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.
Johnson AL, Becker SE.Four studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of several physiologic and pharmacologic agents on serum prolactin concentrations in the nonpregnant mare. An increase in prolactin measured in response to administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; 50 micrograms, iv) was found not to vary (P = .20) in mares in estrus compared with mares in diestrus (5 to 10 d post-ovulation). Administration in the dopamine receptor blocker, metoclopramide (25 or 100 mg, im), rapidly increased serum prolactin, and the response was dependent on dose administered (total prolactin measured for 420 min...
Serteyn D, Coppens P, Mottart E, Michelet S, Micheels J, Philippart C, Lamy M.The cardiovascular function of horses was less depressed during anaesthesia with isoflurane than during anaesthesia with halothane. Muscular microcirculation measured by laser Doppler flowmetry was significantly greater in horses anaesthetised with isoflurane.
Rugh KS, Garner HE, Hatfield DG, Miramonti JR.The response of coronary collaterals in nine ponies subjected to repeated reversible occlusions (2 min duration, 30 min interval) of the left anterior descending coronary artery was studied at rest. Each pony was instrumented with a Doppler flowmeter and hydraulic cuff occluder around the left anterior descending coronary artery, left ventricular subendocardial sonomicrometers, and a left ventricular micromanometer. Initial occlusions increased end diastolic myocardial segment length by 3% and decreased segment systolic shortening, stroke work, and velocity of shortening by 103%, 95%, and 79% ...
McCann JS, Meacham TN, Fontenot JP.The digestibility and heat production values for three fats of different origin were determined. Four pony geldings (225 kg) were used in a study consisting of four successive digestion trials utilizing a 4 X 4 Latin square design. The four dietary treatments were basal alone and supplemented with 15% corn oil, blended fat or inedible tallow. The blended fat was composed of a mixture of animal and vegetable fats. A 7-d preliminary period preceded a 7-d total fecal collection period for each trial. Heat production values were obtained by indirect calorimetry and calculated from oxygen consumpti...
Rice DA, Rice JC.The time it takes audible sound to travel from the trachea to the pleura in five intact, excised horse lungs and one dog lung inflated with several gases was measured. Regression estimates of sound speed at total lung capacity (TLC) using straight line distance from the carina to the pleura are: helium, 775 +/- 60.5 m/s (means +/- 95% confidence limits); air, 282 +/- 23.5; carbon dioxide, 219 +/- 25.5; sulfur hexafluoride, 142 +/- 43.5. With the exception of sulfur hexafluoride, these speeds are 15%-20% less than the free-field speed of sound in each gas. Total airway length did not predict ti...
Campbell-Thompson ML, Merritt AM.Gastric cannulas were placed surgically in 5 young male horses. After a 2-week recovery period, horses were studied once a week. Horses were fasted for 24 hours, and gastric fluid output was collected for 5 continuous hours. Volumes were recorded every 15 minutes, and pH and hydrogen ion concentration were determined in an aliquot from each period. In 10 basal experiments, using 5 horses, volume, pH, and hydrogen ion concentration were continuously variable. Mean acid output was 45.1 +/- 2.02 microEq/15 min/kg (mean +/- SEM). In 6 experiments, using 3 horses, 0.5 mg of ranitidine/kg of body we...
Beretta C, Fadini L, Stracciari JM, Montesissa C.Febantel and one of its main metabolites, febantel sulphoxide, are chemically modified to only a slight extent when incubated in vitro with sheep and cattle ruminal fluids; other major metabolites, fenbendazole and oxfendazole, are respectively, oxidized to oxfendazole and reduced to fenbendazole. Febantel is negligibly metabolized by hepatic cytosol fractions but microsome preparations effect more extensive metabolic transformations. Important differences in this respect were found between microsome preparations from rat, horse, pig, cattle, sheep, chicken and trout livers.
Manohar M, Gustafson R, Goetz TE, Nganwa D.Effects of 1.1, 1.5, and 1.8 minimal alveolar concentration (MAC) isoflurane-O2 (1.45%, 1.96%, and 2.39% end-tidal isoflurane, respectively) anesthesia on cardiac output, blood pressure, and blood flow to the brain, thyroid glands, adrenal glands, kidneys, and splanchnic organs were examined in 9 healthy isocapnic adult ponies. Tissue blood flows were studied using 15-micron diameter radionuclide-labeled microspheres that were injected into the left ventricle, and comparisons were made with data obtained from ponies in the conscious state. Isoflurane anesthesia caused dose-related reduction in...
