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.
Waller AP, Heigenhauser GJ, Geor RJ, Spriet LL, Lindinger MI.We hypothesized that postexercise rehydration using a hypotonic electrolyte solution will increase the rate of recovery of whole body hydration, and that this is associated with increased muscle glycogen and electrolyte recovery in horses. Gluteus medius biopsies and jugular venous blood were sampled from six exercise-conditioned Standardbreds on two separate occasions, at rest and for 24 h following a competitive exercise test (CET) designed to simulate the speed and endurance test of a 3-day event. After the CETs, horses were given water ad libitum, and either a hypotonic commercial electrol...
Ginther OJ, Jacob JC, Gastal MO, Gastal EL, Beg MA.Ablation of follicles > or = 6 mm in diameter and treatment with PGF2alpha 10 days after ovulation were used to induce the development of ovulatory waves. Comparisons were made between induced waves with one (33 waves, 72%) and multiple (13 waves, 28%) ovulatory follicles. Diameter deviation was defined as the separation of follicles into dominant and subordinate categories. Multiple ovulatory follicles were preceded by more (p or = 20 mm at the beginning of deviation, higher LH preceding deviation (approached significance, p < 0.08), lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of FSH on the day...
Blaga R, Cretu CM, Gherman C, Draghici A, Pozio E, Noeckler K, Kapel CM, Dida I, Cozma V, Boireau P.Herbivorous animals are usually, by virtue of their diet, outside the major transmission cycles of Trichinella spp. However, since 1975, the year of the first report of human trichinellosis caused by the consumption of infected horse meat, the domestic horse has appeared as a novel vector of Trichinella spp. infection to humans, with 15 outbreaks documented in France and Italy. Romania, one of the main countries exporting horses into the European Union (EU), experienced a dramatic increase of Trichinella spp. infection in both domestic pigs and humans in the 1990s. Some Trichinella spiralis-in...
Mirams M, Tatarczuch L, Ahmed YA, Pagel CN, Jeffcott LB, Davies HM, Mackie EJ.Osteochondrosis is a condition involving defective endochondral ossification and retention of cartilage in subchondral bone. The pathophysiology of this condition is poorly characterized, but it has been proposed that the fundamental defect is failure of chondrocyte hypertrophy. The aim of the current study was to characterize phenotypic changes in chondrocytes associated with the initiation of osteochondrosis. Early lesions were induced in an equine model of osteochondrosis by feeding foals a high energy diet for 8 or 15 weeks. Lesions in articular-epiphyseal growth cartilage were examined hi...
Metz GE, Serena MS, Ocampos GM, Panei CJ, Fernandez VL, Echeverría MG.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) was isolated from a testicle of the presumable first stallion infected with EAV in Argentina. This virus isolate (named LT-LP-ARG) was confirmed by GP5-specific PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assays. The PCR product was sequenced, and the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the LT-LP-ARG strain of EAV forms a monophyletic group, together with other strains previously isolated in our laboratory (LP02 group). However, all Argentinean EAV strains belong to a polyphyletic group. We believe that the virus isolate presented in this report could be the origin of EAV ...
Marti E, Ehrensperger F, Burger D, Ousey J, Day MJ, Wilson AD.Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediates the immune response to parasites, but can also cause allergies. In humans maternal IgE is not transferred to cord blood and high levels of cord blood IgE are associated with subsequent allergy. In horses, both maternal IgG and IgE are transferred via colostrum; the IgE levels in the mare's serum, the colostrum and the foal's serum are correlated but the consequences of IgE transfer to foals are not known. By about 6 weeks of age the levels of IgE in foal serum have dropped to a nadir, at 6 months of age the level of IgE has risen only very slightly and is no lon...
Wagner B, Freer H.The detection and quantification of equine cytokines has been hampered by the lack of antibodies for many years. With the development of antibody pairs for equine cytokines during the past years, the quantification of these essential regulators of the immune response became possible. After being successfully tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), three of these anti-cytokine reagents were used here to establish the first cytokine multiplex assay for equine IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-alpha. A fluorescent bead-based system was used as matrix for this assay that allows the simultaneous de...
