Veterinary research in horses encompasses the study of diseases, health management, and medical treatments specific to equine species. This field investigates various aspects of horse health, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions. Researchers focus on understanding the pathophysiology of equine ailments, developing diagnostic tools, and evaluating therapeutic interventions. The study of horse health also involves examining preventive measures such as vaccination protocols and nutritional management to promote overall well-being. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse areas of veterinary science related to horses, providing insights into disease mechanisms, treatment strategies, and advancements in equine healthcare.
Handschuh S, Okada CTC, Walter I, Aurich C, Glösmann M.Here, we describe a workflow for high-detail microCT imaging of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) equine embryos recovered on Day 34 of pregnancy (E34), a period just before placenta formation. The presented imaging methods are suitable for large animals' embryos with intention to study morphological and developmental aspects, but more generally can be adopted for all kinds of FFPE tissue specimens. Microscopic 3D imaging techniques such as microCT are important tools for detecting and studying normal embryogenesis and developmental disorders. To date, microCT imaging of vertebrate e...
Fernández-Garayzábal JF, LaFrentz S, Casamayor A, Abarca E, Mohammed HH, Cuming RS, Arias CR, Domínguez L, Vela AI.Twenty-two unidentified Gram-positive, rod-shaped organisms were recovered from the conjunctival surface of apparently healthy horses and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic analysis. Based on cellular morphology and biochemical criteria, the isolates were tentatively assigned to the genus , although they did not match any recognized species. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies demonstrated that all of the isolates were phylogenetically members of the genus The isolates shared 99.4 to 100% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity among the strains and 96.5% similarity with 2385/12, which w...
Verwilghen D, Easley J, Zwick T, Uhlhorn M, Grulke S, Simhofer H, Townsend N, Liyou O, Bodeus F, Zani DD, Vlaminck L, Pearce C, Staszyk C....Suture exostosis is an intriguing and not uncommon pathology that has to be included in the differential diagnosis for horses with swelling of the head. Although several singular case reports have been published, no large case series is available. The aim of this study is to report a multicentric retrospective collection of suture exostosis cases. Data concerning horses with suture exostosis in the facial region were collected retrospectively. Information regarding breed, age, gender, history, imaging findings, initiated treatment, response to treatment and follow up was recorded. One hundred ...
Yang F, Wu S, Yang W, Yu J, Liu B, Zeng S.To study the effects of exercise on donkey semen parameters, Dezhou donkey (Equus asinus) jackasses (n = 18) were assigned to three groups: control (CN, n = 6), 1-hour exercise (1 h EX, n = 6) and 2-hour exercise (2 h EX, n = 6) groups. They were exercised with a walking machine for 3 days/week for 8 weeks. Semen parameters and reproductive hormones were evaluated weekly. The heart rate, rectal temperature, blood haematology indexes, and the body condition score (BCS) were also measured. Results showed that the ejaculation volume increased while the sperm concentration decreased after ...
Blanchard T, Fantinati M, Domange C, Priymenko N.The present report describes two novel cases of suspected intoxication with Galega officinalis in 6- and 21-year-old Arabian mares displaying acute respiratory signs. Both animals showed signs of pulmonary edema at physical examination, with the oldest of the two also manifesting severe dyspnea and foamy nasal discharge. The mares were grazing on the same meadow with hay available ad libitum. Botanical analysis of the latter showed traces of the toxic plant Galega officinalis (L.), which has been daily ingested at a dose of around 14 g of dry matter for three days. Based on the respiratory sig...
Fazio F, Aragona F, Piccione G, Arfuso F, Giannetto C.Lithium (Li) represent a substance particularly used for human psychiatric disorders but its therapeutic effect is not well documented for equine specie. For its neurotrophic effect, it may be used as a possible doping substance in horses sports competitions. The purpose of the present study was to determine the different bioaccumulation of lithium concentrations in different biological substrates (blood, serum, mane, and tail), in 30 horses (15 geldings and 15 mares) and hematological parameters as blood biomarkers for lithium bioaccumulation. (RBC, WBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC). The lithium...
Cota LO, Júnior OS, Oliveira APL, Paz CFR, Maróstica TP, Duarte PC, Leme FOP, Faleiros RR.Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a common condition in horses with gastrointestinal disorders. If not prevented or controlled, SIRS promotes multiple organ dysfunctions that may culminate in serious disabilities or even death. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lithothamnion supplementation on systemic inflammatory response and organ function variables in horses undergoing oligofructose overload (OFO) intake. Twelve healthy horses were randomly divided into control and treated groups. The treated group received Lithothamnion (100 mg/kg bw PO BID) for 7 ...