Clegg JB.A new member (theta 1, or psi alpha) of the alpha-globin gene family has recently been identified in a number of species. In higher primates the theta 1 gene has all the structural features apparently necessary for expression, and it appears to have long been under strong selective constraints which suggests that it could still be, or recently have been, a functional gene. No corresponding 'globin' has yet been identified, however. In some other species, galago and rabbit for example, the theta 1 and psi alpha genes have accumulated enough inactivating mutations for them to be considered genui...
Hodgson DR, Rose RJ.Muscle biopsy samples were collected from the middle gluteal muscle of seven horses undergoing a nine-month endurance training programme. Samples were collected before the programme began and again after three, six and nine months of training. A fifth sample was collected three months after training ceased. Serial muscle sections were reacted histochemically for myosin adenosine triphosphatase after either acid (pH 4.3 and 4.6) or alkaline (pH 10.3) pre-incubation, and muscle fibres identified as type I, IIA, IIB or IIC. The oxidative capacity of individual fibres was assessed, using the reduc...
Dyer DC, Hsu WH, Lloyd WE.Twenty healthy ponies were given i.v. 1.1 mg/kg of xylazine from 2 manufacturers and the pharmacokinetic parameters calculated from the disposition curves. The disposition curves for the 2 commercial preparations were not different. Yohimbine, an antagonist of the pharmacologic effects produced by xylazine, did not alter the disposition of xylazine in the plasma. A single i.v. bolus of xylazine was completely described in 17 of 20 animals by the biexponential equation: Cp = 1.30e(-0.3955t) + 0.58e(-0.033t) where Cp represents the concentration of xylazine in the plasma at time t (min). The t1/...
Short CR, Beadle RE, Aranas T, Pawlusiow J, Clarke CR.The pharmacokinetics of cephapirin sodium and its distribution into a tissue chamber implanted subcutaneously in the neck of mature horses are described. Cephapirin was administered as an intravenous bolus dose of 20 mg/kg. The serum concentration vs time curve was best described by a two-compartment open model. Cephapirin disappeared from serum rapidly (t1/2 beta = 18.8 min), and had only a modest volume of distribution (Vd(area) approximately equal to 346 mg/kg, Vd(ss) approximately equal to 204 ml/kg). Total clearance was also rapid (approximately equal to 13 ml/min.kg). Concentrations of t...
O'Callaghan MW, Hornof WJ, Fisher PE, Pascoe JR.Detailed post mortem examination of the lungs of horses with exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) has demonstrated significant small airway disease and intense bronchial arterial proliferation in the dorsocaudal lungfields. The purpose of this study was to investigate ventilation and perfusion distribution in the lungs of a similar group of horses to compare changes in the live animal with the previously reported post mortem findings. Thoracic radiography and ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy were performed on five racing Thoroughbreds with recent histories of EIPH. Parametric ...
Matthews SM, Joysey VC.Fifteen equine leucocyte antigens were defined by absorption and titration analysis of alloantisera obtained by natural sensitisation through pregnancy and by planned experimental immunisation. Definitive sera were tested on the cells of 90 unrelated horses and members of eight equine families. The family data suggested that 13 specificities were coded by a single locus (first locus) and one specificity (Eq 14) was coded by a second linked locus. The remaining specificity (Eq 7) was controlled by a third locus unlinked to the first or second loci. Tests on the cells of unrelated horses showed ...
Court MH, Engelking LR, Dodman NH, Anwer MS, Seeler DC, Clark M.The pharmacokinetics of dantrolene sodium were investigated in horses following both intravenous (2 mg/kg) and intragastric (4 mg/kg) administration. Two ponies also received dantrolene sodium intravenously (2 mg/kg) in a pilot study to obtain preliminary kinetic data and to determine urinary and biliary excretion of the intact drug. Distribution and elimination of dantrolene was rapid, resulting in an elimination half-life of 129 +/- 8 (SEM) min and a whole body clearance of 4.16 +/- 0.52 ml/min/kg. Following intragastric administration, dantrolene rapidly acheived peak concentrations within ...
