Veterinary medicine for horses encompasses the study and application of medical practices to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases in equine species. This field involves a comprehensive understanding of equine anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Veterinary practitioners employ a range of diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions to address health issues in horses, including lameness, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory conditions, and infectious diseases. Preventative care, such as vaccination and deworming programs, is also a significant aspect of equine veterinary medicine. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of veterinary medicine as it pertains to horses, including advancements in diagnostic techniques, treatment protocols, and preventive health strategies.
Mota-Rojas D, Whittaker AL, Bienboire-Frosini C, Buenhombre J, Mora-Medina P, DomÃnguez-Oliva A, MartÃnez-Burnes J, Hernández-Avalos I....Recognizing that nonhuman animals are sentient beings has increased interest in studying their emotional state. Similar to humans, research has shown that some nonhuman mammals can modify facial expressions by contraction/relaxation of facial muscles according to their affective state. From a neurophysiological perspective, emotions are processed in several brain structures, mainly from the limbic system, such as the hypothalamus, hypophysis, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The converged pathways between the amygdala, the motor cortex, and its projections to the facial nerve cont...
Carvalho JRG, Sales NAA, Littiere TO, Costa GB, Castro CM, Polisel EEC, Orsi JB, Ramos GV, Santos IFC, Gobatto CA, Manchado-Gobatto FB, Ferraz GC.Several studies have explored alternatives to enhance the performance, health, and safety of sports horses. One promising method involves the use of vibrating platforms (VP), which offer passive exercise stimulation via mechanical oscillations distributed throughout the body. This type of exercise is referred to as whole-body vibration (WBV) and is an emerging strategy for accelerating muscle recovery. This study examined the dynamics of proteins responsible for transporting monocarboxylates (MCT1 and MCT4), and their relationship with lactatemia and acid-base balance in connection with WBV re...
Munerato MS, Simon O, Nicholson A.This report describes successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation of a healthy, 525 kg, 8 years 9 months-old Quarter horse gelding. After successful pelvic limb orthopaedic surgery to excise a metatarsal bone under general anaesthesia, with the horse in left lateral recumbency, the horse was hoisted into recovery. After the horse was positioned in recovery, a routine cardiac check by thoracic auscultation was performed. Cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) was identified by absence of cardiac sounds and pulse, as evaluated by digital palpation of the facial artery, absence of the right palpebral reflex, ...
Nolen-Walston RD, Kulp JC, Stefanovski D, van Eps AW.Hyperinsulinemia is an important and treatable risk factor for laminitis in horses. Objective: Evaluate the Tosoh AIA-360 automated fluorescence enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of serum insulin concentrations in horses, and compare it to five other immunoassays for insulin quantification. Methods: One hundred serum samples from 83 horses were submitted for insulin measurement. Methods: The Tosoh AIA-360 was assessed against a reference assay (radioactive immunoassay; RIA). Using the same samples, TOS-FEIA, ELISA, and three chemiluminescent immunoassays (CLIA) were assessed for correlati...
Loublier C, Costa M, Taminiau B, Lecoq L, Daube G, Amory H, Cesarini C.Research on fecal microbiota changes during hospitalization of horses with colic is emerging. Objective: Describe changes of the fecal microbiota during hospitalization of horses with colic caused by inflammatory (INFL), simple (SIMPLE), and strangulated (STR) obstructions, and investigate associations with survival. Methods: Twenty-three horses with colic: 9 in INFL, 5 in STR, and 9 in SIMPLE groups. Seventeen horses survived, and 6 were euthanized. Methods: Prospective observational study. Fecal samples were collected on admission (D1), on days 3 (D3) and 5 (D5). Bacterial taxonomy profiling...
Oyaneder L, Lagos N, Dörner C.The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety and the long-lasting anesthetic properties of Neosaxitoxin (NeoSTX) when injected into the intercoccygeal space in standing horses. A group of eighteen (n = 18) healthy client-owned mature crossbreed horses were enrolled in this study. Caudal epidural injection was ascertained by two methods, the "hanging drop" technique and radiographs. Horses were allocated into three groups (n = 6) each group receiving different dosages of NeoSTX. To assess the onset of action and duration of anesthesia, six horses received 20 μg in 2 mL, six 20Â...
