Urea is a nitrogen-containing compound that is a byproduct of protein metabolism in horses. It is produced primarily in the liver and is excreted through the kidneys. Urea levels in horses can be indicative of various physiological and metabolic states, including protein intake and kidney function. Elevated or decreased urea levels may reflect changes in dietary protein, hydration status, or renal health. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the production, regulation, and clinical implications of urea in equine physiology and health.
Megerssa YC, Gari FR, Woldemariyam FT.Validation of a test method is critical for confirming that the test can generate accurate and precise data. Although commercial biochemical test kits exist there are no specific and validated commercial clinical chemistry test kits designed for horses. The aim of this study was to validate commercial clinical chemistry test kits designed for a human serum for use in horses. Results: Blood samples were collected from 29 apparently healthy adult male horses and pooled serum was prepared. Validation comprises replication and recovery experiments. Total observable error (TE), sigma (σ) metrics, ...
Trimboli F, De Amicis I, Di Loria A, Ceniti C, Carluccio A.The Martina Franca donkey (MFd) is one of the largest Italian donkey breeds, considered as endangered breed. To support the conservation strategies, knowledge about the physiologic hematological parameters of MFds is needed. The aims of the study were to determine reference value for hematological and major serum parameters in a population of healthy MFds and to estimate the influence of age on these parameters. Eighty-one clinically healthy MFds (17 males and 64 females) in different ages were enrolled: group A (foals, n° 16, animals < 1 year old) group B (young animals, n° 36, from 1 to 3 ...
Easton-Jones CA, Estell KE, Magdesian KG.Information concerning clinical presentation, conditions associated with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) and thrombocytopenia (IMTP) and outcome in equids is lacking. Previous case reports suggest that immune-mediated disease and neoplasia are associated. Objective: Characterise the clinical presentation, clinicopathologic data, underlying conditions, treatment and outcome of IMHA and IMTP cases in equids. We hypothesise that IMHA with concurrent thrombocytopenia occurs more often than IMHA or IMTP alone, and that neoplasia is commonly associated with these immune diseases and cases ...
Stern AW, Muralidhar M.Postmortem chemistry can be a useful ancillary technique that the forensic pathologist can use during a death investigation. In stark contrast, there is limited information available for use of postmortem vitreous humor analysis in animals. In order to use postmortem vitreous humor in veterinary forensic investigations, validation of a method to analyze vitreous humor is required. The goal of this study was to determine the precision, bias, TEobs and sigma (σ) of the Element DC chemistry analyzer; assess its precision using the vitreous humor collected postmortem from dogs, cats and horses an...
Boakari YL, El-Sheikh Ali H, Schnobrich M, Lofrumento K, Scoggin C, Bradecamp E, Scoggin K, Esteller-Vico A, Claes A, Lawrence L, Ball B.High blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration is linked to low fertility in cows and ewes; however, this relationship has not been reported in mares. The study characterized the relationship between BUN and follicular fluid urea nitrogen (FUN) during follicle growth (Experiment 1) and the impact of BUN from embryo donors on the pregnancy outcome of recipient mares (Experiment 2). In experiment one, follicular fluid and blood samples were collected from mares during diestrus with growing follicles and during estrus with pre-ovulatory follicles (n = 16 and 10 mares, respectively). In experiment...
Boakari YL, El-Sheikh Ali H, Dini P, Loux S, Fernandes CB, Scoggin K, Esteller-Vico A, Lawrence L, Ball B.High blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in cows and ewes has a negative effect on embryo development; however, no comparable studies have been published in mares. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effects of high BUN on blastocoele fluid, systemic progesterone and Day 14 equine embryos. When a follicle with a mean (±s.e.m.) diameter of 25±3mm was detected, mares were administered urea (0.4g kg-1) with sweet feed and molasses (n=9) or sweet feed and molasses alone (control; n=10). Blood samples were collected every other day. Mares were subjected to AI and the day ovulation was detect...
Siwinska N, Zak A, Slowikowska M, Niedzwiedz A, Paslawska U.There are limited options to diagnose acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is routinely used in human and small animal medicine. The aim of this study was to assess serum SDMA concentrations in healthy horses and horses with AKI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of: 1) age, 2) sex, 3) body weight and 4) serum creatinine and urea levels on serum SDMA concentrations. Fifty-three healthy horses, including 17 foals (2-6 months of age) and 36 adult horses (3-29 years of age), and 23 horses with AKI were included in the study based on ...
