Microscopy in equine research involves the use of various microscopic techniques to study the cellular and subcellular structures of horses. This field encompasses the examination of tissues, cells, and microorganisms to gain insights into equine health, disease mechanisms, and physiological processes. Techniques such as light microscopy, electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy are employed to observe and analyze samples at high magnification, providing detailed information on morphology and pathology. Microscopy aids in the diagnosis of diseases, identification of pathogens, and evaluation of cellular responses to treatments. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the applications, methodologies, and findings of microscopy in the study of equine biology and medicine.
Mansfield J, Yu J, Attenburrow D, Moger J, Tirlapur U, Urban J, Cui Z, Winlove P.A combination of two-photon fluorescence (TPF), second harmonic generation (SHG) and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging has been used to investigate the elastin fibre network in healthy equine articular cartilage from the metacarpophalangeal joint. The elastin fibres were identified using their intrinsic two-photon fluorescence and immuno-staining was used to confirm the identity of these fibres. SHG was used to reveal the collagen matrix and the collagen fibre orientations were determined from their SHG polarization sensitivity, while CARS was used to clearly delineate the c...
Capucchio MT, Márquez M, Pregel P, Foradada L, Bravo M, Mattutino G, Torre C, Schiffer D, Catalano D, Valenza F, Guarda F, Pumarola M.Many age-related changes are described in the nervous system of different species, but detailed studies of brain lesions in ageing horses are lacking. The aim of the present study was to systematically characterize lesions in the brains of 60 horses aged from 7 to 23 years. No gross changes were present in any brain. Microscopically, spongiform changes, lipofuscin storage, corpora amylacea, gliosis and satellitosis were common, together with axonal and neuronal swellings. The most important findings were the presence of pseudocalcium-calcium (pCa-Ca) deposits and arterial wall degeneration. Sc...
Oliveira CH, Vasconcelos AB, Souza FA, Martins-Filho OA, Silva MX, Varago FC, Lagares MA.Addition of cholesterol to sperm membranes improved equine sperm stability during semen cryopreservation; however, it also reduced in vivo fertility. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of adding cholesterol to stallion sperm prior to freezing, and subsequently removing it from frozen-thawed sperm. Semen from 12 stallions was subjected to four treatments: (T1) control, semen was diluted with Kenney extender, centrifuged, and resuspended to 100 x 10(6)spermatozoa/mL in INRA 82 freezing extender, packaged into 0.5-mL straws, cooled to 5 degrees C, and cryopreserved in...
Hirvinen LJ, Litsky AS, Samii VF, Weisbrode SE, Bertone AL.To compare biomechanical strength, interface quality, and effects of bone healing in bone-implant interfaces that were untreated or treated with calcium phosphate cement (Ca-cement), magnesium phosphate cement (Mg-cement), or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in horses. Methods: 6 adult horses. Methods: 4 screw holes were created (day 0) in each third metacarpal and third metatarsal bone of 6 horses. In each bone, a unicortical screw was placed in each hole following application of Ca-cement, Mg-cement, PMMA, or no treatment (24 screw holes/treatment). Screws were inserted to 2.82 N m torque. Hors...
Scherzer J, Fayrer-Hosken RA, Aceves M, Hurley DJ, Ray LE, Jones L, Heusner GL.We evaluated combinations of two commercial semen extenders and three concentrations of glycerol to determine the combination that yielded the highest post-thaw sperm motility. Methods: A randomised 2 x 3 block design was used. Methods: Semen was collected from four stallions (6 collections per stallion). The sample was diluted with either a dried skim-milk glucose extender (EZ Mixin Original Formula) or a chemically defined, milk-free diluent (INRA 96), and each was used in combination with 2%, 3% or 4% glycerol in standard commercial freezing medium. Sperm motility was assessed by microscopy...
Grant DC, Westropp JL, Shiraki R, Ruby AL.Laser lithotripsy has been used as an alternative to surgical removal of uroliths. Objective: To describe the procedure and efficacy of laser lithotripsy for removal of lower urinary tract uroliths in horses. Additionally, the ultrastructure and the differences in mineralogy and microstructure from 1 successful and 1 unsuccessful laser lithotripsy case are described. Methods: Six client-owned horses with 7 episodes of naturally occurring urocystoliths, urethroliths, or both. Methods: Retrospective study of all horses treated between 2006 and 2008 by laser lithotripsy. All horses were sedated f...
