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.
Bannai H, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kokado H, Kondo T.In order to establish an efficient system for serological diagnosis of equine viral arteritis in Japan, we compared enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) provided by two manufacturers (Nisseiken Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, and VMRD Inc., Pullman, WA, U.S.A.) by testing a series of horse sera. The results revealed that 159 of 160 virus-neutralizing (VN) antibody-positive serum samples were positive in both the Nisseiken-ELISA and VMRD-ELISA. Of the VN-negative sera (n=157), 134 and 154 samples were negative in the Nisseiken-ELISA and VMRD-ELISA, respectively. Sensitivity was 99.4% for both t...
Peters-Kennedy J, Lange CE, Rine SL, Hackett RP.Equus caballus papillomavirus 8, a recently discovered virus, has been reported to cause generalised papillomavirus in horses. Objective: To describe a case in which multiple viral plaques, viral papillomas, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in situ and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (ISCC) were associated with EcPV8 in a horse. Methods: Case report. Methods: A 16-year-old mixed breed horse presented with dozens of raised crusted papular to nodular lesions over a course of 4 years. Masses had been surgically excised four times and cisplatin beads and emulsion were implanted on three different ...
More SN, Hernandez O, Castleman WL.Rhinitis and sinusitis caused by fungal pathogens were studied in biopsy samples submitted from 52 horses distributed throughout subtropical and tropical regions of Florida. Methods included routine histopathology as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with panfungal/panoomycete primers and DNA sequencing on extracted DNA (DNA barcoding). Granulomatous, pyogranulomatous, and fibrinopurulent lesions in nasal and sinus mucosa were associated with signs of upper airway obstruction and noise as well as nasal discharge. Morphologic and histochemical assessment of cases identified 31 cases of zy...
Czub MP, Venkataramany BS, Majorek KA, Handing KB, Porebski PJ, Beeram SR, Suh K, Woolfork AG, Hage DS, Shabalin IG, Minor W.Serum albumin is the most abundant protein in mammalian blood plasma and is responsible for the transport of metals, drugs, and various metabolites, including hormones. We report the first albumin structure in complex with testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. Testosterone is bound in two sites, neither of which overlaps with the previously suggested Sudlow site I. We determined the binding constant of testosterone to equine and human albumins by two different methods: tryptophan fluorescence quenching and ultrafast affinity extraction. The binding studies and similarities between residu...
Kakoi H, Kikuchi M, Tozaki T, Hirota KI, Nagata SI.The integrity of thoroughbreds is maintained under strict regulation involving DNA parentage testing, which is robust in a population with high genetic variability. The genetic variability of the thoroughbred population is possibly fluctuating because of selective breeding that has focused on adaptations for racing performance. To monitor genetic variability within the population and the effectiveness of short tandem repeat (STR) parentage testing, we investigated allele frequencies and the exclusion probability (PE) of 16-17 loci of a parentage panel in the Japanese thoroughbred population ov...
Frazer LL, Santschi EM, Fischer KJ.To predict bone and medial meniscal stresses and contact pressures in an equine stifle with a medial femoral condyle (MFC) intact or with a 2-cm subchondral bone void, under varying degrees of internal femoral rotation (IFR). Methods: Finite element model (FEM) of a cadaveric equine stifle loaded to 8000 N. Methods: The FEM was constructed from computed tomography (CT) of the right, extended stifle of a yearling. The CT image was segmented into relevant anatomic structures and meshed into 4-node tetrahedrons. Bone material properties were assigned according to Hounsfield units, soft tissue p...
Palazzo M, Vizzarri F, Cinone M, D'Alessandro AG, Martemucci G, Casamassima D.The effect of Lippia citriodora extract on selected blood parameters and on plasma oxidative markers in Avelignese horses was evaluated. Twenty-four horses were divided into three groups, consisting of eight animals each. Results of two experimental groups, 0.5 mg of verbascoside per kg of metabolic body weight (bw ) in the low-dose group (LVB) and 1.0 mg of verbascoside per kg of metabolic body weight (bw ) in the high-dose group (HVB), were compared to the control group (CON). Groups fed L. citriodora extract (HVB and LVB) showed a significant decrease in triglycerides, total cholesterol ...