Nasir L, Campo MS.Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) is perhaps the most extensively studied animal papillomavirus. In cattle BPVs induce benign tumours of cutaneous or mucosal epithelia, called papillomas or warts. Cattle papillomas are benign tumours and generally regress without eliciting any serious clinical problems in the host, but occasionally persist and provide the focus for malignant transformation to squamous cell carcinoma, as in the case of cancer of the urinary bladder and cancer of the upper alimentary canal. BPV is the only papillomavirus that jumps species: the virus also infects equids, and gives ris...
Berndt A, Derksen FJ, Edward Robinson N.Inflammatory airway disease is common in stabled horses, with a prevalence of 17.3% in Michigan pleasure horses. Stable dust is rich in endotoxin, which may induce neutrophilic airway inflammation. Climatological conditions (ambient temperature and relative humidity) may influence endotoxin concentrations in pastures. The aim of this project was to determine if endotoxin levels in the breathing zone of horses in stables were higher than of horses on pasture, and if the endotoxin on pasture was associated with climatological conditions. Endotoxin exposure of six horses that were stabled or on p...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Collins SS.Critical tests were carried out in 2008 in four yearling horses (H-2, H-4, H-10, and H-11) born and raised together on a farm (MC) in Central Kentucky. These horses were treated intraorally with ivermectin paste at the dose rate of 200 microg/kg. The main interest was to try and determine more precisely, from posttreatment (PT) worm count data, the current activity of ivermectin against small strongyles in a horse herd. These horses had been treated repeatedly with this compound and counts of small strongyle eggs per gram of feces (EPGs) of these parasites have been returning sooner than previ...
Jacob JC, Gastal EL, Gastal MO, Carvalho GR, Beg MA, Ginther OJ.The follicle and hormone aspects of diameter deviation and development of one dominant (>/=28 mm) follicle (1DF) vs two dominant follicles (2DF) were studied in 32 ovulatory follicular waves in mares. Follicles were ranked each day as F1 (largest) to F3. The beginning of deviation was designated day 0 and preceded the first increase in the differences in diameter between F1 and F2 in the 1DF group and between a combination of F1 and F2 vs F3 in the 2DF group. One dominant follicle and 2DF developed in 21 (66%) and 11 (34%) waves, respectively. Double ovulations occurred in only one of the w...
Lecoq L, Vincent P, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Lavoie JP.Glucocorticoids have potent anti-inflammatory properties and are frequently used for the treatment of domestic animal species, including horses. They induce a down-regulation of multiple inflammatory pathways through both genomic and non-genomic effects. Currently, little is known on the effects of glucocorticoids on equine peripheral blood neutrophils. Objective: Dexamethasone (DEX), a potent synthetic glucocorticoid, inhibits the functions of equine peripheral blood neutrophils through both genomic and non-genomic effects. Methods: Six healthy adult mixed breed female horses. Methods: To ass...
Boudreaux MK.Inherited intrinsic platelet disorders have been identified in dogs, cattle, horses, and cats as well as other animals. The prevalence of mutations in some breeds is high, making these disorders potentially as common as von Willebrand disease in certain breed lineages.
Deeg CA.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a wide spread disease of the eye, which is the main cause for blindness in horses worldwide. Meanwhile, ERU is also accepted as the only reliable spontaneous model for human autoimmune uveitis. We identified and characterized novel autoantigens by analyzing the autoantibody-binding pattern from ERU cases to the retinal proteome. Cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) were detected as novel ERU autoantigens by this approach. B- and T-cell autoreactivity was detected to both autoantigens in ERU cases. The evaluation of the...
