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.
Schembri MA, Major DA, Suttie JJ, Maxwell WM, Evans G.To investigate cryopreservation-induced capacitation-like changes in equine spermatozoa frozen in three different media using chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence staining analysis. Methods: Semen collected from three stallions was diluted in one of three centrifugation media and, after centrifugation and removal of supernatant, extended in corresponding freezing media containing additional egg yolk, glycerol, lactose and Equex paste. The semen was frozen in 5 mL straws and the spermatozoa assessed for motility and membrane quality after thawing. Results: Following centrifugation, spermatozoa ...
Staniar WB, Kronfeld DS, Treiber KH, Splan RK, Harris PA.The objective of this study was to establish a procedure for differentiating a baseline curve from a systematic deviation in weight-age data, and hence to develop a physiological growth model for the Thoroughbred. A total of 2,698 records for 175 foals was obtained during a period of 8 yr (1994 to 2001). Weight-age data were fit with a sigmoid growth equation, W = A(1 + be(-kt))M, where W is BW at age t, A is the asymptotic value of W, b is a scaling parameter that defines the degree of maturity at t = 0, k is a rate constant, and M defines the point of inflection in the sigmoid curve in relat...
Du J, White N, Eddington ND.The purpose of this study was to determine if glucosamine (GL) hydrochloride (FCHG49) and low molecular weight (LMW) chondroitin sulfate (CS) (TRH122) are absorbed after oral administration to horses. The bioavailability of LMWCS was evaluated by quantifying the total disaccharides found in the plasma following chondroitinase ABC digestion. Methods: Two separate studies were conducted. In study 1, ten adult horses received the following four treatments in a randomized crossover fashion: (1) i.v. LMWCS (3 g of 8 kDa), (2) p.o. LMWCS (3 g of 8 kDa), (3) i.v. LMWCS (3 g of 16.9 kDa) and (4) p.o. ...
Begg LM, O'Sullivan CB.To report the prevalence and distribution of gastric ulceration within a group of racehorses and to describe the endoscopic appearance of gastric antrum and pyloric ulceration. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Medical records from gastroscopic examinations of 345 racehorses (331 Thoroughbreds and 14 Standardbreds) were reviewed. Prevalence, distribution and severity of gastric ulcers were recorded. Lesions involving the squamous mucosa and the glandular mucosa of the antrum and pylorus were graded and compared. Results: Gastric ulceration was found in 86% of racehorses. The squa...
Azuolas JK, Wishart E, Bibby S, Ainsworth C.To report clinical and clinicopathological findings in horses naturally infected with Ross River virus (RRV) and identify likely mosquito arbovirus vector species. Methods: Veterinarians submitted serum samples from 750 horses because they suspected Ross River virus (RRV) infection. The samples were tested for the presence of IgM and IgG antibody to RRV and for the presence of virus. Mosquitoes were trapped, differentiated to species level and tested for the presence of RRV by virus isolation. Results: RRV was isolated from six species of mosquitoes (Ochlerotatus camptorhyncus, Culex globocoxi...
Chateau H, Degueurce C, Denoix JM.To develop a method that allows quantification of the 3 anatomic rotations in the digital joints of moving horses and measure these rotations when horses are walking in a straight line on a hard track. Methods: 4 healthy French Trotter horses. Methods: Triads of ultrasonic kinematic markers were surgically linked to the 4 distal segments of the digits of the left forelimb of each horse. Three-dimensional (3-D) coordinates of these markers were recorded in horses walking in a straight line. The three angles of rotation of each digital joint were calculated by use of a joint coordinate system as...
Stewart AJ, Hardy J, Kohn CW, Toribio RE, Hinchcliff KW, Silver B.To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum concentrations of total magnesium (tMg) and ionized magnesium (iMg), concentrations of magnesium (Mg) in muscle, intracellular Mg (icMg) concentrations, urinary Mg excretion (EMg), Mg clearance (CMg), and fractional clearance of Mg (FCMg) in horses fed diets with Mg content above and below National Research Council recommendations. Methods: 9 young female horses. Methods: 6 horses were fed a reduced-Mg diet for 29 days followed by an Mg-supplemented diet for 24 days. Control horses (n = 3) were fed grass hay exclusively. Blood, urine, and tissue sample...
