The physiology of horses encompasses the study of the biological functions and processes that occur within the equine body. This includes the examination of various systems such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, digestive, and nervous systems. Understanding equine physiology is essential for comprehending how horses adapt to different environmental conditions, perform physical activities, and respond to health challenges. Research in this field often focuses on the mechanisms of energy metabolism, thermoregulation, and muscle function during exercise, as well as the physiological responses to stress and disease. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine physiology, providing insights into the biological processes that support the health and performance of horses.
Cochaux P, Van Sande J, Swillens S, Dumont JE.The characteristics of the iodide-induced inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation in dog thyroid slices have been previously described [Van Sande, J., Cochaux, P. and Dumont, J. E. (1985) Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 40, 181-192]. In the present study we investigated the characteristics of the iodide-induced inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity in dog and horse thyroid. The inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation by iodide in stimulated horse thyroid slices was similar to that observed in dog thyroid slices. The inhibition was observed in slices stimulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone, cholera tox...
Chottard G, Michelon M, Hervé M, Hervé G.Complex formation between horse heart ferricytochrome c and large three-dimensional polyanions has been investigated, in order to study the influence of surface electrostatic interactions on the structural and redox properties of cytochrome c. Cytochrome c binds the large heteropolytungstates (NaSb9W21O86)18- and (KAs4W40O140)27- with a 1/1 polyanion/cytochrome c ratio, and the smaller ion (SiW11O39)8- with a 2/1 ratio. Upon complexation, cytochrome c undergoes structural changes that are dependent on the size and charge of the polyanion, and on the pH and ionic strength of the medium. Three d...
Meyers KM, Menard M, Wardrop KJ.This is a review of equine hemostasis and is divided into three sections. The initial portion describes the normal hemostatic system and includes platelet function, coagulation, fibrinolysis and control processes. The second phase is devoted to laboratory tests of hemostasis, and the last section provides information on specific alterations.
Illera JC, Hamlin RL, Illera M.Bipolar and unipolar limb leads and unipolar thoracic lead ECG were obtained from 100 male crossbred horses. P-wave morphologic features were classified according to positivity negativity and monopolarity dipolarity, and the percentage of horses that had P waves of a given morphologic class in each lead was calculated. P-Wave morphologic features of 4 precordial leads were most uniform, with greater than 80% of the horses having a single configuration.
López ML, de Souza W, Bustos-Obregón E.The structure, relative density, and distribution of anionic sites on the surface of epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa were studied using polycationic ferritin (CF), colloidal iron hydroxide (CIH), various enzymatic treatments, methylation, and de-acetylation. Macro-molecules containing sugar residues, probably sialic acid, are part of the sperm membrane and show a characteristic distribution and density that is dependent of the sperm region and of its origin. Unlike the spermatozoa of other eutheria examined, the exposure of the stallion spermatozoa to neuraminidase treatment did not prod...
Bayly WM.It is the purpose of this article to review much of the information that is available regarding the adjunctive use of clinicopathologic data in evaluations of performance horses by veterinarians. Wherever possible, distinctions are made between findings that pertain to racehorses and those that apply most specifically to horses involved in "submaximal" events like combined training and endurance races. It is hoped that the material presented will clarify some of the problems associated with the interpretation of this data, and possibly stimulate the dissemination of additional information that...
Engelking LR, Paradis MR.This article addresses clinical problems that present in equine liver disease. It also discusses the variety of laboratory tests available to the clinician that can differentiate the type and degree of liver dysfunction. This is followed by a more specific discussion regarding unique features of equine bilirubin and bile acid metabolism.
Cowell RL, Tyler RD, Clinkenbeard KD, MacAllister CG.This article discusses collection, slide preparation, culture technique, fluid analysis and evaluation, and cytologic evaluation of peritoneal and pleural effusions. The morphologic characteristics of various effusions are described, and the physical characteristics (volume, color, turbidity) of effusions are discussed. An algorithm for classifying effusions as transudates, modified transudates, or exudates is included, and each category is discussed.