Varner DD, Ward CR, Storey BT, Kenney RM.Equine spermatozoa were incubated in a chemically defined medium for 8 hours. The medium preserved spermatozoal viability, as assessed by total spermatozoal motility, progressive spermatozoal motility, and spermatozoal exclusion of eosin stain. Effects of time and divalent cation ionophore, A23187, on the occurrence and character of the spermatozoal acrosome reaction were determined. Two light microscopic assays, a triple-stain technique and a chlortetracycline fluorescence assay, were calibrated with transmission electron microscopy for detection of the acrosome reaction. Incubation time and ...
Clegg JB.The sequences of the linked alpha 2- and alpha 1-globin genes of the equine BI and BII haplotypes are greater than 99% identical within a 1.2-kb region extending from approximately 75 bp upstream of the putative cap site to a point approximately 150 bp 3' to the poly A addition signal. Differences between the alpha 2 and alpha 1 genes that are common to both haplotypes indicate that a major gene conversion occurred approximately 12 Myr ago and that this has been followed by shorter, more localized, conversions. Interhaplotype (allelic) comparisons at the alpha loci suggest that the BI and BII ...
Alexander SL, Irvine CH.We have developed a non-surgical technique for long-term collection of pituitary venous blood which consists of slightly diluted hypophysial portal blood into which pituitary hormones have been secreted. In these experiments jugular and pituitary venous blood samples were collected from five unmedicated, ambulatory mares at 5-min intervals for 2-6 h on 11 occasions during the 6 days surrounding the ovulatory LH peak. Jugular blood only was collected from another five periovulatory mares without pituitary cannulae. The duration of oestrus was similar in mares with and without pituitary cannulae...
Johnson L, Thompson DL.Testes from 47 adult (4-20 years) stallions obtained in November-January (non-breeding season) and 41 adult stallions obtained in May-July (breeding season) were perfused with glutaraldehyde, placed in osmium and embedded in Epon 812. Percentage Leydig cell cytoplasm or nuclei in the testis was determined by point counting of 0.5 micron sections under bright-field microscopy. Testes from 6 randomly selected horses per season were processed for electron microscopy. The volume (ml) of SER/testis was calculated from the % SER in the cytoplasm % Leydig cell cytoplasm, and parenchymal volume. Numbe...
Schumacher J, Chambers M, Hanselka DV, Morton LD.Eighteen stored split thickness meshed skin grafts were applied to surgically created lesions on the metacarpal and metatarsal regions of six horses. Donor skin was harvested from the sternal region, meshed and stored at 4 degrees C in a cell culture medium containing 10% serum. Stored grafts were applied to the wounds at 1, 2, and 3 week intervals. Acceptance of the grafts stored for 1 week was generally poor (1 of 6 grafts), whereas that of the 2 and 3 week old grafts was generally excellent (10 of 12 grafts). Poor acceptance of the 1 week old grafts was attributed to streptococcal infection...
O'Callaghan MW, Pascoe JR, O'Brien TR, Hornof WJ, Mason DK.This study was initiated to determine if the extent and intensity of lung lesions associated with exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in horses could be predicted from thoracic radiographs. Sets of thoracic radiographs from 24 horses with varied histories of EIPH were subjectively coded for radiographic quality, and perceived extent and intensity of diffuse interstitial opacity by three radiologists who had no knowledge of the corresponding autopsy results. Codes assigned from radiographs for the chosen parameters were compared with coded estimates of lung surface staining assigned a...
Fukushima JG, Cascone O, Santomé JA, Biscoglio de Jimenez Bonino MJ.Reactivity of histidine residues in equine growth hormone to ethoxyformic anhydride was studied. The existence of two kinetically different sets was demonstrated: one of them including only the slow reacting histidine 169 (k = 0.164 min-1) and the other containing fast reacting histidines 19 and 21 (k = 0.892 min-1). A correlation between the decrease in the capacity to compete with 125I-labeled hormone for rat liver binding sites and the degree of ethoxyformylation of the fast group was found. Circular dichroism studies indicated no significant conformational changes in the protein with all t...
Yovich JV, Trotter GW, McIlwraith CW, Norrdin RW.The effect of intra-articular polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSG) on repair of chemical and physical articular cartilage injuries was evaluated in 8 horses. In each horse, a partial- and a full-thickness articular cartilage defect was made on the distal articular surface of the radial carpal bone. In the contralateral middle carpal joint, a chemical articular cartilage injury was induced by injecting 50 mg of Na monoiodoacetate (MIA). Four of the 8 horses were not treated (controls), and 4 horses were treated by intra-articular injection of 250 mg of PSG into both middle carpal joints once a ...