Contreras-Aguilar MD, Lamy E, Escribano D, Cerón JJ, Tecles F, Quiles AJ, Hevia ML.This study aims to evaluate the circadian and circannual variations in a panel of analytes in horse saliva that have been previously described as biomarkers related to stress and disease, in order to interpret them correctly when they are measured in this species. This panel of analytes integrated cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), lipase (Lip), total esterase (TEA), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), adenosine deaminase (ADA), γ-glutamyl transferase (gGT), creatine kinase (CK), urea, total bilirubin, total protein (TP), and phosphorus. These analytes were measured in saliva obtained from a p...
Cappai MG, Dimauro C, Biggio GP, Cherchi R, Accioni F, Pudda F, Boatto G, Pinna W.This study pointed to explore if variations in circulating levels of metabolites in the blood stream of no. 25 feral donkeys occur in view of the different coat color between specimens of Asinara (albino, no. 8) vs. Sardo (dun-grey, no. 17) breed. All individuals involved in this investigation are living in the nature, at Mediterranean latitudes and roam in the same areas all over the National Park of Capo Caccia, where they feed on spontaneous vegetation sources. The study was conducted during the positive photoperiod of the boreal hemisphere (peak in the month of June, 2019) to maximize the ...
Ahmadpour S, Esmaeilnejad B, Dalir-Naghadeh B, Asri-Rezaei S.Equine theileriosis due to Theileria equi is probably the most widespread and pathogenic disease of equines, which comes with major cardiac and renal complications. This study was undertaken to investigate the biomarkers of cardiac and renal functions in horses infected with T. equi and determine the association between these parameters and the level of parasitemia. Giemsa-stained blood smears from 300 horses with ages of 3-4 years old were examined for detection of T. equi on erythrocytes. Moreover, multiplex PCR was employed for confirmation of the diagnosis in the 28 positive cases. Based o...
Lundström T, Lingström P, Wattle O, Carlén A, Birkhed D.The role of saliva composition and dietary sugar in development of infundibular caries in equine cheek teeth is not fully understood. This study analysed electrolyte and urea concentrations in saliva in relation to different forage and measured pH changes after sucrose application in vivo in sound and carious cheek teeth. Results: Forage type had no effect on the equine saliva electrolyte concentrations, which varied considerably both intra- and inter-individually. Chewing resulted in increased values for all electrolytes except bicarbonate. Compared with stimulated human saliva, horse saliva ...
Sotelo EDP, Vendruscolo CP, Fülber J, Seidel SRT, Jaramillo FM, Agreste FR, Silva LCLCD, Baccarin RYA.Several studies in human and equine medicine have produced controversial results regarding the role of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as a therapeutic agent. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of joint lavage with different DMSO concentrations on biomarkers of synovial fluid inflammation and cartilage degradation in joints with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced synovitis. Twenty-six tibiotarsal joints of 13 horses were randomly distributed into four groups (lactated Ringer's solution; 5% DMSO in lactated Ringer's; 10% DMSO in lactated Ringer's; and sham). All animals were evaluated for the prese...
Linhares Boakari Y, El-Sheikh Ali H, Dini P, Loux S, Barbosa Fernandes C, Esteller-Vico A, Scoggin K, Lawrence L, Ball B.An intravenous large dose of protein led to an increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), resulting in a lesser uterine pH and altered uterine gene expression in mares. The objective of the present study was to evaluate effects of a more physiological methodology to increase BUN on the endometrium of mares. Mares were fed hay and a treatment or control diet (n = 11 mares/treatment) in a crossover design starting at time of ovulation detection (D0) and continuing until D7. Mares of the treated group were fed urea (0.4 g/kg BW) with sweet feed and molasses, and those of the control group were fe...
Kędzierski W, Janczarek I, Kowalik S, Jamioł M, Wawak T, Borsuk G, Przetacznik M.In humans and animals, aging leads to a decrease in immune function and an increased susceptibility to infection. Decreased immunity and an increase in the incidence of infectious diseases are particularly notable during the autumn. Bee pollen supplementation improves immunity and antioxidant enzyme activity, as well as general performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bee pollen supplementation during the autumn on blood parameters in aged horses. The study was performed on 16 warmblood horses aged 15-26 years. Half of this group received 60 g of bee pollen (soaked i...
