of all proteins were deduced based on their similarity to proteins in the human plasma protein database. Three pr...
Fortier J, Deley G, Goachet AG, Julliand V.An appropriate energy feeding management that ensures the optimal dietary energy supply according to the energy expenditure (EE) is a crucial component for the horse's performance. The main purpose of this study was to determine the EE during four specific exercises used in the training of Standardbred trotters (promenade, jogging, parcours and interval work-outs). A total of six Standardbred geldings performed four different testing situations on a track. The intensity (expressed in percentage of the maximal velocity over 500 m, i.e. v500) and volume (distance and duration) of the testing sit...
Goachet AG, Julliand V.Measurements of respiratory exchanges in genuine exercise conditions are undoubtedly of interest to further define the energy needs of endurance horses. However, the equine K4b2, the gas exchanges portable device validated for equines, has not been used in Arabian endurance horses yet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to implement field cardio-respiratory measurements in such horses using the equine K4b2 in order to assess energy expenditure (EE). Measurements of heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), respiratory frequency (RF), tidal volume (VT) and ...
Swegen A, Curry BJ, Gibb Z, Lambourne SR, Smith ND, Aitken RJ.Stallion spermatozoa continue to present scientific and clinical challenges with regard to the biological mechanisms responsible for their survival and function. In particular, deeper understanding of sperm energy metabolism, defence against oxidative damage and cell-cell interactions should improve fertility assessment and the application of advanced reproductive technologies in the equine species. In this study, we used highly sensitive LC-MS/MS technology and sequence database analysis to identify and characterise the proteome of Percoll-isolated ejaculated equine spermatozoa, with the aim ...
Collicutt NB, Garner B, Berghaus RD, Camus MS, Hart K.Although delays between blood sample collection and analysis are common in veterinary medicine, the effect of prolonged serum-clot contact time on serum glucose concentration is not well established and species differences have not been elucidated. Objective: The objective was to investigate the effect of storage time and temperature on serum glucose concentration in stored whole blood samples from horse, dog, alpaca, and sturgeon. Methods: Whole blood specimens were divided into 7 no-additive tubes and serum was separated from one sample within one hour, serving as the reference sample. The r...
Čebulj-Kadunc N, Škibin A, Kosec M.The interest in donkeys is growing due to their integration in the systems of ecological farming, among other reasons. Objective: Due to limited reports on leptin concentrations in donkeys, the aim of the present study was to examine age-dependent and seasonal changes in the circulating leptin concentration in female donkeys (jennies) and thus contribute to knowledge about the physiological characteristics of this species. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study. Methods: The study was performed over a year (September 2008 to September 2009) on 20 yearling and young adult (pregnant, lactating ...
Raubenheimer D, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gosby AK, Simpson S.We apply nutritional geometry, a framework for modelling the interactive effects of nutrients on animals, to help understand the role of modern environments in the obesity pandemic. Evidence suggests that humans regulate the intake of protein energy (PE) more strongly than non-protein energy (nPE), and consequently will over- and under-ingest nPE on diets with low or high PE, respectively. This pattern of macronutrient regulation has led to the protein leverage hypothesis, which proposes that the rise in obesity has been caused partly by a shift towards diets with reduced PE:nPE ratios relativ...
Kelley DE, Warren LK, Mortensen CJ.The beneficial effect of L-arginine (L-Arg) supplementation, on the physiology of several species, has generated an interest in the use of L-Arg as a nutraceutical in horses, but dosage and absorption of orally supplemented L-Arg must be inferred from other species. The study objective was to determine the effect of 2 oral L-Arg doses on plasma arginine concentrations and the effect on absorption of other amino acids in mares. In Experiment 1, mares were blocked by age and breed and were fed L-Arg supplemented (supplemented with 0.025% BW L-Arg; n=6) or control (no supplement; n=6) concentrate...
Rivero LA, Concepción JL, Quintero-Troconis E, Quiñones W, Michels PA, Acosta H.Trypanosoma evansi is a monomorphic protist that can infect horses and other animal species of economic importance for man. Like the bloodstream form of the closely related species Trypanosoma brucei, T. evansi depends exclusively on glycolysis for its free-energy generation. In T. evansi as in other kinetoplastid organisms, the enzymes of the major part of the glycolytic pathway are present within organelles called glycosomes, which are authentic but specialized peroxisomes. Since T. evansi does not undergo stage-dependent differentiations, it occurs only as bloodstream forms, it has been ...