Gfrerer L, Michel S, Fürst AE, Piskoty G, Weisse B, Montavon S, Jackson MA. The goal of this study was to generate mandibular fractures in three regions of the diastema using a metal impactor to simulate a kick from a horse and to determine the mean deceleration in the initial phase of the impact event, the maximum contact force, the impact energy necessary to create a fracture and the duration of the impact. Methods: Thirty heads of horses aged between 5 and 20 years and euthanatized for various reasons were used. The heads were attached to a steel bar at the occiput at an axial angle of 45 degrees so that the body of the mandible was positioned horizontally ...
Jiménez-Cabello L, Utrilla-Trigo S, Barreiro-Piñeiro N, Pose-Boirazian T, Martínez-Costas J, Marín-López A, Ortego J.Bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV) are widespread arboviruses that cause important economic losses in the livestock and equine industries, respectively. In addition to these, another arthropod-transmitted orbivirus known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) entails a major threat as there is a conducive landscape that nurtures its emergence in non-endemic countries. To date, only vaccinations with live attenuated or inactivated vaccines permit the control of these three viral diseases, although important drawbacks, e.g., low safety profile and effectiveness...
Maulave J, Mascaró Triedo C, Portier K.To assess the reliability of a French version of the Horse Grimace Scale (HGSfv). Methods: Prospective, randomized, clinical study. Methods: The operated (OP) group included 13 horses undergoing elective surgery. The positive (PC) and negative control (NC) groups included seven colicking horses and eight exercising sport horses, respectively. Methods: Photographs were extracted from videos of the horses' heads. Videos were taken before and immediately after surgery in OP, on arrival of the horse in PC, and at rest in their stalls in NC. Pictures were evaluated by three anaesthetists [Diplomate...
Fritsch H, Pereira FM, Costa EA, Fonseca V, Tosta S, Xavier J, Levy F, Oliveira C, Menezes G, Lima J, Santos L, Silva L, Nardy V, Astete MKG....During these past years, several studies have provided serological evidence regarding the circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil. Despite some reports, much is still unknown regarding the genomic diversity and transmission dynamics of this virus in the country. Recently, genomic monitoring activities in horses revealed the circulation of WNV in several Brazilian regions. These findings on the paucity of genomic data reinforce the need for prompt investigation of WNV infection in horses, which may precede human cases of encephalitis in Brazil. Thus, in this study, we retrospectively scr...
Jacobs CC, O'Neil E, Prange T.To determine the ability of a commercial cryotherapy system (Game Ready Equine) to cool the metacarpal subcutaneous tissue and the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Six healthy adult horses. Methods: Thermocouples were implanted into the metacarpal subcutaneous tissues and the SDFT of six horses. Two treatments (cryotherapy or cryotherapy with 5-50 mmHg intermittent compression) were randomly assigned to forelimbs and performed for 20 minutes. Temperatures were compared to the target range of 10-19°C and between groups. Results: Only...
AbouEl Ela NH, El Araby IE, Saleh AA, Abd El-Fattah AH, Hagag NM, Brooks SA, Radwan MA, Kalbfleisch T.Lavender foal syndrome (LFS) is a fatal hereditary condition that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. This detrimental mutation is more common in Arabian foals of Egyptian origin than foals from other bloodlines. Heterozygous horses are carriers of the LFS trait and appear normal, while recessive homozygous foals died shortly after birth due to serious complications. In Egypt, in 2014, an Egyptian foal died after manifestations of neurological signs and abnormal coat colour as LFS signs. Therefore, it is important to identify LFS carriers in the population of Arabian horses in Egyp...
Colpitts J, McLoughlin PD, Poissant J.Understanding inbreeding and its impact on fitness and evolutionary potential is fundamental to species conservation and agriculture. Long stretches of homozygous genotypes, known as runs of homozygosity (ROH), result from inbreeding and their number and length can provide useful population-level information on inbreeding characteristics and locations of signatures of selection. However, the utility of ROH for conservation is limited for natural populations where baseline data and genomic tools are lacking. Comparing ROH metrics in recently feral vs. domestic populations of well understood spe...