Cox JH, DeBowes RM.Discomfort manifested by colic-like clinical signs in 2 young mares was presumed to be attributable to ovarian pain associated with follicular enlargement and ovulation. Diagnosis was based on the lack of detectable evidence of gastrointestinal disease, the finding of a large ovarian follicle or recent ovulation, the repetition of signs during several subsequent estrual periods, and the clinical response to pharmacologic suppression of estrus and ovulation. The similarity of the clinical signs in these 2 mares to cyclic intermenstrual pain in women was considered.
Hodgson DR.This article reviews what are considered the basic concepts of gas transport, blood gases, and acid-base physiology is most mammalian species. Techniques for the appropriate collection of blood samples for blood gas and acid-base determinations in the newborn foal are described. Guidelines for interpretation of these values in the normal foal and those animals undergoing respiratory and metabolic derangements are provided.
Wiśniewski E, Kuźma K.The normal level of plasma lysozyme of 9 Tarpane-like horses was 0.922pg/ml. This was
calculated from determinations performed 5 times in a period of 14 months. Observations on the
normal plasma level of lysozyme in the horse revealed marked variations in individual animals, as well
as in the whole group and in the mean values calculated for individual horses. The model for the
subsequent studies was an experimental fever evoked by the administration of E. colz LPS in a dose of
0.1 pg/kg body weight. Blood samples from the jugular vein were taken just before LPS injection, and
then for 8...
Weber JM, Dobson GP, Parkhouse WS, Wheeldon D, Harman JC, Snow DH, Hochachka PW.This study characterizes the effects of exercise on the cardiac output (Q) and the metabolic rate (VO2) of trained Thoroughbred racehorses. Heart rate, Q, and arteriovenous (a-v)O2 difference were measured at rest and at three levels of submaximal treadmill exercise (1.6 m/s walk and 3-4 m/s trot at 6% incline, and 6.5 m/s horizontal canter). Heart rate and (a-v)O2 difference were also measured during maximal exercise (12.5 m/s gallop, 5% incline) to obtain an estimate of maximum O2 uptake (VO2max). The walk, trot, and canter represented 25, 45, and 55% VO2max. Mean heart rate went from 48.9 (...
Auer DE, Wilson RG, Groenendyk S, Filippich LJ.A case of pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism in a horse is reported. Clinical signs included hirsutism, polydipsia and general debility. The horse was persistently hyperglycaemic and glucose values were unchanged following subcutaneous administration of insulin. Resting cortisol values were normal, but dexamethasone suppression of cortisol concentration was shorter than normal. Plasma glucose, cortisol, insulin and glucagon concentrations were measured as part of an intravenous glucose tolerance test. The patient responses were different from those in a control pony.
Carnevale EM, Squires EL, McKinnon AO.Forty equine embryos collected 7 d post-ovulation were stored at 5 C for 24 h in one of two culture media (n = 20/group): 1) Ham's F10 + 10% heat-treated fetal calf serum (FCS) buffered by gassing with 5% CO2, 5% O2 and 90% N2 and 2) Ham's F10 + 10% FCS with Hepes buffer (25 mM). Embryos cultured in Ham's F10 + CO2 maintained a better quality score and had a larger average increase in diameter (+34.8 micron) than embryos stored in Hepes buffered Ham's F10 (-10.2 micron). Embryos were transferred surgically into recipient mares that ovulated -3 to +1 d in relation to the donor mare. Twenty embr...
Dyer KR, Duncan ID.The intraneural course of nerve fibres in the equine recurrent laryngeal nerve was investigated by partially ligating the nerve at a proximal site, and 3-8 weeks later, tracing the course and spatial relationships of intact and degenerating fibres along the distal stump. This nerve was chosen because of its great length, the fact that it is a nonbranching motor nerve and because of debate about the course of abductor and adductor nerve fibres in the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Six ponies were used and in each the recurrent nerve was partially ligatured about 20 cm from the larynx, using a fine ...