Takafuji VA, McIlwraith CW, Howard RD.To evaluate the effects of equine recombinant interleukin-1alpha (rEqIL-1alpha) and recombinant interleukin-1beta (rEqIL-1beta) on proteoglycan metabolism and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis by equine articular chondrocytes in explant culture. Methods: Near full-thickness articular cartilage explants (approx 50 mg) harvested from stifle joints of a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old horse. Methods: Expression constructs containing cDNA sequences encoding EqIL-1alpha and EqIL-1beta were generated, prokaryotically expressed, and the recombinant protein purified. Near full-thickness articular cartilag...
Tait AD, Hodge LC, Allen WR.The production of equilin and the other ring B-unsaturated estrogens by the pregnant mare is anomalous in that they are biosynthesised by a cholesterol-independent pathway. Fetal horse gonads were incubated with tritiated sodium acetate and radiochemically pure 3 beta-hydroxy-5,7-pregnadien-20-one and 3 beta-hydroxy-5,7-androstadien-17-one were isolated. A fetal gonad--placental system is proposed for equilin production, 3 beta-hydroxy-5,7-pregnadien-20-one being a precursor for 3 beta-hydroxy-5,7-androstadien-17-one in the fetal gonad and the latter being the precursor of equilin in the place...
Ono K, Inui K, Hasegawa T, Matsuki N, Watanabe H, Takagi S, Hasegawa A, Tomoda I.The change in activities of 3 major antioxidative enzymes in equine erythrocytes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHpx), and catalase, was investigated in order to evaluate the effect of exercise. Blood samples were obtained from 11 thoroughbred horses before and immediately after vigorous exercise which induced the increase of plasma lipid peroxide (Lpx) concentration from 1.16 +/- 0.40 nmol/ml to 1.29 +/- 0.34 nmol/ml. Following the exercise, the GSHpx activity in erythrocytes was significantly reduced from 69 +/- 10 IU/gHb to 65 +/- 8 IU/gHb, whereas SOD and catalase ac...
Scocco P, Pedini V.Sialic acids modulate the metabolite transport across membranes and may be involved in protection against pathogenic agents. The presence of sialoderivatives in the equine mandibular gland requires further study. Objective: To biochemically visualise in situ the presence of sialoderivatives, by means of mild and strong periodate oxidation and alcoholic saponification, combined with lectin histochemistry and sialidase digestion in order to hypothesise roles for detached sialoderivatives. Methods: Mandibular glands were removed from 8 mature horses of both sexes and subjected to histochemical pr...
Knych HK, Seminoff K, McKemie DS, Kass PH.Acepromazine is a tranquilizer used commonly in equine medicine. This study describes serum and urine concentrations and the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of acepromazine following intravenous, oral, and sublingual (SL) administration. Fifteen exercised adult Thoroughbred horses received a single intravenous, oral, and SL dose of 0.09 mg/kg of acepromazine. Blood and urine samples were collected at time 0 and at various times for up to 72 hr and analyzed for acepromazine and its two major metabolites (2-(1-hydroxyethyl) promazine and 2-(1-hydroxyethyl) promazine sulfoxide) using liqu...
Mengual R, Leblanc G, Sudaka P.The present study determines the characteristics of isotopic Na and lactate exchange under equilibrium conditions in horse kidney brush-border membrane vesicles. The influence of one solute (Na+ or lactate) on the isotopic exchange of the co-transported species (lactate or Na) was analyzed in detail. Analysis of the data suggests that Na and lactate interact sequentially with the carrier. The observed apparent symmetry between the activating effect of low Na concentrations and the inhibiting effect of high Na concentrations on the lactate exchange process suggests that the carrier functions ac...
Guan M, Dai D, Li L, Wei J, Yang H, Li S, Zhang Y, Lin Y, Xiong S, Zhao Z.High levels of triacylglycerols (TGs) have been linked to cardiovascular disease and liver diseases. Comprehensively analyzing TGs is helpful to understand the TGs functions in these diseases. However, due to the existence of a large number of isomers TGs and the lack of commercial standards, precise analysis of individual triacylglycerol (TG) with specific fatty acid chain composition is full of challenge. In this work, ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) were employed for comprehensive qualification and quantificati...
