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.
Galecio JS, Escudero E, Badillo E, Marín P.Tildipirosin is a novel semisynthetic macrolide antibiotic exclusively used in veterinary practice to treat respiratory infections. There are no pharmacokinetic or safety information available regarding the use of tildipirosin after intramuscular administration in horses. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the disposition kinetics of tildipirosin after intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration in horses and its potential muscle damage and cardiotoxicity. Six mature, Spanish-breed horses were used in a crossover study with a washout period of 30 days. Tildipirosin (...
Momen M, Brounts SH, Binversie EE, Sample SJ, Rosa GJM, Davis BW, Muir P.Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis is a progressive idiopathic condition that leads to scarring and rupture of suspensory ligament fibers in multiple limbs in horses. The prevalence of degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis is breed related. Risk is high in the Peruvian Horse, whereas pony and draft breeds have low breed risk. Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis occurs in families of Peruvian Horses, but its genetic architecture has not been definitively determined. We investigated contrasts between breeds with differing risk of degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis and ide...
Bonhomme D, Werts C.Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infectious disease affecting all vertebrates. It is caused by species of the genus Leptospira, among which are the highly pathogenic L. interrogans. Different mammals can be either resistant or susceptible to the disease which can present a large variety of symptoms. Humans are mostly asymptomatic after infection but can have in some cases symptoms varying from a flu-like syndrome to more severe forms such as Weil's disease, potentially leading to multiorgan failure and death. Similarly, cattle, pigs, and horses can suffer from acute forms of the disease, including ...
Suagee-Bedore JK, Hebrock S, Sundin O, Lengi AJ, Corl BA, Worth M.LinPro™ (LP) is a commercial dietary supplement marketed to increase hoof growth and quality. Ten mature (5-15 years) non-pregnant Quarter Horse mares without existing hoof quality issues were used to test the hypothesis that 32 weeks of daily supplementation with 113 g of LP would increase hoof growth rates as compared to non-supplemented controls. Hooves were trimmed at the start of the study and every 8 weeks thereafter. A mark was applied on the hoof wall surface at 2.5 cm below the junction of the hoof wall and coronary band. At each trimming, the distance between the mark and coronary ...
Valenchon M, Deneubourg JL, Nesterova AP, Petit O.In collective movements, specific individuals may emerge as leaders. In this study on the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus), we conducted experiments to establish if an individual is successfully followed due to its social status (including hierarchical rank and centrality). We first informed one horse about a hidden food location and recorded by how many it was followed when going back to this location. In this context, all horses lead their groupmates successfully. In a second step, we tested whether group members would trust some leaders more than others by removing the food before the ...
Adepu S, Ekman S, Leth J, Johansson U, Lindahl A, Skiöldebrand E.Native biglycan (BGN), which can undergo proteolytic cleavage in pathological conditions, is well known to be involved in bone formation and mineralization. This study aimed to delineate the specific cleavage fragment, a neo-epitope for BGN (BGN), in synovial fluid (SF) from young racehorses in training, osteoarthritic (OA) joints with subchondral bone sclerosis (SCBS), and chip fracture joints. A custom-made inhibition ELISA was developed to quantify BGN in SF. Cohort 1: A longitudinal study comprising 10 racehorses undergoing long-term training. Cohort 2: A cross-sectional study comprising j...
Inoue S.Maternal aging has negative influences on the development and racing performance of their offspring in racehorses. However, the mechanism by which pregnancy at old age reduces the race performance of the offspring is unknown. Here, two hypotheses were posited: 1) Foals born to older mares are more likely to have muscular, skeletal, and cognitive disadvantages (direct effects). 2) Foals born to older mares are more likely to be affected by non-physiological factors correlating with the mare's age, such as the quality of sires (e.g. low-quality sires are likely to be chosen as partners of older ...
Mirmojarabian SA, Kajabi AW, Ketola JHJ, Nykänen O, Liimatainen T, Nieminen MT, Nissi MJ, Casula V.Machine learning models trained with multiparametric quantitative MRIs (qMRIs) have the potential to provide valuable information about the structural composition of articular cartilage. To study the performance and feasibility of machine learning models combined with qMRIs for noninvasive assessment of collagen fiber orientation and proteoglycan content. Retrospective, animal model. An open-source single slice MRI dataset obtained from 20 samples of 10 Shetland ponies (seven with surgically induced cartilage lesions followed by treatment and three healthy controls) yielded to 1600 data points...