Fisher D, Schliewert EC, Hooijberg EH.An endogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration above the reference interval (RI) is commonly used as means for diagnosing equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Basal ACTH concentrations are highly dependent on photoperiod and RIs should be month- and location-specific. To date, no ACTH RIs have been specifically established for South Africa. This study aimed to determine geographically and seasonally relevant RIs for equine ACTH in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A longitudinal prospective study was conducted over twelve months to determine ACTH RIs for a r...
Christmann U, Page AE, Horohov DW, Adams AA, Chapman SE, Hancock CL, Emery AL, Poovey JR, Hagg C, Ortega Morales SM, Duncan AR, Morgan J, Couetil LL....To perform lipidomic analysis of surfactant and plasma from asthmatic and healthy horses. Methods: 30 horses with clinical signs of asthma and 30 age-matched control horses. Methods: Detailed history, physical examination, CBC, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytologies were obtained. Asthmatic horses were grouped based on their BALF inflammatory profile: severe equine asthma (SEA), mild equine asthma with neutrophilic airway inflammation (MEA-N), or mild equine asthma with eosinophilic airway inflammation (MEA-E). Each asthma group was assigned its own age-matched control group. Lipid...
Kondratjeva J, Julien F, Coutelier C, Humeau L, Moog F, Combarros D, Fourquaux I, Pressanti C, Delverdier M, Moore PF, Cadiergues MC.Cutaneous epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma is a malignant tumour of the skin already reported in humans, dogs, cats, horses, and other species, but not previously in donkeys. The standard diagnosis is based on clinical, morphological and immunophenotypic data. Differentiation of malignant versus benign proliferation of lymphocytes is crucial; in ambiguous cases T-cell receptor gamma (TRG) molecular clonality should be tested. In the present paper, we report a case of mycosis fungoides diagnosed in a donkey whose diagnosis was based on clinical, histological and immunohistochemical aspects and a...
Hunyadi L, Chigerwe M, Sundman E.SAA is a commonly used biomarker for measuring acute inflammation in equine practice, and the administration of prophylactic plasma to foals is a routine practice in large breeding farms. Despite this, limited information is available on the values of SAA in healthy or sick neonatal foals following this common procedure. A prospective study was conducted with 31 foals from a veterinary hospital in Texas in one year. Enrolled foals were part of a foaling program, where a prophylactic hyperimmunized plasma was administered 12 h after birth. Blood was collected for SAA measurements at birth and ...
Bimson NH, Morrice-West AV, Wong ASM, Hitchens PL, Rocca MR, Whitton RC.Catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMI) pose a major welfare concern to horses and their riders, yet limited data are available describing their occurrence in South America. Using a retrospective cohort and case-control design, the objective of the study was to determine the incidence of CMI for Thoroughbreds in training and racing, and associated horse-level risk factors in Uruguay. Seventy-seven Thoroughbreds sustained a CMI, 37 of which were age- and sex-matched to 111 control horses in the same race. Training and racing data from 2011 to 2017 were collected. Incidence of race day CMI p...
Scheidegger MD, Gerber V, Dolf G, Burger D, Flammer SA, Ramseyer A.Early recognition of lameness is crucial for injury prevention. Quantitative gait analysis systems can detect low-grade asymmetries better than the human eye and may be useful in early lameness recognition. The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the frequency of gait asymmetries based on head and pelvic movement in elite eventing horses using inertial mounted measurement units and (2) to assess the association between asymmetries and muscle enzymes and blood lactate (LA) levelspost-exercise. Movement asymmetry of the head, wither, and pelvis were quantified in 33 elite eventing horses ...
Ortiz I, Dorado J, Pereira B, Diaz-Jimenez M, Consuegra C, Gosalvez J, Hidalgo M.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of vitrification on the DNA fragmentation rate of equine cumulus cells and to assess its relationship to oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) after vitrification. Cumulus cells (CC) from 14 mares were recovered from COCs, previously submitted to vitrification (VIT) and IVM. The DNA fragmentation rate of the cumulus cells (CC-DF) was assessed using a chromatin dispersion test. CC-DF rates between vitrified and control COCs were statistically compared by Student's t-test. The rates of CC-DF from control COCs were lower than in vitrified COCs...
Kinnison T, McGilvray TA, Couëtil LL, Smith KC, Wylie CE, Bacigalupo SA, Gomez-Grau E, Cardwell JM.Current consensus defines mild-moderate equine asthma (mEA; previously inflammatory airway disease) by a hierarchy of indicators of lung pathology: cough, poor performance, increased tracheobronchial mucus, inflammatory bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology and pulmonary dysfunction. Exclusion criteria include fever, systemic disease, or increased resting respiratory effort. The aim of this review was to inform future research by identifying gaps, strengths and weaknesses in the current body of evidence supporting this consensus-proposed definition. Objectives were to critique evidence support...