Magdesian KG, Wilson WD, Mihalyi J.To determine disposition kinetics of amikacin in neonatal foals administered high doses at extended intervals. Methods: 7 neonatal foals. Methods: Amikacin was administered (21 mg/kg, i.v., q 24 h) for 10 days. On days 1, 5, and 10, serial plasma samples were obtained for measurement of amikacin concentrations and determination of pharmacokinetics. Results: Mean +/- SD peak plasma concentrations of amikacin extrapolated to time 0 were 103.1 +/- 23.4, 102.9 +/- 9.8, and 120.7 +/- 17.9 microg/mL on days 1, 5, and 10, respectively. Plasma concentrations at 1 hour were 37.5 +/- 6.7, 32.9 +/- 2.6, ...
Terio KA, Stalis IH, Allen JL, Stott JL, Worley MB.Coccidioidomycosis is a rare, often subclinical infection in domestic animals caused by the fungus Coccidioides immitis. Because of an apparent high incidence of coccidioidomycosis in Przewalski's horses (Equus przewalskii) housed at a single facility, necropsy records and biomaterials from animals that died between 1984 and 2000 were reviewed (n = 30, 15 males, 15 females). Coccidioidomycosis was the leading cause of death (33%) in this population with lesions in the lungs and tracheobronchial lymph nodes of all animals and variable involvement of the skeletal muscle, heart, kidney, liver, sk...
Acosta TJ, Beg MA, Ginther OJ.Color Doppler transrectal ultrasound was used to evaluate blood flow area in the wall of dominant anovulatory follicles versus ovulatory follicles in mares during the transition between anovulatory and ovulatory seasons. Daily examinations were done in 11 control mares toward the end of the anovulatory season. In 13 separate mares, follicular fluid was collected from 30-mm follicles, and blood flow areas from control mares were used as a basis for designating the sampled follicle as either anovulatory or ovulatory. Blood flow area in the controls ranged from 0.18 to 0.35 cm(2) in six mares on ...
Van Hoogmoed LM, Nieto JE, Spier SJ, Snyder JR.To evaluate the efficacy of a customized solution to attenuate intestinal injury following 20% low-flow ischemia and reperfusion in the jejunum of horses. Methods: 10 healthy adult horses. Methods: Two 30.5-cm-long segments of jejunum were exteriorized through a ventral midline incision and the mesenteric artery and vein supplying that portion of the intestine were instrumented with flow probes. Blood flow was decreased to 20% of baseline for 90 minutes followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion. In 5 horses, 60 mL of the customized solution was placed in the lumen of each segment (treatment-group ...
Bennett RC, Steffey EP, Kollias-Baker C, Sams R.To quantitate the dose and time-related effects of morphine sulfate on the anesthetic sparing effect of xylazine hydrochloride in halothane-anesthetized horses and determine the associated plasma xylazine and morphine concentration-time profiles. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized 3 times to determine the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of halothane in O2 and characterize the anesthetic sparing effect (ie, decrease in MAC of halothane) by xylazine (0.5 mg/kg, i.v.) administration followed immediately by i.v. administration of saline (0.9% NaCI) solution, lo...
Teixeira Neto FJ, McDonell WN, Black WD, Duronghphongtorn S.To evaluate cardiopulmonary effects of glycopyrrolate in horses anesthetized with halothane and xylazine. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Horses were allocated to 2 treatment groups in a randomized complete block design. Anesthesia was maintained in mechanically ventilated horses by administration of halothane (1% end-tidal concentration) combined with a constant-rate infusion of xylazine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg/h, i.v.). Hemodynamic variables were monitored after induction of anesthesia and for 120 minutes after administration of glycopyrrolate or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Glycopyrrolate (2.5 m...
Arnoczky SP, Lavagnino M, Gardner KL, Tian T, Vaupel ZM, Stick JA.To determine the effects of oxytetracycline on matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) mRNA expression and collagen gel contraction by equine myofibroblasts in an effort to explain the mechanistic basis for the pharmacologic treatment of flexural deformities in foals. Methods: Cultured myofibroblasts from the accessory ligament (distal check ligament) of 6 foals. Methods: Collagen gel scaffolds seeded with equine myofibroblasts were cultured in individual culture dishes containing complete media (Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium with 10% fetal bovine serum) and oxytetracycline (0, 12.5, 25, or 75 m...