Alpoim-Moreira J, Fernandes C, Rebordão MR, Costa AL, Bliebernicht M, Nunes T, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Skarzynski DJ, Ferreira-Dias G.Collagen pathological deposition in equine endometrium (endometrosis) is responsible for infertility. Kenney and Doig's endometrial biopsy histopathological classification is the gold standard method for endometrosis evaluation, whereby blood biomarkers identification would be less invasive and could provide additional information regarding endometrosis diagnosis and fertility prognosis. This study aimed to identify blood biomarkers for endometrosis diagnosis (42 mares were used in experiment 1), and fertility assessment (50 mares were used in experiment 2). Reproductive examination, endometri...
Divers TJ, Mongodin EF, Miller CB, Belgrave RL, Gardner RB, Fraser CM, Schutzer SE.Antemortem diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in horses has been hindered by both the low sensitivity of PCR testing for in CSF and the low specificity of serum:CSF ELISA ratios used to determine intrathecal antibody production against the bacterium. PCR testing of the CSF of an adult horse with acute neurologic disease for the flagellin gene was negative. However, we enriched DNA through nucleic acid hybrid capture, followed by next-generation sequencing, and identified in the CSF of the horse, confirming a diagnosis of neuroborreliosis.
Salem SE, Sinnott A, Roach JM, Verheyen KLP, de Mestre AM.Multiple pregnancies (MPs) are commonly diagnosed during breeding management of mares. Whilst some studies have reported on factors associated with the risk of MPs, few have utilised multivariable data analysis to control for confounding variables. A prospective cohort study of Thoroughbred broodmares was conducted with information collected on 27 factors. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for MPs. Mare, stallion, stud, and veterinarian were evaluated as random effects. The prevalence of MPs in 1754 mares and 2245 pregnancies was 16.06% (95% confidence interv...
Sloan PB, Self KA, Kang Q, Lutter JD.To characterize clinical findings and outcomes for horses with heel bulb lacerations. Medical records of a teaching hospital were reviewed to identify horses treated for heel bulb lacerations between February 2004 and October 2018. Long-term outcome was assessed by telephone communication with owners. Results were analyzed to determine association with clinical outcome. 31 mares and 31 geldings of various ages, breeds, and uses were evaluated. Thirty-six horses had a wound of 0 to 2 days' duration, and 17 horses had a wound of > 2 days' duration. Horses with a wound duration of < 2 days had a ...
Gupta S, Vohra S, Sethi K, Gupta S, Kumar S, Kumar R.The kinetoplastid protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma evansi causes a fatal disease condition known as Surra in equines throughout the globe. Disease condition being acute in nature, entrust a huge economic and health impact on the equine industry. Till date, quinapyramine methyl sulphate (QPS) is the first line of treatment and a panacea for the T. evansi infection in equines. Still after the >70 years of its discovery, there is no clue about the mode of action of QPS in T. evansi. The establishment of in vitro cultivation of T. evansi in HMI-9 media has provided opportunity to study the alte...
Boger BL, Manfredi JM, Yob C, Weber PSD, Jacobs CC.Diagnosis of equine septic arthritis is not straightforward, and increasing time between onset, diagnosis, and treatment can have serious consequences for quality of life. Defensins are used in diagnosis of human joint infection. The presence of beta defensins (BDs) in equine synovial fluid and their utility as a biomarker of sepsis has not been investigated; therefore, our objectives were to (1) compare in vitro gene expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated equine neutrophils to unstimulated neutrophils and (2) compare BD protein expression from normal, aseptically inflamed, and sept...
Dias De Castro LL, Oliveira Júnior GA, Perez BC, Carvalho ME, De Souza Ramos EA, Ferraz JBS, Molento MB.Cyathostomins are considered one of the most important parasites of horses. A group of horses within a herd can be responsible for eliminating the majority of parasite eggs. This phenotype might be explained by genetic factors. This study aimed to identify genomic regions associated with fecal egg count (FEC) and hematological parameters by performing a genomic-wide association study (GWAS) in Thoroughbred horses naturally infected with cyathostomins. Packed cell volume (PCV), differential leukocyte, and FEC were determined from 90 horses. All animals were genotyped using the Illumina Equine 7...