Biegel U, Mevissen M, Schuller S, Ruess K, Christen O, Ayrle H, Koch C, Walkenhorst M.Cancer is a common disease in humans and in companion animals and treatment is challenging. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and assess the potential use of Viscum album L. extracts (VAE) for treatment of neoplastic diseases in companion animals. Peer-reviewed animal, in vivo and in vitro studies were included, considering the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). Overall, 6,148 references were identified. Following a predefined protocol, 114 full-text references were ...
Sponseller BT, Wong DM, Ruby R, Ware WA, Wilson S, Haynes JS.A 9-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was presented for lethargy, decreased appetite, polyuria and polydipsia (PU/PD), and severe muscle wasting suggestive of immune-mediated myositis. Results: The horse displayed lethargy, fever, tachyarrhythmia, inappetence, PU/PD, and severe epaxial and gluteal muscle wasting. Clinicopathologic findings were consistent with previously reported cases of systemic calcinosis in horses, including increased muscle enzyme activity, hyperphosphatemia, increased calcium-phosphorus product, hypoproteinemia, and an inflammatory leukogram. A diagnosis of systemic calcino...
Ameni G, Messele Kebede A, Zewude A, Girma Abdulla M, Asfaw R, Gobena MM, Kyalo M, Stomeo F, Gumi B, Sori T.Equine histoplasmosis commonly known as epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a neglected granulomatous disease of equine that is endemic to Ethiopia. It is caused by variety , a dimorphic fungus that is closely related to variety c The objective of this study was to undertake a phylogenetic analysis of isolated from EL cases of horses in central Ethiopia and evaluate their relationship with isolates in other countries and/or clades using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rRNA genes. Clinical and mycological examinations, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Sanger seque...
Williams NJ, Furr M, Navas de Solis C, Campolo A, Davis M, Lacombe VA.Metabolic syndrome in humans is commonly associated with cardiovascular dysfunction, including atrial fibrillation and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Although many differences exist between human and equine metabolic syndrome, both of these conditions share some degree of insulin resistance. The aims of this pilot study were to investigate the relationship between insulin sensitivity and cardiac function. Seven horses (five mares, two geldings, aged 17.2 ± 4.2 years, weight 524 ± 73 kg) underwent insulin-modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance testing to determine ...
Hamamoto-Hardman BD, Steffey EP, Seminoff K, McKemie DS, Kass P, Knych HK.Although morphine has demonstrated antinociceptive effects in horses, its administration has been associated with dose-dependent adverse effects. In humans and rats, part of the analgesic effect of morphine has been attributed to the active metabolite, morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G). Although morphine can cause several undesirable effects, M6G has a more favorable safety profile. The objective of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and behavioral and select physiological effects of M6G following intravenous administration to a small group of horses. In Part ...
Müller AC, Büttner K, Röcken M.In postoperative monitoring of synovial structure infection due to limb wounds, early recognition of a recurrence of synovial infection is indispensable to prevent further damage to the affected synovial structure. This study evaluated the role of serum amyloid A (SAA) as a systemic biomarker in disease monitoring and correlated this tool with clinical variables. In this prospective cohort study, 55 horses with acute limb wounds were divided into two groups: those with (group 1, n = 26) or without (group 2, n = 29) a diagnosis of synovial structure penetration. SAA, lameness and body tempe...
Garrett KS.Diagnostic imaging is often an important part of the diagnostic approach to neurologic disease. Advanced imaging techniques such as myelography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide more information than radiography and ultrasonography but are more limited in their availability. The clinician should be cognizant of the findings of the clinical examination when interpreting diagnostic imaging findings.
Aleman M.The vestibular system (VS) is the primary specialized sensory system responsible for maintaining balance (equilibrium) and orientation of the eyes, neck, trunk, and limbs during rest and movement. Two important reflexes are responsible for maintaining balance: vestibulo-ocular and vestibulospinal reflexes. These reflexes involve peripheral and central components of the VS. Whether central or peripheral disease, most of the disorders of the VS result in ipsilateral neurologic deficits. A few uncommon exceptions present with contralateral signs to the site of the lesion. This article provides a ...
