Phosphatases are enzymes that catalyze the removal of phosphate groups from molecules, playing a significant role in various biochemical processes within horses. These enzymes are involved in regulating metabolic pathways, cellular signaling, and energy transfer. In equines, phosphatases are crucial for maintaining normal physiological functions and are studied for their involvement in bone metabolism, muscle function, and cellular communication. Variations in phosphatase activity can indicate metabolic or health issues, making them relevant in veterinary diagnostics and research. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the types, functions, and clinical implications of phosphatases in equine biology.
Bucci D, Giaretta E, Spinaci M, Rizzato G, Isani G, Mislei B, Mari G, Tamanini C, Galeati G.Alkaline phosphatase (AP) has been studied in several situations to elucidate its role in reproductive biology of the male from different mammalian species; at present, its role in horse sperm physiology is not clear. The aim of the present work was to measure AP activity in seminal plasma and sperm extracts from freshly ejaculated as well as in frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa and to verify whether relationship exists between AP activity and sperm quality parameters. Our data on 40 freshly ejaculated samples from 10 different stallions demonstrate that the main source of AP activity is semi...
Nedjadi T, Moran AW, Al-Rammahi MA, Shirazi-Beechey SP.The diet of the horse, pasture forage (grass), is fermented by the equine colonic microbiota to short-chain fatty acids, notably acetate, propionate and butyrate. Short-chain fatty acids provide a major source of energy for the horse and contribute to many vital physiological processes. We aimed to determine both the mechanism of butyrate uptake across the luminal membrane of equine colon and the nature of the protein involved. To this end, we isolated equine colonic luminal membrane vesicles. The abundance and activity of cysteine-sensitive alkaline phosphatase and villin, intestinal luminal ...
Whitworth DJ, Ovchinnikov DA, Sun J, Fortuna PR, Wolvetang EJ.In this study we have reprogrammed dermal fibroblasts from an adult female horse into equine induced pluripotent stem cells (equiPSCs). These equiPSCs are dependent only on leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), placing them in striking contrast to previously derived equiPSCs that have been shown to be co-dependent on both LIF and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). These equiPSCs have a normal karyotype and have been maintained beyond 60 passages. They possess alkaline phosphatase activity and express eqNANOG, eqOCT4, and eqTERT mRNA. Immunocytochemistry confirmed that they produce NANOG, REX1,...
Waghmare AB, Salvi NC, Deopurkar RL, Shenoy PA, Sonpetkar JM.Several biochemical and hematological changes in horses are observed during production of snake antivenom. Although conventional adjuvants like Freund's (Complete and Incomplete) are good immunopotentiators, they produce considerable local reactions in animals. Variety of commercial adjuvants, like montanide adjuvants, having high immunopotentiation and showing lesser side effects are available. The prime objective during antivenom production is to strike a balance between safety of immunized horses and efficacy of the product. In our earlier work, efficacy of montanide group of adjuvants in a...
Glynn ER, Londono AS, Zinn SA, Hoagland TA, Govoni KE.The use of equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) is a novel method to improve fracture healing in horses. However, additional research is needed to identify optimal culture conditions and to determine the mechanisms involved in regulating BMSC differentiation into osteoblasts. The objectives of the experiments were to determine: 1) if autologous or commercial serum is better for proliferation and differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts, and 2) the expression of key transcription factors during the differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts. Equine BMSC were isolated fro...
Ozaydın T, Celik I, Sur E, Oznurlu Y, Uluısık D.We attempted to characterize the cytochemical staining patterns of leukocytes and to determine the percentages of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) and acid phosphatase (ACPase) positive lymphocytes in peripheral blood of thoroughbred foals at different ages. Blood samples were obtained from the jugular veins of 60 healthy thoroughbred foals, 1 day, 3 days and 1 year old. Each age group included 10 male and 10 female animals. Peroxidase (PO) activity was detected in neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes. Lymphocytes were negative for PO staining. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was o...
Giannitti F, Petrov R, Parker J, Booth M, Anderson M.A 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding presented with a 97-day history of poor performance and intermittent fever. Clinicopathologic changes included increased serum activity of γ-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase, mild hyperbilirubinemia, and leukocytosis with neutrophilia and lymphopenia. Abdominal ultrasound revealed hepatomegaly with hyperechoic hepatic parenchyma and biliary distention. Pathologic findings included marked hepatomegaly (liver 3.6% of body weight), firm hepatic consistency with a diffuse enhanced reticular pattern, severe portal bridging and sinusoidal fibrosis, oval...