Stokes SM, Bertin FR, Stefanovski D, Poulsen L, Belknap JK, Medina-Torres CE, Pollitt CC, van Eps AW.Continuous digital hypothermia (CDH) prevents lamellar failure in the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp (EHC) and oligofructose (OF) laminitis models, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: To evaluate the effects of CDH on lamellar energy metabolism and perfusion in healthy horses and during EHC and OF laminitis models. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Archived samples were used from Standardbred geldings that received no treatment (CON) (n = 8) or underwent EHC (n = 8) or OF (n = 6) laminitis models. Both forelimbs were instrumented with a lamellar microdialysis system, a...
Stokes SM, Bertin FR, Stefanovski D, Belknap JK, Medina-Torres CE, Pollitt CC, van Eps AW.Hyperinsulinaemia is associated with the development of endocrinopathic laminitis; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: Evaluate the effects of hyperinsulinaemia on lamellar energy metabolism and perfusion during laminitis development. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Eight Standardbred horses were instrumented with a microdialysis probe in the lamellae of a forelimb. A 24 hours baseline period (BASELINE) was followed by 48 hours of a continuous euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp (EHC) from 24 to 72 hours (CLAMP). Microdialysate was collected every 6 hours and analysed ...
Schott HC, Esser MM.Clinicopathologic evaluation of renal function and renal disease in sick adult horses remains grounded in detection of azotemia, assessment of serum and urine electrolyte concentrations, and evaluation of urinalysis findings, including specific gravity, reagent strip analysis, and sediment examination. Because increases in serum or plasma urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations are insensitive indicators of a decreased glomerular filtration rate, there is considerable interest in identifying novel biomarkers of renal function or injury in blood and urine, with serum symmetric dimethylargin...
Duncan NB, Johnson PJ, Crosby MJ, Meyer AM.Limited research has characterized blood chemistry in healthy stock-type foals. Our objectives were to determine foal serum chemistry and hematology changes during the first 72 hours postnatal and compare these with adult horse reference ranges. Over 3 foaling seasons, serum chemistry and hematology were determined for 16 healthy stock-type foals born to similarly managed mares. Blood was collected at 0 hours (before nursing but after standing, within 85 minutes of birth) and 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after initial sampling. Data were analyzed with sampling hour, year, and their interact...
Escobar TA, Dowich G, Dos Santos TP, Zuravski L, Duarte CA, Lübeck I, Manfredini V.Leishmaniosis, zoonosis that produces significant public health impacts, is caused by Leishmania infantum. Canines are the main domestic reservoir and, besides humans, other species of mammals could be infected when living in endemic areas. In this study, we detected equine Leishmania infantum infections in a canine visceral leishmaniosis transmission area and evaluated the clinical, haematological, biochemical and oxidative stress disorders. This study was conducted in Uruguaiana, Rio Grande do Sul, south of Brazil. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 124 animals (98 horses and 26 do...
Plasma clearance of iohexol is a reliable method to assess the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The relationship between aging and GFR in horses is unclear. To compare GFR estimated by iohexol clearance in horses of different ages. Twenty-one clinically healthy horses were enrolled. Prospective study. Groups: (A) composed by 8 young horses (≤14 years old) with serum creatinine <1.5 mg/dL, (B) by 7 aged horses (≥20 years old) with serum creatinine <1.5 mg/dL, and (C) by 6 aged horses (≥20 years old) with serum creatinine ≥1.5 mg/dL. Iohexol was injected (75.5 mg/kg) through...
Data in briefOctober 12, 2019
Volume 27 104653 doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104653
Daden R, Chbihi S, Zarhouni FZ, Chakir J, Piro M, Achaaban MR, Ouassat M, El Allali K.This article presents data on the effect of plasmapheresis on clinical, haematological and biochemical parameters in horses following exercise and after a plasmapheresis session. This blood filtration technique was realised on six jumping horses (plasmapheresis group) that underwent three consecutive days of graded physical exercise. The control group (n = 6) went through the same exercise but was not subjected to the plasmapheresis session. Blood was sampled before and after each exercise, also at the beginning and the end of plasmapheresis session. The presented data was obtained by measur...
Nikvand AA, Jalali SM, Ghadrdan Mashhadi A, Razi Jalali M, Hassanpour Amirabadi S.The efficacy of clinical examinations, and hematologic, hemostatic, and serum biochemical assessments to determine appropriate early medical or surgical therapy in Arabian horses with colic have not been well-described. Objective: We aimed to evaluate clinical and hematologic findings, coagulation-fibrinolytic parameters, and organ dysfunction markers in association with survival in horses with colic. Methods: Seventeen Arabian horses with colic and ten healthy horses were enrolled. After clinical examinations, including heart rates (HRs), capillary refill times (CRTs), abdominal sounds, recta...