Roger T, Ruckebusch Y.The motor responses of the caecum and colon to stimulation of alpha 2-adrenoceptors by xylazine and detomidine at the recommended dose levels of 0.6 and 0.1 mg/kg were investigated in three ponies. The motor changes of the left ventral colon induced by continuous intra-arterial infusion of a prostaglandin (PGF2 alpha) were used to assess the relative inhibitory effects of xylazine and detomidine in a colic model. The administration of alpha 2-agonists inhibited the spiking activity on the whole of the large intestine for 20-30 min (xylazine) or 2-3 h (detomidine). However, the detomidine-induc...
Spensley MS, Carlson GP, Harrold D.During the growth interval encompassing age 2 days through 24 weeks, plasma, RBC, total blood, and extracellular fluid (ECF) volumes were determined in 7 healthy, resting foals. Evans blue dye and sodium thiocyanate were used to estimate plasma and ECF volumes, respectively. Absolute plasma volume remained stable from 2 days through 2 weeks of age, then increased progressively through 24 weeks of age. After decreasing between 2 days and 2 weeks of age, absolute RBC and total blood volumes progressively increased. Absolute ECF volume increased progressively from 2 days of age through 24 weeks o...
Tyler RD, Cowell RL, Clinkenbeard KD, MacAllister CG.Normal reference ranges and pertinent background information on equine hematology are presented and briefly discussed. Diagnostic interpretation of hematologic data is discussed and three diagnostic algorithms and two diagnostic tables are provided to facilitate the use of the presented information for diagnosis. Two cases are presented and the information presented in the article is used to interpret the case data.
Roger T, Ruckebusch Y.The contractile activity of the equine large intestine exhibited a biphasic response to feeding: enhancement of migrating complexes passing along the colon and an increase of 50% in cyclic variations in smooth muscle at intervals of 20 min on the left ventral colon for a period of 5 to 7 h postfeeding. The cholinergic agonist, bethanechol (50 micrograms/kg subcutaneously), induced both the migrating complexes and the cyclic variations at intervals of 10-15 min. In contrast, the intra-arterial infusion of PGF2 alpha (3 micrograms/kg/min) increased the contractile activity during infusion, but w...
Weber JM, Parkhouse WS, Dobson GP, Harman JC, Snow DH, Hochachka PW.Plasma lactate turnover rate of Thoroughbred racehorses was measured by bolus injection of [U-14C]lactate at rest and two levels of submaximal treadmill exercise (3-4 m/s trot, 6% incline, and 6.5 m/s horizontal canter). Our goals were 1) to determine the relative effects of changes in cardiac output and in plasma lactate concentration on turnover rate [using cardiac output data from Weber et al. (28)] and 2) to assess the importance of lactate as a metabolic fuel in a trained animal athlete. Lactate turnover rates were 9.3 mumol.min-1.kg-1 (rest), 75.9 mumol.min-1.kg-1 at the beginning of the...
Ammer H, Henschen A.The major stallion protamine was isolated from sperm cell nuclei by extraction with 6M guanidine/5% mercaptoethanol, alkylation with 4-vinylpyridine and subsequent reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The primary structure of stallion protamine was determined by N-terminal sequencing of the intact protein and of the fragments obtained from thermolysin cleavage of the S-pyridylethylated and from endoproteinase Lys-C cleavage of the S-aminoethylated protein. Stallion protamine consists of 49 amino-acid residues and shows 49% identity with all other sequenced mammalian type 1 pr...
Pösö AR, Soveri T, Alaviuhkola M, Lindqvist L, Alakuijala L, Mäenpää PH, Oksanen HE.Previous studies in humans have shown that alanine is released from the skeletal muscle in proportion to the work load. We have measured plasma alanine and urea concentrations in well-trained Standardbred and Finnish-bred (cold-blooded) trotters after a graded-intensity exercise and during recovery to study metabolic responses to exercise in this animal model. As controls we measured blood lactate, pyruvate, and glucose concentrations as well as hematocrit values. Metabolic responses to exercise were closely reflected in all these parameters. Plasma alanine increased relatively more than plasm...