Papasouliotis K, Tennant KV, Dodkin S, Mason J.Falcor 350 is a wet-reagent biochemistry analyser that is available for in-house use. The aim of this study was to compare the results produced by this analyser with those obtained by the KoneLab 30i that served as the reference instrument. Blood samples from 60 clinical cases were analysed for urea, creatinine, total proteins, albumin, creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, total calcium, phosphate, sodium, and potassium using both instruments. Good to excellent correlations (r s value) value) were identified for creatinine (0.88), total proteins (...
Ankringa N, Wijnberg ID, Boerma S, Ijzer J.A 6-year-old Friesian stallion was examined because of signs of exercise intolerance, stiff gait and symmetrical hind weakness, and increased serum liver enzymes. On presentation, the horse showed muscle atrophy of the hindquarters. Neurological investigation showed no abnormalities. Laboratory findings revealed a prolonged prothrombin time and increased levels of alkaline phosphatase (AF), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and bile acids. Histological evaluation of the liver revealed severe cirrhosis and intracytoplasmic greyish ...
Blanchard TL, Varner DD, Brinsko SP, Love CC.Determining the cause of failure to ejaculate sperm can be a diagnostic dilemma. The first diagnostic step is to ascertain whether the stallion is ejaculating. If the stallion appears to ejaculate, but there is azoospermia (absence of sperm in the seminal fluid), testing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in seminal plasma can determine whether testicular and epididymal fluids are present. If ALP activity is low, the possibility of either blockage to sperm outflow in the excurrent duct system or retrograde ejaculation should be pursued diagnostically. If ALP activity is high, the possibility ...
Figueroa RJ, Koch TG, Betts DH.To investigate the osteogenic differentiation potential of equine umbilical cord blood-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (CB-MSC) within coralline hydroxyapatite scaffolds cultured in osteogenic induction culture medium. Methods: Scaffolds seeded with equine CB-MSC were cultured in cell expansion culture medium (control) or osteogenic induction medium (treatment). Cell viability and distribution were confirmed by the MTT cell viability assay and DAPI nuclear fluorescence staining, respectively. Osteogenic differentiation was evaluated after 10 days using reverse transcription polym...
Kareskoski M, Sankari S, Johannisson A, Kindahl H, Andersson M, Katila T.Semen jets in the stallion's ejaculate differ in both the biochemical composition of seminal plasma (SP) and in sperm concentration, forming sperm-rich fractions (HIGH) and sperm-poor fractions (LOW). This study examined (i) the association of the levels of selected components of SP [alkaline phosphatase (AP), acid phosphatase (ACP), Na(+), Cl(-), K(+), Ca, Mg and prostaglandin E(2)] with semen quality, sperm longevity and fertility; (ii) the effects of the presence of SP on sperm survival during cooled storage; (iii) the differences in the composition of SP between sperm-rich and sperm-poor e...
Easterwood L, Chaffin MK, Marsh PS, Porter B, Barr C.66 horses were potentially exposed to phosphine (a gas) 14 hours after being fed a pelleted ration treated with aluminum phosphide. Results: 28 horses had clinical signs of profuse sweating, tachycardia, tachypnea, pyrexia, ataxia, seizures, and widespread muscle tremors. Clinically relevant laboratory findings included hypoglycemia and high plasma concentrations of lactate and ammonia and activities of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. At least 4 horses had signs consistent with hepatic encephalopathy. Necropsy findings included petechial and...
Kareskoski AM, Reilas T, Sankari S, Andersson M, Güvenc K, Katila T.Seminal plasma (SP) is a mixture of contents from the testes, epididymides and accessory sex glands. The sperm concentration is highest in the first few jets, or fractions, of the ejaculate, and the composition of SP varies between these fractions because accessory gland secretions are released in a specific order. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of Na, Cl, K, Mg, Ca, inorganic phosphate (Pi) and the enzymes alkaline phosphatase (AP), acid phosphatase (ACP) and β-glucuronidase (BG) in the different fractions of the ejaculate and in different stallions. All semen collections we...