Loos CMM, Dorsch SC, Elzinga SE, Brewster-Barnes T, Vanzant ES, Adams AA, Urschel KL.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is characterized by an abnormal insulin response to a glycemic challenge but despite the known insulinotropic effects of certain amino acids, there is a paucity of data evaluating the impact of dietary protein on insulin dynamics in these horses. The objective was therefore to assess insulin and amino acid responses following intake of a high protein meal in healthy horses and those with EMS. Six mature horses diagnosed with EMS and six age-matched control horses without EMS were used. Horses were fed 2g/kg body mass (BM) of a high protein pellet (31% crude prot...
Satué K, Fazio E, Ferlazzo A, Medica P.The aim of this study was to verify the existence of possible cross-talk between biochemical contents of follicular fluid (FF) and systemic concentrations according to the follicular development of the metabolites: glucose (GLU), lactate (LACT), cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), total bilirubin (T BIL), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CREAT); enzymatic activities: gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST); electrolytes: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), potassium (K), ...
Contreras-Aguilar MD, Escribano D, Martínez-Subiela S, Martín-Cuervo M, Lamy E, Tecles F, Cerón JJ.The biochemical components of saliva can change in certain pathologies in horses, for example in acute abdominal disease. The aim of this study was (1) to evaluate if a panel of biochemical analytes usually used in serum can be measured in saliva of horses and (2) to study the possible changes of these biochemical analytes in saliva of horses affected by acute abdominal disease. A panel of 23 analytes was analytically validated in saliva of horses and possible changes in these analytes in a pilot study with six healthy horses and six horses with acute abdominal disease were evaluated. The anal...
Soroko M, Śpitalniak-Bajerska K, Zaborski D, Poźniak B, Dudek K, Janczarek I.The aim of the study was to assess the effects of training on haematological and biochemical blood parameters as well as on the changes in body surface temperature in horses. In order to identify the predictive value of surface temperature measurements as a marker of animal's performance, their correlations with blood parameters were investigated. The study was carried out on nine horses divided into two groups: routinely ridden and never ridden. Infrared thermography was used to assess surface temperature changes before (BT) and just after training (JAT) on a treadmill. Seven regions of int...
Huhmann R, Mueller RS.Topical application of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has shown satisfactory results in dogs and humans with allergic skin diseases. Urea and glycolic acid act as keratolytics and moisturizers. Culicoides hypersensitivity is the most common equine hypersensitivity disorder and only limited treatment options exist. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a cream containing topical PUFAs, humectants and emollients on clinical signs of equine Culicoides hypersensitivity. Methods: Privately owned horses (n = 28) with clinical signs of Culicoides hypersensitivity. Methods: For a period of four ...
Singh UK, Patel R.In vitro refolding of denatured protein and the influence of the alkyl chain on the refolding of a protein were tested using long chain imidazolium chloride salts, 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride [Cmim][Cl], and 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Cmim][Cl]. The horse heart cytochrome c (h-cyt c) was denatured by urea and guanidinium hydrochloride (GdnHCl), as well as by base-induced denaturation at pH 13, to provide a broad overview of the overall refolding behavior. The variation in the alkyl chain of the ionic liquids (ILs) showed a profound effect on the refolding of denatured h-cyt...
Ellerbrock RE, Honorato J, Curcio BR, Stewart JL, Souza JAT, Love CC, Lima FS, Canisso IF.Urospermia is a common ejaculatory dysfunction of stallions. Current practice suggests that urine contaminated semen should not be used for cryopreservation. The aim of this study was to determine effects of urine contamination on semen freezing. Sixty-five ejaculates from eight stallions were divided into no urine (CONT), low (20% urine, LOW), and high (50% urine, HIGH) samples. Semen was extended with a commercial cooling extender, cushion-centrifuged, resuspended to 200 million/mL in a commercial egg-yolk based extender, and cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. A subset of ejaculates (n = ...