Arnade H, Ivie IE, Gordon J, Peroni JF.To evaluate the feasibility of short-term 3-D tissue culture in maintaining the structure and function of equine synovial explants and demonstrate that day 4 explant characteristics were not significantly different from day 0. We hypothesized that a 4-day culture period in 3-D explant culture would not significantly disrupt synovial tissue health and function compared to baseline measurements. Unassigned: Synovial explants (n = 24/horse) from healthy carpal joints of 5 horses were cultured in 12-well plates using tissue-stabilizing agar rings. Explants were evaluated in triplicate or quadrupli...
Brys M, Claerebout E, Saey V, Chiers K.A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of chorioptic mange affecting the distal legs of horses in Belgium, focusing on the association between mange and chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) in Belgian draft horses. Clinical examinations and skin scrapings were performed on the distal legs of 156 Belgian draft horses and 142 Belgian warmblood horses. In the Belgian draft horse breed, 144 (92.31%) horses were infested with Chorioptes bovis mites, and 126 (80.77%) displayed clinical signs of CPL. CPL prevalence in draft horses aged < 1 year was 17.86%, while mites we...
Velásquez JM, Tamayo-Arango L, Santos-Silva T, Miglino MA.Horse joints are common sites of injury, orthopedic issues, and surgical and clinical interventions. For this reason, a thorough understanding of joint anatomy, including the boundaries of their recesses and their relationships with other structures of the locomotor apparatus, is essential. This study aimed to develop cast anatomical models of the synovial structures of the equine hand and foot, compare different casting materials and visualization methods, and identify the most suitable technique for enhancing the understanding of equine limb arthrology. Additionally, an anatomical descriptio...
Mota-Rojas D, Whittaker AL, Coria-Avila GA, MartÃnez-Burnes J, Mora-Medina P, DomÃnguez-Oliva A, Hernández-Avalos I, Olmos-Hernández A....The growing interest in managing and recognizing pain in animals has led to the search for more sensitive methods to evaluate it, especially because some species conceal any visible changes associated with pain or are not easily assessed. Research has shown that an animal's facial expression changes when exposed to painful stimuli. Thus, developing several pain scales (grimace scales) in species such as horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, rats, mice, and cats has helped to improve the study of pain in veterinary medicine. The possibility of using facial expression as an indicator of...
Cheung HW, Wong KS, Choi YC, Kwok WH, So YM, Farrington AF, Bond AJ, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.An increasing number of novel Fc-fusion proteins and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are being developed as therapeutic agents for treating various diseases. Among these, there are inhibitors of the activin Type II receptor (ActRIIA and ActRIIB) signaling pathways and mAbs against nerve growth factor (NGF), which may be misused for performance enhancement in horseracing and equestrian sports. This study is aimed at developing a generic detection method for doping control analysis of nine targeted proteins, each containing the Fc domain of human IgG or IgG from other species in equine plasma, name...
Röschmann J, Naef J, Doras C, Gerber V.Equine asthma is a common cause of poor performance, but little is known about its impact on submaximal exercise. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of equine asthma and potential confounding factors on recovery of respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) after a lunging exercise test. Thirty-seven horses completed a standardized 15 min lunging exercise including HR and RR recording pre- and up to 30 min post-exercise and venous blood lactate measurement. Endoscopy was performed and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology was used to categorize horses as controls or asthma...
Albanese V, Straticò P, Fischer H, Petrizzi L.Injuries to the distal limb are common in horses. The clinical aspect of the lesions is variable based on the structures that are involved. Synovial structures as well as tendons and/or ligaments may be involved in such injuries, affecting treatment modalities and costs, and prognosis. This retrospective study compares wounds involving synovial structures to wounds without such involvement in terms of treatment duration and costs, and prognosis. Synovial wounds were much more expensive to treat and carried a lower prognosis. Involvement of tendons and/or ligaments in the wounds resulted in mor...
Tsujimura K, Bannai H, Kambayashi Y, Nemoto M, Ohta M.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EqAHV1; Orthoherpesviridae, Varicellovirus equidalpha1) spreads by viremia to susceptible organs. Because EqAHV1 circulates in the bloodstream in a cell-associated manner, serum samples are not considered valuable for detecting EqAHV1 and have therefore not been tested by highly sensitive detection methods such as real-time PCR (rtPCR). We investigated whether EqAHV1 could be detected by this method in equine serum samples. We performed rtPCR on archived sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from 3 horses experimentally inoculated with EqAHV1. ...