Illera JC, Illera M, Hamlin RL.Electrocardiograms were obtained from 100 male crossbred horses. In addition to standard limb leads, leads were taken from 12 points on the thorax. The QRS complexes were categorized into 1 of 8 forms on the basis of configuration and amplitudes of component deflections. Relative uniformity of QRS was determined for each lead, using the percentage of horses that possess a particular configuration. All unipolar thoracic leads, except those coplanar with the frontal plane, and lead aVR had great uniformity, with greater than 80% of the horses with a QRS of similar contour.
Labadia A, Rivera L, Costa G, García-Sacristán A.The presence of both alpha and beta adrenergic receptors in the caudal third ureter of the horse were studied in vitro under isometric conditions using adrenergic agonist and antagonist drugs. Isoprenaline and the beta 2- stimulating agent, salbutamol, elicited relaxation of the ureter smooth muscle strips. The responses were not affected by the beta 1- blocking agent, practolol, but were totally abolished by propranolol and the beta 2- blocking agent, butoxamine. The stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors with noradrenaline and phenylephrine evoked a contractile effect which was totally in...
Steffey EP, Hodgson DS, Dunlop CI, Miller MF, Woliner MJ, Heath RB, Grandy J.Hemodynamic and respiratory effects of 5 h of unvarying 1.57%, end-tidal (1.2 MAC) isoflurane in O2 anesthesia were characterized in ten left laterally recumbent horses. Compared to base line values at 30 min of constant dose isoflurane, cardiac output, hematocrit, total plasma solids, PaCO2, and peak inspired gas flow progressively and significantly (P less than 0.05) increased over the course of study. Arterial blood pressure increased (P less than 0.05) during the first 2 h of constant dose of isoflurane then decreased and remained near base line values. Inspiratory time progressively decre...
Karimi A.Two methods of anaesthesia were evaluated in the horse for their effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and on the acid-base status of the animal. In addition the effect of the position—dorsal and lateral recumbency—of the anaesthetized horse on these systems was evaluated.
Kronfeld DS, Custalow SE, Ferrante PL, Taylor LE, Moll HD, Meacham TN, Tiegs W.To determine lactate breakpoint of horses and test for effects of training and dietary supplementation with corn oil on that breakpoint. Methods: 7 healthy Arabian horses. Methods: Horses received a control diet (n = 4) or a diet supplemented with 10% corn oil (4). A training program, which comprised two 5-week conditioning periods with 1 week of rest, was initiated. Submaximal incremental exercise tests (IET) were conducted before the first and after both conditioning periods. Blood samples for determination of blood lactate and plasma glucose concentrations were collected 1 minute before IET...
Joujou-Sisic K, Granérus M, Wetterling H, Wikström K, Engström W, Jeffcott L, Schofield PN, Welin A.The expression of the insulin like growth factor (IGF) II gene has been examined in the developing equine fetus. It was found that IGF II transcripts were present in abundant quantities in third trimester embryonic and extraembryonic tissues as for example the placenta. The expression of the IGF II gene was high in the fetal liver where two prominent transcripts--4.6 and 4.1--kB were produced. However, these transcripts could not be traced in the adult liver. Instead we found two different transcripts with the sizes of 4.0 and 2.9 kB in the adult liver. These findings taken together with the d...
Cedrola F, Bordim S, D'Agosto M, Dias RJP.The aims of this study were to identify and quantify the gastrointestinal ciliates from Brazilian domestic horses, to compare the data obtained with previous studies and to review data on ciliate communities associated with horses around the world. We used eight domestic horses, kept under extensive management. Fecal samples were obtained immediately after defecation of animals and fixed in 18.5% formaldehyde. We identify 24 species of endosymbiotic ciliates, distributed in two subclasses, two orders, five families and 13 genera. The ciliate composition was similar among the animals analyzed. ...