Sancler-Silva YFR, Silva-Junior ER, Fedorka CE, Scheeren VFC, Cavalero TS, Papa PM, Alvarenga MA, Dell'Aqua JA, Papa FO.The aim of this report is to describe a new methodology to successfully treat stallions diagnosed with urethral rent. Four stallions of ages ranging from 7 to 12 years (median 9) with hemospermia were admitted for clinical evaluation, breeding soundness examination, and urethroscopy for inspection of the urethra and vesicular glands. Once the presence of urethral rent was identified and/or other sources of hemorrhage were excluded, a topical treatment was performed with 4% Policresulen solution (Albocresil). The treatment was carried out by infusing 100 mL of the solution into the lumen of t...
Ranjithkumar M, Saravanan BC, Yadav SC, Kumar R, Singh R, Dey S.Trypanosoma evansi infection typically produces wasting disease, but it can also develop into a neurological or meningoencephalitis form in equids. Trypanosomiasis in horses was treated with quinapyramine sulfate, and all the 14 infected animals were recovered clinically. After clinical recovery, four animals developed a neurological form of the disease at various intervals. Two of these animals treated with diminazene aceturate recovered temporarily. Repeated attempts failed to find the parasite in the blood or the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), but all of the animals were positive in enzyme-link...
Strambini GB, Gonnelli M.The inactivation of equine liver alcohol dehydrogenase by guanidine hydrochloride and urea has been studied by monitoring the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and phosphorescence emission. The use of triplet-state lifetimes to probe the flexibility of protein structure at the site of tryptophan-314 reveals a distinct behavior between the two denaturants. At predenaturational concentrations, the loss of enzyme activity in guanidine hydrochloride is associated with a loosening of intramolecular interactions resulting in a greater fluidity of the interior region of the macromolecule. In contrast...
Siwinska N, Zak A, Slowikowska M, Niedzwiedz A, Paslawska U.There are limited options to diagnose acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is routinely used in human and small animal medicine. The aim of this study was to assess serum SDMA concentrations in healthy horses and horses with AKI. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of: 1) age, 2) sex, 3) body weight and 4) serum creatinine and urea levels on serum SDMA concentrations. Fifty-three healthy horses, including 17 foals (2-6 months of age) and 36 adult horses (3-29 years of age), and 23 horses with AKI were included in the study based on ...
MacKay RJ, French TW, Nguyen HT, Mayhew IG.The effects of large doses of phenylbutazone were evaluated in clinically normal horses. The drug was given to 4 groups of 2 horses each at the rate of 30 mg/kg of body weight, orally, or 30, 15, or 8 mg/kg IV daily for up to 2 weeks. All horses became anorectic and depressed after 2 to 4 phenylbutazone treatments, and the horses given 15 or 30 mg/kg died on or between days 4 and 7 of treatment. A decrease in total blood neutrophil count occurred in all horses, and was associated with toxic left shift in horses given the 2 larger dosage schedules. The horses also had progressive increases in s...
McGorum BC, Dixon PM, Halliwell RE, Irving P.The urea and albumen dilution techniques for standardising the variable concentrations of pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were evaluated in horses. Both techniques proved satisfactory and were of equal accuracy. Albumen adjusted BALF cell counts were significantly higher than PELF cell counts. BALF from normal horses contained, on average, 0.4 per cent PELF (range 0.1 to 1.0 per cent), as determined by the urea dilution technique.
Botha M, Botes M, Loos B, Smith C, Dicks LM.Lactobacillus equigenerosi strain Le1, a natural inhabitant of the equine gastrointestinal tract, survived pH 3.0 and incubation in the presence of 1.5% (wt/vol) bile salts for at least 2 h. Strain Le1 showed 8% cell surface hydrophobicity, 60% auto-aggregation, and 47% coaggregation with Clostridium difficile C6. Only 1% of the cells adhered to viable buccal epithelial cells and invaded the cells within 20 min after contact. Preincubation of strain Le1 in a buffer containing pronase prevented adhesion to viable epithelial cells. Preincubation in a pepsin buffer delayed invasion from 20 min to...
Plotka ED, Eagle TC, Gaulke SJ, Tester JR, Siniff DB.Blood was collected from 486 feral horses of mixed sex and age classes captured from three wild horse management areas in Nevada and Oregon from December 1985 to February 1986. Males were significantly outnumbered by females in the Flanigan area, but both sexes were represented in approximately equal numbers in the Wassuk and Beaty's Butte areas. Hematology and chemistry values averaged 16.4 +/- 0.11, 46.3 +/- 0.28, 9.9 +/- 0.07, 6.9 +/- 0.10, 47.1 +/- 0.24, 16.6 +/- 0.09, 35.2 +/- 0.09, 10.4 +/- 0.14 and 23.4 +/- 0.25 for hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), red blood cells (RBC), white blood ...