Abdul-Latif SAK, Yousif AA.Strangles is a highly contagious equine respiratory disease caused by . It is a globally significant pathogen and one of the most common infectious agents in horses. In Iraq, no sequencing data on this pathogen are available, and only two molecular studies have been published to date. This study provides preliminary insights into strain diversity and provides a foundation for future large-scale investigations. Unassigned: This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics, identify gene alleles, and perform a phylogenetic analysis of isolates from horses in Baghdad, Iraq. Unassign...
McNabb L, McMahon A, Woube EG, Agnihotri K, Colling A, Broder CC, Kucinskaite-Kodze I, Petraityte-Burneikiene R, Bowden TR, Halpin K.Hendra virus (HeV) is a bat-borne zoonotic agent which can cause a severe and highly fatal disease and can be transferred from animals to humans. It has caused over 100 deaths in horses since it was discovered in 1994. Four out of seven infected humans have died. Since the release of the HeV vaccine (Equivac® HeV Hendra Virus Vaccine for Horses, Zoetis Australia Pty Ltd., Rhodes, NSW 2138) in Australia, there has been an urgent requirement for a serological test for differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA). All first-line diagnostic serological assays at the Australian Centre f...
Long S, Maleas G, Belacic ZA, Quam VG, Durgam S.To analyze the cellular, growth factor, and cytokine composition of equine sternal bone marrow aspirate (BMA) and laboratory-centrifuged BMA concentrate (BMAC). Unassigned: This was an in vitro experimental study. Cellular composition, growth factors (IGF-I, VEGF, PDGF, TGF-β1), and cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-1 receptor antagonist protein [IL-1Ra]) were quantified using a standard automated hematology analyzer and ELISA methods, respectively, in donor-matched BMA, BMAC (in-house centrifugation protocol), whole blood, and platelet-rich plasma (E-PET; Pall...
Kemp KL, Yuen NKY, Skinner JE, Bertin FR.Phenylbutazone is prescribed to manage pain caused by hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis. Phenylbutazone reduces glucose and insulin concentrations in horses with insulin dysregulation (ID) but the underlying mechanism of action is unknown. Objective: Investigate the effect of phenylbutazone on tissue insulin sensitivity in horses. It is hypothesized that the reduced glucose and insulin concentrations in horses with ID receiving phenylbutazone are mediated by a higher tissue insulin sensitivity. Methods: Fifteen light breed horses, including seven with ID. Methods: Randomized cross-over stu...
Kamr AM, Bartish C, Summers J, Horton J, Hostnik LD, Orr K, Browne N, Dembek KA, Saliba C, Gomez DE, Toribio RE.Information about the association of antimicrobial peptides with hypovitaminosis D in hospitalized foals is lacking. Objective: We aimed to longitudinally determine the association of serum concentrations of vitamin D metabolites, vitamin D binding protein (DBP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) with antimicrobial peptides (β-defensin-1 and cathelicidin-1) and the mRNA expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1), 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1), toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), disease severity, and mortality in hospita...
Navas de Solis C, Ramseyer A, Stefanovski D, Haughan J, Solomon CJ, Kirsch K.Exercising arrhythmias are common in horses participating in eventing competitions. Heart rate variability (HRV) and a specific measure of the degree of heart rate fluctuation (Detrended Fluctuation Analysis alpha1; DFA-α1) are proposed as exercise intensity and fatigue markers. Objective: (1) To describe exercising arrhythmias and DFA-α1 values during 2-4* level eventing cross-country competitions in horses from two European countries; (2) to identify associations between exercising arrhythmias, DFA-α1 and competition results and (3) to evaluate whether markers of the intensity of exercise...