Perkins SL, Magdesian KG, Thomas WP, Spier SJ.A 13-year-old Oldenburg mare was evaluated for lethargy and signs of mild colic. Pericardial tamponade caused by fibrinoeffusive pericarditis was diagnosed. Cytologic and biochemical evaluation of pericardial fluid was consistent with a septic effusion. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, the cause of pigeon fever, was identified by bacteriologic culture of pericardial fluid. Drainage and lavage of the pericardial sac, local (intrapericardial) and systemic antimicrobial treatment, and subsequent corticosteroid treatment resulted in a successful outcome in this horse. To the authors' knowledge,...
Albihn A, Båverud V, Magnusson U.Uterine microbiology and antimicrobial susceptibility was investigated in 239 mares with fertility problems in a prospective study in Sweden. Uterine swab samples were collected with double guarded swabs and transported overnight before being cultured. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) was determined for a panel of antimicrobials. From 152 of the 239 mares at least one bacterial species was isolated, most frequently E. coli (104 isolates), beta-haemolytic streptococci (31) and fungi (16). beta-haemolytic streptococci were more frequently (p < 0.01) associated with clinical endomet...
Björnsdóttir S, Arnason T, Lord P.A survival analysis was used to compare the culling rate of Icelandic horses due to the presence of radiographic and clinical signs of bone spavin. A follow-up study of 508 horses from a survey five years earlier was performed. In the original survey 46% of the horses had radiographic signs of bone spavin (RS) and/or lameness after flexion test of the tarsus. The horse owners were interviewed by telephone. The owners were asked if the horses were still used for riding and if not, they were regarded as culled. The owners were then asked when and why the horses were culled. During the 5 years, 9...
Farstvedt EG, Hendrickson DA, Dickenson CE, Spier SJ.Two horses were examined for large head wounds suspected to be the result of trauma and characterized by extensive necrosis of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, with abundant purulent exudate. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was isolated from the facial wounds in both horses. Histopathologic examination revealed severe suppurative cellulitis and panniculitis with fistulous tracts and granulation tissue in 1 horse. Both horses were treated with local wound care, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and administration of antimicrobials. The concept of moist wound care was used in the second ...
Donaldson MT, Jorgensen AJ, Beech J.To determine prevalence and clinical features of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses with laminitis. Methods: Case series. Methods: 40 horses with laminitis. Methods: Horses with laminitis that survived an initial episode of pain and were not receiving medications known to alter the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis were tested for PPID by evaluation of endogenous plasma ACTH concentration. Signalment, suspected cause, month of onset and duration of laminitis, Obel grade of lameness, pedal bone rotation, physical examination findings, results of endocrine function tests, t...
Gunkel CI, Valverde A, Robertson SA, Thompson MS, Keoughan CG, Ferrell EA.A mature horse developed acute signs of bronchoconstriction causing hypoxemia and hypercapnia during anesthesia for computerized tomography of the maxillary sinus after i.v. administration of diatrizoate contrast medium. The horse was treated with aerosolized albuterol, atropine, and oxygen insufflation and recovered uneventfully despite severe hypoxemia and low hemoglobin saturation. The horse's condition continued to improve after treatment, and the horse was discharged with no further complications. Caution is advised with the use of contrast media in anesthetized horses.
Allen ML, Baker GJ, Freeman DE, Holmes KR, Marretta SM, Scoggins RD, Constable P.To measure the amount of heat generated during 3 methods of equine dental reduction with power instruments. Methods: In vitro study. Methods: 30 premolar and molar teeth removed from mandibles of 8 equine heads collected at an abbatoir. Methods: 38-gauge copper-constantan thermocouples were inserted into the lingual side of each tooth 15 mm (proximal) and 25 mm (distal) from the occlusal surface, at a depth of 5 mm, which placed the tip close to the pulp chamber. Group-NC1 (n = 10) teeth were ground for 1 minute without coolant, group-NC2 (10) teeth were ground for 2 minutes without coolant, a...
Puchol JL, Herrán R, Durall I, López J, Díaz-Bertrana C.A 13-month-old female Andalusian was evaluated because of a congenital left deviation of the maxilla and nasal septum, which had resulted in a gross malocclusion of the maxillary incisor teeth. Surgical correction of a deviated nasal septum and premaxilla in a horse was first reported in 1978 and involved a pre-maxilla osteotomy and use of an autogenous rib graft, with a nasal septum osteotomy performed in a second surgery; to the authors' knowledge, no alternative surgical treatments have since been described. In this horse, a new surgical treatment by distraction osteogenesis without nasal s...