Pezzanite L, Bass L, Kawcak C, Goodrich L, Moorman V.Lameness can be multifactorial and may result from the accumulation of multiple seemingly unrelated causes. The identification of factors associated with lameness could be one method to decrease incidence of lameness and prolong the equine athlete's competitive life. Objective: To determine if there is an association between hoof balance in the sagittal plane and hindlimb lameness. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Eighty client-owned horses with hindlimb lameness (cases) and 80 horses with no detectable hindlimb lameness (controls) were prospectively enroled following lameness evaluation ...
Sayed-Ahmed MZ, Ahdy AM, Younis EE, El-Khodery SA, Baraka HN.Dermatophytosis is a contagious fungal disease among animal communities. The major concerns of dermatophytosis are cost of treatment, difficulty of control, and the public health consequences. The objective of the present study was to compare the clinical efficacy of Sumaq and Neem extract cream with that of traditional treatments, eniloconazole and glycerine iodine, on dermatophytosis in Arabian horses. For this purpose, 37 Arabian horses with dermatophytosis had been used. Fungal isolation and identification for each horse were carried out by standard microbiological procedures. Sumaq (Rhus ...
Manso TC, Groenner-Penna M, Minozzo JC, Antunes BC, Ippolito GC, Molina F, Felicori LF.Horse serum antibodies have been used for greater than a century for the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases and envenomations. Little is known, however, about the immunogenetic diversity that produces horse serum antibodies. Here, we employed next-generation sequencing for a first-in-kind comprehensive analysis of the equine B-cell repertoire. Nearly 45,000 and 30,000 clonotypes were obtained for the heavy-chain (IGH) and lambda light-chain (IGL) loci, respectively. We observed skewed use of the common subgroups IGHV2 (92.49%) and IGLV8 (82.50%), consistent with previous reports,...
Zani D, Rabbogliatti V, Ravasio G, Pettinato C, Giancamillo MD, Zani DD.The use of contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection of orthopedic pathologies in equine patients is poorly described. In few studies, enhanced MRI allowed to differentiate active lesions from chronic ones and to classify ambiguous lesions. The aim of this clinical prospective pilot study is to describe and compare the MRI lesions observed in horses with lameness localized to the foot using a single intravenous bolus dose of gadolinium contrast versus regional intraarterial bolus of contrast agent. Ten horses that underwent contrast enhanced MRI were included in the ...
Lorello O, Ramseyer A, Burger D, Gerber V, Navas de Solis C.The objectives of this study were to describe the changes in clinical cardiovascular examination variables over a competition season in groups of competitive eventing and endurance horses and to compare these findings to non-competitive controls of the same breeds. Methods: This study included two eventing horses, 11 endurance horses, and 13 eventing and seven endurance control breed-matched horses. Methods: Cardiovascular examinations were performed before starting the competition season, in the middle and at the peak/end of the competition season. Examinations included auscultation of the he...
Pratt S, Cunneen A, Perkins N, Farry T, Kidd L, McEwen M, Rainger J, Truchetti G, Goodwin W.There is no information directly comparing midazolam with guaifenesin when used in combination with an alpha-2 agonist and ketamine to maintain anaesthesia via i.v. infusion in horses. Objective: To compare ketamine-medetomidine-guaifenesin with ketamine-medetomidine-midazolam for total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) in young horses anaesthetised for computerised tomography. Methods: Prospective, randomised, blinded, crossover trial. Methods: Fourteen weanlings received medetomidine 7 μg/kg bwt i.v. and anaesthesia was induced with ketamine 2.2 mg/kg bwt i.v. On two separate occasions hors...
Boere J, van de Lest CHA, de Grauw JC, Plomp SGM, Libregts SFWM, Arkesteijn GJA, Malda J, Wauben MHM, van Weeren PR.Extracellular vesicle (EV) concentration, characteristics and function in equine synovial fluid (SF) during normal growth and development has not previously been studied. Isolation of EVs was performed in SF from three healthy foals and two adult horses by differential ultracentrifugation (10,000g and 200,000g); EVs were purified by sucrose density gradient floatation and analysed by high-resolution flow cytometry (FCM), buoyant density and western blotting. Additionally, repeated biomarker analysis of sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAG), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), C-terminal crosslinked t...