Cohen RD, Scott DW, Erb HN.Multinucleated histiocytic giant cells (MHGC) are seen frequently in skin-biopsy specimens from horses with inflammatory dermatoses. However, the prevalence, number and morphological types of these cells have not been reported. Objective: To determine the prevalence, number and morphological types of MHGC in equine inflammatory dermatoses, and the association of these cells with specific conditions. Methods: Skin-biopsy specimens from 335 horses with inflammatory dermatoses and from 27 horses with normal skin were evaluated for the prevalence, number and morphological types of MHGC. Results: T...
Schneberger D, Caldwell S, Suri SS, Singh B.Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) has been found to be the main receptor to respond to bacterial DNA in a wide variety of species. Recent work has shown that TLR9 is expressed in a diverse set of cells within the lung. However, much of this data has been centered on human and mouse cell culture lines or primary cultures and very little is known of TLR9 expression in intact lung, especially that of the horse. Here we show that TLR9 is expressed in the lungs of horses in a wide variety of cells. In particular, we note expression in pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs), alveolar macrophages, bron...
Hanly BK, Stokes AM, Bell AM, Johnson JR, Keowen ML, Paulsen DB, Sod GA, Moore RM.To determine the feasibility of performing serial laminar and skin biopsies on sedated horses and whether sampling affected adjacent tissues. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Laminar tissues were harvested via biopsy through the hoof wall from healthy conscious horses via sedation and regional anesthesia. Eight specimens were collected at 4 time points during 24 hours from a single foot. Laminar biopsy specimens were harvested with a 6-mm-diameter biopsy punch after burring through the horny corium to the stratum medium. Skin biopsy specimens were collected from an area proximal to the coronary ban...
Hirano Y, Kimura J, Nambo Y, Yokota H, Nakamura S, Takemoto S, Himeno R, Mishima T, Matsui M, Miyake YI.The structure of the equine ovary is different from that of other mammals in its extremely large size, the presence of ovarian fossa and the inverted location of its cortex and medulla. A three-dimensional internal structure microscopy (3D-ISM), which consists of a computer-controlled slicer, a CCD camera, a laser disc recorder and a PC, is very useful for the observation of the internal structures in equine ovaries. In addition, the three-dimensional images of follicles and corpus luteum (CL) reconstructed by the segmentation technique can clarify the spatial arrangement in the equine ovary. ...
Kimura J, Kakusho N, Yamazawa K, Hirano Y, Nambo Y, Yokota H, Himeno R.The 3D internal structure microscopy (3D-ISM) was applied to the equine ovary, which possesses peculiar structural characteristics. Stereolithography was applied to make a life-sized model by means of data obtained from 3D-ISM. Images from serially sliced surfaces contributed to a successful 3D reconstruction of the equine ovary. Photopolymerized resin models of equine ovaries produced by stereolithography can clearly show the internal structure and spatial localizations in the ovary. The understanding of the spatial relationship between the ovulation fossa and follicles and/or corpora lutea i...
Brianti E, Giannetto S, Traversa D, Chirgwin SR, Shakya K, Klei TR.A mixed population of equine cyathostomin (Nematoda, Strongyloidea) infective third stage larvae (L3) was cultured in vitro using a cell-free medium. Some L3 were cultured immediately after Baermann collection from fecal cultures, while others were kept in water at 4 degrees C for 7 days before initiating the in vitro cultures. Cultures were examined daily for viability. At days 2, 7, 14 and 21 larvae were collected for identification of developmental stage and morphological changes, using both light and scanning electron microscopy. Larvae were classified as early L3 (EL3), developing L3 (DL3...
Patan B, Budras KD, Licka TF.To establish an ex vivo model of blood perfusion in the distal portion of isolated equine forelimbs that closely represents the in vivo situation in the laminar tissue of the hoof. Methods: 18 forelimbs collected from 9 healthy adult horses following slaughter at a licensed abattoir. Methods: The distal portion of isolated equine forelimbs from 9 horses were perfused under physiologic conditions over a period of 6, 8, and 10 hours with autologous blood. To determine cell viability in perfused tissues, indicators for metabolism (lactate generation and glucose and oxygen consumption) as well as ...
Moretti A, Mangili V, Salvatori R, Maresca C, Scoccia E, Torina A, Moretta I, Gabrielli S, Tampieri MP, Pietrobelli M.Babesia caballi and Theileria equi are the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. In this preliminary epidemiological study, 412 horses reared in central and northern Italy were sampled and three diagnostic methods compared, namely, the microscopy, the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and a PCR. Possible risk factors (such as area, season, breed, activity, sex, age, and grazing) associated with serological positivity were evaluated. A seroprevalence of 68.4% was found: 12.4% of the animals had anti-T. equi antibodies, 17.9% anti-B. caballi antibodies and 38.1% had antibodies agains...