Murray RC, Roberts BL, Schramme MC, Dyson SJ, Branch M.Injury of the distal aspect of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) is a recognized cause of lameness, but diagnosis is difficult. This study aimed to improve understanding of DDFT morphology and pathology using retrospective evaluation of magnetic resonance (MR) images. We hypothesized that: (1) The distal aspect of the DDFT in normal horses would have a repeatable proximal/distal pattern and symmetry between limbs and between lobes; (2) DDFT dimensions would be related to bodyweight, navicular bone dimensions and hoof size; (3) this symmetry and pattern would be lost in DDFT injury; and (4)...
Wallner B, Piumi F, Brem G, Müller M, Achmann R.Y chromosome polymorphisms such as microsatellites or single nucleotide polymorphisms represent a paternal counterpart to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for evolutionary and phylogeographic studies. The use of Y chromosome haplotyping in natural populations of species other than humans is still hindered by the lack of sequence information necessary for polymorphism screening. Here we used representational difference analysis (RDA) followed by a screen of a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library for repetitive sequences to obtain polymorphic Y-chromosomal markers. The procedure was performed ...
Ramirez S, Lester GD, Roberts GR.The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the clinical usefulness of thoracic ultrasonography compared to thoracic radiography in evaluation of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Criteria for patient inclusion in this study were: (1) isolation of R. equi from transtracheal aspirate, (2) radiographic evaluation of the pulmonary parenchyma, and (3) sonographic evaluation of the pulmonary parenchyma. Seventeen foals met this criteria and their medical records were reviewed. Pyogranulomatous pneumonia was identified radiographically in 13 foals. Severe consolidative pneumonia with no detectabl...
Ganidagli S, Cetin H, Biricik HS, Cimtay I.Two groups of six mares aged from eight to 18 years were anaesthetised by caudal epidural injections of ropivacaine (0.5 per cent, 0.1 mg/kg) or a combination of ripovacaine (0.08 mg/kg) and fentanyl (100 microg) in a randomised study. The onset of anaesthesia was significantly more rapid (P<0.001) and it lasted significantly longer (P<0.001) in the group anaesthetised with the combination of drugs. The surgical comfort scores of the group anaesthetised with the combination were higher than those of the group anaesthetised with ropivacaine alone (P<0.001), and the quality of intraoper...
Haase F, Siewert C, von Rautenfeld DB, Fischbach JU, Seifert H.Measuring the leg volume of horses is useful for diagnostic and treatment of different diseases in relation to swollen legs. In the present study different methods to quantify the limb volume are compared, the water displacement method, an optoelectronic 2-dimensional body scanner, the so-called perometer and calculation of volume by applying the disc model. As reference method the golden standard of human medicine - the water displacement method was used. We took volume measurements from different tall horses in a defined section of the forelegs between the coronary band and the carpal joint....
Reeben M, Koho NM, Raekallio M, Hyyppä S, Pösö AR.Transport of lactate across membranes is facilitated by proton-monocarboxylate transporters (MCT). The most widely distributed isoform is MCT1, which needs an ancillary protein CD147. Studies on erythrocytes have shown that high activity of MCT1 is inherited as the dominant allele and that activity is regulated through CD147. Mutations of human MCT1 have been described that appear to impair lactate transport in muscles and cause exertional rhabdomyolysis. There are no reports of this potential relationship in the horse. Objective: To obtain sequences of equine MCT1 and CD147 to examine differe...
Ginther OJ.Variation is the principal barrier to progress in unraveling the complexities of biological mechanisms. The resulting slow research progress is well illustrated in the chronology of events in elucidating the mechanism for regression of the corpus luteum (luteolysis) during the equine estrous cycle. Many of the underlying foundations of the female reproductive system in farm animals were developed during the 1930s to 1950s, despite the lack of methods for determining the concentrations of circulating hormones. In the 1960s, a uterine luteolysin was postulated on the basis of several experimenta...