Robb LL, Hartman DA, Rice L, deMaria J, Bergren NA, Borland EM, Kading RC.Western equine encephalitis (WEE) was once prevalent and routinely isolated from mosquitoes in Colorado; however, isolations of Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) have not been reported from mosquito pools since the early 1990s. The objective of the present study was to test pools of Culex tarsalis (Coquillett) mosquitoes sampled from Weld County, CO, in 2016 for evidence of WEEV infection. Over 7,000 mosquitoes were tested, but none were positive for WEEV RNA. These data indicate that WEEV either was not circulating enzootically in Northern Colorado, was very rare, and would require muc...
Roszkowska K, Witkowska-Pilaszewicz O, Przewozny M, Cywinska A.Whole body and partial body cryotherapies (WBC and PBC) have been successfully used in human medicine, and currently also are being proposed in veterinary practice.In horses, only the partial body cryotherapy provided in cryosauna is considered, due to the technical conditions. These therapies have been dedicated to human patients with rheumatic and inflammatory diseases as well as an assistance during training in athletes. The anti-inflammatory effects have been demonstrated clinically and indicated by the changes in several hematological and immunological parameters, however, various pattern...
Ehrle A, Ressel L, Ricci E, Merle R, Singer ER.The equine interspinous ligament (ISL) consists of an oblique crossing arrangement of collagenous bundles which are thought to counteract the tensile and rotational forces of distraction between the spinous processes (SPs) in the caudal thoracic and cranial lumbar spine. The aim of this controlled histological study was to assess the structural anatomy and innervation of the ISL in horses with clinically significant overriding (dorsal) SPs (ORSPs) and to compare the findings with the ISL of normal horses. Samples of the ISL were obtained from 10 horses that underwent subtotal ostectomy for tre...
Brosnahan MM, Al Abri MA, Brooks SA, Antczak DF, Osterrieder N.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1)-induced myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a neurologic disease of horses that represents one outcome of infection. The neurologic form of disease occurs in a subset of infected horses when virus-induced endothelial cell damage triggers vasculitis and subsequent ischemic insult to the central nervous system. EHM causes considerable animal suffering and economic loss for the horse industry. Virus polymorphisms have been previously associated with disease outcome but cannot fully explain why only some horses develop EHM. This study investigated the role of host geneti...
Krajaejun T, Kittichotirat W, Patumcharoenpol P, Rujirawat T, Lohnoo T, Yingyong W.The oomycete Pythium insidiosum infects humans and animals worldwide, and causes the life-threatening condition, called pythosis. Most patients lose infected organs or die from the disease. Comparative genomic analyses of different P. insidiosum strains could provide new insights into its pathobiology, and can lead to discovery of an effective treatment method. Several draft genomes of P. insidiosum are publicly available: three from Asia (Thailand), and one each from North (the United States) and Central (Costa Rica) Americas. We report another draft genome of P. insidiosum isolated from Sout...
Hendrickson EHS, Lykkjen S, Dolvik NI, Olstad K.Young Standardbred horses frequently develop fragments in joints. Some fragments represent osteochondrosis; others are considered developmental, but it is uncertain whether they result from preceding osteochondrosis. Osteochondrosis occurs as a consequence of failure of the cartilage canal blood supply and ischaemic chondronecrosis. In heritably predisposed foals, failure was associated with incorporation of vessels into bone. However, bacterial vascular failure was also recently documented in foals suffering spontaneous infections, proving that bacteria can cause osteochondral lesions in foal...
Kwak ML, Schubert J.Although forensic parasitology remains in its infancy compared with more developed fields like forensic entomology, parasites can be useful forensic indicators. We present the case of an individual who disobeyed animal health legislation and crossed animal quarantine boundaries and two state lines with a cattle tick (Rhipicephalus australis) infested horse. Following recognition of the infestation by animal health officers, the individual asserted that the infestation had occurred either during transport or upon arrival at the site of discovery, and that they had not contravened quarantine leg...