Cameron A, Geldard M, Mair T, England G, Burford J, Freeman S, Pollock K, Wilson E.Veterinary and charity teams are frequently involved in equine end-of-life decisions. These can cause ethical dilemmas and emotional burdens and complicate communication with owners. Semi-structured focus groups explored experiences of making decisions about end-of-life care and euthanasia at three UK equine veterinary practices and one charity. There were 26 participants in a mix of roles. Inductive coding was conducted during thematic analysis. Major themes generated were 'Equine Welfare', 'Relationships', 'Decision-Making', and 'Emotional Toll and Coping Strategies'. Communication, finances...
Aoun R, Ogunmola Z, Musso A, Taguchi T, Takawira C, Lopez MJ.The shift in vertical forces on the equine hoof surface by heart-bar, egg-bar, and wooden clog shoes can significantly impact gait kinetics. Hypotheses tested in this study were that vertical, braking, and propulsion peak force (PF) and impulse (IMP) are different while shod with heart-bar, egg-bar, open-heel, and wooden clog shoes, or while unshod, and the resultant ground reaction force vector (GRF YZ ) has the longest duration of cranial angulation with open-heel shoes followed by unshod, then egg-bar and heart-bar shoes, and the shortest with wooden clog shoes. Forelimb GRFs were recorded ...
de Oliveira Ferreira LV, Maia L, de Andrade DGA, da Costa Kamura B, de Carvalho M, Amorim RM.Cell-based therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for treating peripheral nervous system (PNS) injuries across different species. However, there is a scarcity in the literature regarding the transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating PNS injuries in horses. This report aims to describe the therapeutic potential of equine MSC transplantation in two horses with chronic traumatic facial nerve paralysis. Both horses presented with lip ptosis and right deviation of the nostril and upper lip, being clinically diagnosed with left facial nerve paralysis. Due to the refractorine...
Hardefeldt LY, Thomas K, Begg L.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a problem for equine practitioners in Australia, but antimicrobial use in practice has been largely understudied. We aimed to evaluate equine veterinarians' intentions of prescribing antimicrobials in areas where we perceived there to be wide ranges of practice - dentistry, reproduction and for nonbactericidal effects. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of veterinarians working in equine practice was conducted over 4 months in 2023 and 2024. Antimicrobial use, including compounding practices, for reproductive and dental disorders, and nonbactericidal...
Lösle M, Lin CW, Beil-Wagner J, Aebi M, Buch T.Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) is a widely used hormone that synchronizes the female cycle and induces estrus in livestock. eCG is a heterodimeric glycoprotein composed of non-covalently linked α- and β-chains whose glycosylation profiles determine the in vivo activity of the hormone. The commercially available eCG products are crudely purified from the serum of pregnant mares, hence called pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG). Appropriate glycosylation of the protein is crucial for the correct binding to the receptor, receptor activation, and its half-life. The exact protein composi...
Sheahan BJ, Schubert AG, Schubert W, Sheats MK, Schnabel LV, Gilbertie JM.Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a significant role in response to a variety of infectious and inflammatory stimuli in human and veterinary medicine. Although entrapment of bacteria can be an important function of NETs, the exuberant release of DNA and other intracellular molecules has also been negatively implicated in the pathogenesis of different diseases. Thus, NET formation must be tightly controlled and represents an opportunity for therapeutic interventions. Horses are particularly sensitive to bacterial stimuli that have previously been shown to cause NETs in other species, b...
BotÃa M, Muñoz-Prieto A, MartÃnez-Subiela S, MartÃn-Cuervo M, Hansen S, Manteca X, Cerón JJ, López-Arjona M.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a frequent disease in horses that comprises two different entities: equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD). This disease considerably reduces the quality of life of affected horses and can negatively affect performance. Saliva contains biomarkers, such as oxytocin, that have been used as a welfare indicator and can develop a function as a protective factor against stress-induced changes in gastric function due to its gastric antisecretory and antiulcer effects. The objective of this work was to evaluate changes...
Page AE, Rauber-Ramos AM, Humiston M, McPeek JL, Adam EN.Given the metabolic effects of intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids, the goal of this project was to monitor the effects of IA betamethasone in both insulin dysregulated (ID)(n = 3) and non-ID (n = 5) horses. A cross-over design was used where eight geldings were injected with either 9 mg of betamethasone or saline into both metacarpophalangeal joints, followed by regular blood collections for adrenocorticotropin releasing hormone (ACTH), cortisol, insulin, and glucose, as well as pre- and post-administration oral sugar testing. Results were analyzed via two-way repeated measures analysis of v...