Hatzipanagiotou A, Rieland E, Enbergs H.It was the aim of this project to investigate the changes of the lysozyme activity in the milk of mares during the lactation period. Further on the influence of race, date of conception and foaling, age and number of lactations on the lysozyme activities in milk was analysed. Milk samples were collected from 44 mares (trotters, warmblood, quarter horses) from eight farms between the 1st and 90th day p. p. The activity of the lysozyme was measured by a turbidometric method. Summarizing the following results are obtained: Lysozyme activities in mare milk of the 1st and 3rd day p. p. were higher ...
Richardson DW, Dodge GR.To clone the entire coding sequence of equine matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3, stromelysin) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and compare their nucleotide and amino acid sequences with those of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 from other species. Methods: Articular cartilage harvested from the joints of 4 foals, 2 yearlings, and 3 adult horses. Methods: A cDNA library was constructed from mRNA extracted from equine chondrocytes. The library was screened and clones selected that contained the cDNA for MMP-3 and TIMP-1. The cDNA was sequenced and the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequen...
Les CM, Keyak JH, Stover SM, Taylor KT.Three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of the left metacarpi of five adult horses were developed from quantitative computed tomography data, using the algorithms of Keyak et al. (1990, J Biomed. Engng 12, 389-397). The metacarpi were then equipped with 12 rosette strain gauges and loaded non-destructively in a mechanical testing machine. The bones and the models were loaded in axial compression, with the load evenly distributed across the distal row of carpal bones, and with a point load placed mediad to the sagittal midline, to a load equivalent to three times body weight (-15 kN); and ...
Rua MA, Quirino CR, Bartholazzi Junior A, Santoro PN, Bastos R, Ribeiro Mda S, Matos LF, Vega WH.The aim of this study was to evaluate the breeding behavior of Brazilian Pony stallions during semen collection to examine the effect of age category (AC) and month of evaluation on the characteristics of breeding behavior. Nine stallions were evaluated during the breeding and non-breeding season, 5-8 (AC1) and 9-13 years (AC2) of age. The variables evaluated were reaction time (RT), mount time one (MT1) and two (MT2), mount and ejaculation time (MEjT), mounting without erection (MWEr), mounting without ejaculation (MWEj), flehmen, kicks, bites, smells, vocalizations and serum testosterone con...
Castejón-Riber C, Muñoz A, Trigo P, Riber C, Santisteban R, Castejón F.Significant differences exist in the respiratory adaptation to exercise in different equine breeds. This research describes the ergoespirometric response to exercise of Andalusian (AN) and Arabian (A) horses, both selected according to morphological criteria. Thirteen untrained male horses (6 AN and 7 A) performed a treadmill exercise test (TET) with a slope of 6%, with workloads starting from 5 m/s and increasing 1 m/s every 3 min until the horses were not able to keep the required velocity. Tidal volume (TV), respiratory rate, minute ventilation (VE), oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide prod...
Scott MA, Liu IK, Overstreet JW, Enders AC.Uterotubal junction tissues (n=12) recovered from young nulliparous mares 4 h after insemination were examined for spermatozoa in situ using scanning electron microscopy. Mares were inseminated before ovulation with semen containing 66-85% morphologically abnormal spermatozoa and approximately 1 x 10(9) progressively motile spermatozoa. Spermatozoa were found in all the tissues and displayed a variety of relationships to the epithelium, depending on regional location, spatial constraints and epithelial surface characteristics. Spermatozoa were most abundant in the epithelial folds on the uteri...
Barsan WG, Hedges JR, Syverud SA, Dalsey WC.The treatment of cardiovascular collapse and anaphylactic shock is largely empiric. A simple animal model was developed to evaluate the hemodynamic alterations in anaphylaxis. Eight adult New Zealand white rabbits of both sexes were studied. All animals weighed 3.8 kg to 5.3 kg. Sensitization was accomplished with a 2-mL subcutaneous dose of horse serum followed in two days with a 2-mL intravenous (IV) dose. At least 14 days elapsed after the IV dose before a 1-mL challenge dose of horse serum was given. On the day of the challenge dose, a femoral arterial catheter, arterial temperature probe,...