Filipović N, Stojević Z, Prvanović N, Tucek Z.Pregnancy and lactation are periods of significant influence on bone metabolism that has not been investigated in equines. To examine the influence of late pregnancy and lactation on bone metabolism in mares, the changes in the blood serum/plasma total calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphates (Pi), pyridinoline (Pyd) and 17beta-estradiol (E2) concentration and the bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) activity were investigated. The samples were taken from 11 mares on 60+/-10 and 20+/-10 days before foaling, and 20+/-10 and 60+/-10 days after foaling. The concentration/activity of Ca, Pi, Pyd and BAP incr...
Matéos A, Miclo L, Mollé D, Dary A, Girardet JM, Gaillard JL.alpha(S1)-Casein was isolated from Haflinger mare's milk by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and displayed great micro-heterogeneity by 2-dimensional electrophoresis, probably because of a variable degree of phosphorylation and alternative splicing events. The aim of the present work was to investigate the complexity of the mare's alpha(S1)-casein. The different isoforms present in milk were submitted to a double treatment of dephosphorylation, first by using alkaline phosphatase and then acid phosphatase to achieve complete dephosphorylation. The apoforms were then analyzed by electrosp...
Violini S, Ramelli P, Pisani LF, Gorni C, Mariani P.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been recently investigated for their potential use in regenerative medicine. MSCs, in particular, have great potential, as in various reports they have shown pluripotency for differentiating into many different cell types. However, the ability of MSCs to differentiate into tendon cells in vitro has not been fully investigated. Results: In this study, we show that equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), defined by their expression of markers such as Oct4, Sox-2 and Nanog, have the capability to differentiate in tenocytes. These differentiated cell...
Stewart AA, Byron CR, Pondenis HC, Stewart MC.To determine whether expansion of equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by use of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) prior to supplementation with dexamethasone during the chondrogenic pellet culture phase would increase chondrocytic matrix markers without stimulating a hypertrophic chondrocytic phenotype. Methods: MSCs obtained from 5 young horses. Methods: First-passage equine monolayer MSCs were supplemented with medium containing FGF-2 (0 or 100 ng/mL). Confluent MSCs were transferred to pellet cultures and maintained in chondrogenic medium containing 0 or 10(7)M dexamethasone. Pellets were...
Saulez MN, Gummow B, Slovis NM, Byars TD, Frazer M, MacGillivray K, Bain FT.Veterinary internists need to prognosticate patients quickly and accurately in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This may depend on laboratory data collected on admission, the cost of hospitalisation, length of stay (LOS) and mortality rate experienced in the NICU. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study of 62 equine neonates admitted to a NICU of a private equine referral hospital to determine the prognostic value of venous clinicopathological data collected on admission before therapy, the cost of hospitalisation, LOS and mortality rate. The WBC count, total CO2 (TCO2) and alkalin...
Trumble TN, Brown MP, Merritt KA, Billinghurst RC.Validate use of a commercially available immunoassay for measurement of bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) in equine serum and synovial fluid (SF), and investigate the effects of osteochondral (OC) injury in horses on BAP concentrations in serum and SF. Methods: SF was collected from 37 joints of 34 Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery for the removal of OC fragments from either the carpal joints (n=18) or the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal (MP) joints (n=19). SF was also obtained from 52 joints of 16 normal TB horses, collected bilaterally from carpal joints of 10 horses ...
Vidal MA, Kilroy GE, Lopez MJ, Johnson JR, Moore RM, Gimble JM.To characterize equine adipose tissue-derived stromal cell (ASC) frequency and growth characteristics and assess of their adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential. Methods: In vitro experimental study. Methods: Horses (n=5; aged, 9 months to 5 years). Methods: Cell doubling characteristics of ASCs harvested from supragluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue were evaluated over 10 passages. Primary, second (P2), and fourth (P4) passage ASCs were induced under appropriate conditions to undergo adipogenesis and osteogenesis. Limit dilution assays were performed on each passage to determine ...
Giovannini S, Brehm W, Mainil-Varlet P, Nesic D.Tissue engineering (TE) has emerged as a promising new therapy for the treatment of damaged tissues and organs. Adult stem cells are considered as an attractive candidate cell type for cell-based TE. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been isolated from a variety of tissues and tested for differentiation into different cell lineages. While clinical trials still await the use of human MSC, horse tendon injuries are already being treated with autologous bone marrow-derived MSC. Given that the bone marrow is not an optimal source for MSC due to the painful and risk-containing sampling procedure, i...