Pösö AR, Soveri T, Oksanen HE.Serum enzyme activities, albumin, protein, urea, cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, glucose and lactate concentrations as well as hematocrit values were measured in standardbred and Finnish-bred horses at rest and after (i) a short controlled exercise and (ii) a trotting competition. There were no breed differences in the enzyme activities at rest and the 2 breeds responded in the same manner to the exercise. Only after the race proper significant increases in the enzyme activities were found. The activities rose more in the standardbred horses than in the Finnish-bred horses. Urea an...
McGorum BC, Murphy D, Love S, Milne EM.The clinicopathological features of 50 cases of equine hepatic disease were reviewed. There was a wide range of clinical signs and at least 50 per cent of the animals exhibited either dull demeanour, anorexia, abdominal pain, cerebral dysfunction and/or weight loss. Life-threatening complications of hepatic failure recorded were: gastric impaction in 10 cases, bilateral laryngeal paralysis in seven cases and coagulopathy in five cases. All the cases had high activities of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and most had high activities of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and high concentrations of ...
Speake PF, Gibson JS.The effect of urea and its interactions with oxygen tension (PO2), cell volume and inhibitors of protein phosphatases/kinases (PP/PK) on the K influx into equine red blood cells were studied. K influx was measured using 86Rb as a radioactive tracer for K. As in other species, Cl-dependent K influxes were stimulated by urea, with peak fluxes occurring at about 750 mM. This effect was not mediated via changes in cell volume or following formation of cyanate, the hydrolysis product of urea. Stimulation by urea was prevented by pre-treatment with calyculin A (100 nM) at all urea concentrations tes...
McCornico RS, Duckett WM, Wood PA.Persistent hyperammonemia was diagnosed in 2 Morgan fillies with clinical signs that developed early in the postweaning period. Diagnostic evaluation, including routine serum chemistries, CBC, liver biopsy, hepatic ultrasonography, liver function test, and necropsy findings did not support a toxic, developmental, or infectious cause. Abnormal serum amino acid and urine orotic acid concentrations suggest that the foals may have had an inherited disorders described in humans as hyperornithinemia, hyperammonemia, and homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome. The disorder is thought to be caused by a defe...
Rose RJ, Hodgson DR, Sampson D, Chan W.Plasma biochemical values were measured in 14 horses, before a 160 km endurance ride, immediately after 85 km, immediately after 160 km, after 30 min recovery period and the day after the ride. For statistical analysis, a group of 7 horses that completed the ride at a mean speed of 234 metres per min (m/min) (Fast Group) was compared with 7 horses that completed the ride at a mean speed of 144 m/min (Slow Group). Estimations were made of sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, glucose, creatinine, urea, bilirubin, iron, total protein, albumin, calcium, phosphate, cholesterol, alkaline phosph...
Bannai H, Takahashi Y, Ohmura H, Ebisuda Y, Mukai K, Kambayashi Y, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Ohta M, Raidal S, Padalino B.This study evaluated the effects of 12-hour transportation on immune responses to equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4). Possible replication of EHV-1 and EHV-4 was monitored by real-time PCR of nasal swabs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and changes in systemic and mucosal antibodies were investigated. Six healthy Thoroughbreds with transport experience were transported in commercial trucks, repeating the same three-hour route four times. Blood samples for cortisol measurement were taken before departure and every three hours. Nasal swabs, PBMCs, nasal wash and ...
Lizarraga I, Beeler-Marfisi J, Marshall DL, Hassan M, Castillo-Alcala F, Simon BT, Fraites T, Thrall MA.There is a large population of donkeys in Saint Kitts; however, hematological and biochemical reference intervals (RIs) are lacking. This study addressed this deficiency by following the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology RI guidelines. Sixty-six healthy, gelding standard donkeys with a median and interquartile range age of 5 years (3.5 - 8 years) and a mean ± standard deviation body weighed of 156 ± 16.7 kg were used to produce a five-part differential complete blood count using an impedance-based analyzer. Clinical chemistry analytes were quantified using a photometric-base...