Janvilisri T, Scaria J, Thompson AD, Nicholson A, Limbago BM, Arroyo LG, Songer JG, Gröhn YT, Chang YF.Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming enteric anaerobe which can infect humans and a wide variety of animal species. Recently, the incidence and severity of human C. difficile infection has markedly increased. In this study, we evaluated the genomic content of 73 C. difficile strains isolated from humans, horses, cattle, and pigs by comparative genomic hybridization with microarrays containing coding sequences from C. difficile strains 630 and QCD-32g58. The sequenced genome of C. difficile strain 630 was used as a reference to define a candidate core genome of C. difficile a...
Brama PA, Holopainen J, van Weeren PR, Firth EC, Helminen HJ, Hyttinen MM.We investigated the effects of exercise-induced loading on the collagen network of equine articular cartilage. Collagen fibril architecture at a site (1) subjected to intermittent high-intensity loading was compared with that of an adjacent site (2) sustaining continuous low-level load. From horses exposed to forced exercise (CONDEX group) or not (PASTEX group), the spatial parallelism of fibrils and the orientation angle between fibrils and the surface at depths 9 microm apart through cartilage from surface to tidemark were determined using polarized light microscopy, and expressed as paralle...
Imhasly A, Frey CF, Mathis A, Straub R, Gerber V.The protozoon parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is an important cause of diarrhea in farm animals, but it can also infect other animals and humans. In this case report, oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. were microscopically detected by modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining in the feces of a 9 day old Arabian colt presented with yellowish, foul smelling, diarrhea and fever of 40 degrees C. PCR and sequencing of the isolate revealed C. parvum (bovine genotype). Hemato-chemical analysis of the foals blood revealed a marked hypogammaglobulinaemia (IgG 108mg/dl). The colt responded well to a supportive thera...
Moger CJ, Arkill KP, Barrett R, Bleuet P, Ellis RE, Green EM, Winlove CP.An investigation of collagen fiber reorientation, as well as fluid and matrix movement of equine articular cartilage and subchondral bone under compressive mechanical loads, was undertaken using small angle X-ray scattering measurements and optical microscopy. Small angle X-ray scattering measurements were made on healthy and diseased samples of equine articular cartilage and subchondral bone mounted in a mechanical testing apparatus on station ID18F of ESRF, Grenoble, together with fiber orientation analysis using polarized light and displacement measurements of the cartilage matrix and fluid...
Darain F, Gan KL, Tjin SC.A simple microfluidic immunoassay card was developed based on polystyrene (PS) substrate for the detection of horse IgG, an inexpensive model analyte using fluorescence microscope. The primary antibody was captured onto the PS based on covalent bonding via a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of thiol to pattern the surface chemistry on a gold-coated PS. The immunosensor chip layers were fabricated from sheets by CO(2) laser ablation. The functionalized PS surfaces after each step were characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (...
Cnudde V, Masschaele B, De Cock HE, Olstad K, Vlaminck L, Vlassenbroeck J, Dierick M, Witte YD, Van Hoorebeke L, Jacobs P.Micro-CT is a non-destructive technique for 3D tomographic investigation of an object. A 3D representation of the internal structure is calculated based on a series of X-ray radiographs taken from different angles. The spatial resolution of current laboratory-used micro-CT systems has come down over the last years from a few tens of microns to a few microns. This opens the possibility to perform histological investigations in 3D on a virtual representation of a sample, referred to as virtual 3D histology. The advantage of micro-CT based virtual histology is the immediate and automated 3D visua...
Yi NY, Davis JL, Salmon JH, Gilger BC.To determine ocular distribution and toxicity of a single injection of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in normal horses. Methods: Six adult horses, donated to North Carolina State University. Methods: Six horses were injected intravitreally with either 10, 20, or 40 mg (n = 2 each) of TA. The opposite eye of each horse was injected with balanced salt solution (BSS). Ocular toxicity was assessed by biomicroscopy, tonometry, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and electroretinogram. Aqueous humor (AH), vitreous humor (VH), and plasma samples were collected. Horses were euthanized 7 or 21 days aft...