Balasuriya UB, Crossley BM, Timoney PJ.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is one of the most economically important equine viral pathogens. Its clinical manifestations in horses vary from acute upper respiratory tract disease, abortion, or neonatal death, to neurological disease termed equine herpesviral myeloencephalopathy, which may lead to paralysis and a fatal outcome. Successful identification of EHV-1 infection in horses depends on a variety of factors such as suitable case selection with emphasis on timing of sample collection, selection of appropriate sample(s) based on the clinical manifestations, application of relevant diagnost...
Hinchcliff KW, Morley PS, Jackson MA, Brown JA, Dredge AF, O'Callaghan PA, McCaffrey JP, Slocombe RF, Clarke AF.Risk factors for occult exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) are poorly defined or quantified. Objective: To investigate the importance of putative risk factors for EIPH amongst Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia. Methods: Tracheobronchoscopy was used to determine EIPH status of 744 Thoroughbred racehorses after flat racing in Melbourne, Australia. Horses were identified for study before racing, and over 50% of horses racing during the study period were examined. Statistical analysis included use of bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to account for simultaneous ...
De Schauwer C, Meyer E, Cornillie P, De Vliegher S, van de Walle GR, Hoogewijs M, Declercq H, Govaere J, Demeyere K, Cornelissen M, Van Soom A.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) represent a promising population for supporting new clinical concepts in cellular therapy. A wide diversity of isolation procedures for MSC from umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been described for humans. In contrast, a few data are available in horses. In the current study, a sedimentation method using hydroxyethyl starch and a method based on the lysis of red blood cells using ammonium chloride (NH(4)Cl) were compared with two density gradient separation methods (Ficoll-Paque and Percoll). Adherent cell colonies could be established using all four isolation meth...
Ogłuszka M, Starzyński RR, Pierzchała M, Otrocka-Domagała I, Raś A.Equine sarcoid is the most common skin tumor of horses. Clinically, it occurs as a locally invasive, fibroblastic, wart-like lesion of equine skin, which has 6 clinical classes: occult, verrucose, nodular, fibroblastic, mixed, and malignant. Sarcoids may be single but multiple lesions are more frequent. The typical histological feature is increased density of dermal fibroblasts which form interlacing bundles and whorls within the dermis. Lesions are mostly persistent, resist therapy, and tend to recur following treatment. In general, sarcoids are not fatal but their location, size, and progres...
Li F, Drummer HE, Ficorilli N, Studdert MJ, Crabb BS.Equine rhinovirus 1 (ERhV1) is a recognized cause of acute febrile respiratory disease in horse, although the virus is rarely isolated from such animals, despite seroprevalence rates as high as 50% in some horse populations. Recently, ERhV1 has been shown to be most closely related to foot-and-mouth disease virus, raising questions as to its disease associations in horses. We report that ERhV1 infection was the likely cause of two separate outbreaks of severe febrile respiratory disease which involved more than 20 horses. Attempts to isolate ErhV1 from nasopharyngeal swabs by conventional cell...
Haugaard MM, Pehrson S, Carstensen H, Flethøj M, Hesselkilde EZ, Praestegaard KF, Diness JG, Grunnet M, Jespersen T, Buhl R.Only few pharmacologic compounds have been validated for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses. Studies investigating the utility and safety of flecainide to treat AF in horses have produced conflicting results, and the antiarrhythmic mechanisms of flecainide are not fully understood. Objective: To study the potential of flecainide to terminate acutely induced AF of short duration (≥ 15 minutes), to examine flecainide-induced changes in AF duration and AF vulnerability, and to investigate the in vivo effects of flecainide on right atrial effective refractory period, AF cycle length...
Cummings JF, de Lahunta A, George C, Fuhrer L, Valentine BA, Cooper BJ, Summers BA, Huxtable CR, Mohammed HO.A spontaneous motor neuron disease or neuronopathy was identified in 10 horses from the northeastern United States. Signs of generalized weakness, muscle fasciculations, muscle atrophy and weight loss progressed over 1 to several months in young and old horses of various breeds. Pathologic studies revealed that degeneration and loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem resulted in axonal degeneration in the ventral roots and peripheral and cranial nerves and denervation atrophy of skeletal muscle. Many spinal neurons were swollen, chromatolytic and contained neurofilamentous accu...