You Y, Proctor RM, Vasilko ED, Robinson MA.JWH-250 is a synthetic cannabinoid. Its use is prohibited in equine sport according to the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) and the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI). A doping control method to confirm the presence of four JWH-250 metabolites (JWH-250 4-OH-pentyl, JWH-250 5-OH-pentyl, JWH-250 5-OH-indole, and JWH-250 N-pentanoic acid) in equine urine was developed and validated. Urine samples were treated with acetonitrile and evaporated to concentrate the analytes prior to the analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The chromat...
Delph KM, Beard LA, Trimble AC, Sutter ME, Timoney JF, Morrow JK.Streptococcus equi subspecies equi infection elicits M protein antibody titers in equids. Interpretation of titers is not generally accepted. Objective: The magnitude of S. equi M protein (SeM) antibody titer after infection (titer ≥1:12 800) will be useful to monitor for the presence of complications or the risk of development of complications. Methods: Forty-eight horses on 1 farm involved in strangles outbreak. Methods: Clinical and observational study. S. equi M protein antibody titers were measured on all horses 8 weeks after infection and select horses 12 and 28 weeks after infecti...
Ditz T, Schnapka-Hille L, Noack N, Dorow J, Ceglarek U, Niederwieser D, Schiller J, Fuchs B, Cross M.Horse serum is commonly used as an additive to support the maintenance of hematopoietic progenitor cells in culture. However, the wide variability in the performance of different lots calls for parallel testing of multiple batches over extended periods of culture. Identification of the serum components that determine hematopoietic support would therefore save considerable time and effort and would help to standardize culture procedures. We report here that the ability of horse serum to support the self-renewal of multipotent murine hematopoietic progenitor FDCP-Mix cells is correlated to the c...
Tomlinson JE, Tennant BC, Struzyna A, Mrad D, Browne N, Whelchel D, Johnson PJ, Jamieson C, Löhr CV, Bildfell R, McKenzie EC, Laverack M, Renshaw RW....A novel equine parvovirus (EqPV-H) was recently discovered in the equine liver with Theiler's disease. Objective: To determine the prevalence of EqPV-H infection in naturally occurring Theiler's disease cases and in-contact horses in the absence of historical equine biologic product administration. Methods: Ten cases of Theiler's disease from 6 separate properties were included in the study, based on the criteria of acute onset of clinical signs of liver failure with laboratory or histopathologic findings characteristic of Theiler's disease and no history of receiving an equine biologic produc...
Hermange T, Le Corre S, Bizon C, Richard EA, Couroucé A.Cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from one lung may not predict findings in the contralateral lung of the same horse. The aim of this study was to determine whether a pooled BALF from both lungs was representative of corresponding individual samples. Fifty-one horses referred for poor performance and/or respiratory signs and for which a BALF was collected from both lungs, were included in the study. Cytology of pooled and individual BALF samples were performed using a masked protocol. Based on clinical signs and individual BALF cytologies, horses were classified as control (CTL),...
Verdon M, Lanz S, Rhyner C, Gerber V, Marti E.Genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical evidence suggests that, in horses, there are manifestations of hypersensitivity that can occur together. Objective: To investigate whether concurrent insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) and severe equine asthma (EA) is associated with higher allergen-specific and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations than only EA or IBH. Methods: Healthy control horses (C, n = 40), horses with IBH (IBH, n = 24), severe EA (EA, n = 18), and both conditions (IBH/EA, n = 23) were included. Methods: In our retrospective comparative study, sera from ho...
Benson CE, Sweeney CR.Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 was isolated from seven tracheobronchial aspirates and one pleural tap of seven adult horses and one foal. There was no direct evidence in these horses that isolation of the pneumococcus was related to a specific disease syndrome. Presenting complaints included two horses with chronic cough, two horses with decreased exercise tolerance, one horse with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage, and three horses with pneumonia. Antibiotic therapy resolved the primary clinical complaint. This is the first report of the isolation of S. pneumoniae type 3 from adult horse...