Júnior GS, de Souza JV, de Souza Ferreira W, Florentino VRD, Valente TC, Comassetto F, Oleskovicz N.This study aimed to evaluate the sedation degree, cardiopulmonary effects, and detomidine-sparing during dental occlusal adjustment in standing horses using a bolus and constant rate infusion (CRI) of detomidine alone or in combination with butorphanol or methadone. In this randomized, blinded clinical trial, 24 healthy adult horses were assigned to the detomidine (DT), detomidine-butorphanol (DB), or detomidine-methadone (DM) group. DT received an intravenous bolus of detomidine (20 μg/kg), followed by CRI at 20 μg/kg/h. DB received detomidine (10 μg/kg) and butorphanol (0.02 mg/kg) boluse...
Navarrete-Calvo R, Morgaz J, RuÃz-López P, Gómez-Villamandos RJ, DomÃnguez JM, Quirós-Carmona S, Granados MM.Spectral entropy and bispectral index (BIS) can differentiate between conscious and unconscious levels in horses. This study aimed to determine whether spectral entropy and BIS parameters can distinguish between different end-tidal isoflurane concentrations (EtIso, %), and whether these parameters change when a nociceptive stimulus is applied. Ten clinically healthy horses were anaesthetized using xylazine, diazepam, ketamine, and isoflurane. The following parameters were monitored: EtIso, response entropy (RE), state entropy (SE), RE-SE difference, BIS, and electromyography (EMG). Three EtIso...
Gramiccia M.The leishmanioses are diseases caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, parasites infecting numerous mammal species, including humans, and transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. They are a large group of diseases ranging over inter-tropical zones of America and Africa, and extend into temperate regions of Latin America, Europe and Asia. Pet animals are found infected with different Leishmania species but Leishmania infantum is the most widespread being dogs the main reservoir of zoonotic visceral leishmaniosis (ZVL). Dogs are very susceptible to this parasite and may suffer fro...
Serra Bragança FM, Rhodin M, van Weeren PR.Quantitative gait analysis has the potential to offer objective and unbiased gait information that can assist clinical decision-making. In recent years, a growing number of gait analysis systems have come onto the market, highlighting the demand for such technology in equine orthopaedics. However, it is imperative that the measured variables which are used as outcome parameters are supported by scientific evidence and that the interpretation of such measurements is backed by a proper understanding of the biomechanical principles of equine locomotion. This review, which is based on studies on e...
Wallner B, Vogl C, Shukla P, Burgstaller JP, Druml T, Brem G.The paternally inherited Y chromosome displays the population genetic history of males. While modern domestic horses (Equus caballus) exhibit abundant diversity within maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA, no significant Y-chromosomal sequence diversity has been detected. We used high throughput sequencing technology to identify the first polymorphic Y-chromosomal markers useful for tracing paternal lines. The nucleotide variability of the modern horse Y chromosome is extremely low, resulting in six haplotypes (HT), all clearly distinct from the Przewalski horse (E. przewalskii). The most wi...
Giguère S, Cohen ND, Chaffin MK, Slovis NM, Hondalus MK, Hines SA, Prescott JF.Rhodococcus equi, a gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen, is one of the most common causes of pneumonia in foals. Although R. equi can be cultured from the environment of virtually all horse farms, the clinical disease in foals is endemic at some farms, sporadic at others, and unrecognized at many. On farms where the disease is endemic, costs associated with morbidity and mortality attributable to R. equi may be very high. The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide recommendations regarding the diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of infections caused by R. equi...
Su TW, Choi I, Feng J, Huang K, McLeod E, Ozcan A.We report the discovery of an entirely new three-dimensional (3D) swimming pattern observed in human and horse sperms. This motion is in the form of 'chiral ribbons', where the planar swing of the sperm head occurs on an osculating plane creating in some cases a helical ribbon and in some others a twisted ribbon. The latter, i.e., the twisted ribbon trajectory, also defines a minimal surface, exhibiting zero mean curvature for all the points on its surface. These chiral ribbon swimming patterns cannot be represented or understood by already known patterns of sperms or other micro-swimmers. The...