Aurich C, Budik S.Early equine pregnancy shares many features with that of more intensively assessed domestic animals species, but there are also characteristic differences. Some of those are poorly understood. Descent of the equine conceptus into the uterine lumen occurs at day 5 to 6 after ovulation but is only possible when the embryo secretes prostaglandin E2. Although maintenance of equine pregnancy probably involves secretion of a conceptus derived anti-luteolytic factor, this agent has not been identified. Rapid growth, conceptus mobility and presence of an acellular capsule at the time of maternal recog...
Madigan JE, Pusterla N, Johnson E, Chae JS, Pusterla JB, Derock E, Lawler SP.Ehrlichia risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever (PHF), has been recently detected in trematode stages found in snail secretions and in aquatic insects. Based on these findings, horses could conceivably be exposed to E. risticii by skin penetration with infected cercariae, by ingestion of infected cercariae in water or via metacercariae in a second intermediate host, such as an aquatic insect. In order to test this hypothesis, horses were challenged with infectious snail secretions and aquatic insects collected from a PHF endemic region in northern California. Two horses stood with their f...
Thorpe CT, Stark RJ, Goodship AE, Birch HL.Damage to the flexor tendons, particularly the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries sustained by horses competing in all disciplines. Our previous work has shown that SDFTs from different individuals show a wide variation in mechanical strengths; this is important clinically as it may relate to predisposition to injury. The high mechanical strength of tendon relies on the correct orientation of collagen molecules within fibrils and stabilisation by the formation of chemical cross-links between collagen molecules. It is not known whether t...
Natali AN, Carniel EL, Frigo A, Pavan PG, Todros S, Pachera P, Fontanella CG, Rubini A, Cavicchioli L, Avital Y, De Benedictis GM.What is the central question of this study? Prostheses for treatment of urinary incontinence elicit complications associated with an inadequate mechanical action. This investigation aimed to define a procedure addressed to urethral mechanical characterization. Experimental tests are the basis for constitutive formulation, with a view to numerical modelling for investigation of the interaction between the tissues and a prosthesis. What is the main finding and its importance? Horse urethra, selected for its histomorphometric similarity to human urethra, was characterized by integrated histologic...
McGuire TC, Crawford TB, Hallowell AL, Macomber LE.Failure in colostral immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer was found in 9 of 87 Thoroughbred foals. Seven (78%) of these 9 foals acquired infections requiring therapy. Twelve of the foals had partial failure in colostral IgG transfer, and 3 of these had infections requiring therapy. The remaining 66 foals had normal transfer of colostral IgG, and only 2 had detectable infections. The failure of colostral IgG transfer was attributable to nursing problems in only one case. When presuckle postpartum colostrum was collected, 2 of 4 failures of colostral IgG transfer and 4 of 6 partial failures of colost...
Fink MK, Giuliano EA, Tandon A, Mohan RR.To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Pirfenidone (PFD) in the treatment of equine corneal fibrosis using an in vitro model. Methods: Healthy donor equine corneas were collected and used to generate primary equine corneal fibroblasts (ECFs) by growing cultures in minimal essential medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. Equine corneal myofibroblasts (ECMs), used as a model of equine corneal fibrosis, were produced by growing ECF cultures in serum-free medium containing transforming growth factor β1 (1 ng/mL). Trypan blue viability assays and changes in ECF morphology were utilized t...
MacAllister CG, Andrews FM, Deegan E, Ruoff W, Olovson SG.Five investigators familiar with gastric ulcer disease in horses met to establish a scoring system that could be utilised in future studies. Slides of gastric lesions were viewed and discussed and a scoring system established that required the nonglandular and glandular portions of the stomach to be graded separately. Each portion of the stomach (glandular and nonglandular) received a score for number of ulcers present and a score for severity of ulcers which resulted in each stomach receiving 4 separate scores. After the grading system was developed, each investigator independently graded 16 ...
Chirnside ED, Francis PM, de Vries AA, Sinclair R, Mumford JA.A recombinant glutathione-S-transferase fusion protein expressing amino acids 55-98 of equine arteritis virus (EAV) GL (rGL 55-98) was tested in an ELISA for its ability to detect serum antibodies to EAV. Host antibodies induced following EAV infection bound the recombinant antigen by ELISA. The ELISA specificity and sensitivity were determined with a panel of equine sera including postinfection and postvaccination samples. A good correlation existed between EAV neutralizing antibody titers and ELISA absorbance values (r = 0.827). The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA were 99.6 and 90.1...