Connysson M, Muhonen S, Lindberg JE, Essén-Gustavsson B, Nyman G, Nostell K, Jansson A.High-energy forage might be an alternative to concentrates for performance horses and such forage can be produced by an early cut. However, early cut forage is high in crude protein (CP), which may result in an excessive CP intake. Objective: To investigate how CP intake affects nitrogen (N), fluid and acid-base balance, and exercise response in horses fed high-energy forage diets. The hypothesis was that high CP intake causes acidosis, and alters fluid balance and response to intensive exercise. Methods: Two forage-only diets based on high-energy grass forage were fed for 23 days in a crossov...
Rose RJ, Ilkiw JE, Arnold KS, Backhouse JW, Sampson D.Blood samples were collected from 16 Thoroughbred horses before, during and after the second day of a 3-day event. Plasma osmolality, concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, creatinine, glucose, bilirubin, iron, total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, calcium, inorganic phosphate, uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids were measured. Significant differences from pre-event values were found in all parameters with the greatest changes being found after the cross-country phase. ...
Christensen RA, Malinowski K, Massenzio AM, Hafs HD, Scanes CG.Two studies were performed with Standardbred geldings 7 to 21 yr of age to determine the sequence of changes in blood plasma concentrations of some hormones and metabolites during feed deprivation for 48 h and for 12 h after refeeding. Plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations were determined with methods validated for horse plasma. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) were determined with radioligand analysis following SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. In both experiments, plasma concentrations of triiodothyronine and thyroxine decreased (P < .01) during feed deprivation and incr...
McLaughlin BG, McLaughlin PS.Samples of equine vitreous humor were analyzed for urea nitrogen, creatinine, sodium, chloride, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and magnesium concentrations. Fresh vitreous chemical concentrations were compared to corresponding serum concentrations and expressed as a vitreous to serum ratio. The effects of postmortem time and temperature on the stability of the chemical concentrations were determined by incubation of the samples at 4 degrees C, and 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C for 6, 12, 24, or 48 h. Chemical concentrations were generally more stable at lower temperatures and shorter incubati...
Cappai MG, Dimauro C, Biggio GP, Cherchi R, Accioni F, Pudda F, Boatto G, Pinna W.This study pointed to explore if variations in circulating levels of metabolites in the blood stream of no. 25 feral donkeys occur in view of the different coat color between specimens of Asinara (albino, no. 8) vs. Sardo (dun-grey, no. 17) breed. All individuals involved in this investigation are living in the nature, at Mediterranean latitudes and roam in the same areas all over the National Park of Capo Caccia, where they feed on spontaneous vegetation sources. The study was conducted during the positive photoperiod of the boreal hemisphere (peak in the month of June, 2019) to maximize the ...
Kelley DE, Warren LK, Mortensen CJ.The beneficial effect of L-arginine (L-Arg) supplementation, on the physiology of several species, has generated an interest in the use of L-Arg as a nutraceutical in horses, but dosage and absorption of orally supplemented L-Arg must be inferred from other species. The study objective was to determine the effect of 2 oral L-Arg doses on plasma arginine concentrations and the effect on absorption of other amino acids in mares. In Experiment 1, mares were blocked by age and breed and were fed L-Arg supplemented (supplemented with 0.025% BW L-Arg; n=6) or control (no supplement; n=6) concentrate...
Singh UK, Patel R.In vitro refolding of denatured protein and the influence of the alkyl chain on the refolding of a protein were tested using long chain imidazolium chloride salts, 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride [Cmim][Cl], and 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Cmim][Cl]. The horse heart cytochrome c (h-cyt c) was denatured by urea and guanidinium hydrochloride (GdnHCl), as well as by base-induced denaturation at pH 13, to provide a broad overview of the overall refolding behavior. The variation in the alkyl chain of the ionic liquids (ILs) showed a profound effect on the refolding of denatured h-cyt...
Adams LG.Six groups of four adult horses were twice injected intramuscularly at a 24 hour interval with 0, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 mg/kg of imidocarb dipropionate (IMDP) and monitored for 21 days. The LD50 of IMDP for 21 days after injection was two doses of 15.99 +/- 1.49 mg/kg with mortalities occurring within six days following the first injection. Increasing levels of IMDP were correlated with increasing rates of morbidity, mortality, local and systemic reactions, increasing levels of blood urea nitrogen, serum aspartate amino transferase, serum sorbitol dehydrogenase, serum creatine phosphokinase, neutr...