Arroyo-Salvo C, Sanhueza F, Fuentes F, Treulén F, Arias ME, Cabrera P, Silva M, Felmer R.Conventional in vitro fertilization has not yet been implemented in the equine species. One of the main reasons has been the inability to develop a culture medium and incubation conditions supporting high levels of stallion sperm capacitation and hyperactivation in vitro. Although different culture media have been used for this purpose, human tubal fluid (HTF) medium, widely used in the manipulation of human and mice gametes, has not been reported so far in stallion sperm culture. The first part of this study aimed to compare HTF and Whitten's media on different stallion sperm quality and capa...
Gentry LR, Thompson DL, Stelzer AM.Seventeen seasonally anovulatory light horse mares were treated daily, starting January 5 (d 1), for 28 d with GnRH analog (GnRH-A; 50 ng/kg BW) and(or) thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; 5 microg/kg BW) in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to test the hypothesis that combined treatment may stimulate follicular growth and development. Ovaries were examined via ultrasonography and jugular blood samples were collected every 3 d. Frequent blood samples were collected after treatment injections on d 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, and 22; on d 29, all mares received an i.v. mixture of GnRH, TRH, su...
Hedberg Y, Dalin AM, Santesson M, Kindahl H.Strong oestrous symptoms in the mare can cause problems with racing, training and handling. Since long-acting progesterone treatment is not permitted in mares at competition (e.g. according to FEI rules), there is a need for methods to suppress unwanted cyclicity. Spontaneous dioestrous ovulations in the late luteal phase may cause a prolongation of the luteal phase in mares. Methods: In this preliminary study, in an attempt to induce ovulation during the luteal phase, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (3000 IU) was injected intramuscularly in four mares (experimental group) in the luteal pha...
Naef A, Damerau B, Keller HU.The relationship between the short transient intracellular increase in cAMP levels on the one hand and chemotaxis or crawling movements on the other hand was investigated using human and equine granulocytes. C5ades arg, f-met-leu-phe, human serum albumin and immunoglobulin were used as stimulating agents. There was no strict correlation between the induction of crawling movements or of chemokinesis in general and the generation of the cAMP peak. But there was so far a strict parallelism between the occurrence of the chemotactic response and the cAMP peak. However, the magnitude of the peak was...
Lefebvre RA, Callens C, Van Colen I, Delesalle CJG.Postoperative ileus (POI) remains an important cause of death in horses. The recently developed selective 5-HT receptor agonists such as prucalopride target 5-HT receptors on myenteric cholinergic neurons to enhance acetylcholine release and GI motility. No clearcut in vitro evaluation whether highly selective 5-HT receptor agonists enhance submaximal cholinergic neurotransmission towards the muscle layer has been performed in horses. Objective: To identify functional 5-HT receptors in equine jejunum. Methods: In vitro experimental study. Methods: Circular and longitudinal smooth muscle strips...
Colahan PT, Bailey JE, Chou CC, Johnson M, Rice BL, Jones GL, Cheeks JP.Twelve clinically sound, healthy, athletically conditioned Thoroughbred horses were subjected to an incremental exercise stress test to determine the effects and period of detection of a single dose of flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg by intravenous injection) in serum and urine by ELISA. Flunixin concentrations, performance, and hematologic and clinical chemical parameters were measured. All horses were rotated through four treatment groups of a Latin-square design providing for each horse to serve as its own control. Flunixin meglumine reduced prostaglandin F(1alpha) and thromboxane concentrati...
Beech J, Fletcher JE, Tripolitis L, Lindborgh S.The effects of phenytoin treatment were evaluated in 2 myotonic horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HPP). Phenytoin treatment abolished the clinical signs of muscle fasciculations following oral potassium challenge and decreased or abolished repetitive firing and myotonic discharges found on electromyographic examination. In both horses, an abnormally low threshold for calcium-induced calcium release was measured in heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum fractions from skeletal muscle, and this threshold increased with phenytoin treatment. Results suggest phenytoin is useful in modifying disord...