Perry E, Cross TL, Francis JM, Holscher HD, Clark SD, Swanson KS.The effects of travel stress on the equine cecal microbiota are poorly understood. We hypothesized that travel would affect the equine cecal microbiota. Cecally-cannulated horses (n = 6) were randomly assigned to one of two groups, travel (n = 3) and control (n = 3). Horses received a basal diet (Strategy, Purina Animal Nutrition) with 1.2% body weight mixed grass/alfalfa. Travel horses were transported to an unfamiliar location, stalled to simulate weekend horse show conditions, and then returned to the Southern Illinois University Equine Center. Control horses remained at the equine cente...
Auer JA, Fackelman GE, Gingerich DA, Fetter AW.Effect of intraarticular injections of hyaluronic acid was evaluated in two groups of horses, using force plates to assess quantitatively the degree of lameness observed. In six horses, chip fractures were created surgically on the dorsomedial aspects of both radial carpal bones. After the horses were trained for 30 days, 40 mg of hyaluronic acid was injected intraarticularly into the limb showing the greater degree of lameness. Horses were worked for 2 more weeks and then were evaluated. A highly significant (P less than 0.01) increase in weight bearing on the treated limb was observed. Ten h...
Brown NA, Pandy MG, Buford WL, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW.To determine whether muscle moment arms at the carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints can be modeled as fixed-radius pulleys for the range of motion associated with the stance phase of the gait in equine forelimbs. Methods: 4 cadaveric forelimbs from 2 healthy Thoroughbreds. Methods: Thin wire cables were sutured at the musculotendinous junction of 9 forelimb muscles. The cables passed through eyelets at each muscle's origin, wrapped around single-turn potentiometers, and were loaded. Tendon excursions, measured as the changes in lengths of the cables, were recorded during manual rotation of th...
Serra Bragança FM, Hernlund E, Thomsen MH, Waldern NM, Rhodin M, Byström A, van Weeren PR, Weishaupt MA.There is a paucity of research describing the gait pattern of lame horses at the walk. Objective: To describe the changes in motion pattern and vertical ground reaction forces (GRFz) in horses with induced forelimb lameness at the walk and compare those changes with the changes observed at the trot. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: In 10 clinically sound Warmblood horses, moderate forelimb lameness was induced using a sole pressure model followed by trot and walk on a treadmill. Kinematic data were collected using 3D optical motion capture (OMC), and GRFz by an instrumented treadmill. Mix...
Ganbaatar O, Konnai S, Okagawa T, Nojima Y, Maekawa N, Minato E, Kobayashi A, Ando R, Sasaki N, Miyakoshi D, Ichii O, Kato Y, Suzuki Y, Murata S....Programmed death-1 (PD-1) is an immunoinhibitory receptor expressed on lymphocytes. Interaction of PD-1 with its ligand PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) delivers inhibitory signals and impairs proliferation, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity of T cells. In our previous studies, we have developed anti-bovine PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and reported that the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was closely associated with T-cell exhaustion and disease progression in bovine chronic infections and canine tumors. Furthermore, we found that blocking antibodies that target PD-1 and PD-L1 restore T-cell functions and cou...
Ascenzi P, Ciaccio C, Sinibaldi F, Santucci R, Coletta M.Upon interaction with bovine heart cardiolipin (CL), horse heart cytochrome c (cytc) changes its tertiary structure disrupting the heme-Fe-Met80 distal bond, reduces drastically the midpoint potential out of the range required for its physiological role, binds CO and NO with high affinity, and displays peroxidase activity. Here, the effect of CL on peroxynitrite isomerization by ferric cytc (cytc-Fe(III)) is reported. In the absence of CL, hexa-coordinated cytc does not catalyze peroxynitrite isomerization. In contrast, CL facilitates cytc-Fe(III)-mediated isomerization of peroxynitrite in a d...
Cauchard J, Sevin C, Ballet JJ, Taouji S.The aim of this study was to evaluate serum IgG antibody levels and opsonizing activity in foals from pregnant mares immunized with either proteins from an R. equi strain containing virulence-associated protein A (VapA), an immunodominant surface-expressed lipoprotein encoded by a virulence plasmid crucial for virulence in foals, or a whole killed virulent R. equi preparation. Forty-eight pregnant mares were distributed into three groups, i.e. 24 immunized with R. equi VapA protein antigen associated with a water-based nanoparticle adjuvant (Montanide IMS 3012), 8 immunized with whole killed R...