Strand E, Braathen LC, Hellsten MC, Huse-Olsen L, Bjornsdottir S.The Icelandic horse is a pristine breed of horse which has a pure gene pool established more than a thousand years ago, and is approximately the same size as living and extinct wild breeds of horses. This study was performed to compare the length of the skeletal growth period of the "primitive" Icelandic horse relative to that reported for large horse breeds developed over the recent centuries. This information would provide practical guidance to owners and veterinarians as to when the skeleton is mature enough to commence training, and would be potentially interesting to those scientists inve...
Delguste C, Amory H, Doucet M, Piccot-Crézollet C, Thibaud D, Garnero P, Detilleux J, Lepage OM.Tiludronate, a bisphosphonate, has recently been introduced in veterinary medicine to treat orthopedic conditions in the horse. This study was designed to evaluate its effects on biochemical biomarkers of bone metabolism and on bone density and structure in an experimental model of disuse osteoporosis induced by cast application in horses. Methods: Two groups of eight horses were immobilized during 8 weeks. The first group (P-group) received a placebo, and the second group (T-group) received tiludronate 1 mg/kg by slow IV infusion. Both treatments were administered twice, 28 days apart. Immobi...
Miclo L, Girardet JM, Egito AS, Mollé D, Martin P, Gaillard JL.Highly phosphorylated casein with a low molecular mass was isolated from Haflinger mare's milk by RP-HPLC. It accounts for 4.0% of the casein content. Its mass was determined by LC-ESI-MS before and after treatment by alkaline phosphatase. The molecular mass found for the apo-form (10,591 +/- 2 Da) is in agreement with its primary structure, which was established by ESI-MS/MS from tryptic peptides. It appeared that this short protein (94 amino acid residues) is an internally truncated form of the full-length equine beta-casein (226 residues). This low-Mr variant of equine beta-casein displays ...
Johnson AL, Divers TJ, Freckleton ML, McKenzie HC, Mitchell E, Cullen JM, McDonough SP.Fourteen horses at a boarding stable in Virginia were diagnosed with hepatic disease and locally grown hay was implicated as the cause. Objective: Panicum dichotomiflorum, the predominant grass species in the hay, is hepatotoxic to horses. Methods: Naturally occurring cases were adult horses of various breeds. Two healthy adult horses and 2 healthy adult sheep were used in feeding trials. Methods: Blood and liver specimens collected from affected animals during the outbreak were analyzed. Some of the affected animals were treated supportively; the main intervention was hay withdrawal. Feeding ...
Staszyk C, Gasse H.Fibroblasts and cementoblasts in the periodontal ligament (PDL) of equine cheek teeth were harvested, and monocultures were obtained by means of a "selective detachment" procedure. Cells were characterized by morphological criteria and by immunostaining for vimentin, FVIII, pan-cytokeratin, smooth muscle actin, and pro-collagen. Cementogenic potential of the cells was determined by immunostaining for osteopontin and by histochemical detection of alkaline phosphatase. Equine periodontal fibroblasts (EPF) were spindle-shaped and polygonal. Equine dental cementoblasts (EDC) grew in cobblestone-li...
Li X, Zhou SG, Imreh MP, Ahrlund-Richter L, Allen WR.Inner cell mass (ICM) cells were isolated immunosurgically from day 7-8 horse blastocysts and, after proliferation in vitro for 15-28 passages, three lines of cells were confirmed to be embryonic stem (ES) cells by their continued expression of alkaline phosphatase activity and their ability to bind antisera specific for the recognized stem cell markers, SSEA-1, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81, and the key embryonic gene Oct-4. When maintained under feeder cell-free conditions in vitro, the three lines of cells differentiated into cells of ectodermal, endodermal, and mesodermal lineages. However, they did ...
Saito S, Sawai K, Minamihashi A, Ugai H, Murata T, Yokoyama KK.We describe here the isolation and maintenance of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells from equine blastocysts that have been frozen and thawed. Equine ES cells appear to maintain a normal diploid karyotype in culture. These cells express markers that are characteristic of mouse ES cells, namely, alkaline phosphatase, stage-specific-embryonic antigen 1, STAT3, and Oct4. We also describe protocols for the induction of differentiation in vitro to neural precursor cells in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor and to he...