Vos PL, van der Schans A, de Wit AA, Bevers MM, Willemse AH, Dieleman SJ.Normally cyclic heifers (n = 34) received 2500 iu pregnant mares' serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) i.m. at day 10 of oestrus, and 15 mg prostaglandin (PG) i.m. at day 12. Thereafter, a monoclonal antibody against PMSG was administered i.v. before (n = 24), at (n = 6) or shortly after (n = 4) the preovulatory LH surge. Peripheral blood concentrations of LH and oestradiol were compared; follicular development was monitored by daily ultrasound scanning; and the numbers of preovulatory-sized follicles and ovulations were counted 96 h after injection of PG following death. Anti-PMSG treatment before the ...
Souza SS, Aguiar FLN, Alves BG, Alves KA, Brandão FAS, Brito DCC, Raposo RDS, Gastal MO, Rodrigues APR, Figueiredo JR, Teixeira DÍA, Gastal EL.Ovarian tissue transplantation methods using cooled and cryopreserved samples have been attractive options for fertility preservation in animal models and humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of previous exposure to cooling, cryopreservation, and VEGF on the overall efficiency of equine ovarian tissue after heterotopic xenotransplantation in mice. The end points evaluated were follicular morphology and development, follicular and stromal cell densities, angiogenesis (i.e. the density of new and mature blood vessels), collagen types I and III fiber densities, and total fibro...
Chen CH, Albers JJ.The abilities of apolipoprotein A-I species isolated from humans, horses, sheep, goats and rabbits to activate purified human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and the enzyme from homologous plasmas and plasma of other mammalian species were compared. Each purified apolipoprotein A-I species was individually incorporated into phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol vesicles by the cholate dialysis method to form proteoliposome common substrates (apolipoprotein A-I/phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol molar ratio of 1:250:12.5) for the enzyme activity assay. All apolipoprotein A-I species tested had the ...
Colborne GR, Heaps LA, Franklin SH.Joint congruity and ligaments restrain the distal limb joints from excessive motion in the transverse and frontal planes, but the magnitudes and direction of the horizontal twisting moments around the hoof's centre of pressure (CoP) that induce these motions are unknown. Objective: To quantify the horizontal moment around the vertical axis through the hoof's CoP at walk, and to determine whether these are symmetric. Methods: Nine sound Thoroughbred horses (mean age 53 years; mean mass 502 kg) were led at walk in a straight line across a Kistler force platform. Five trials were collected for ea...
Kilcoyne I, Dechant JE, Nieto JE.The objective of the article is to determine the synovial fluid concentrations of amikacin sulfate (AS) after performing an intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with the tourniquet in place for 10 minutes and compare this with 30 minutes. This is a randomised crossover experimental design. Animals were seven healthy adult horses. Horses underwent two IVRLP procedures in a randomised, crossover design. The horses received IVRLP with 2 g AS diluted to 60 ml using 0.9% saline in the cephalic vein of alternate limbs with the tourniquet in place for either 10 or 30 minutes, with a ...
Pollaris E, Broeckx BJG, Vlaminck L. It has been suggested that fissures of the occlusal surface of equine cheek teeth may develop into crown fractures. To examine the evolution of fissures present on the occlusal surface of cheek teeth. Furthermore, to investigate the presence of a fissure as a risk factor for the development of a subsequent crown fracture. Observational longitudinal study. Bi-annual dental examinations were performed on 36 horses for 3 years. Video-recordings were made to evaluate the evolution of detected fissures. The effect of possible predictors on the development of tooth fractures was investigated by ...
Whitfield-Cargile CM, Rakestraw PC, Hardy J, Cohen ND, Davis BE.Repair of incisional hernias in horses has been described previously; however, this report describes the outcome of primary closure of incisional hernias in a large number of horses and compares these results with those of mesh implantation. Objective: To report the perioperative care, complications and long-term outcome of primary closure of incisional hernias in horses and to compare these results with a second population of horses in which prosthetic mesh was used. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing an incisional herniorrhaphy between 1998 and 2009 were reviewed. Information obta...
Ishigami N, Horiba K.A 41-year-old woman presented with symptoms of cardiac tamponade. Diagnosis of a primary malignant tumor in the right atrium without distant metastasis was made by echocardiography, computed tomography and coronary angiography. Aggressive surgery consisting of resection of the tumor including the right atrial wall together with the right coronary artery and sinus node was performed. This was followed by coronary artery bypass grafting with myocardial electrode implantation for reconstruction of the right atrial wall using an equine pericardium. Final diagnosis was of angiosarcoma by pathologic...