Ginther OJ, Gastal EL, Gastal MO, Duarte LF, Beg MA.The effect of the ovarian follicles on plasma concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) before versus after the expected emergence of the ovulatory follicular wave was studied on Days 0 to 18 (Day 0=ovulation) in four groups of mares (n=6/group). In addition to a control group, all follicles >/=6mm in diameter were ablated on Days 0.5, 6.5, or 12.5 in a herd of mares with reported emergence at 6mm of the future ovulatory follicle on mean Day 10.5. Concentrations of FSH were not different between the Day-0.5 or Day-6.5 ablation groups and the correspon...
Forsman C, Jonsson BH, Lindskog S.The 250 MHz 1H-NMR spectrum of horse carbonic anhydrase I (or B) (carbonate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.1) was measured as a function of pH under various conditions. Eight resonances corresponding to histidine C-2 protons and four resonances corresponding to histidine C-4 protons were identified and assigned to individual histidine residues in the enzyme molecule. Substantial similarities between horse and human carbonic anhydrases I were demonstrated. While the human enzyme has three titratable histidine residues in its active site, the horse enzyme has only two, His-67 in the human enzyme being re...
Province CA, Amann RP, Pickett BW, Squires EL.Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of six extenders and three glycerol levels on the motility of sperm stored at 5 degrees C. Using a split-ejaculated design, semen from 10 dogs and 12 stallions was extended with egg-yolk-tris (EYT), egg-yolk-bicarbonate (EGB), Beltsville F-3 (BF-3), Cornell University (CUE), caprogen (CAP) and heated skim milk (SM) extenders. After cooling to 5 degrees C, additional extender containing 0% to 12% glycerol was added to provide a final concentration of 0%, 3% or 6% glycerol. Regardless of glycerol level, a higher (P<0.05) percentage of can...
Jungeblut CW.1. A flocculation reaction has been described which occurs between alcoholic extracts of pneumococci and antipneumococcus serum. 2. The reaction appears to be species-specific. It is not strictly type-specific, as slight or moderate cross-reactions occurred between Type I serums and Type II and Type III extracts. 3. The flocculating power of the serum from five horses undergoing immunization with pneumococcus, Type I, did not develop to any extent before the end of the 4th or 5th month. 4. In the case of two of these horses in which it was possible to carry out parallel tests on a larger numbe...
Johnston JK, Freeman DE, Gillette D, Soma LR.Sheets of mucosa from the jejunum of healthy horses were mounted in incubation chambers and bathed with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution. Changes in tissue function and histologic appearance were compared after the following conditions: (1) control conditions for 30 minutes with 95% O2/5% CO2 in the gas phase; (2) same conditions as control, except incubation with superoxide dismutase (300 U/ml) during the last 18 minutes; (3) anoxia for 15 minutes with 95% N2/5% CO2, followed by reoxygenation for 15 minutes; (4) same conditions as 3, except incubation with superoxide dismutase during reoxyge...
Camargo Ferreira J, Linhares Boakari Y, Sousa Rocha N, Saules Ignácio F, Barbosa da Costa G, de Meira C.The present study characterized the luteal status and the dynamic of the conceptus during the first 20 days of gestation in mares with different ages and degrees of endometrial degeneration. Total area of the corpus luteum (CL), luteal vascularity, CL area with blood signals, progesterone concentrations (P4), embryonic vesicle diameter, number of embryonic location changes, embryonic fixation position and uterine contractility were evaluated. In Experiment 1, mares ≤6 years of age (Young group, 5.6 ± 0.2 years, n = 7 mares) and mares ≥15 years of age (Old group, 17.2 ± 0.9 yea...
Peham C, Schobesberger H.Knowledge of load effects is crucial for the understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of equine back problems. Objective: To investigate different load scenarios of the equine back, such as being ridden or increased muscle tone, using biomechanical simulations. Methods: Kinetic and kinematic data of 15 sound horses and the electromyelograph of their long back muscles were recorded. A biomechanical simulation model was used for simulations under different biomechanical scenarios (ridden/unridden, localised increased stiffness) using ADAMS. Results: The vertical forces acting through a ri...
Erichsen C, Eksell P, Widström C, Berger M, Holm KR, Johnston C.The sacroiliac region in 33 clinically normal riding horses was examined with scintigraphy to determine the normal scintigraphic appearance, to evaluate a semiquantitative method used to calculate a sacroiliac joint (SI joint) ratio, and to identify factors that affect the scintigraphic appearance of the pelvis. The scintigraphic examination included dorsal views of each SI joint region and one lateral view of the urinary bladder. Two predefined areas (the SI joint and the area between the tuber sacrale and the SI joint) were evaluated subjectively by comparing the intensity in each area to th...