Girardet JM, Miclo L, Florent S, Mollé D, Gaillard JL.beta-Casein was isolated from Haflinger mare's milk by RP-HPLC, and displayed microheterogeneity by urea-electrophoresis and 2-DE probably due to a variable degree of phosphorylation. To investigate the degree of phosphorylation, the primary structure of equine beta-casein was determined by tryptic hydrolysis and MS of peptides released and by MS of the protein treated by alkaline phosphatase. The molecular mass found for the apo-form of Haflinger mare's beta-casein (25 514 +/- 3 Da) was close to the theoretical mass of the reported sequence (GenBank AAG43954) modified by insertion of a region...
Hoffmann WE, Baker G, Rieser S, Dorner JL.Effects of induced cholestasis and hepatocellular necrosis and of fasting on serum biochemical constituents including bile acids, IgA, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), arginase, and the clearance of sodium sulfobromophthalein were studied in 4 groups of equids. The reference value for serum bile acids, as determined by an enzymatic colorimetric procedure for horses and ponies was 5.94 +/- 2.72 mumol/L, there being no statistical difference for horses and ponies. Sample collection at time of feeding had no effect on serum bile acid concentration. Seemingly, seru...
Price JS, Jackson B, Eastell R, Wilson AM, Russell RG, Lanyon LE, Goodship AE.In this study we tested the hypothesis that exercise induces an adaptive response in the developing skeleton which may be monitored in vivo by measuring biochemical markers of bone metabolism. The effects of exercise on two biochemical markers of bone formation were determined; the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), and the bone-specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and one putative marker of resorption, the pyridinoline crosslinked telopeptide domain of type I collagen (ICTP). All three markers were measured for a year in 2-year-old thoroughbred horses exerc...
Gee E, Davies M, Firth E, Jeffcott L, Fennessy P, Mogg T.Copper (Cu) supplementation of dams in late gestation may be protective against articular cartilage abnormalities in foals. Articular cartilage was harvested from 22 Thoroughbred foals at 160 days of age, at sites predisposed to osteochondrosis (OC), and examined for evidence of early cartilage abnormalities and established dyschondroplastic (DCP) lesions to determine if there were any significant differences due to mare Cu supplementation by injection during late gestation, or foal liver Cu concentration. Cu supplemented mares received calcium Cu edetate injections in late gestation (250 mg a...
Rose RJ, Purdue RA, Hensley W.The effects of prolonged strenous exercise on the plasma concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate, albumin, cholesterol, glucose, creatinine, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, creatine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase and asparate amino transferase were studied in a group of 26 horses competing in an endurance ride. There were significant changes in most parameters, when control values were compared with those taken immediately after the ride. There was also a significant correlation between several biochemical parameters and heart rate taken 30 minutes ...
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...
Love S, Mair TS, Hillyer MH.A retrospective analysis of the clinical and laboratory findings from 51 adult horses with chronic diarrhoea revealed that the most common conditions were larval cyathostomiasis (14 cases), idiopathic chronic colitis (nine cases) and alimentary lymphoma (five cases). Five animals had diarrhoea as a result of non-alimentary disease. A diagnosis was reached in 37 cases, but only 15 were made ante mortem. Among the 18 animals (35 per cent) which survived, there were five cases of larval cyathostomiasis, one case of colonic impaction and 12 cases were undiagnosed. The most frequent abnormalities d...
Price JS, Jackson B, Eastell R, Goodship AE, Blumsohn A, Wright I, Stoneham S, Lanyon LE, Russell RG.Biochemical markers of bone metabolism were analysed in serum samples obtained from 60 horses with no history of orthopaedic disease (age 3 months-20 years). Serum levels of the carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), a marker of bone formation and the pyridinoline cross linked telopeptide domain of type I collagen (ICTP), a putative marker of bone resorption, were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Serum levels of the bone specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (BALP), another marker of bone formation, were measured by a wheatgerm agglutinin affinity (WGA) method. Total ...