Saengtienchai A, Ikenaka Y, Nakayama SM, Mizukawa H, Kakehi M, Bortey-Sam N, Darwish WS, Tsubota T, Terasaki M, Poapolathep A, Ishizuka M.Interspecific differences in xenobiotic metabolism are a key to determining relative sensitivities of animals to xenobiotics. However, information on domesticated livestock, companion animals, and captive and free-ranging wildlife is incomplete. The present study evaluated interspecific differences in phase II conjugation using pyrene as a nondestructive biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their metabolites have carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting effects in humans and wildlife and can have serious consequences. The authors collec...
Vittur F, Grandolfo M, Fragonas E, Godeas C, Paoletti S, Pollesello P, Kvam BJ, Ruzzier F, Starc T, Mozrzymas JW.Some aspects of the physiology of chondrocytes from horse articular cartilage were studied, since this animal model can be helpful in understanding arthritic processes. The replicative ability of articular chondrocytes, measured by the incorporation of [3H]thymidine, and their capacity of proteoglycan production, evaluated from the incorporation of [35S] sulfate, are very low. In addition, these cells do not differentiate in vitro as shown by the constant specific activity of alkaline phosphatase measured at different times in culture. Two types of potassium channels were identified by patch c...
Merediz EF, Dyer J, Salmon KS, Shirazi-Beechey SP.Fructose can be a suitable carbohydrate supplement for horses before and/or during endurance exercise. In comparison to glucose, the ingestion of fructose results in a lower insulin peak and less marked fluctuations in blood glucose during exercise, potentially avoiding hypoglycaemia-induced exhaustion. Objective: To assess the capacity of the equine small intestine to absorb fructose and to determine the mechanism, molecular structure and properties of equine intestinal fructose transport. Methods: Using PCR-based strategies, RNA isolated from equine small intestine and primers designed to ho...
Michaux MA, Dautant A, Gallois B, Granier T, d'Estaintot BL, Précigoux G.Crystallographic studies of L-chain horse spleen apoferritin (HSF) co-crystallized with Pt-hematoporphyrin IX and Snprotoporphyrin IX have brought significant new insights into structure-function relationships in ferritins. Interactions of HSF with porphyrins are discussed. Structural results show that the nestling properties into HSF are dependent on the porphyrin moiety. (Only protoporphyrin IX significantly interacts with the protein, whereas hematoporphyrin IX does not.) These studies additionally point out the L-chain HSF ability to demetalate metalloporphyrins, a result which is of impor...
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...
Choudhury MP, Wang Z, Zhu M, Teng S, Yan J, Cao S, Yi G, Liu Y, Liao Y, Tang Z.Copy number variations (CNVs) are crucial structural genomic variants affecting complex traits in humans and livestock animals. The current study was designed to conduct a comprehensive comparative copy number variation analysis among three breeds, Debao (DB), Baise (BS), and Warmblood (WB), with a specific focus on identifying genomic regions associated with miniature features in horses. Using whole-genome next-generation resequencing data, we identified 18,974 CNVs across 31 autosomes. Among the breeds, we found 4279 breed-specific CNV regions (CNVRs). Baise, Debao, and Warmblood displayed 2...
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...
Li X, Ma J, Li H, Li H, Ma Y, Deng H, Yang K.The objective of this study was to examine the effects of supplemental β-alanine feeding on the athletic performance of Yili horses involved in speed racing, focusing on alterations in plasma free amino acid patterns pre and post exercise. Additionally, the research aimed to evaluate the effects of carnosine on the plasma acid-base buffering capacity and antioxidant levels in these horses. Twelve Yili horse stallions, averaging 3 years in age and 346.50 ± 21.39 kg in weight, were chosen and randomly divided into two groups: a control group and a test group, each comprising six horses...
Catandi GD, Fresa KJ, Cheng MH, Whitcomb LA, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM.Obesity is a growing concern in human and equine populations, predisposing to metabolic pathologies and reproductive disturbances. Cellular lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction play an important role in the pathologic consequences of obesity, which may be mitigated by dietary interventions targeting these processes. We hypothesized that obesity in the mare promotes follicular lipid accumulation and altered mitochondrial function of oocytes and granulosa cells, potentially contributing to impaired fertility in this population. We also predicted that these effects could be mitigated ...
Peña FJ, Martín-Cano FE, Becerro-Rey L, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Gaitskell-Phillips G, da Silva-Álvarez E, Gil MC.The mammalian ejaculate is very well suited to proteomics studies. As such, research concerning sperm proteomics is offering a huge amount of new information on the biology of spermatozoa. Among domestic animals, horses represent a species of special interest, in which reproductive technologies and a sizeable market of genetic material have grown exponentially in the last decade. Studies using proteomic approaches have been conducted in recent years, showing that proteomics is a potent tool to dig into the biology of the stallion spermatozoa. The aim of this review is to present an overview of...