Kearns CF, McKeever KH.Clenbuterol is a beta(2)-agonist and potent selective bronchodilator that is used to treat bronchospasm in the horse. The drug is normally administered to horses orally as a syrup formulation. Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, clenbuterol has the potential to cause many side effects, including a repartitioning effect and major alterations in cardiac and skeletal muscle function. Recent studies have also reported that clenbuterol can affect bone and the immune, endocrine and reproductive systems. A great deal of information has been published on the beneficial effects of short term t...
Morrell JM, Johannisson A, Dalin AM, Rodriguez-Martinez H.The objective was to investigate whether it is possible to improve the quality of stallion semen, with respect to sperm morphology and chromatin integrity, both of which have been linked to fertility, using either density gradient centrifugation (DGC) or a new method, hereby named single layer centrifugation (SLC). The two methods of colloidal centrifugation were evaluated using 38 ejaculates from 10 stallions. Sperm morphology, subjective motility and sperm chromatin integrity were compared in uncentrifuged samples and in centrifuged sperm preparations. The proportion of morphologically norma...
Pusterla N, Jackson R, Wilson R, Collier J, Mapes S, Gebhart C.The goals of this study were to evaluate titers of antibodies against Lawsonia intracellularis in 68 resident broodmares from a farm known to be endemic for equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) and to evaluate maternal antibodies, occurrence of seroconversion and fecal shedding in their foals. Serum samples collected from mares at delivery and from foals pre- and post-colostrum ingestion and monthly thereafter were tested for the presence of L. intracellularis antibodies by immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA). Further, feces collected from mares at delivery and foals post-partum and mont...
Barbey C, Budin-Verneuil A, Cauchard S, Hartke A, Laugier C, Pichereau V, Petry S.Rhodococcus equi is one of the most important causes of mortality in foals between 1 and 6 months of age. Although rare, infection also occurs in a variety of other mammals including humans, often following immunosuppression of various causes. Secreted proteins are known to mediate important pathogen-host interactions and consequently are favored candidates for vaccine development as they are the most easily accessible microbial antigens to the immune system. Here, we describe the results of a proteomic analysis based on SDS-PAGE, immunoblot and mass spectrometry, which was carried out aiming ...
Jacob JC, Gastal EL, Gastal MO, Carvalho GR, Beg MA, Ginther OJ.Data were collected daily from 23 mares during two consecutive interovulatory intervals (IOIs). Several significant (p < 0.05) new observations on temporal relationships were made. The FSH increase that begins before ovulation temporarily plateaued on the day of discharge of follicular fluid into the peritoneal cavity in association with ovulation. During the declining portion of the pre-ovulatory oestradiol surge, an abrupt reduction in the rate of decrease occurred in synchrony with the peak of the LH surge and is consistent with a negative effect of LH on oestradiol. Repeatability within...
Raudsepp T, Gustafson-Seabury A, Durkin K, Wagner ML, Goh G, Seabury CM, Brinkmeyer-Langford C, Lee EJ, Agarwala R, Stallknecht-Rice E, Schäffer AA....A comprehensive second-generation whole genome radiation hybrid (RH II), cytogenetic and comparative map of the horse genome (2n = 64) has been developed using the 5000rad horse x hamster radiation hybrid panel and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The map contains 4,103 markers (3,816 RH; 1,144 FISH) assigned to all 31 pairs of autosomes and the X chromosome. The RH maps of individual chromosomes are anchored and oriented using 857 cytogenetic markers. The overall resolution of the map is one marker per 775 kilobase pairs (kb), which represents a more than five-fold improvement over ...
da Silva Meirelles L, Sand TT, Harman RJ, Lennon DP, Caplan AI.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that have the capacity to develop into different mature mesenchymal cell types. They were originally isolated from bone marrow, but MSC-like cells have also been isolated from other tissues. The common feature of all of these tissues is that they all house blood vessels. It is, thus, possible that MSCs are associated with perivascular locations. The objective of this work was to test the hypothesis that MSCs are associated with blood vessels by verifying if MSC frequency positively correlates with blood vessel density. To this end, samples fr...