Williamson LH, Andrews FM, Maykuth PL, White SL, Green EM.Blood samples were collected 12-16 h before the Speed and Endurance test, immediately after steeplechase, midway through Phase C (4 km marker), at the end of Phase C and immediately after cross-country from 36 horses that completed a 3-day-event at the CCI* (n = 19) or CCI** (n = 17) level. Packed cell volume (PCV), plasma concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, ionized calcium, pH and lactate; and serum concentrations of total protein (TP), albumin, total calcium, alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glucos...
Peek SF, Divers TJ.The medical approach to treatment of cholangiohepatitis and cholelithiasis in 9 horses is described. Seven horses were treated successfully and returned to normal use, with a minimum follow-up period of 12 months. Long-term antimicrobial therapy was believed to be critical in those cases that survived, with a median treatment duration of 51 days (range 17-124 days). Treatment failure was associated with severe periportal and bridging hepatic fibrosis from biopsy material obtained at admission in 2 horses, one of whom also presented with hyperammonaemic hepatic encephalopathy. Transabdominal ul...
Sembratowicz I, Zięba G, Cholewinska E, Czech A.This study compared the effect of two dietary vegetable oils on plasma biochemical indices, haematological parameters, and redox status of horses. Forty riding horses (20 mares and 20 stallions) of the Malopolski breed were divided equally into two groups that were similar in terms of age, sex, and body weight (on average 530 ± 30 kg). The horses received soybean oil (SO) or flaxseed oil (FO) in the amount of 25 mL per 100 kg BW/day. After 60 days, blood was collected for biochemical and haematological analyses. The results show that horses receiving FO as compared to the SO group had signifi...
Zavy MT, Sharp DC, Bazer FW, Fazleabas A, Sessions F, Roberts RM.Uterine secretions were obtained on Days 4, 8, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 of the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. Acid phosphatase activity was significantly affected by day of the cycle, reaching a maximum at days 12-14 during the luteal phase and then declining to almost undetectable levels, by Day 20. In pregnant animals, activity continued to increase beyond Day 14. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that albumin was a major component. However, a number of unique proteins of non-serum origin appeared in mid-cycle but had disappeared by Day 20. One of these was a basic ...
Brommer H, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Kessels B.Reference values for haematological and blood biochemical variables may vary per breed and are influenced by age and, to a certain extent, by rearing conditions. To investigate the influence of age and rearing conditions, these variables were measured in Dutch Warmblood foals from birth to 5 months of age. The foals were divided into three groups with different exercise regimens: 14 foals got boxrest with no exercise; 14 foals were kept in comparable boxes, but received daily exercise; and 15 foals were maintained on pasture with free exercise. Blood samples were collected each month and 36 ha...
Bazzano M, Bonfili L, Eleuteri AM, Serri E, Scollo C, Yaosen Y, Tesei B, Laus F.A proper knowledge of biochemical parameters and inflammatory markers like serum amyloid A (SAA) is crucial in the monitoring of the first post-partum period in equids. Since no information is available on SAA for donkeys at this stage, 50 animals including jennies (n.10) and newborn foals (n.10) within 48 hr from foaling, and jennies (n.10) and foals (n.20) after 30 days from parturition were enrolled in the study to assess routine biochemical profile including SAA. Jennies showed higher alkaline phosphatase and lower bilirubins and cholesterol at 30 days of lactation compared to post-part...
Bucci D, Giaretta E, Spinaci M, Rizzato G, Isani G, Mislei B, Mari G, Tamanini C, Galeati G.Alkaline phosphatase (AP) has been studied in several situations to elucidate its role in reproductive biology of the male from different mammalian species; at present, its role in horse sperm physiology is not clear. The aim of the present work was to measure AP activity in seminal plasma and sperm extracts from freshly ejaculated as well as in frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa and to verify whether relationship exists between AP activity and sperm quality parameters. Our data on 40 freshly ejaculated samples from 10 different stallions demonstrate that the main source of AP activity is semi...
Soroko M, Górniak W, Zielińska P, Górniak A, Śniegucka K, Nawrot K, Korczyński M.Shiitake mushrooms have been highly regarded as possessing enormous nutritive and medicinal values. No clinical studies have yet investigated the effect of shitake supplementation on the health of horses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of shiitake mushroom supplementation on the morphological and biochemical blood properties in horses. A total of 17 adult horses were divided into two groups: supplemented and control. The supplemented group was fed 60 g of shiitake mushrooms per day for 5 months. Blood samples were collected in five sessions. Blood morphological analysis showe...