Massányi M, Halo M, Mlyneková E, Kováčiková E, Tokárová K, Greń A, Massányi P, Halo M.The performance of sport horses is conditioned not only by the quality of its gene pool, but also by a large number of external factors. The most dominant being nutrition, quality of breeding, level of zootechnical care and the quality of the sports rider and coach. Important factor is the process of individuals' adaptation to the training load occurring during the training itself. This study was focused on the analysis of salivary cortisol levels as well as hematological and biochemical blood parameters in relation to load to which the tested horses were subjected. In the study 14 horses of s...
Redwan el-RM, Fahmy A, El Hanafy A, Abd El-Baky N, Sallam SM.In view of the disadvantages of human and equine rabies immunoglobulin still there is urgent needs for safe and cost-control anti-rabies immunoglobulins especially for person who have been severely exposed (categories III) to the virus. Our attempt to produce a less immunogenic and cheaper anti-rabies immunoglobulin affordable for those people living in developing countries, has been harnessed the ovine as a bioreactor instead the horse. The animals have been intramuscular immunized, and the plasma processed with 5% caprylic acid to yield IgG with purity of 95%. Moreover, antibody apparently i...
Szóstek AZ, Siemieniuch MJ, Galvão AM, Lukasik K, Zieba D, Ferreira-Dias GM, Skarzynski DJ.Cell cultures are useful for determining the responses of specific cell types to various factors under controlled conditions and for obtaining a better understanding of in vivo physiologic processes. The aims of the present study were (i) to establish methodologies for isolation, culture and cryopreservation of equine endometrial epithelial and stromal cells; and (ii) to determine the effect of passage and cryopreservation on endometrial cell physiology, based on their basal and oxytocin (OT)-stimulated prostaglandin (PG) release. Epithelial and stromal cells were obtained by enzymatic digesti...
Milinovich GJ, Burrell PC, Pollitt CC, Bouvet A, Trott DJ.Four Gram-positive, catalase-negative, coccoid-shaped isolates were obtained from the caecum and rectum of horses with oligofructose-induced equine laminitis. Phenotypic and phylogenetic studies were performed on these isolates. Initial biochemical profiling assigned two of the isolates to Streptococcus bovis. The other two isolates, however, could not be assigned conclusively on the basis of their biochemical profiles. Gene sequence analysis demonstrated that the four new isolates were related most closely to Streptococcus suis based on the 16S rRNA gene and to Streptococcus orisratti based o...
Borges LM, Oliveira PR, Ribeiro MF.Anocentor nitens is a widespread ectoparasite of horses in Brazil. A study of the seasonal dynamics of the parasitic phase of this tick was made by regular census of engorging females (>/=4mm) on free-ranging horses, fortnightly from July 1995 to July 1997, at Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais. Twenty horses were divided into four groups of five animals per group, each having a similar mix of resistant and less resistant animals, based on initial infestation. Every 2 weeks, one of the groups, in sequence, was treated with an acaricide to prevent excessive infestations, and female ticks were cens...
Ragno VM, Zello GA, Klein CD, Montgomery JB.Obesity data in people and companion animals are depicting a future of increasing morbidity, cost for society, and significant health and welfare concerns. Between 25 and 50% of cats, dogs, and horses in developed countries are overweight or obese, which mirrors the situation in humans. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) was named after human metabolic syndrome (MetS), which has about 30 years of lead in research efforts. Even though the complications of the two syndromes seem to grossly differ (cardiac vs. laminitis risk), a number of similar disease mechanisms are worthy of investigation. Sinc...
Kramer J, Keegan KG, Wilson DA, Smith BK, Wilson DJ.To identify hind limb and pelvic kinematic variables that change in trotting horses after induced lameness of the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints and after subsequent intra-articular administration of anesthetic. Methods: 8 clinically normal adult horses. Methods: Kinematic measurements were made before and after transient endotoxin-induced lameness of the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints and after intra-articular administration of anesthetic. Fourteen displacement and joint angle (metatarsophalangeal [fetlock] and tarsal joints) measurements were made on the right h...