Tsunemitsu H, Jiang B, Saif LJ.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were developed to detect group (gp) C rotavirus antigens and antibodies. Both assays were confirmed to be specific for gp C rotavirus by using serogroup A, B, and C rotaviruses; hyperimmune antisera to these serogroups of rotaviruses; and paired serum specimens from animals infected with gp C rotaviruses. The ELISA for antigen detection reacted not only with porcine gp C rotaviruses but also with human and bovine gp C rotaviruses. Following experimental challenge of gnotobiotic pigs with porcine gp C rotavirus, the virus was found by ELISA in all dia...
Chapman PS, Green C, Main JP, Taylor PM, Cunningham FM, Cook AJ, Marr CM.A total of 1235 tracheal aspirates taken from 724 thoroughbreds in race training, aged from two to 10 years, were examined cytologically and bacteriologically. An inflammation scoring system on a scale of 0 to 9 was devised to allow the severity of lower airway disease to be assessed from the cytological results. The inflammation scores were closely related to the isolation of bacteria (P<0.001), and the most common bacterial isolates were Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pasteurella/Actinobacillus-like species. Lower airway disease was less common in older horses (...
Anderson TM, McIlwraith CW, Douay P.The relationship of conformation to future potential injury is a standard approach in practise but, at present, is largely based on subjective observations. Objective: To measure conformation in 3-year-old Thoroughbreds and objectively test its relationship with the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems. Methods: Conformation measurements were taken from photographs using specific reference points marked on the horses and processed on the computer. Clinical observations were recorded for each horse on a regular basis. Stepwise (forward) logistic regression analysis was performed to investigat...
Westbury HA.The author provides an account of the discovery of a previously undescribed disease of horses and a description of the studies involved in determining the aetiology of the disease. The causative virus, now named Hendra virus (HeV), is the reference virus for a proposed new genus within the virus family Paramyxoviridae. The virus is a lethal zoonotic agent able to cause natural disease in humans and horses and experimentally induced disease in cats, guinea-pigs and mice. The virus also naturally infects species of the family Megachiroptera, mainly subclinically, and such animals are the natural...
Pedersen PJ, Kanters JK, Buhl R, Klaerke DA.Cardiac repolarization, measured as QT and Tpeak to Tend (TpTe) intervals on the ECG, is important, as irregularities caused by diseases, ventricular hypertrophy, drugs and genetic defects can trigger arrhythmias which predispose human patients to syncope and sudden cardiac death. In horses, repolarization is not well described and therefore QT analysis cannot yet be used diagnostically. Therefore, we sought to describe reference values for the normal QT and TpTe intervals in Standardbreds and to determine the best method for heart rate (HR) correction. Methods: 30 Standardbreds. Methods: QT a...
Rapson JL, Schott HC, Nielsen BD, McCutcheon LJ, Harris PA, Geor RJ.Age and diet may affect insulin sensitivity (SI) but these factors have received limited investigation in horses. Objective: To measure minimal model parameters during an insulin-modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGTT) after adaptation to a forage only diet (HAY) or forage supplemented with either starch/sugar-rich (SS) or oil/fibre-rich (FF) concentrate feeds; and to assess glucose and insulin responses to a standardised meal challenge (SMC, 4 g/kg BW of SS) after diet adaptation in adult and aged mares. Methods: Latin square design with eight adult (5-12 yea...
Priyanka G, Anil Kumar B, Lakshman M, Manvitha V, Kala Kumar B.Ashwagandha ( L. Dunal.) is an important "" of Ayurveda. The roots are extensively used as an adaptogen and for different health issues. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-stimulating effects of Ashwagandha are well-documented. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Ashwagandha root extract as an adaptogen against various types of stress in horses. A total of 24 Kathiawari horses were selected and randomly divided into four groups. All the horses were provided with normal feed and water . Group 1 (G1) was treated as the control group, and the horses were given a n...
Forster HV, Bisgard GE, Rasmussen B, Orr JA, Buss DD, Manohar M.The present study was designed to provide further insight into the role of the carotid and aortic chemoreceptors in ventilatory (VE) acclimatization during sojourn at altitude. Measurements were made: 1) on 10 ponies near sea level (SL, 740 Torr) under normal conditions, 2) on 6 of these at SL following chemoreceptor denervation (CD), and 3) subsequently on all 10 during 4 days of hypobaric hypoxia (PaO2 = 40-47 Torr). CD resulteo in hypoventilation at SL (deltaPaCO2 = d8 Torr, P less than 0.05), and it prevented hyperventilation normally observed with injection of NaCN and acute exposure to h...