Gray WL, Baumann RP, Robertson AT, Caughman GB, O'Callaghan DJ, Staczek J.The regulation of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) transcription was examined in infected rabbit kidney cells using metabolic inhibitors. In order to map EHV-1 immediate early, early, and late transcripts, viral RNA was 32P-labeled in vivo and hybridized to EHV-1 DNA restriction fragments immobilized on nitrocellulose filters. Immediate early viral RNA was mapped to one region of the viral genome within the inverted repeat DNA sequences (map units 0.78-0.83 and 0.95-1.0). Northern blot hybridization analysis using a 32P-labeled cloned DNA probe from this region identified a single immediate e...
Niller HH, Angstwurm K, Rubbenstroth D, Schlottau K, Ebinger A, Giese S, Wunderlich S, Banas B, Forth LF, Hoffmann D, Höper D, Schwemmle M, Tappe D....In 2018-19, Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1), the causative agent of Borna disease in horses, sheep, and other domestic mammals, was reported in five human patients with severe to fatal encephalitis in Germany. However, information on case frequencies, clinical courses, and detailed epidemiological analyses are still lacking. We report the occurrence of BoDV-1-associated encephalitis in cases submitted to the Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany, and provide a detailed description of newly identified cases of BoDV-1-induced encephali...
Lesimple C.Animal welfare is defined as a chronic state reflecting an individual's subjective perception of its situation. Because it is possible to be in a good welfare state and nevertheless experience acute fear or pain, and conversely, short-term positive emotions can be experienced during impaired welfare states, welfare as a chronic state has to be clearly distinguished from temporary states related to emotions, pain or stress. The evaluation of non-verbal individuals' welfare state, particularly in interspecific situations, is a real challenge that necessarily implies animal-based measures and req...
Whalley JM, Robertson GR, Davison AJ.The genome of an Australian isolate of equine herpesvirus type 1 (equine abortion virus) has been analysed using the restriction endonucleases EcoRI, BglII and BamHI, and a physical map constructed. Terminal fragments were identified by exonuclease treatments, and linkage of fragments was deduced by a combination of single- and double-digest experiments and cross-blot hybridizations. The genome has a mol. wt. of 100 x 10(6) and is comprised of a short unique region bounded by repetitive sequences, which is present in both orientations in approximately equal amounts in the DNA population, and a...
Wiler R, Leber R, Moore BB, VanDyk LF, Perryman LE, Meek K.V(D)J rearrangement is the molecular mechanism by which an almost infinite array of specific immune receptors are generated. Defects in this process result in profound immunodeficiency as is the case in the C.B-17 SCID mouse or in RAG-1 (recombination-activating gene 1) or RAG-2 deficient mice. It has recently become clear that the V(D)J recombinase most likely consists of both lymphoid-specific factors and ubiquitously expressed components of the DNA double-strand break repair pathway. The deficit in SCID mice is in a factor that is required for both of these pathways. In this report, we show...
Ott DE, Coren LV, Sowder RC, Adams J, Nagashima K, Schubert U.Some retroviruses contain monoubiquitinated Gag and do not bud efficiently from cells treated with proteasome inhibitors, suggesting an interaction between the ubiquitin-proteasome system and retrovirus assembly. We examined equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) particles and found that approximately 2% of the p9(Gag) proteins are monoubiquitinated, demonstrating that this Gag protein interacts with an ubiquitinating activity. Different types of proteasome inhibitors were used to determine if proteasome inactivation affects EIAV release from chronically infected cells. Pulse-chase immunoprecip...
Browning GF, Chalmers RM, Snodgrass DR, Batt RM, Hart CA, Ormarod SE, Leadon D, Stoneham SJ, Rossdale PD.A survey of 77 normal and 326 diarrhoeic foals in Britain and Ireland from 1987 to 1989 revealed a significantly higher prevalence of Group A rotaviruses and Aeromonas hydrophila in diarrhoeic foals. The prevalence of cryptosporidia, potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica and Clostridium perfringens was similar in normal or diarrhoeic foals. Rotaviruses had a similar prevalence in all age groups of scouring foals up to three months of age, with an overall prevalence of 37 per cent among diarrhoeic foals. The number of cases of diarrhoea varied considerably from year t...