Koets AP.The function of eCG in equine pregnancy is far from clear but it has become evident that eCG has little or no FSH activity in the horse and is therefore probably not responsible for the secondary ovulations. eCG does have luteotrophic activity and it could play a role in the resurgence of the primary corpus luteum (1,7,44). Some evidence exists that the receptor population on the equine gonads is heterogenous in a way that makes it possible to distinguish eCG from eLH, resulting in different post-receptor effects (7). There is also evidence that eCG itself is heterogenous, both in glycosylatio...
van Bömmel-Wegmann S, Zentek J, Gehlen H, Barton AK, Paßlack N.The effects of dietary zinc on the immune function of equines have not been evaluated in detail so far. In the present study, eight healthy adult ponies and two healthy adult horses were fed a diet supplemented with either zinc chloride hydroxide or zinc methionine in six feeding periods of four weeks each (according to maintenance zinc requirement, 120 mg zinc/kg dry matter, and 240 mg zinc/kg dry matter, for both dietary zinc supplements, respectively). All animals received the six diets, with increasing amounts of zinc chloride hydroxide in the feeding periods 1-3, and with increasing a...
Cardwell BE, Fitch GQ, Geisert RD.Progestogens and follicular stimulants have proved reasonably successful for estrus synchronization, but time of ovulation relative to removal of the progestogen is not clearly established. We monitored time of ovulation in ewes following synchronized estrus. Ovaries of 40 Dorset and Rambouillet x Dorset ewes were evaluated during the spring and fall (20/replicate). Ewes were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (n = 20/group): implant-only (I) ewes received a norgestomet implant for 10 d; and implant + PMSG (PI) ewes received a norgestomet implant for 10 d with an i.m. injection o...
Robinson NE, Dabney JM, Weidner WJ, Jones GA, Scott JB.The digital circulation was isolated in 12 ponies under pentobarbital anesthesia. Blood flow was either controlled by a pump or measured under natural perfusion. The responses to rapid changes and stoppages of blood flow indicated no evidence of autoregulation or reactive hyperemia. Local administration of acetylcholine, histamine, and prostaglandins E1 and E2 decreased prevenous resistance, whereas epinephrine and serotonin caused prevenous constriction. Large doses of epinephrine and serotonin decreased venous caliber. The effects of prostaglandins A1 and F2alpha were variable. The equine di...
Scott CM, Marlin DJ, Schroter RC.Previously we have observed a decline in sweating rate (SR) during high intensity exercise in an incremental test protocol. In man, the sweating sensitivity (SR/degree C) has been shown to vary with exercise intensity. The aim of the present study was to determine if thermoregulatory responses in the horse, a prolific sweater with a high rate of metabolic heat production, were modified by exercise intensity. The effect of 3 separate exercise intensities (50 (S), 70 (M) and 90% (F) VO2peak on neck (SRN) and gluteal sweating rate (SRG), pulmonary artery (TPA), rectal (TREC) and skin temperatures...
Hernández-Jáuregui P, Sosa A, González-Angulo A.Equine spermatozoa were obtained from ejaculates of young stallions. The seminal plasma was removed and the sperm pellets washed three times with 0-15 M-NaCl solution before final centrifugation at 4500 g for 15 min. The pellets were fixed in a mixture of 2-5% glutaraldehyde in 0-1 M-cacodylate buffer, pH 7-4, with 0-5% Alcian blue and post-fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide with 1% lanthanum nitrate; other samples were treated with ruthenium red. All samples were dehydrated in ascending concentrations of ethanol, embedded in araldite and thin sections examined in an electron microscope. Electron de...
Vernemmen I, Vera L, Van Steenkiste G, Deserranno B, Muylle S, Decloedt A, van Loon G.Arrhythmias are common in horses, but catheter-based minimally invasive electrophysiological studies and therapeutic interventions have been poorly explored in equine medicine, partly due to the lack of detailed anatomical knowledge of the equine heart. Objective: To describe the dimensions and anatomical features of some electrophysiologically important landmarks of the right atrium in detail and assess their correlation with bodyweight and aortic diameter. Methods: Ex vivo cadaveric study. Methods: Twenty-one hearts of Warmblood horses, subjected to euthanasia for noncardiovascular reasons, ...