Dacre I, Kempson S, Dixon PM.Examination of 57 apically infected maxillary cheek teeth (CT) showed one or more viable pulps and minimal apical calcified tissue changes present in recently infected CT. With chronic infections, pulps were necrotic or absent, pulp horns were filled with food if occlusal pulpar exposure was present, and gross caries of dentine was occasionally present. With chronic infections, the apical changes varied from gross destructive changes in some teeth, to extensive proliferative calcified apical changes in others. Infundibular caries was believed to cause apical infection in just 16% of infected (...
Staszyk C, Bienert A, Kreutzer R, Wohlsein P, Simhofer H.A poorly described, painful disorder of incisor and canine teeth, variably causing periodontitis, with resorptive or proliferative changes of the calcified dental tissues, has recently been documented in aged horses. No plausible aetiopathogenesis for this syndrome has been recorded. Eighteen diseased teeth from eight horses were examined grossly and microscopically and showed the presence of odontoclastic cells by tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. A chronological sequence of odontoclastic resorption followed by hypercementosis was demonstrated and, consequently, the term eq...
Rubio-Martínez LM, Cruz AM, Gordon K, Hurtig MB.To characterize the microstructure of subchondral bone (SCB) plate and trabecular bone (TBB) of the distopalmar aspect of the condyles of third metacarpal bones (MC3s) from Thoroughbred racehorses at 2 different stages of SCB disease via micro-computed tomography (CT). Methods: 12 pairs of MC3s from Thoroughbred racehorses euthanized for various reasons. Methods: MC3s were collected from horses with mild (n = 6) or severe (6) SCB disease, as determined via micro-CT. Cubic (6 x 6 x 6-cm) specimens of SCB plate and TBB were cut from the palmar aspect of condyles and sagittal ridges and examined ...
Phetudomsinsuk K, Sirinarumitr K, Laikul A, Pinyopummin A.One of the semen quality parameters use to determine fertility is the percentage of sperm that express normal morphology. Sperm head morphometry is also correlated with fertility. The objectives of this study were 1) to investigate the sperm morphology and normal sperm head morphometry of Thai native crossbred stallions, and 2) to compare our results with the characteristics of proven fertile sperm from purebred stallions. Methods: Semen samples were collected monthly from nine stallions, of which five were Thai native crossbred (T) and four were purebred of proven fertility (F: F1 was a Stand...
Freytag C, Seeger J, Siegemund T, Grosche J, Grosche A, Freeman DE, Schusser GF, Härtig W.The present study was performed on whole-mount preparations to investigate the chemical neuroanatomy of the equine myenteric plexus throughout its distribution in the intestinal wall. The objective was to quantify neurons of the myenteric plexus, especially the predominant cholinergic and nitrergic subpopulations. Furthermore, we investigated the distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and the calcium-binding protein calretinin. Samples from different defined areas of the small intestine and the flexura pelvina were taken from 15 adult horses. After fixation and preparation of the ti...
Motloang MY, Thekisoe OM, Alhassan A, Bakheit M, Motheo MP, Masangane FE, Thibedi ML, Inoue N, Igarashi I, Sugimoto C, Mbati PA.The prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in the north-eastern Free State Province of South Africa was determined by examination of thin and thick Giemsa-stained blood smears, IFAT and PCR. No parasites were detected by microscopy from any blood samples collected at five study sites, Qwaqwa, Kestell, Harrismith, Vrede and Warden. Of the tested serum samples, 28/29 (96.5%), 20/21 (95.2%) and 42/42 (100%) were positive by IFAT for T. equi infections in Harrismith, Kestell and Qwaqwa, respectively, and 5/29 (17.2%), 13/21 (61.9%) and 30/42 (71.4%) were sero-positive for B. c...
Holopainen JT, Brama PA, Halmesmäki E, Harjula T, Tuukkanen J, van Weeren PR, Helminen HJ, Hyttinen MM.The effects of growth and maturation on the mineral deposition and the collagen framework of equine subchondral bone (SCB) were studied. Methods: Osteochondral specimens (diameter 6 mm) from the left metacarpophalangeal joint of 5-(n=8), 11-(n=8) and 18-month-old (n=6) horses were investigated at two differently loaded sites (Site 1 (S1): intermittent peak loading; Site 2 (S2): habitual loading). The SCB mineral density (BMD) was measured with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT), and the data were adjusted against the volume fraction (Vv) of the bone extracellular matrix (ECM). ...