Sayers DE, Theil EC, Rennick FJ.Cell-specific variations in apoferritin structure correlate with variations in iron metabolism that suggest functional specificity of the protein shell. Using EPR spectroscopy, we previously showed that vanadyl binds to specific sites on apoferritin, and that VO2+ binding is reduced by Fe(II) and Fe(III) (the natural substrates) and by metals known to influence iron storage (Chasteen, N. D., and Theil, E. C. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 7672-7677). Such observations suggest that the metal-binding site is important to apoferritin function and may define a location where the influence of cell-spec...
Moslemi S, Seralini GE.In order to approach the detailed structure-function relationships of aromatase, we studied the inhibitory and inactivatory potencies of several steroidal androstenedione analogues (1: 4-hydroxyandrostenedione, 2: 4-acetoxyandrostenedione and 3: 7 alpha-(4'-amino)phenylthio-4-androstene-3, 17-dione) and non-steroidal imidazole derivatives (4: ketoconazole, 5: miconazole and 6: fadrozole) on equine aromatase in placental microsomes, a well established mammalian model. Human placental microsomes and the purified enzyme from equine testis were also used to compare inhibition by 1 and 2. In equine...
Bakala A, Karlik W, Wiechetek M.In this study a detailed description of the equine hepatocyte isolation procedure is presented. Livers were obtained from horses slaughtered at the local slaughterhouse. For blood removal and liver preservation the following steps are suggested: perfusion with the oxygenated HBSS (0-2 degrees C, with continuous flow of 500-800 ml/min for 3-6 min), protection from ischemia injury by flushing with ice-cold University of Wisconsin Solution (UW, flow rate of 500-800 ml/min), and finally immersion of the liver lobe in UW solution (2 degrees C) during its transport to the laboratory. For equine isol...
Hermanson JW, Hegemann-Monachelli MT, Daaod MJ, LaFramboise WA.The biceps brachii of horses is subdivided into a lateral and medial head. Electrophoresis of samples from the lateral head revealed three slow-migrating native myosin isoforms, including one that does not correspond to slow myosin isoforms described for other mammalian muscles. In contrast, the medial head contained a single slow isoform. Both the lateral and medial heads contained three fast-migrating isoforms corresponding with the FM-2, FM-3 and FM-4 isoforms reported for other mammalian fast-twitch muscle fibers. Electrophoresis of myosin heavy chains (MHCs) revealed only two MHC bands, o...
Reef VB, Mann PC, Orsini PG.M-mode, 2-dimensional, and contrast echocardiographic studies were used to detect tricuspid atresia in 2 foals. M-mode echocardiographic findings included a small right ventricle, large left ventricle, large mitral valve excursion, large left atrium (foal 2), dropout of the cranial aspect of the aortic root, and a thick band of echoes in the tricuspid valve region. These findings were confirmed by 2-dimensional echocardiography. In addition, a large right atrium, persistent foramen ovale, ventricular septal defect, and large mitral valve apparatus were imaged. One foal also had a thick right a...
Becker CK, Savelberg HH, Barneveld A.The material properties of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL) of 21 forelimbs from horses between ages one day and 15 years were determined. The force (634-11416 N), failure stress (45-138 N/mm2), failure strain (7-24%) and tangent modulus (33-1639 MPa) are presented in relation to age. Tangent modulus did not indicate changes in elasticity due to age. The results demonstrate that complete ligament failures (CLF) of ALs of older horses (mean 7835 N) occur at lower forces than ALs of young adult horses (mean 8894 N). Sudden decreases, 'dips', in the force-time curves ...
Ellison RS, Jacobs RM.This study was undertaken to ascertain if the isoelectric focusing pattern of serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) from sick horses with high activity is useful for determining its tissue origin. The effect of oral prednisolone and phenylbutazone therapy on this enzyme in healthy horses was also investigated. The sick horses were divided into three groups: hepatic, intestinal and miscellaneous. All sera had approximately thirteen bands of AP activity when focused on agarose gels with a pH gradient of 3.5 to 9.5. All the horses in the liver disease group had greater than 65% of enzyme activity in ba...