Cuervo-Arango J, Newcombe JR.Haemorrhage into the dominant follicle during the reproductive season is a subtle but definitive cause of infertility in the mare population. This condition however can be of high relevance for an individual in which its incidence is abnormally high. Little is known about the nature and factors affecting the incidence of haemorrhagic anovulatory follicles (HAFs) in the mare. The objectives of the study were to define and characterize the ultrasonographic development and incidence of HAFs and to investigate possible risk factors influencing its occurrence. Detailed reproductive and ultrasound r...
Figueiredo MD, Vandenplas ML, Hurley DJ, Moore JN.Our understanding of the innate immune response in the horse has been limited by a lack of definitive data concerning cell signaling in response to microbial products. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize conserved molecular motifs of microbes and elicit immune responses through their coupling with intracellular adaptor molecules, particularly MyD88 and TRIF. To provide a more definitive characterization of TLR signaling in the horse, the objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize the responses of equine monocytes to TLR ligands that signal through MyD88, TRIF or both in other species,...
Kendall A, Bröjer J, Karlstam E, Pringle J.Mycotic rhinitis is an uncommon disease in horses with a wide range of clinical signs and treatment options based on case studies of a single or only a few individuals. Moreover, while dogs with mycotic rhinitis appear to respond well to treatment with topical enilconazole, this approach has yet to be reported in horses. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical findings, results of diagnostic investigations, treatment, and outcome in horses with mycotic rhinitis treated with topical enilconazole. Methods: Eight horses were included in the study. Methods: Medical records fr...
Bhoora R, Franssen L, Oosthuizen MC, Guthrie AJ, Zweygarth E, Penzhorn BL, Jongejan F, Collins NE.A molecular epidemiological survey of the protozoal parasites that cause equine piroplasmosis was conducted using samples collected from horses and zebra from different geographical locations in South Africa. A total of 488 samples were tested for the presence of Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi using the reverse line blot hybridization assay. Ten percent of the samples hybridized to the Theileria/Babesia genus-specific probe and not to the B. caballi or T. equi species-specific probes, suggesting the presence of a novel species or genotype. The small subunit of rRNA gene (18S; approximat...
Govaere J, Ducatelle R, Hoogewijs M, De Schauwer C, de Kruif A.This report describes a bilateral seminoma in a stallion. After slaughter, histological examination revealed that the tumour consisted predominantly of polyhedral tumour cells with large nuclei, obvious nucleoli and a small border of cytoplasm. The mitotic index was low and Ki67 staining revealed 4% nuclear staining. To our knowledge, this paper is the first using Ki67 staining as a method to evaluate the mitotic rate in a testicular seminoma in the stallion.
Ellenberger C, Müller K, Schoon HA, Wilsher S, Allen WR.Anovulatory haemorrhagic follicles (AHFs) are often the reason for ovulation failure in the mare. As the underlying factors that lead to AHF development are not well understood, it was of interest to investigate the vascularization of AHFs compared with normal follicles and corpora lutea (controls). In the present study, the ovarian cell populations investigated immunohistochemically included granulosa and luteal cells as well as various vascular structures. None of these cell types showed differences in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) between control ovaries co...
Arai K, Tagami M, Hatazoe T, Nishimatsu E, Shimizu Y, Fujiki M, Misumi K.We investigated the relationship between cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) levels in synovial fluid (SF), serum and urine and the development of osteochondral damage and osteophyte (OP) formation following intraarticular fractures of the carpus in racehorses in order to assess the clinical usefulness of COMP as a diagnostic biomarker of developmental osteoarthritis (OA). Two monoclonal antibodies (mAb clones 2A11 and 3C8) raised against equine COMP were shown to be capable of detecting the molecule in serum and urine as well as SF. Fifty-one samples were obtained from 26 OP-positive (...