Sevinc F, Maden M, Kumas C, Sevinc M, Ekici OD.Blood and serum samples were taken from 481 horses, from a stud farm or a racecourse, and tested by microscopic examination of blood smears and cELISA for Theileria equi (T. equi) and Babesia caballi (B. caballi) infections. At the time of sampling, animals were also examined for tick infestations and clinical disease, which were not observed in any of the sampled horses. During the microscopic examination of thin blood smears, parasites were detected in the three horses from the racecourse. Overall seroprevalence of infection was detected as 18.50% (89 of 481 horses) by cELISA, with T. equi b...
Vandekerckhove A, Glorieux S, Broeck WV, Gryspeerdt A, van der Meulen KM, Nauwynck HJ.An in vitro model of the upper respiratory tract of the horse was developed to investigate mechanisms of respiratory diseases. Four tissues of the upper respiratory tract of three horses were collected. Explants were maintained in culture at an air-liquid interface for 96h. At 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96h of cultivation, a morphometric analysis was performed using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The explants were judged on morphometric changes of epithelium, basement membrane and connective tissue. Viability was evaluated using a fluorescent Termin...
Te Moller NCR, Mohammadi A, Plomp S, Serra Bragança FM, Beukers M, Pouran B, Afara IO, Nippolainen E, Mäkelä JTA, Korhonen RK, Töyräs J....This study aimed to quantify the long-term progression of blunt and sharp cartilage defects and their effect on joint homeostasis and function of the equine carpus. In nine adult Shetland ponies, the cartilage in the radiocarpal and middle carpal joint of one front limb was grooved (blunt or sharp randomized). The ponies were subjected to an 8-week exercise protocol and euthanized at 39 weeks. Structural and compositional alterations in joint tissues were evaluated in vivo using serial radiographs, synovial biopsies, and synovial fluid samples. Joint function was monitored by quantitative gait...
Laws EG, Freeman DE.Fifteen horses under halothane anesthesia were assigned randomly to three groups of 5 horses each as follows. In group 1, the distal 50% of the small intestine was measured through a ventral midline celiotomy and replaced in the abdomen so that these horses could serve as sham-operated controls. In group 2, the same segment of small intestine was subjected to venous strangulation obstruction (VSO) for 180 min. In group 3, the same segment of small intestine was subjected to VSO for 90 minutes, followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion. Biopsies of small intestine were taken from all horses to asse...
Gerber V, Gehr P, Straub R, Frenz M, King M, Im Hof V.The aim of this ex-vivo study on excised tracheas of healthy horses was to characterise the microscopic heterogeneity of mucus quality by a visual grading system based on transparency and to determine whether differences in mucus quality, assessed by a visual grading system, influence tracheal mucus velocity (TMV). Small pieces of each trachea were mounted into a humidified chamber under a microscope. Mucus quality was visually subdivided into four grades (MG) and ciliary beat frequency and TMV were determined. Mucus on excised horse tracheal epithelium does not form a homogenous layer. We obs...
Ehmann R, Brandes K, Antwerpen M, Walter M, V Schlippenbach K, Stegmaier E, Essbauer S, Bugert J, Teifke JP, Meyer H.Cases of pox-like lesions in horses and donkeys have been associated with poxviruses belonging to different genera of the family . These include the orthopoxviruses vaccinia virus (VACV), horsepoxvirus (HPXV) and cowpoxvirus (CPXV), as well as a potentially novel parapoxvirus and molluscum contagiosum virus (MOCV). However, with the exception of VACV, HPXV and CPXV, the genomic characterization of the causative agents remains largely elusive with only single short genome fragments available. Here we present the first full-length genome sequence of an equine molluscum contagiosum-like virus (EM...
Holland RE, Sriranganathan N, DuPont L.Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli was isolated from a 3-day-old foal with diarrhea. The isolate was distinguished from nonpathogenic E coli by determining the presence of pili and enterotoxin production. A standard slide agglutination test was performed, using pooled antisera that contained antibodies against K99 and F41 pilus antigens, K87 capsular antigen, and 0101 somatic antigen. Agglutination of the antisera occurred in the presence of the isolate. Piliation was verified by use of negative-contrast electron microscopy. Further, the isolate produced a heat-labile enterotoxin-like antigen th...
de Paz Cabello P, Chamorro CA, Sandoval J, Fernandez M.The mechanical papillae of the horse and cow were studied by scanning electron microscopy in order to determine their morphostructural characteristics and the differences between the two species. The horse has only thin, small and interlaced filiform papillae, while the cow shows robust and more ordered filiform papillae. Furthermore, the cow tongue presents conical and lenticular papillae surrounded by a papillary groove. A characteristic distribution of stratified scales and channeled tracts is observed in conical and lenticular papillae but not in the filiform papillae. The morphostructural...