Bide RW, Armour SJ, Yee E.The relationship between body weight (BW) and respiratory minute volume (V(m)) was reviewed by collecting a database from the literature. The data were separated into anaesthetized and non-anaesthetized groups. Only young adult terrestrial mammals were included in the final data set. This database is the largest to be reported to date, is the first to separate the anaesthetized and non-anaesthetized groups and is matched to the target population of young, fit adult humans. The data set of non-anaesthetized animals contained 142 studies representing 2616 animals and 18 species from mice at 12 g...
Stomp M, Leroux M, Cellier M, Henry S, Lemasson A, Hausberger M.Indicators of positive emotions are still scarce and many proposed behavioural markers have proven ambiguous. Studies established a link between acoustic signals and emitter's internal state, but few related to positive emotions and still fewer considered non-vocal sounds. One of them, the snort, is shared by several perrisodactyls and has been associated to positive contexts in these species. We hypothesized that this could be also the case in horses. In this species, there is a clear need for a thorough description of non-vocal acoustic signals (snorts, snores or blows are often used interch...
Golafshan N, Vorndran E, Zaharievski S, Brommer H, Kadumudi FB, Dolatshahi-Pirouz A, Gbureck U, van Weeren R, Castilho M, Malda J.One of the important challenges in bone tissue engineering is the development of biodegradable bone substitutes with appropriate mechanical and biological properties for the treatment of larger defects and those with complex shapes. Recently, magnesium phosphate (MgP) doped with biologically active ions like strontium (Sr) have shown to significantly enhance bone formation when compared with the standard calcium phosphate-based ceramics. However, such materials can hardly be shaped into large and complex geometries and more importantly lack the adequate mechanical properties for the treatment ...
Marycz K, Kornicka K, Grzesiak J, Śmieszek A, Szłapka J.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is mainly characterized by insulin resistance, obesity, and local or systemic inflammation. That unfriendly environment of adipose tissue has huge impact on stem cells population (ASC) residing within. In the present study, using molecular biology techniques and multiple imaging techniques (SEM, FIB-SEM, and confocal microscopy), we evaluated the impact of EMS on ASC viability and chondrogenic differentiation. Moreover, we visualized the mitochondrial network and dynamics in ASC and ASC during control and chondrogenic conditions. In control conditions, ASC were ...
Weese JS, Caldwell F, Willey BM, Kreiswirth BN, McGeer A, Rousseau J, Low DE.There are increasing reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and colonization in horses and evidence that MRSA can be transmitted between horses and humans. The objective of this study was to investigate reports of skin infection in personnel working with a foal with community-associated MRSA colonization and subsequent infection. Clinical diagnostic specimens were collected from individuals reporting skin lesions following contact with the affected foal. Nasal and groin screening swabs were collected from other veterinary personnel that attended a voluntary scr...
Birch HL, Bailey AJ, Goodship AE.Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon are common in horses required to gallop and jump at speed. Partial rupture of this tendon usually occurs in the central core of the midmetacarpal region and may be preceded by localised degenerative changes. Post mortem examination of apparently normal equine flexor tendons has revealed an abnormal macroscopic appearance in the central core, characterised by a reddish discolouration. We have previously shown that there is also physical damage to the collagen fibres. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that the abnormal appearance is a...
Attoui H, Mendez-Lopez MR, Rao S, Hurtado-Alendes A, Lizaraso-Caparo F, Mohd Jaafar F, Samuel AR, Belhouchet M, Pritchard LI, Melville L, Weir RP....During 1997, two new viruses were isolated from outbreaks of disease that occurred in horses, donkeys, cattle and sheep in Peru. Genome characterization showed that the virus isolated from horses (with neurological disorders, 78% fatality) belongs to a new species the Peruvian horse sickness virus (PHSV), within the genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae. This represents the first isolation of PHSV, which was subsequently also isolated during 1999, from diseased horses in the Northern Territory of Australia (Elsey virus, ELSV). Serological and molecular studies showed that PHSV and ELSV are very s...