Ito M, Nagai M, Hayakawa Y, Komae H, Murakami N, Yotsuya S, Asakura S, Sakoda Y, Kida H.In August 2007, an outbreak of equine influenza occurred among vaccinated racehorses with Japanese commercial equine influenza vaccine at Kanazawa Racecourse in Ishikawa prefecture in Japan. Apparent symptoms were pyrexia (38.2-41.0 degrees C) and nasal discharge with or without coughing, although approximately half of the infected horses were subclinical. All horses had been shot with a vaccine that contained two inactivated H3N8 influenza virus strains [A/equine/La Plata/93 (La Plata/93) of American lineage and A/equine/Avesta/93 (Avesta/93) of European lineage] and an H7N7 strain (A/equine/...
Turlo AJ, Cywinska A, Frisbie DD.High prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in racehorses and its impact on horse welfare and racing economics call for improved measures of injury diagnosis and prevention. Serum biomarkers of bone and cartilage metabolism have previously shown promise in prediction of musculoskeletal injuries in horses. This study aimed to re-evaluate usability of the predictive serum biomarkers identified in North American Thoroughbred racehorses in a geographically distinct group of Polish Thoroughbreds. Results: Serum concentrations of bone and cartilage biomarkers: osteocalcin, c-terminal telopeptide of...
Rocha T.Contagious equine metritis (CEM), a highly contagious bacterial venereal infection of equids, caused by Taylorella equigenitalis, is of major international concern, causing short-term infertility in mares. Portugal has a long tradition of horse breeding and exportation and until recently was considered CEM-free. However, in 2008, T. equigenitalis was isolated at our laboratory from a recently imported stallion and 2 mares from the same stud. Following this first reported outbreak, the Portuguese Veterinary Authority (DGVA) performed mandatory testing on all remaining equines at the stud (n=30)...
Hines MT, Palmer GH, Byrne KM, Brassfield AL, McGuire TC.Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood were obtained from each of 17 adult Arabian mares and absolute numbers and relative lymphocyte proportions were determined for total T lymphocytes, using CD2 as a marker, CD4 + T lymphocytes, CD8 + T lymphocytes, CD5 + lymphocytes, and sIgM + B lymphocytes. The marked variation in BALF cell recovery resulted in wide variation in absolute values for each lymphocyte subset. The relative proportions of gated BALF lymphocytes were much less variable and provided a basis for comparison of lymphocyte subsets between the BALF and peripheral blo...
Delesalle C, Dewulf J, Lefebvre RA, Schuurkes JA, Van Vlierbergen B, Deprez P.Hypocalcaemia is a common finding in horses with enterocolitis and severe gastrointestinal disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate in colic horses 1)the parameters related to hypocalcaemia, 2)the influence of hypocalcaemia on outcome and 3)the possible beneficial effect of Ca2+ substitution. Methods: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Intensive care unit. Methods: One hundred forty-four horses that were admitted with an acute abdomen during a 1.5 year period were enrolled and daily evaluated for clinical criteria and whole blood ionized Ca2+ levels. Colic horses with hypocalca...
Fernández-Hernández P, Marinaro F, Sánchez-Calabuig MJ, García-Marín LJ, Bragado MJ, González-Fernández L, Macías-García B.Equine fertilization cannot be performed in the laboratory as equine spermatozoa do not cross the oocyte's zona pellucida . Hence, a more profound study of equine oviductal fluid (OF) composition at the pre-ovulatory and post-ovulatory stages could help in understanding what components are required to achieve fertilization in horses. Our work aimed to elucidate the proteomic composition of equine OF at both stages. To do this, OF was obtained postmortem from oviducts of slaughtered mares ipsilateral to a pre-ovulatory follicle ( = 4) or a recent ovulation ( = 4); the samples were kept at -80°...
Wilkins PA, Gleed RD, Krivitski NM, Dobson A.Seven Standardbred horses were exercised on a treadmill at speeds (approximately 12 m/s) producing maximal heart rate, hypoxemia, and a mean pulmonary arterial pressure of approximately 75 mmHg. Extravascular lung water was measured by using transients in temperature and electrical impedance of the blood caused by a bolus injection of cold saline solution. Lung water was approximately 3 ml/kg body wt when standing but did not increase significantly with exertion. We conclude that any increase in fluid extravasation from the pulmonary hypertension accumulates in the lung at a level that is less...