Kieffer PJ, Williams JM, Shepard MK, Giguère S, Epstein KL.The objectives of the study were to: i) determine baseline microvascular perfusion indices (MPI) and assess their repeatability in healthy horses under general anesthesia, and ii) compare the MPIs of 3 microvascular beds (oral mucosa, colonic serosa, and rectal mucosa). Healthy adult horses were anesthetized and sidestream dark field microscopy was used to collect video loops of the oral mucosa, rectal mucosa, and colonic serosa under normotensive conditions without cardiovascular support drugs; videos were later analyzed to produce MPIs. Baseline MPI values were determined for each site, whic...
Kim DY, Taylor HW, Eades SC, Cho DY.AL amyloidosis is the most common type of systemic amyloidosis in humans, and it is frequently associated with multiple myeloma. But, AL amyloidosis is very rare in domestic animals. A 16-year-old Quarter horse gelding was diagnosed with systemic AL amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma. Clinical problems were rapid weight loss, muscle atrophy, soft unformed stool, and ventral edema. Grossly, diffuse gastrointestinal hemorrhage, markedly thickened jejunal mucosa, and splenomegaly were present. Microscopically, diffuse severe amyloid deposits were present in the lamina propria of glandul...
Sells DM, Hildebrandt PK, Lewis GE, Nyindo MB, Ristic M.The ultrastructure of the etiological agent of equine ehrlichiosis, Ehrlichia equi, was studied in equine peripheral leukocytes. The organisms occurred within membrane-lined cytoplasmic vacuoles of neutrophils and eosinophils. Ovoid, round, and rod-shaped profiles were observed. From 1 to 33 organisms were present in a thin-section profile of a cytoplasmic vacuole. Many cells contained multiple organism-containing vacuoles. The organisms had a cell wall and plasma membrane, and internally they consisted of electron-dense and lucid areas. A great variation in size was observed. The morphologica...
Ladds PW, Thomas AD, Pott B.A case of acute meningoencephalomyelitis caused by infection with Pseudomonas pseudomallei is described. Clinically there was inability to stand, opisthotonus, facial paralysis and nystagmus, rapidly progressing to violent struggling. Gross examination revealed malacia and haemorrhage in the medulla oblongata and adjacent spinal cord. Microscopically there were disseminated focal neutrophilic accumulations in affected areas, perivascular cuffing with mononuclear cells and lymphocytes and marked oedema. Intracellular bacteria were identified in sections stained by the Giemsa method.
Staszyk C, Gasse H.The distribution and arrangement of oxytalan fibres were examined in periodontal specimens of cheek teeth from seven horses. Oxidation prior to aldehyde fuchsin exposition permitted a selective staining of the oxytalan fibres, which are a distinct component of the elastic fibre system. On three horizontal levels of the periodontium--(a) subgingival, (b) middle third and (c) apical--two oxytalan fibre groups were shown histologically: 'blood vessel-related' and 'independent' oxytalan fibres. In levels a and b, both groups were arranged in a typical occluso-apical alignment along the reserve cro...
Murray RC, Znaor N, Tanner KE, DeBowes RM, Gaughan EM, Goodship AE.Dorsal carpal osteochondral injury is a major cause of lameness in horses undergoing high intensity training. Intra-articular corticosteroid treatment is used commonly to manage exercise-associated articular pain, but its use remains highly controversial in the equine athlete. This project, therefore, aimed to compare the mechanical properties of intra-articular MPA and diluent-treated middle carpal subchondral and cancellous bone in horses undergoing a short-term treadmill exercise programme. It was hypothesised that subchondral and cancellous bone mechanical properties are influenced by intr...
Bani Hassan E, Mirams M, Ghasem-Zadeh A, Mackie EJ, Whitton RC.To gain a better understanding of the aetiology of articular surface collapse in horses with palmar osteochondral disease. Objective: To determine whether acceleration of focal bone resorption associated with reduced physical activity contributes to articular surface collapse in racehorses with palmar osteochondral disease. Methods: Cross-sectional study comparing metacarpal bones from horses at varying stages of race training. Methods: Metacarpal bones from 36 racing Thoroughbred horses were examined with high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography to determine the proportion ...