Grossman BS, Brobst DF, Kramer JW, Bayly WM, Reed SM.The urine urea nitrogen/plasma urea nitrogen ratio (Uun/Pun), urine creatinine/plasma creatinine ratio (Ucr/Pcr), urine osmolality/plasma osmolality ratio (Uosm/Posm), and fractional excretion of filtered sodium (FENa) were evaluated in 16 horses with acute azotemia to ascertain the significance of each index in the differentiation of prerenal azotemia from renal azotemia. Renal azotemia was diagnosed when renal biopsy or postmortem histologic examination demonstrated evidence of organic renal disease or when azotemia was found in the presence of isosthenuria. The diagnosis of prerenal azotemi...
Ono T, Inoue Y, Hisaeda K, Yamada Y, Hata A, Miyama TS, Shibano K, Kitagawa H, Ohzawa E, Iwata E.This study aimed to evaluate the influence of seasons and sex on body size and hematological and biochemistry parameters of Noma horses, a native Japanese breed. Body size was larger in winter than in summer. Laboratory testing variables, including erythrocytic parameters and urea nitrogen, total cholesterol, and creatinine kinase levels, were higher in winter, while the eosinophil count was higher in summer. These seasonal differences may be related to increased energy consumption of horses due to heat stress. The higher eosinophil counts may have been related to the dermatitis observed in su...
El-Deeb WM, El-Bahr SM.A total of 30 horses were divided into two groups, one served as a control whereas other was rhabdomyolysis diseased horses. After blood collection, the resulted sera were used for estimation of the activities of creatin kinase (CK), aspartate transaminase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lactic acid, triacylglycerol (TAG), glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea, creatinine, Triiodothyronine (T(3)), calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, chloride, vitamin E, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α). In addition, whole blood was used for determination of selenium, reduce...
Koj A, Chudzik J, Dubin A.Two proteinases (2A and 2B) purified from the granular fraction of horse blood leucocytes degrade casein (Km values 12.8 and 6mg/ml respectively) with maximum activity at pH 7.4 and in the presence of 2m-urea. Urea-denatured haemoglobin, fibrinogen, albumin and resorcin/fuchsin-stained elastin are digested at a slower rate. The enzymes hydrolyse synthetic substrates of elastase, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine 4-nitrophenyl ester (Km 0.114 and 0.178 mM) and N-acetyl-tri-L-alanine methyl ester (Km 5.55 and 0.98 mM), but they do not hydrolyse synthetic substrates of trypsin, chymotrypsin and throm...
Behr MJ, Hackett RP, Bentinck-Smith J, Hillman RB, King JM, Tennant BC.Rupture of the urinary bladder was diagnosed in 4 neonatal male foals. Marked hyponatremia, hypochloremia, and hyperkalemia developed in all 4 cases, and the electrolyte abnormalities were considered to be of potential diagnostic value. Blood urea nitrogen concentration was normal or only slightly higher than normal in 3 of 4 cases and therefore was not a reliable diagnostic test.
Ranjithkumar M, Malik TA, Saxena A, Dan A, Sakthivel PC, Dey S.Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma evansi commonly produces wasting disease with signs of emaciation and cachexia mainly at the end stage. The present study was conducted to explore the possible hyperlipaemia or hyperlipidaemia and its association with cachexia-anorexia in equine trypanosomiasis. Out of the fifteen confirmed animals, none of the plasma sample was opaque. There was a significant increase in plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and blood urea nitrogen and a highly significant increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. A mild increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)...
Collins A, Palmer E, Bézard J, Burke J, Duchamp G, Buckley T.Samples of blood and follicular fluid were recovered from 27 Welsh Pony mares at 4 distinct stages of follicular development. Eighteen biochemical parameters were measured in each sample, including sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose, urea, creatinine, calcium, inorganic phosphate, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, magnesium, triglyceride, total cholesterol, nonesterified fatty acids, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. The concentrations of progesterone, 17beta oestradiol and testosterone, pH and osmolarity, were also measured in all the fol...
Filippo PAD, Duarte BR, Albernaz AP, Quirino CR.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feed restriction on some physical and blood parameters in horses kept outdoors under natural conditions. Twenty horses were deprived of food for 48 h. They were closely monitored and examined, and blood samples were taken at the beginning (0) of the experiment and 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 hours afterward. During the experimental period, the control group (12 animals) had free access to water and hay, while the restricted group had free access to water only. Data were submitted to two-way analysis of variance with repeated measur...