Fülber J, Agreste FR, Seidel SRT, Sotelo EDP, Barbosa ÂP, Michelacci YM, Baccarin RYA.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising therapy for the treatment of equine joint diseases, studied due to their possible immunomodulatory characteristics and regenerative capacity. However, the source of most suitable MSCs for producing cartilage for regenerative processes in conjunction with biomaterials for an enhanced function is yet to be established. Objective: To compare the chondrogenicity of MSCs derived from synovial fluid, bone marrow, and adipose tissue of horses, using the aggrecan synthesis. Methods: MSCs from ten horses were cultured, phenotypic characterization was ...
Torres SM, Malone ED, White SD, Koch SN, Watson JL.Aural plaques affect at least 22% of horses and can be asymptomatic or cause ear sensitivity. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopy studies have shown a strong association between aural plaques and papilloma virus. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of imiquimod 5% cream, an immune response modifier with potent antiviral activity, in the treatment of equine aural plaques. Twenty-one horses were enrolled and 16 completed the study. Imiquimod 5% cream was applied three times a week, every other week. When both ears were affected only the worst affected ear was treate...
Bugno-Poniewierska M, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, -Kajtoch AP, Fornal A, Piórkowska K, Ropka-Molik K.The highly selective breeding of Arabian horses results in inbreeding depression and genetic disorders, thereby causing significant economic loss. The Polish population of Arabians has a great impact on many breeding programmes. The aim of the current study was to monitor genetic variants involved in the most common genetic disorders of this breed. A total of 808 elite Arabian horses were screened for cerebellar abiotrophy (CA), severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and lavender foal syndrome (LFS) genetic disorders by Sanger sequencing and allelic discrimination methods. The investigated po...
Murase H, Saito S, Amaya T, Sato F, Ball BA, Nambo Y.Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a glycoprotein secreted from the fetal testis, is responsible for regression of the Müllerian duct in the male fetus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum AMH as a biomarker for diagnosis of cryptorchidism in horses. Serum AMH concentrations were measured in intact stallions, hemi-castrated unilateral cryptorchid stallions, and geldings. In addition, expression of AMH was characterized in cryptorchid testes by immunohistochemistry. Serum AMH was detected in intact stallions (n=11, 13.3 ± 1.8 ng/ml) and in hemi-castrated cryptorchid stal...
Pompa G, Caloni F, Montana M, Pasqualucci C.1. Isoxsuprine [1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(1-methyl-2-phenoxyethylamino)-1- propanol] serum concentrations after single- and multiple-dose administration to horse were investigated using immunoenzymatic ELISA, HPLC-UV and thermospray HPLC-MS methods. 2. Using HPLC-MS, isoxsuprine was detected up to 72 h after a single administration (1.2 mg/kg by gastric probe) and up to 96 h after the end of serial administration (1.2 mg/kg every 12 h for 7 days). 3. ELISA detected the drug up to 96 h after a single dose and up to 6 days after the end of prolonged administration. 4. Isoxsuprine is present in hors...
Swanstrom MD, Stover SM, Hubbard M, Hawkins DA.To determine the relative contributions of the muscles, tendons, and accessory ligaments to the passive force-length properties of the superficial (SDF) and deep digital flexor (DDF) myotendinous complexes. Methods: 8 cadaveric forelimbs from 6 adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: In vitro, limb configurations during slack position and myotendinous lengths during subsequent axial loading of forelimbs were recorded before and after transection of accessory ligaments. Expressions were derived to describe the force-length behavior of each muscle, tendon, and accessory ligament-tendon unit; linear stiffn...