Dabareiner RM, Snyder JR, White NA, Pascoe JR, Harmon FA, Gardner I, Woliner MJ, Pinney D, Sullins KE.Microvascular permeability of the jejunum of clinically normal equids and microvascular permeability associated with 60 minutes of ischemia (25% baseline blood flow) and subsequent reperfusion were investigated. Eight adult horses were randomly allotted to 2 equal groups: normal and ischemic/reperfusion injury. Lymphatic flow rates, mesenteric blood flow, and lymph and plasma protein concentrations were determined at 15-minute intervals throughout the study. Microvascular permeability was determined by estimates of the osmotic reflection coefficient, which was determined when the ratio of lymp...
Farah AW, Hegazy NA, Romany MM, Soliman YA, Daoud AM.Twenty-three blood samples were used in this study; five were from five naturally infected horses with Babesia equi (B. equi), while eighteen were from asymptomatic horses with equine babesiasis from different localities in Egypt. All samples were subjected to microscopic examination, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The carrier animals were microscopically detected in 7 out of 18 samples (38.8%) and in 9 of 18 by using IFA (50%), whereas PCR revealed that 14 samples were positive (78%). Two synthetic oligonucleotide primers, based on the B. equi me...
Mungall BA, Pollitt CC.In situ gelatin zymography is a simple technique providing valuable information about the cellular and tissue localization of gelatinases. Until recently, the use of this technique has been confined to soft, relatively homogeneous tissue. In this report in situ zymography has been utilized to assess the sub-lamellar location of gelatinases in the hard, semi-keratinized epidermal layer and the adjacent soft connective tissue matrix of the dermis of the equine hoof. We show that alterations in the orientation at which the tissue is dipped and withdrawn from the emulsion cause profound alteration...
Grüninger B, Schoon HA, Schoon D, Menger S, Klug E.The morphology of endometrial blood vessels in uterine biopsy specimens from mares of varying age and reproductive status was examined by light (n = 117) and electron microscopy (n = 13), and additionally after elastase digestion (n = 86). Inflammatory vascular alterations were observed in 20.5% of the specimens. Smaller and larger arterial and venous vessels demonstrated mild to severe degenerative lesions. Unaltered vessels were detected only in maiden mares. Vessels in older maiden mares were frequently affected by angiosclerotic changes, characterized by mild to moderate perivascular and i...
Habibi G, Esmaeilnia K, Hablolvarid MH, Afshari A, Zamen M, Bozorgi S.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is the cause of persistent tick-borne infection with no symptoms, but the most important problem of EP is due to the persistent carrier state. Carrier animals to Babesia (Theileria) equi (Laveran 1901) and B. caballi (Nuttall, 1910) infestation could be identified by extremely sensitive PCR-based method. The purpose of this study was to identify the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis based on molecular and microscopic assays in equids from Kurdistan Province, Iran. Methods: Thirty one horse and mule blood samples were used with history of living in Kurdistan Pro...
Yu F, Liu B, Chen S, Yi Z, Liu X, Zhu Y, Li J.A 5-year-old Mongolian mare (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) was observed to have corneal opacity and excessive ocular discharge. An ophthalmic examination revealed a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the right eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically. The worm was observed under light microscopy and confirmed as Setaria digitata by 12S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated similarity with Setaria digitata in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank database isolated from other Asian countries...
Simones P, De Geest JP, Lauwers H.The pectinate ligaments of ten horses, two donkeys, five oxen, five sheep, ten goats, five dogs, five cats, thirty pigs and two rabbits were studied under the stereomicroscope and the scanning electron microscope. In the horse and the donkey, the pectinate ligament was very prominent and was characterized by sturdy interconnected strands and relatively small intertrabecular spaces. The pectinate ligaments of ruminants were composed of shorter strands, separated by relatively larger spaces. Fusion between adjacent strands, resulting in the formation of fenestrated sheets, was regularly observed...
Kihurani DO, Nantulya VM, Mbiuki SM, Mogoa E, Nguhiu-Mwangi J, Mbithi PM.Equines are particularly susceptible to infection with Trypanosoma evansi and T. brucei, but rarely is natural T. congolense and T. vivax infection seen in horses. An outbreak of trypanosomosis occurred in a herd of horses used for patrolling the pineapple fields on the Del Monte Farm, Thika, Kenya initially involving 6 horses. On subsequent screening of the entire group, T. brucei, T. congolense and T. vivax infections were detected in 16 of the 35 horses. The tests used for diagnosis included microscopic examination of stained blood smears, buffy coat technique, mouse inoculation and antigen...