Müller K, Ellenberger C, Schoon HA.Cyclical ovaries of 18 mares were examined histologically and immunohistochemically for vascular endothelial growth factor A and B (VEGF A; VEGF B), angiopoietin1 and 2 (Ang1; Ang2), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 and 2 (VEGF-R1; VEGF-R2), angiopoietin receptor (Tie2) and von Willebrand factor. The most intensive coexpression of the examined factors and receptors was detected in the periovulatory period, when a distinctive ovarian angiogenesis takes place, being essential for tertiary follicle maturation and for the endocrine function of the Corpus luteum. Based on the immunohis...
Gaitskell-Phillips G, Martín-Cano FE, Ortiz-Rodríguez JM, Silva-Rodríguez A, Gil MC, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Peña FJ.The identification of stallions and or ejaculates that will provide commercially acceptable quality post-thaw before cryopreservation is of great interest, avoiding wasting time and resources freezing ejaculates that will not achieve sufficient quality to be marketed. Our hypothesis was that after bioinformatic analysis, the study of the stallion sperm proteome can provide discriminant variables able to predict the post-thaw quality of the ejaculate. At least three ejaculates from 10 different stallions were frozen following a split sample design. Half of the ejaculate was analyzed as a fresh ...
Ikhuoso OA, Monroy JC, Rivas-Caceres RR, Cipriano-Salazar M, Barbabosa Pliego A.Although the strangles disease of Streptococcus equi was discovered many decades ago in 1,251 by Jordanus Ruffus, it has still remained a major frequently diagnosed infection in horses all over the world. The S. equi subspecies pathogen is known to be often resistant to antibiotic treatment, and it makes the antibiotics inefficient; hence, this review was conducted to study how the disease can be managed. The age-long sign of this infection is the oozing of pus through the mucous and skin membranes. Affected horses lose appetite, develop fever, and become depressed, which result in them losin...
Hughes J, Bardell D.To establish reference intervals for arterial blood-gas (ABG), acid-base and electrolyte values from a healthy equine population. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: A total of 139 client-owned, systemically healthy horses, 1 year of age and older, presented for elective surgical procedures. Methods: Blood samples were collected anaerobically from the transverse facial or common carotid artery of horses breathing room air, prior to administration of preanaesthetic medication. Samples were analysed immediately, without correction for body temperature, using an automated bench-top an...
Gershwin LJ.There are many autoimmune diseases that are recognized in domestic animals. The descriptions of diseases provide examples of the magnitude of immune targets and the variable nature of autoimmune diseases. Other autoimmune diseases that are recognized in dogs, cats, and horses include immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, VKH (Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada) ocular disease (dogs), and Evans syndrome (which includes both immune-mediated anemia and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia).
Bullone M, Moran K, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Lavoie JP.Neutrophils accumulate in the airways of horses with heaves. They likely play an important role in the disease pathogenesis. Understanding the pathways regulating their migration may help identifying new therapeutic targets. Objective: MAPK and PI3K pathways are involved in neutrophil migration toward the airway lumen in heaves. Methods: Twelve heaves-affected horses and 4 healthy horses. Methods: Migratory activity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) from horses with heaves and healthy horses was compared by means of a Boyden chamber. Involvement of MAPK and PI3K pathways in neutrophil mi...
Stewart JM, Blakely JA, Johnson MD.Non-covalent modification of cytochrome c may have implications for electron transport and energy metabolism. We examined the interaction of various fatty acids (FAs), their coenzyme A and carnitine esters, and fatty alcohols with horse heart ferrocytochrome c. A comparison of FAs indicated a minimum chain length of 14 carbons was required for significant effect on the ferroheme chromophore and major changes in electronic spectra. Coenzyme A and carnitine esters interacted less strongly than FAs whereas long-chain alcohols did not interact with the protein. We found a single, saturable FA bind...
Sijmons S, Vissani A, Tordoya MS, Muylkens B, Thiry E, Maes P, Matthijnssens J, Barrandeguy M, Van Ranst M.Equid herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) is a member of the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae that causes equine coital exanthema. Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of EHV-3. The 151,601-nt genome encodes 76 distinct genes like other equine alphaherpesviruses, but genetically, EHV-3 is significantly more divergent.