Wahdati A, Lindner A, Sommer H.The influence of temperature and duration of storage on glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in plasma and whole blood samples of horses was investigated. Furthermore the relationships between the GSH-Px activities in plasma and whole blood as well as the GSH-Px values related to hematocrit and the hemoglobin content of the blood samples of 93 different horses were calculated. At 20-22 degrees C, the GSH-Px activity in plasma and whole blood samples remained stable over at least three days while it was reduced by 38% and 65% after 2 and 3 days, if the whole blood samples were kept stored a...
Ferguson EW, Bernier LL, Shaughness GP, Boucher JH.Fourteen horses were studied during a 157-km endurance ride. Two humans who ran the 157 km were also evaluated at the finish. Fibrin monomer samples were examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Two major species of horse Beta-chain with higher molecular weights and different isoelectric mobilities than human beta-chain were observed. Horse alpha-chains had higher molecular weights than human alpha-chains but similar alpha-chain heterogeneities. Mean euglobulin lysis time (ELT) in the horses was accelerated to similar levels...
Van Huffel XM, Varner DD, Hinrichs K, Garcia MC, Strzemienski PJ, Kenney RM.A photomicrographic method for evaluation of stallion spermatozoal motility was developed, and spermatozoal image and velocity characteristics were defined. The photomicrographic method was compared with visual estimation of motility in the same semen sample over time. Using photomicrography, velocities and percentages of individual spermatozoal image characteristics were determined. Although there was a high correlation between results of the 2 methods, results of the photomicrographic method were more repeatable than were those of the visual method.
Fazio E, Lindner A, Cravana C, Wegener J, Medica P, Hart-Mann U, Ferlazzo A.This study examined how a standard exercise test (SET) affected (1) thyroid hormones (THs) of horses and (2) the relationship between the V of horses and TH responses to the exercise in trained Standardbred racehorses (V is the velocity run at defined conditions at which a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol/L is determined). Twelve trained Standardbred racehorses (six stallions and six mares) performed SETs until the horses' blood lactate concentration was at or above 4 mmol/L. The horses were divided into three age groups (2, 3, and 4 years old); each group consists of 4 horses respectivel...
Ball BA, Altschul M, Freeman KP, Hillman RB.Trophoblastic vesicles have been used to study early embryonic development and maternal recognition of pregnancy in domestic animals. The purpose of this study was to characterize the formation of trophoblastic vesicles from Day-12 to Day-16 equine conceptuses. Conceptuses (n = 19) were collected nonsurgically from mares, the capsule was removed, and the conceptus (trophoblast and inner cell mass) was dissected into 2- to 4-mm fragments. Conceptus fragments were cultured in either Ham's F10 (HF10) or Minimum Essential Media (MEM) with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) in 24-well plates. Plates were...
MacKay RJ, King RR, Dankert JR, Reis KJ, Skelley LA.Blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AM) were harvested from foals (aged 46 days to 6 months) and cultured in either medium alone or medium containing 10 micrograms/ml bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After 24 h, culture supernates were collected and analyzed for cytotoxic activity on sensitized L929 cells. Both monocytes and AM that had been treated with LPS produced significantly more cytotoxic activity than the same cell type exposed to medium lacking LPS. LPS-treated macrophages secreted significantly more cytotoxic activity (120 +/- 17.8 U/ml) than did LPS-treated monocytes (47.3 ...
Ginther OJ.The estrous cycles of heifers and mares are used for illustrating pitfalls at the animal level in research in reproductive biology. Infrequent monitoring for characterizing the change in hormone concentrations or for detecting a reproductive event can be a pitfall when the interval for obtaining data exceeds the interval between events. For example, hourly collection of blood samples has shown that the luteolytic period (decreasing progesterone) encompasses 24 hours in heifers and mares. Collection of samples every 6-24 hours results in the illusion that luteolysis requires 2-3 days, owing to ...
Solinger N, Sonea IM.Tachykinins have profound effects on equine intestinal motility, but the distribution of the neurokinin receptors (NKRs) through which they act is unknown. This study reports the distribution of one of these receptors, the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R), in smooth muscle throughout the equine intestinal tract. Objective: To quantify the distribution of the NK1R, based upon mRNA expression, in smooth muscle of different regions of the equine intestinal tract. Methods: Nine regions of the intestinal tract were sampled in 5 mature horses. Total RNA was isolated from smooth muscle and reverse transc...