The response to exercise following a rest period may vary among horse breeds based on the importance of the hematological and hematochemical profiles of athletic horses. Ten Standardbred and ten Italian Saddlebred mares were subjected to a 4-week training program after a seasonal rest, and hematological parameters (red blood cells-RBCs; hemoglobin-Hb; hematocrit-Hct; platelets-PLTs; platelet aggregation-AG; aggregation slope-Slope; fibrinogen-Fb), as well as Albumin (Alb) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), were analyzed. Blood samples were obtained each week during the training program fo...
Alberts MK, Clarke CR, MacAllister CG, Homer LM.To determine the pharmacokinetics of acetazolamide administered IV and orally to horses. Methods: 6 clinically normal adult horses. Methods: Horses received 2 doses of acetazolamide (4 mg/kg of body weight, IV; 8 mg/kg, PO), and blood samples were collected at regular intervals before and after administration. Samples were assayed for acetazolamide concentration by high-performance liquid chromatography, and concentration-time data were analyzed. Results: After IV administration of acetazolamide, data analysis revealed a median mean residence time of 1.71 +/- 0.90 hours and median total body c...
Amis TC, Pascoe JR, Hornof W.The regional distribution of ventilation to perfusion ratios (VA/Q) in the lungs of 8 healthy standing Thoroughbred geldings (4.4 +/- 1.5 years, 465.7 +/- 46.6 kg) was studied, using steady-state inhalation and IV infusion of the radioactive gas krypton-81m. The VA/Q was uniformly distributed within a vertical lung strip centered over the 9th rib on the right side. Ventilation per unit of alveolar volume (V/VA) assessed from the clearance of inhaled radioactive gas in 5 horses increased from 0.49 +/- 0.13 (arbitrary units) in nondependent lung zones to 1.45 +/- 0.16 in dependent lung zones. Se...
Leung YH, Kenéz Á, Grob AJ, Feige K, Warnken T.Sphingolipids modulate insulin sensitivity in mammals. Increased synthesis of ceramides is linked to decreased insulin sensitivity of tissues. Conversely, activation of the insulin signaling pathway can downregulate ceramide synthesis. Elucidating the association between sphingolipid metabolism and insulin response during oral glucose testing may help explain the pathophysiology of insulin dysregulation in horses. Objective: Horses with insulin dysregulation will have a plasma sphingolipid profile characterized by increased ceramide concentrations. The plasma sphingolipid profile will have dec...
Valberg SJ, Velez-Irizarry D, Williams ZJ, Pagan JD, Mesquita V, Waldridge B, Maresca-Fichter H.Horses have a slow rate of muscle glycogen repletion relative to other species for unknown reasons. Our aim was to determine the expression of glucose transporters () and genes impacting GLUT4 expression and translocation in the gluteal muscle. Five fit Thoroughbred horses performed glycogen-depleting exercises on high-starch (HS, 2869 g starch/day) and low-starch, high-fat diets (LS-HF, 358 g starch/d) with gluteal muscle biopsies obtained before and after depletion and during repletion. Muscle glycogen declined by ≈30% on both diets with little increase during repletion on LS-HF. Transcrip...
Rossdale PD, Burguez PN, Cash RS.Blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and plasma cortisol levels were measured before and after (1) the injection of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH1-24) in 8 Thoroughbreds and (2) exercise in 5 Thoroughbreds in training. Plasma cortisol levels were significantly (P less than 0.01) increased within 60 mins of injection of ACTH1-24 and immediately after exercise. The mean neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio altered significantly (P less than 0.01) at 240 mins after ACTH1-24 administration and at 180 mins after a training gallop. A transient lymphocytosis occurred following exercise.
Boshuizen B, Moreno de Vega CV, De Maré L, de Meeûs C, de Oliveira JE, Hosotani G, Gansemans Y, Deforce D, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Delesalle C.Aleurone, a layer of the bran fraction, is deemed to be responsible for the positive health effects associated with the consumption of whole-grain products. Studies on rodents, pigs, and humans report beneficial effects of aleurone in five main areas: the reduction of oxidative stress, immunomodulatory effects, modulation of energy management, digestive health, and the storage of vitamins and minerals. Our study is the first aleurone supplementation study performed in horses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an increase in the dose levels of aleurone on the postprandial g...