Back W, van der Lugt JJ, Nikkels PG, van den Belt AJ, van der Kolk JH, Stout TA.An extreme form of abnormal development, dwarfism, is common in man and some animals, but has not been officially reported in horses. Within the Friesian horse breed, congenital dwarfism has been recognised for many years, but no detailed report exists on its phenotype. The most salient feature of the dwarf syndrome is the physeal growth retardation in both limbs and ribs. Affected animals have approximately 25% shorter fore- and hindlimbs and approximately 50% reduced bodyweight. Postnatal growth is still possible in these animals, albeit at a slower rate: the head and back grow faster than t...
Gurney SM, Schneider S, Pflugradt R, Barrett E, Forster AC, Brinkmann B, Jansen T, Forster P.Horse mtDNA profiling can be useful in forensic work investigating degraded samples, hair shafts or highly dilute samples. Degraded DNA often does not allow sequencing of fragments longer than 200 nucleotides. In this study we therefore search for the most discriminatory sections within the hypervariable horse mtDNA control region. Among a random sample of 39 horses, 32 different sequences were identified in a stretch of 921 nucleotides. The sequences were assigned to the published mtDNA types A-G, and to a newly labelled minor type H. The random match probability within the analysed samples i...
Horspool LJ, McKellar QA.A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the determination of seven short-chain fatty acids in equine caecal liquor. Samples were cleaned up on a Sep-pak (C18) cartridge, and the analyte was eluted from the extraction cartridge and filtered through a 0.45 micron cellulose nitrate filter. The analyte was chromatographed by ion exchange HPLC. Detection was by UV at 210 nm. Recovery from phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 7.0) and equine caecal liquor was 76.95% (lactic), 76.76% (valeric). The limit of (propionic), 89.35% (isobutyric), 88.73% (butyric), 80.33% (isovaleri...
Gustafson SB, Trotter GW, Norrdin RW, Wrigley RH, Lamar C.Three doses of sodium monoiodoacetate (MIA) were used to induce degenerative changes in articular cartilage in middle carpal joints of horses. Twelve young (2- to 5-year-old) horses, free of lameness, were randomly allotted to 3 groups. One middle carpal joint of each horse was injected with 0.9% NaCl solution (control joint). The contralateral middle carpal joint was injected with 0.09 mg of MIA/kg of body weight (group 1); 0.12 mg/kg (group 2); or 0.16 mg/kg (group 3). After MIA administration, horses were allowed ad libitum exercise in a 2-acre paddock for 12 weeks. At the end of the study,...
Gorman T, Aballay J, Fredes F, Silva M, Aguillón JC, Alcaíno HA.Crude and partially purified somatic (S) and excretory-secretory (ES) antigens of Fasciola hepatica were subjected to Western blot analysis in order to identify polypeptides that would enable specific and sensitive immunodiagnosis of horse and pig fasciolosis to be undertaken. Sera from 20 horses and 20 pigs with natural infections of F. hepatica and the same number of uninfected hosts of each species were tested, together with sera from 2 pigs with Cysticercus cellulosae infections. Using crude S antigens, sera from infected horses and pigs reacted specifically with a wide range of polypeptid...
Heath TJ, Nikles SA.Secondary lymphoid nodules in lymph nodes of the horse are surrounded by a network of lymph sinuses, including the subcapsular sinus and its extensions around tabeculae, tubular and tubule-like sinuses deeper in the cortex, and sinuses between cord-like projections of cortical tissue. The precise role of this close association between sinuses and nodules in the transport of immune complexes, cells and cytokines is not known.
Hirsh DC, Jang SS.Rational choice of an antimicrobial agent requires that the condition for which the drug is prescribed contain an infectious agent and, if so, knowledge of the susceptibility of the microorganism to antimicrobial drugs. Unfortunately, most infectious conditions necessitate the use of an antimicrobic drug before data from the microbiology laboratory are available. The data presented are meant to serve as a guide in the choice of antimicrobic drugs for treatment of infectious processes of the horse before knowledge of the nature of the microorganism isolated as well as its susceptibility to anti...