Bamford NJ, Potter SJ, Harris PA, Bailey SR.Breed-related differences may occur in the innate insulin sensitivity (SI) of horses and ponies, an important factor believed to be associated with the risk of laminitis. The aim of this study was to measure the glucose and insulin responses of different breeds of horses and ponies in moderate body condition to a glucose-containing meal and to compare these responses with the indices of SI as determined by a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). Eight Standardbred horses, 8 mixed-breed ponies, and 7 Andalusian-cross horses with a mean ± SEM BCS 5.0 ± 0.3 of 9 were us...
BMC research notesSeptember 2, 2015
Volume 8 400 doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1357-8
Digafe RT, Kifelew LG, Mechesso AF.Rabies is a fatal animal disease of significant public health importance. Domestic dogs are the main reservoir and transmitter of this disease particularly in developing countries. Even though rabies is a highly fatal disease, it is a preventable disease. Community awareness about rabies is one of the key components for prevention. This study describes the knowledge, attitudes and practices of a rural community in Gondar Zuria District, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from March to June, 2013. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data through face to face...
Bertuglia A, Lacourt M, Girard C, Beauchamp G, Richard H, Laverty S.The role of osteoclasts in osteochondral degeneration in osteoarthritis (OA) has rarely been investigated in spontaneous disease or animal models of OA. Objective: The objectives of the current study were to investigate osteoclast density and location in post-traumatic OA (PTOA) and control specimens from racehorses. Methods: Cores were harvested from a site in the equine third carpal bone, that undergoes repetitive, high intensity loading. Histological and immunohistochemical (Cathepsin K and Receptor-activator of Nuclear Factor kappa-β ligand (RANKL)) stained sections were scored (global an...
Maros K, Gácsi M, Miklósi A.Twenty domestic horses (Equus caballus) were tested for their ability to rely on different human gesticular cues in a two-way object choice task. An experimenter hid food under one of two bowls and after baiting, indicated the location of the food to the subjects by using one of four different cues. Horses could locate the hidden reward on the basis of the distal dynamic-sustained, proximal momentary and proximal dynamic-sustained pointing gestures but failed to perform above chance level when the experimenter performed a distal momentary pointing gesture. The results revealed that horses coul...
Frank N, Elliott SB, Brandt LE, Keisler DH.To compare obese horses with insulin resistance (IR) with nonobese horses and determine whether blood resting glucose, insulin, leptin, and lipid concentrations differed between groups and were correlated with combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT) results. Methods: 7 obese adult horses with IR (OB-IR group) and 5 nonobese mares. Methods: Physical measurements were taken, and blood samples were collected after horses had acclimated to the hospital for 3 days. Response to insulin was assessed by use of the CGIT, and maintenance of plasma glucose concentrations greater than the preinjection value ...
Bertone AL, Palmer JL, Jones J.To evaluate the value of various synovial fluid cytokines and eicosanoids to diagnose joint disease or categories of joint disease. Methods: Prospective acquisition of clinicopathologic data. Methods: Client-owned or donated horses: 50 joints with no evidence of disease; 28 joints with acute disease; 32 joints with chronic disease; 9 joints with cartilage damage and no other signs of joint disease. Methods: Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)), prostaglandin F1-alpha...
Brewer BD, Koterba AM.A sepsis scoring system was developed and tested prospectively in a blind study of 190 neonatal foals admitted to the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. The system used 14 readily available historical, clinical or laboratory variables and weighted each item to arrive at a sepsis score. The score was found to have a sensitivity of 93 per cent, a specificity of 86 per cent, positive accuracy rate of 89 per cent and negative accuracy rate of 92 per cent. The sepsis score was far more sensitive and specific for infection, even in very early c...
Lunn DP, Holmes MA, Antczak DF, Agerwal N, Baker J, Bendali-Ahcene S, Blanchard-Channell M, Byrne KM, Cannizzo K, Davis W, Hamilton MJ, Hannant D....The final assignment of antibody clusters for leucocyte antigens and immunoglobulins, as described in detail in Sections 3 and 4, is summarized in Table 4. Together with other mAbs developed outside of ELAW II (Table 9) this pool of reagents represent a powerful array of tools for the study of equine immunity. The Second Equine Leucocyte Antigen Workshop made considerable advances in pursuing the objectives of establishing the specificities of mAbs and achieving consensus on the nomenclature for equine leucocyte and immunoglobulin molecules. Of equal importance, several productive collaboratio...