Eddy GA, Martin DH, Reeves WC, Johnson KM.A series of field studies using strain TC-83 attenuated Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis vaccine in horses was made to determine the rate of seroconversions, the postvaccination viremia, and the possibility of adverse reactions to the vaccine. The rate of seroconversions varied from 50% in one study to 91 and 100% in two others. The highest level of viremia measured was 7 x 10(3) to 8 x 10(3) plaqueforming units per ml. No adverse reactions to the vaccine were observed in any horses, including 42 pregnant mares and their resulting foals.
Brama PA, TeKoppele JM, Beekman B, van El B, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.To investigate the role of stromelysin (MMP-3) activity in synovial fluid (SF) at different stages of development and in common joint disorders in the horse. Methods: Stromelysin activity was determined with a fluorogenic enzyme activity assay in SF of normal joints of fetal, juvenile and adult horses, and in SF of horses suffering from the developmental orthopaedic disease osteochondrosis (OC) or osteoarthritis (OA). Additionally, MMP-3 activity was expressed as a ratio of previously reported general MMP activity in the same SF samples. Results: The levels of active stromelysin were 30-fold t...
Lindberg R, Nygren A, Persson SG.The histology from rectal biopsy specimens taken 1980-1990 on 131 occasions from 116 horses, age 1-18 years, with clinical signs of intestinal disease was evaluated and classified retrospectively. In 40 horses, autopsy results were studied for comparison. Biopsy specimens (21 horses) and post mortem rectal tissue (9 horses) from 30 healthy horses, age 4-22 years, were used as controls. In 105 clinical cases, a biopsy was performed on only one occasion, while repeat biopsy was performed in 11 cases. Specimens showed pathological changes in 60 horses. The findings were classified into acute, chr...
Gornik K, Moore P, Figueiredo M, Vandenplas M.Human corneal cells have detectable levels of TLRs 1-10. TLRs 2 and 4 are the major corneal receptors, recognizing the PAMPs associated with fungal invasion in humans. The conjunctiva and limbus contain TLRs 2, 4, and 9. Our purpose was to determine the expression of TLRs 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and MD-2 in the normal equine cornea, conjunctiva, and limbus. Methods: Corneal, limbal, and conjunctival tissues were collected from seven euthanized horses having no evidence of ocular disease. RNA extraction with DNase-1 digestion was performed followed by RT-PCR to determine expression of TLRs 2, 3, 4, 6, 9...
Straticò P, Varasano V, Palozzo A, Guerri G, Celani G, Revelant O, Petrizzi L.(1) Background: colic syndrome is a multifactorial life-threatening condition in equids. Awareness of predisposing and prognostic indicators is useful to adequately inform the owner of the outcome and plan the best treatment. The aim of the study was to identify the variables associated with short-term survival in a cohort of horses referred for colic to a veterinary teaching hospital; (2) Methods: medical records of horses referred for colic from 2016 to 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Univariate and multivariate regression models were built to assess the odds ratios of discharge from the...
Voelter-Ratson K, Monod M, Unger L, Spiess BM, Pot SA.To characterize the conjunctival fungal flora and to determine the susceptibility of 2 isolated molds to antifungal drugs in samples of 64 healthy horses from The National Stud in Switzerland. Methods: Conjunctival cytobrush samples were collected from both eyes of 64 ophthalmologically normal horses in August 2012 and subsequently cultured on Sabouraud's agar medium. Growing fungi were identified and counted. Etests or broth microdilution tests for Aspergillus fumigatus and Eurotium amstelodami were carried out to determine antifungal drug sensitivity. These species had previously been detect...
Betbeze CM, Wu CC, Krohne SG, Stiles J.To evaluate the in vitro antifungal properties of silver sulfadiazine (SSD) and natamycin against filamentous fungi isolated from eyes of horses with keratomycosis. Methods: Filamentous fungal isolates obtained from eyes of keratomycosis-affected horses. Methods: Fungal culture of ocular samples yielded 6 Fusarium spp; 7 Aspergillus spp; and 1 isolate each of Curvularia, Scopulariopsis, Penicillium, and Chrysosporium. For each fungal isolate, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of SSD and natamycin were determined. Results: For all 17 fungal isolat...