Waelchli RO, Jaworski T, Ruddock WD, Betteridge KJ.Equine blastocyst fluid has a lower [Na+], a higher [K+] and a lower osmolality than does normal blood serum. Based on the assumptions that the sodium pump is primarily responsible for fluid accumulation and that ions transported actively into the blastocyst increase blastocyst osmolality above that of the external medium, we hypothesized that the [Na+] and the osmolality of mare uterine fluid are lower than those of blastocyst fluid. Microdialysis and ion chromatography were used to estimate [Na+] and [K+] of uterine fluid. Mares (n=10) were used for in vivo measurements at different stages o...
Harrington JR, Wilkerson CP, Brake CN, Cohen ND.The innate immune system plays a critical role in protecting neonates against infections early in life and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key components of innate immune recognition of pathogens. This study examined the effects of age and stimulation with a TLR 7/8 agonist (R848) on TLR8 mRNA expression by foal neutrophils during the first month of life. We also examined the effects of R848 stimulation on mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 at 1 and 14 days of life. We observed that TLR8 mRNA was constitutively expressed (P<0.05) at all ages examined, and its expression did not c...
Minguet G, de la Rebière G, Franck T, Joris J, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.To investigate the effects of the volatile anaesthetic sevoflurane on the release of total and active myeloperoxidase (MPO) by non-stimulated and stimulated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in whole blood from healthy horses. Methods: In vitro experimental study. Methods: Adult healthy horses. Methods: Samples of whole venous blood were collected and incubated in air or in air plus 2.3% or 4.6% sevoflurane for 1 hour. PMNs were stimulated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), with a combination of cytochalasin B (CB) and fMLP or with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Total an...
Nie GJ, Johnson KE, Wenzel JG.Mares were inseminated deep in the uterine horn with 25 million sperm selected by glass wool/Sephadex (GWS) filtration, Percoll separation (PS) or absolute number (AN). Deep-horn insemination using a low-volume, smooth tipped, flexible pipette/catheter delivery system allowed more efficient use of stallion sperm and reduced post-breeding uterine reaction in mares. Mares were pregnant in 15/30, 13/30 and 10/30 cycles for GWS, PS and AN selection methods, respectively. Sperm selection method did not effect pregnancy outcome (P=0.422). However, sperm selected for deep-horn insemination by filtrat...
Aurich C, Aurich JE, Parvizi N.In equine species, luteinising hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) release are reduced throughout pregnancy but increase at foaling. The present experiments were designed to study a possible opioidergic regulation of LH and PRL release in pregnant Shetland mares (n=6). At various stages of pregnancy (days 26.4+/-0.6, 75.4+/-5.4, 171.8+/-2.4, 226.2+/-4.8, 282.7+/-3.4 and 319.8+/-2.1), mares were injected with the opioid antagonist naloxone (0.5 mg/kg body weight) and saline. The two treatments were always separated by 2 days, and mares served as their own controls. Two hours after being given nalo...
Zavy MT, Vernon MW, Asquith RL, Bazer FW, Sharp DC.Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of exogenous hormone treatment on uterine luminal prostaglandin F (PGF). In the first experiment ovariectomized pony mares received either corn oil (21 days, n = 3), estradiol valerate (21 days, n = 3), progesterone (21 days, n = 3) or estradiol valerate (7 days) followed by progesterone (14 days, n = 4). Progesterone treated mares had higher (P less than .01) uterine luminal PGF compared with all other groups, and no differences were detected between other treatment comparisons. In Experiment II, uterine fluid was collected from 4 ovariectom...
Ginther OJ, Gastal EL, Rodrigues BL, Gastal MO, Beg MA.Relationships between double ovulations and plasma hormone concentrations were compared between 18 single ovulating and 6 double ovulating mares. The study began when the first follicle reached >or=30 mm, and ultrasound scanning and blood sampling were done every 12h to Day 3 (ovulation=Day 0). Data were analyzed for 2.5 d after the largest follicle was >or=30 mm and after Day -2.5 to encompass the mean 5-d interval between a >or=30 mm follicle and Day 0. During the 2.5 d after >or=30 mm, the increasing diameter of the largest follicle was less pronounced and plasma FSH concentrati...