Gehlen H, Bildheim LM.An effect of aging on cardiac morphology and function has been shown in humans. In horses, cardiac wall motion analysis using two-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-ST) has not yet been reported. Our study included 57 horses of different warmblood breeds between 3 and 30 years old. Age had a significant influence on left ventricular free wall (LVFW) systolic strain rate ( ≤ 0.05) and early diastolic relaxation ( ≤ 0.01). In the interventricular septum (IVS), systolic ( ≤ 0.01) and late diastolic ( ≤ 0.05) contraction velocities also increased with age. In our study, 2D-ST revealed import...
Derochette S, Serteyn D, Mouithys-Mickalad A, Ceusters J, Deby-Dupont G, Neven P, Franck T.Excessive neutrophil stimulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production are involved in numerous human or horse pathologies. The modulation of the neutrophil NADPH oxidase (NOX) has a great therapeutic potential since this enzyme produces superoxide anion whose most of the other ROS derive. The measurement of NOX activity by cell-free systems is often used to test potential inhibitors of the enzyme. A major drawback of this technique is the possible interferences between inhibitors and the probe, ferricytochrome c, used to measure the activity. We designed the "EquiNox2", a new pharmacol...
Green J, Xie S, Gan X, Roberts RM.This manuscript describes the cloning of a novel aspartic proteinase expressed in the placenta of the horse (order Perrisodactyla). Evidence for similar genes in the cat (Carnivora) and ruminants (Artiodactyla), indicates that these molecules have been conserved within widely divergent species with distinct types of placentation. Since ePAG is produced by the outer cell layer (trophoblast) of the placenta, it can tentatively be grouped with the pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) of cattle, sheep, and pig. The high sequence identity that ePAG shares with pepsinogens as well as the PAG, in...
Sweeney CR, Sweeney RW, Benson CE.Results of bacteriologic culture of specimens obtained from 14 horses with pneumonia and from 15 horses that were clinically healthy (nonpneumonia group) were compared. Specimens were obtained by use of an endoscopic guarded tracheal swabbing method and percutaneous tracheal aspiration. The percentage of agreement between the 2 tracheal specimens for the horses of the pneumonia group was 79% for aerobic isolates and 100% for anaerobic isolates. The percentage of agreement between results of the 2 tracheal specimens for horses of the nonpneumonia group was 80% for aerobic organisms and 93% for ...
Robertson TP, Moore JN, Noschka E, Lewis TH, Lewis SJ, Peroni JF.To determine the effects of inhibition of Rho-kinase or Src-family protein tyrosine kinases (srcPTK) on agonist-induced contractile responses in equine laminar arteries and veins. Methods: Laminar arteries and veins obtained from 13 adult mixed-breed horses. Methods: Laminar vessels were mounted on myographs and exposed to phenylephrine (PE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), prostaglandin F(2) (PGF(2)), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) with or without the Rho-kinase inhibitor Y-27632 (10 microM), srcPTK inhibitor PP2 (10 microM), or a negative control analogue for PP2 (PP3; 10 microM). Results: Responses to...
Reinertson EL.Thirteen horses and ponies were used to evaluate an anastomotic technique utilizing a modified Gambee suture pattern. The modified Gambee technique was compared with a single-row everting technique and a double-row inverting technique. The double-row inverting technique predisposed to intestinal obstruction and resulted in minimal adhesions. The everting technique predisposed to leakage of intestinal contents and subsequent peritonitis. Adhesions were formed at the site of the anastomosis to such an extent as to jeopardize the proper position of the bowel. The technique did not cause any lumin...
Hopster K, Driessen B.One of the biggest challenges in managing laminitis in horses remains the control of pain. The best analgesic approach is a multimodal approach, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, and/or constant rate infusions of α-2 agonists, ketamine, and lidocaine. Recent literature indicates that amitriptyline and soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor might be beneficial. Clinically oriented studies will be needed if they have a place in laminitis pain management. The systemic pain control can be combined with local techniques such as long-acting local anesthetics or epidural catheter...