Molla AM, Jemberu WT, Fentahun T.Epizootic lymphangitis (EZL) is a chronic, contagious disease of equids caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum. The disease is often prevalent in cart pulling equids in developing countries. This study was undertaken in Central and South Gondar zones of Amhara region, Ethiopia with the objectives of estimating the prevalence of EZL in cart pulling horses and mules and identifying the risk factors of the disease. Two towns, one high altitude and one mid altitude, from each of the two zones were included for the study. A total of 528 cart pulling horses and mules from the ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
van Eps AW, Leise BS, Watts M, Pollitt CC, Belknap JK.The pathophysiological events inhibited by prophylactic digital hypothermia that result in reduction of the severity of acute laminitis are unknown. Objective: To determine if digital hypothermia inhibits lamellar inflammatory signalling during development of oligofructose (OF) induced laminitis. Methods: Fourteen Standardbred horses were given 10 g/kg bwt OF by nasogastric tube with one forelimb (CRYO) continuously cooled by immersion in ice and water and one forelimb (NON-RX) at ambient temperature. Lamellae were harvested prior to the onset of lameness (24 h post OF administration, DEV ...
Willoughby RA, McDonell WN.Pulmonary function tests in horses are in the early stages of development and there will be a limit in the range of tests available since those requiring patient cooperation cannot be conducted in animals. Some tests such as blood gas analysis, A-aDo2 and delta Ppl measurements could presently be used to a greater extent under field conditions. Others that require expensive equipment and considerable technical assistance will be limited to the larger referral type veterinary clinics until the time is reached when there is adequate information to select those procedures that give a reasonable c...
Neospora infections due to Neospora caninum and N. hughesi are prevalent among equids of the world. The disease may affect reproductive and neurological consequences. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the global Neospora seroprevalence among horses and donkeys. A number of 57 out of 1575 total retrieved studies were included by searching the PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and ProQuest. A total of 25,783 horses and 4377 donkeys were examined serologically, yielding a weighted seroprevalence of 13.46 % (95 % CI: 10.26 %-17.42 %) globally. S...
Fasanello DC, Su J, Deng S, Yin R, Colville MJ, Berenson JM, Kelly CM, Freer H, Rollins A, Wagner B, Rivas F, Hall AR, Rahbar E, DeAngelis PL....TNF-α-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) protein, a TNF-α-responsive hyaladherin, possesses enzymatic activity that can catalyze covalent crosslinks of the polysaccharide hyaluronic acid (HA) to another protein to form heavy chain-hyaluronic acid (HC-HA) complexes in pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we examined HA synthase and inflammatory gene expression; synovial fluid HA, TNF-α, and viscosity; and TSG-6-mediated HC-HA complex formation in an equine OA model. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the TNF-α-TSG-6-HC-HA signaling pathway across multiple joint t...
Sanchez-Teran AF, Bracamonte JL, Hendrick S, Riddell L, Musil K, Hoff B, Rubio-Martínez LM.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of through-and-through joint lavage on systemic and synovial serum amyloid A (SAA), total protein, nucleated cell count and percentage of neutrophils in the synovial fluid of six healthy horses. A prospective experimental study was performed where one healthy tarsocrural joint of each horse was randomly assigned to receive repeated through-and-through joint lavage at 0, 48 and 96 h. Synovial fluid and blood samples were collected at 0 (baseline), 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h. Systemic and synovial SAA, total protein, nucleated cell count a...
Mateo-Otero Y, Zambrano F, Catalán J, Sánchez R, Yeste M, Miro J, Fernandez-Fuertes B.In several mammalian species, acute endometritis driven by the recruitment of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) occurs in response to semen. These PMNs release DNA to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in cattle, horse and human, leading to sperm entrapment. While there is no evidence of this phenomenon occurring in donkeys, artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed semen, which results in very poor pregnancy rates, leads to a large PMN recruitment to the uterus. Objective: To investigate whether donkey semen can trigger NET release (NETosis) and if excessive NETosis occurs in respon...
Songsermsakul P, Sontag G, Cichna-Markl M, Zentek J, Razzazi-Fazeli E.The paper describes a method for the sensitive and selective determination of zearalenone and its metabolites in urine, plasma and faeces of horses by high performance liquid chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS). While only one step sample clean-up by an immunoaffinity column (IAC) was sufficient for plasma samples, urine and faeces samples had to be prepared by a combination of a solid-phase extraction (SPE) and an immunoaffinity column. The method allows the simultaneous determination of zearalenone and all of its metabolites; alpha-zearal...