Clarke AF, Madelin T.This paper describes and compares three techniques of categorisation of hay, straw and other feeds and beddings collected from stables. A hand-held sampler was used to categorise samples according to the presence of plant material, fungal spores and dust mites. An Andersen sampler was used to categorise samples according to the thermotolerances of fungi and actinomycetes. An aerodynamic particle sizer was used to categorise samples according to respirable particle release rates. The highest burden of respirable particles was associated with the presence of thermophilic and thermotolerant actin...
Meyers S, Burruel V, Kato M, de la Fuente A, Orellana D, Renaudin C, Dujovne G.In this study we examined the timeline of mitotic events of invitro-produced equine embryos that progressed to blastocyst stage using non-invasive time-lapse microscopy (TLM). Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) embryos were cultured using a self-contained imaging incubator system (Miri®TL; Esco Technologies) that captured brightfield images at 5-min intervals that were then generated into video for retrospective analysis. For all embryos that progressed to the blastocyst stage, the initial event of extrusion of acellular debris preceded all first cleavages and occurred at mean (±s.e.m.)...
Mills PC, Hills Y, Hills BA.To investigate the presence of surface-active phospholipid (SAPL, or surfactant) in equine tendon and tendon sheath fluid. Methods: The left front flexor tendon and sheath were removed from five Thoroughbred horses. Phospholipid was extracted from tendon sheath fluid using Folch reagent and quantified using spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the tendon surfaces. Results: The presence of phospholipid (90.6 (SD 4.3) microg/ml) in tendon sheath fluid, plus the appearance of oligolamellar layers and lamellar bodies on the tendon surface were indicative of SAPL...
Ghaoui Rel-H, Thomson PC, Evans G, Maxwell WM.Membrane vesicles, separated by differential centrifugation from the seminal plasma, were detected in the sperm-rich ejaculate fractions of four boars and three stallions, and in the whole ejaculates of seven rams. The volume and percentage of vesicles, determined by a stereological technique, were higher in the sperm-rich than in the post-sperm-rich fractions of the boar and stallion ejaculates, and no vesicles were detected in the pre sperm-rich fractions. Vesicles were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For boar, stallion and ram semen...
Handschuh S, Okada CTC, Walter I, Aurich C, Glösmann M.Here, we describe a workflow for high-detail microCT imaging of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) equine embryos recovered on Day 34 of pregnancy (E34), a period just before placenta formation. The presented imaging methods are suitable for large animals' embryos with intention to study morphological and developmental aspects, but more generally can be adopted for all kinds of FFPE tissue specimens. Microscopic 3D imaging techniques such as microCT are important tools for detecting and studying normal embryogenesis and developmental disorders. To date, microCT imaging of vertebrate e...
Vashisht K, Rock RW, Summers BA.A 5-year-old National Show horse mare presented with a soft mass on the left dorsolateral aspect of the tongue. Over the next 2 years, the mare developed numerous, similar, coalescing masses that extended along the left dorsolateral aspect to the tip of the tongue. Microscopically, the bases for these masses were slender, fusiform, mesenchymal cells that formed compact whorls around myelinated and unmyelinated nerves. These cells were labeled by antibodies directed against vimentin but not by S-100. Ultrastructurally, multiple, concentrically arranged, long, slender cell processes, with discon...
Vukojević V, Bowen AM, Wilhelm K, Ming Y, Ce Z, Schleucher J, Hore PJ, Terenius L, Morozova-Roche LA.Recent evidence supports the idea that early aggregates, protein, and lipoprotein oligomers but not large aggregates like fibrils that are formed at late stages of the aggregation process are responsible for cytotoxicity. Oligomers can interact with the cellular plasma membrane affecting its structure and/or dynamics or may be taken up by the cells. In either case, disparate cascades of molecular interactions are activated in the attempt to counteract the disturbance induced by the oligomers. If unsuccessful, cell death follows. Here, we study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying P...
Szeredi L, Pospischil A, Dencsö L, Mathis A, Dobos-Kovács M.A Lippizan mare aborted a male fetus a few days before the expected foaling date without showing any clinical sings. Focal lympho-histiocytic hepatitis in the foal and multiplex focal lympho-histiocytic villitis accompanied by villus necroses and marked hypertrophy of chorionic epithelial cells in the arcades were observed. Elongated nucleated organisms were seen in groups in vacuoles or solitarily located in the cytoplasm of the chorionic epithelial cells. The organisms were in large numbers and often extracellularly in areas of villitis and villus necroses. They were Gram-positive, stained w...