Saulez MN, Cebra CK, Tornquist SJ.Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme present in intestinal mucosa, bile, bone, and renal tubule cells. We sought to assess the diagnostic and prognostic relationships of total ALP (ALPt) activity and that of intestine-derived ALP (ALPi) in serum and peritoneal fluid of 126 horses with colic. ALPt and ALPi activities were measured in both serum and peritoneal fluid by using both standard and L-phenylalanine-based buffers, respectively. Neither ALPt nor ALPi activity were useful in classifying type or severity of intestinal damage. ALPt and ALPi activities in peritoneal fluid were lowest in h...
Reilas T, Katila T.Uterine lavage fluids from postpartum and nonparturient mares were compared to determine when the normal secretory capacity of the postpartum uterus is restored. Lavage fluids were obtained from cyclic nonparturient mares on the second, fourth or fifth day of oestrus, and 3, 8, or 14 days after ovulation (seven mares/sampling day). Twelve intact postpartum mares were sampled 1 to 28 days postpartum (group A: 1, 6, 12 and 20; group B: 2, 8, 14 and 24; group C: 4, 10, 16 and 28 days postpartum; four mares/group). Three ovariectomized (OVX) postpartum mares were sampled as mares in group C. Sampl...
Shen DT, Gorham JR, McGuire TC.An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of equine infectious anemia (EIA) antibody in horse sera. Purified P26 viral protein was the antigen; alkaline phosphatase linked to rabbit anti-horse immunoglobulin G was the conjugate. The ELISA detected EIA antibodies in horse sera as early as 11 to 14 days after experimental inoculations. There was full agreement between the results of ELISA and the agar-gel immunodiffusion tests on EIA proficiency test sera. The ELISA readily detected EIA antibody in horse sera that had weak positive reactions on agar-ge...
Saulez MN, Gummow B, Slovis NM, Byars TD, Frazer M, MacGillivray K, Bain FT.Veterinary internists need to prognosticate patients quickly and accurately in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This may depend on laboratory data collected on admission, the cost of hospitalisation, length of stay (LOS) and mortality rate experienced in the NICU. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study of 62 equine neonates admitted to a NICU of a private equine referral hospital to determine the prognostic value of venous clinicopathological data collected on admission before therapy, the cost of hospitalisation, LOS and mortality rate. The WBC count, total CO2 (TCO2) and alkalin...
Andrews FM, Spurgeon TL.The histologic and histochemical staining characteristics of the triceps brachii (long head), extensor carpi radialis, gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and extensor digitorum longus muscles of 8 Thoroughbreds, 2 Quarter Horses, 1 Arabian, 1 Paso Fino, and 1 Shetland Pony are described. Muscle fiber morphology, staining distribution and intensity, amount of IM connective tissue, number of IM blood vessels and IM nerves, calcium-activated adenosine triphosphatase activity (CaATPase), percentage of fibertype population, percentage of relative fibe...
Rohde C, Anderson DE, Bertone AL, Weisbrode SE.To determine the effects of phenylbutazone (PBZ) on bone activity and bone formation in horses. Methods: 12 healthy 1- to 2-year-old horses. Methods: Biopsy was performed to obtain unicortical bone specimens from 1 tibia on day 0 and from the contralateral tibia on day 14. Fluorochromic markers were administered IV 2 days prior to and on days 0, 10, 15, and 25 after biopsy was performed. Six horses received PBZ (4.4 mg/kg of body weight, PO, q 12 h) and 6 horses were used as controls. All horses were euthanatized on day 30 and tissues from biopsy sites, with adjacent cortical bone, were collec...
Johnson AL, Divers TJ, Freckleton ML, McKenzie HC, Mitchell E, Cullen JM, McDonough SP.Fourteen horses at a boarding stable in Virginia were diagnosed with hepatic disease and locally grown hay was implicated as the cause. Objective: Panicum dichotomiflorum, the predominant grass species in the hay, is hepatotoxic to horses. Methods: Naturally occurring cases were adult horses of various breeds. Two healthy adult horses and 2 healthy adult sheep were used in feeding trials. Methods: Blood and liver specimens collected from affected animals during the outbreak were analyzed. Some of the affected animals were treated supportively; the main intervention was hay withdrawal. Feeding ...