Minnick PD, Brown CM, Braselton WE, Meerdink GL, Slanker MR.An aqueous extract of the heartwood of black walnut (Juglans nigra) was given via stomach tube to 10 horses. Eight developed Obel grade 3 or 4 laminitis within 12 hr. Limb edema and mild sedation were the only other clinical signs observed. One horse was euthanized due to severe signs. The other 7 recovered within 6 days. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of aqueous extracts of heartwood, bark and nuts of black walnut identified juglone in the bark and nuts, but not in the heartwood. It was concluded that the aqueous extract of heartwood is laminogenic to horses, but the active ingredient i...
Elce YA, Ross MW, Davidson EJ, Tulleners EP.To describe the surgical technique, complications, and outcome of thyroidectomy in 6 horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Six horses, 10 to 22 years of age, with unilateral, rapidly enlarging thyroid masses. Methods: Medical records between 1985 and 2000 were reviewed for horses that had unilateral thyroidectomy. Retrieved data included signalment, physical, clinical, and ultrasonographic examination findings, surgical technique, complications, and outcome. A minimum of 6 months follow-up was obtained. Results: Six horses were identified. Three horses had tracheal compression and 2 o...
Cruz F, Fores P, Mughini-Gras L, Ireland J, Moreno MA, Newton R.Equine viral arteritis (EVA), a disease caused by infection with the equine arteritis virus (EAV), is present in many European countries. In Spain, the last confirmed outbreak was reported in 1992 and there is a paucity of seroprevalence studies. The disease has a major impact on the equine breeding industry, which is mainly represented by Spanish Purebred (SP) horses in Spain. Objective: To estimate the seroprevalence of EAV in the breeding SP horse population in central Spain and identify potential horse and studfarm level factors associated with seropositivity to EAV. Methods: Cross-section...
Yin X, Guo M, Gu Q, Wu X, Wei P, Wang X.Tetherin is an interferon-inducible host cell factor that blocks the viral particle release of the enveloped viruses. Most knowledge regarding the interaction between tetherin and viruses has been obtained using the primate lentiviral system. However, much less is known about the functional roles of tetherin on other lentiviruses. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is an important macrophage-tropic lentivirus that has been widely used as a practical model for investigating the evolution of the host-virus relationship. The host range of EIAV is reported to include all members of the Equidae ...
Gray AW, Davies ME, Jeffcott LB.Equine osteoclast-like cells (OCLs) were generated from the bone marrow (BM) of two ponies and one horse in the presence of RANKL, the receptor activator of NF kappa B ligand and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). The phenotype of these cells was confirmed by demonstration of characteristics typical of osteoclasts (OCs) including: the expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), the vitronectin receptor (VNR) and the calcitonin receptor (CTR), the demonstration of responsiveness to calcitonin (CT) and the ability to form resorption lacunae on ivory slices and calcium ph...
Wood AD, Sinovich M, Prutton JSW, Parker RA.To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonographic guidance for injection near the ventral rami of the cervical spinal nerves (VRCSN). Methods: Ex vivo study. Methods: Ten cadavers (n = 40 injections). Methods: Left and right VRCSN at C4/5 and C5/6 were infiltrated at the intervertebral foramen (IVF) under ultrasonographic guidance. A vertically orientated 3.5-MHz curvilinear probe was used to identify the craniocaudal midpoint of the articular process joint (APJ). The probe was moved ventrally until the IVF was identified. An 18-gauge 15-cm-long spinal needle was aimed immediately below the ventral...
Matera MG, Calzetta L, Sanduzzi A, Page CP, Cazzola M.It has been demonstrated in mammals that the airway hyper-responsiveness, which accompanies viral infections, is the result of increased reflex bronchoconstriction due to inhibition of muscarinic prejunctional receptors, which belong to M2 subtypes. Multiple mechanisms account for virus-induced M2 receptor dysfunction. Viral neuraminidase may deglycosylate the M2 receptor, decreasing acetylcholine affinity. Equine influenza remains a common viral respiratory disease of horses worldwide, which results in loss to the equine industry, by decreasing performance, convalescence time and loss of peak...