O'Neill HJ, Gershbein LL.The lipids of human and equine smegma pools were saponified and the total fatty acids submitted to temperature programmed gas chromatography (GC) analysis. In contrast to the human products, the horse smegma fatty acids contained very low odd saturated as well as olefinic branched chain acid contents. The cyclopropane fatty acid, 9,10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid, occurred in smegma sampled from men over 35 years of age but could not be detected in the pool from persons of 17-20 years of age nor in any of the equine mixtures. The alcoholic fraction from horse smegma contained about 85% sterol, t...
Puigdemont A, Ramis J, Guitart R, Arboix M.Usually, smaller mammals have higher clearances per unit body mass than do larger mammalian species. When clearance and other pharmacokinetic parameters are correlated with internal physiological processes, species tend to dispose of drugs at a similar pace. The first application of this concept is pharmacokinetic time, expressed with different units: Kallynochron, Apolysichron, Dienetichron, and Syndesichron. The present work describes pharmacokinetic time in these units from data obtained with propafenone in eight animal species: mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, sheep, human, cow, and horse. Additio...
Yokota S, Hikasa Y, Shimura I, Kusunose S.To investigate effects of various imidazoline and nonimidazoline α-adrenergic agents on aggregation and antiaggregation of bovine and equine platelets. Methods: Blood samples obtained from 8 healthy adult cattle and 16 healthy adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: Aggregation and antiaggregation effects of various imidazoline and nonimidazoline α-adrenergic agents on bovine and equine platelets were determined via a turbidimetric method. Collagen and ADP were used to initiate aggregation. Results: Adrenaline, noradrenaline, or α-adrenoceptor agents alone did not induce changes in aggregation of bov...
Maitan PP, Bromfield EG, Hoogendijk R, Leung MR, Zeev-Ben-Mordehai T, van de Lest CH, Jansen JWA, Leemans B, Guimarães JD, Stout TAE, Gadella BM....Classical in vitro fertilization (IVF) is still poorly successful in horses. This lack of success is thought to be due primarily to inadequate capacitation of stallion spermatozoa under in vitro conditions. In species in which IVF is successful, bicarbonate, calcium, and albumin are considered the key components that enable a gradual reorganization of the sperm plasma membrane that allows the spermatozoa to undergo an acrosome reaction and fertilize the oocyte. The aim of this work was to comprehensively examine contributors to stallion sperm capacitation by investigating bicarbonate-induced m...
Andrews FM, Doherty TJ, Blackford JT, Nadeau JA, Saxton AM.To determine the effects of orally administered omeprazole, as enteric-coated capsules, on baseline and stimulated gastric acid secretion in horses. Methods: 5 healthy 8-year-old mixed-breed horses fitted with gastric cannulas. Methods: Enteric-coated granules of omeprazole were mixed with corn syrup and administered orally once daily for 5 consecutive days. On days 1 and 5 beginning 5 hours after omeprazole administration, 4 gastric fluid samples were collected, each for 15 minutes, via the gastric cannula (baseline samples). Pentagastrin was administered IV as a constant infusion for the sub...
Robles M, Peugnet PM, Valentino SA, Dubois C, Dahirel M, Aubrière MC, Reigner F, Serteyn D, Wimel L, Couturier-Tarrade A, Chavatte-Palmer P.Following embryo transfer (ET), the size and breed of the recipient mare can affect fetal development and subsequent post natal growth rate and insulin sensitivity in foals. Objective: To investigate placental adaptation in pregnancies where increased or restricted fetal growth was induced through ET between Pony, Saddlebred and Draught horses. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Control Pony (P, n = 21) and Saddlebred (S, n = 28) pregnancies were obtained by artificial insemination. Increased pregnancies were obtained by transferring Pony (P-D, n = 6) and Saddlebred (S-D, n = 8) emb...