Burkhardt E, von Saldern F, Huskamp B.On clinical examination, a six-year-old Hassian gray gelding with a history of impaired performance, slight cough, colic, and edema of the ventral abdomen, prepuce and the legs had reduced skin turgor, pale mucous membranes, forced costoabdominal breathing, reduced venous return, enlarged lymph nodes, and splenomegaly. Hematologic findings revealed anemia, leukocytosis and a high percentage of monocytoid leukemic cells. Generalized lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, ascites, hydrothorax, and a diffusely thickened gut wall were found at necropsy. Massive infiltration with monocytoid leukemic cells ...
Hank AM, Hoffmann WE, Sanecki RK, Schaeffer DJ, Dorner JL.Automated and semiautomated assays were developed and validated for the determination of equine alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes including intestinal (IALP), bone (BALP), and liver (LALP). The addition of levamisole selectively inhibited more than 97% of LALP while inhibiting only 55% of IALP. Because these percentages were highly reproducible in an automated system, the IALP activity could be calculated in a sample. Bone alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme was selectively precipitated by adding an equal volume of wheat germ agglutinin (5 mg/mL), incubating for 30 minutes at 37 degrees C, and centri...
Kareskoski M, Sankari S, Johannisson A, Kindahl H, Andersson M, Katila T.Semen jets in the stallion's ejaculate differ in both the biochemical composition of seminal plasma (SP) and in sperm concentration, forming sperm-rich fractions (HIGH) and sperm-poor fractions (LOW). This study examined (i) the association of the levels of selected components of SP [alkaline phosphatase (AP), acid phosphatase (ACP), Na(+), Cl(-), K(+), Ca, Mg and prostaglandin E(2)] with semen quality, sperm longevity and fertility; (ii) the effects of the presence of SP on sperm survival during cooled storage; (iii) the differences in the composition of SP between sperm-rich and sperm-poor e...
de Castro RVG, Pieri NCG, Fantinato Neto P, Grizendi BM, Dória RGS, Meirelles FV, Smith LC, Garcia JM, Bressan FF.The cellular reprogramming into pluripotency is influenced by external and internal cellular factors, such as culture conditions (e.g., environmental oxygen concentration), and the aging process. Herein, we aimed to generate and maintain equine iPSCs (eiPSCs) derived from fibroblasts of a horse older than 20 years and to evaluate the effect of different levels of oxygen tension (atmospheric 20% O, 5% O, or 20% to 5% O) on these cells. Fibroblasts were reprogrammed, and putative eiPSCs were positive for positive alkaline phosphatase detection; they were positive for pluripotency-related genes ...
Atwal OS, McDonell W, Staempfli H, Singh B, Minhas KJ.The pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs) of horse contain a unique electron-dense globular surface-coat which is arranged in a linear fashion in conformity with the contours of the cell membrane. The coat is sensitive to heparin treatment and to the digestive effect of lipolytic lipase, suggesting that the coat is predominantly composed of lipoproteins. During the present study, ultrastructural features of PIMs were analysed after exposing horses to halothane inhalation which was chosen as the model agent of lipid-soluble anaesthetic. The surface-coat showed acute sensitivity to halothan...
Staszyk C, Gasse H.Fibroblasts and cementoblasts in the periodontal ligament (PDL) of equine cheek teeth were harvested, and monocultures were obtained by means of a "selective detachment" procedure. Cells were characterized by morphological criteria and by immunostaining for vimentin, FVIII, pan-cytokeratin, smooth muscle actin, and pro-collagen. Cementogenic potential of the cells was determined by immunostaining for osteopontin and by histochemical detection of alkaline phosphatase. Equine periodontal fibroblasts (EPF) were spindle-shaped and polygonal. Equine dental cementoblasts (EDC) grew in cobblestone-li...
Price JS, Jackson BF, Gray JA, Harris PA, Wright IM, Pfeiffer DU, Robins SP, Eastell R, Ricketts SW.This study describes longitudinal changes in serum levels of biochemical markers of bone cell activity in a group of 24 thoroughbred foals from birth to 18 months of age. The markers of bone formation included the type I collagen carboxy-terminal propeptide (PICP), the bone-specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and osteocalcin (OC). Levels of the cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), a marker of bone resorption, and the N-terminal propeptide of type III collagen (PNIIIP), a marker of soft tissue turnover, were also measured. Levels of all markers fell significantly be...