Cleaver BD, Grubaugh WR, Davis SD, Sheerin PC, Franklin KJ, Sharp DC.Melatonin is thought to play a role in relaying photic information to the central nervous system as part of the seasonal reproductive cycle of the mare. However, the mechanisms by which melatonin may act are unknown. Therefore, this study was designed to determine whether exposure to constant light would, by reducing circulating melatonin concentrations, have any effect on hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) content and circulating levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Blood samples were collected for 12 h at 15-min intervals from 8 ovariect...
Briant C, Ottogalli M, Morel M, Guillaume D.The GnRH antagonist antarelix (Teverelix) was administered to mares (0.01 mg/kg, i.v., twice a day) during the periovulatory period. In Experiment 1, 20 mares were divided into a treated (A3d-) and a control (Control-) group. A3d- mares received antarelix for 3 days from the day when the dominant follicle (F1) reached 32 mm (D0). In Experiment 2, 10 mares were divided into a treated (A6d+) and a control (Control+) group. A6d+ mares received antarelix for 6 days from D0 and hCG was injected in all animals (1600 IU, i.v.) on D1. Pregnancies were determined 13 days after ovulation. In both experi...
Adam-Castrillo D, White NA, Donaldson LL, Furr MO.To determine effects on anal pressure of horses after local injection of the external anal sphincter with Clostridium botulinum toxin type B. Methods: 11 healthy adult horses. Methods: Peak and resting anal sphincter pressures were measured with a custom-made rectal probe that was connected to a pressure transducer. Pressures were measured before treatment and after injection with botulinum toxin type B (BTB) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Dose titration with 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,500 U of BTB was completed. Physical changes, behavior, and anal pressure were recorded for each horse. Result...
Delarocque J, Frers F, Huber K, Jung K, Feige K, Warnken T.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is an equine endocrine disorder, which is often accompanied by obesity and various metabolic perturbations. The relationship between weight variations and fluctuations of the insulin response to oral glucose tests (OGT) as well as the metabolic impact of ID have been described previously. The present study seeks to characterize the concomitant metabolic impact of variations in the insulin response and bodyweight during repeated OGTs using a metabolomics approach. Methods: Nineteen Icelandic horses were subjected to five OGTs over one year and their bodyweight, insuli...
Zahoor J, Kashif M, Nasir A, Bakhsh M, Qamar MF, Sikandar A, Rehman A.Trypanosomiasis is one of the severe pathogenic infections, caused by several Trypanosoma species, affecting both animals and humans, causing substantial economic losses and severe illness. The objective of this study was to determine the molecular diagnosis and the risk factors associated with trypanosomiasis in District Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan. For this purpose, blood samples were randomly collected from 200 horses. A predesigned questionnaire was used to collect data on risk factors before the sample collection. The microscopy examination through Giemsa staining, formol gel test and PCR tec...
Hardy J, Marcoux M, Breton L.Radiographs of all 4 fetlocks of 71 Standardbred racehorses were obtained at 3-month intervals for 1 year. Radiographic findings in the abaxial surface of the proximal sesamoid bones were classified into 3 types according to the severity of lesions, and correlation was made with clinical findings at time of examination. Type-1 lesions (1 or 2 linear defects less than or equal to 1 mm wide) were detected in 55% of horses at the start of training; clinical signs of disease were not manifested, and lesions did not become clinically relevant. Type-2 lesions (3 or more linear defects less than or e...
Catalani G, Dottavio ME, Rasia M.During acute exercise several significant cardiovascular alterations take place, along with possible physiopathological consequences, such as Exercise Inducted Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH). Given the relevance of blood rheology in the determination of flow resistance and its supposed participation in the stated events, the present paper focuses on the analysis of modifications in haematocrit, blood viscosity and erythrocyte deformability in Thoroughbred horses caused by two different levels of effort (6 to 9 m/s and 13 to 16 m/s), in the same track they train in and with their own jockeys. The...
Piskoty G, Jäggin S, Michel SA, Weisse B, Terrasi GP, Fürst A.There are no detailed studies describing the resistance of equine tibiae and radii to side impact loads, such as a horse kick and a better understanding of the general long bone impact behavioural model is required. Objective: To quantify the typical impact energy required to fracture or fissure an equine long bone, as well as to determine the range and time course of the impact force under conditions similar to that of a horse kick. Methods: Seventy-two equine tibiae and radii were investigated using a drop impact tester. The prepared bones were preloaded with an axial force of 2.5 kN and wer...