Rhodes DM, Magdesian KG, Byrne BA, Kass PH, Edman J, Spier SJ.Few studies report the minimum inhibitory concentrations for antimicrobials against equine Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolates. Objective: To evaluate trends in the in vitro activities of 20 antimicrobials against equine Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolates from 1996 to 2012 and to determine if a relationship exists between the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and location of the abscess. Methods: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis isolates from 196 horses with naturally occurring disease. Methods: Retrospective and cross-sectional design. Medical records were reviewed to ...
Cullen CL, Grahn BH.The prevalence of equine glaucoma seen by the ophthalmology service at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) was 6.5%. The majority of cases (11/13) were associated with clinical manifestations of uveitis. Congenital glaucoma was documented in 1 case, and primary glaucoma was diagnosed in a 12-year-old quarter horse. There were no breed or sex predilections evident. Affected horses were middle-aged to old (average age = 9.5 years, ranging from 2 weeks to 23 years). The clinical manifestations of equine glaucoma included blindness, diffuse corneal edema, corneal vascularization, bup...
Tyson F, Dalesman S, Brophy PM, Morphew RM.Faecal egg counts (FECs) are the standard method of diagnosing the level of parasitic helminth egg shedding in horses and other grazing animals. Testing before treatment is an important factor in slowing the appearance of anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites. The FECPAK, optimised for livestock, is reported to allow owners to perform FECs on their own animals without the need for a separate microscope or any specialist knowledge by tapping into remote expertise. However, the performance of the FECPAK has yet to be assessed for equids. Therefore, a comparison of the FECPAK (G2) method ...
Elarbi MM, Ragle CA, Fransson BA, Farnsworth KD.OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a simulation model for laparoscopic ovariectomy in standing horses. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SAMPLE 15 third-year veterinary students and 4 equine surgeons with experience in laparoscopy. PROCEDURES A simulation model that mimicked laparoscopic ovariectomy in standing horses was developed. Face validity of the model was determined with a questionnaire completed by the equine surgeons. Construct validity was determined by comparing performance scores (based on time to completion and accuracy completing various operative tasks) for simulated laparoscopic...
Suagee JK, Corl BA, Crisman MV, Hulver MW, McCutcheon LJ, Geor RJ.Laminitis is a painful, inflammatory disease of the equine hoof that often results in euthanasia. Elevated plasma insulin concentrations are a predictive factor for laminitis, and in previously healthy horses and ponies, laminitis was induced by infusion of insulin. Thus, we chose to determine if an infusion of insulin would increase plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines and cytokine mRNA abundance in subcutaneous adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and white blood cells. Ten mature Thoroughbred mares received an insulin infusion that elevated plasma insulin concentrations for 6h or an ...
Kamm JL, Frisbie DD, McIlwraith CW, Orr KE.To use microarray analysis to identify genes that are differentially expressed in horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis. Methods: 24 horses. Methods: During arthroscopic surgery, a fragment was created in the distal aspect of the radiocarpal bone in 1 forelimb of each horse to induce osteoarthritis. At day 14 after osteoarthritis induction, horses began exercise on a treadmill. Blood and synovial fluid samples were collected before and after surgery. At day 70, horses were euthanized and tissues were harvested for RNA analysis. An equine-specific microarray was used to measure RNA ...
Cazarotto CJ, Balzan A, Grosskopf RK, Boito JP, Portella LP, Vogel FF, Fávero JF, de C Cucco D, Biazus AH, Machado G, Da Silva AS.Many parasitic diseases are considered asymptomatic, even though some studies have shown that they may cause pathological changes in the host. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora spp. and Sarcocystis spp. in horses, and to identify the risk factors for disease. For this, 174 horses were studied, 90 males and 84 females aged between two and 20 years old. Blood samples were collected and stored in tubes without anticoagulant to obtain serum, which was subjected to serological tests for T. gondii, Sarcocystis spp., and...