Efforts to detect West Nile virus (WNV) in the Vojvodina province, northern Serbia, commenced with human and mosquito surveillance in 2005, followed by horse (2009) and wild bird (2012) surveillance. The knowledge obtained regarding WNV circulation, combined with the need for timely detection of virus activity and risk assessment resulted in the implementation of a national surveillance programme integrating mosquito, horse and bird surveillance in 2014. From 2013, the system showed highly satisfactory results in terms of area specificity (the capacity to indicate the spatial distribution of t...
Fjordbakk CT, Johansen GM, Løvås AC, Oppegård KL, Storset AK.No recommendations have been made regarding the relative timing of blood collection for autologous conditioned serum (ACS) preparation and surgical procedures. Objective: 1) To identify effects of surgical stress on cytokine levels in ACS, 2) identify haematological markers for prediction of cytokine production in ACS and 3) investigate the necessity for specialised ACS containers when preparing a cytokine-rich serum. Methods: Experimental in vitro study. Methods: Blood was drawn from 15 stallions admitted for elective castration preoperatively and 22-24 h post operatively and incubated in A...
Weese JS.Fortunately, MRSA infection and colonization are currently uncommon in veterinary medicine. Nevertheless, the increasing reports of the occurrence of MRSA infection in horses, veterinarians, and equine personnel dictate that serious consideration be given to the control of this pathogen in veterinary hospitals as well as in the equine community. It is unclear whether extrapolation from human hospitals and people in the community is appropriate; however, given the rapid increase in nosocomial MRSA in human hospitals and the recent shift of certain clones of MRSA into the community, it would be ...
Vandekerckhove A, Glorieux S, Broeck WV, Gryspeerdt A, van der Meulen KM, Nauwynck HJ.An in vitro model of the upper respiratory tract of the horse was developed to investigate mechanisms of respiratory diseases. Four tissues of the upper respiratory tract of three horses were collected. Explants were maintained in culture at an air-liquid interface for 96h. At 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96h of cultivation, a morphometric analysis was performed using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The explants were judged on morphometric changes of epithelium, basement membrane and connective tissue. Viability was evaluated using a fluorescent Termin...
Ohmura H, Hiraga A, Takahashi T, Kai M, Jones JH.To determine prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) immediately after racing among racehorses that finished well behind the winners and examine potential risk factors for AF in these horses. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 39,302 racehorses representing 404,090 race starts in races sanctioned by the Japan Racing Association between 1988 and 1997. Methods: Horses that finished > or = 4 (turf races) or 5 (dirt races) seconds behind the winner or that did not complete the race were examined for AF within 5 minutes after the race. Logistic regression and chi2 analyses were used to determine ...
Axon JE, Palmer JE.The neonatal foal is in a period of transition between fetal and extrauterine life. The clinicopathologic findings in this period often reflect the in utero environment; thus, results need to be interpreted with the knowledge of changes that intrauterine life may produce. These changes can also assist the veterinarian in identifying a foal at high risk for developing clinical problems. The veterinarian should also be aware of the normal variations in clinicopathologic findings that occur as the foal matures. As with results from all diagnostic testing, the clinicopathologic results need to be ...
Anderson DR, Woo SL, Kwan MK, Gershuni DH.Recent studies have shown that the meniscus is highly anisotropic in tension and that its compressive creep behavior can be modeled using biphasic theory. In this study, an alternative approach is used, where viscoelastic shear properties of the meniscal fibrocartilage are measured to determine the anisotropy and inhomogeneity of this tissue with respect to specimen location and fiber orientation. Medial menisci were obtained from eight skeletally-mature horses. Nine test specimens were taken from the circumferential midsubstance of each meniscus, at three circumferential and three axial posit...
Shirazi-Beechey SP.Equine colic, a disorder manifested in abdominal pain, is the most frequent cause of emergency treatment and death in horses. Colic often requires intestinal surgery, subsequent hospitalisation and post operative care, with a strong risk of complications arising from surgery. Therefore strategies that explore approaches for preventing the condition are essential. To this end, a better understanding of the factors and mechanisms that lead to the development of colic and related intestinal diseases in the horse allows the design of preventive procedures. Colic is a multifactorial disorder that a...
Shinwari MW, Annand EJ, Driver L, Warrilow D, Harrower B, Allcock RJ, Pukallus D, Harper J, Bingham J, Kung N, Diallo IS.In May 2013, the first cases of Australian bat lyssavirus infections in domestic animals were identified in Australia. Two horses (filly-H1 and gelding-H2) were infected with the Yellow-bellied sheathtail bat (YBST) variant of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV). The horses presented with neurological signs, pyrexia and progressing ataxia. Intra-cytoplasmic inclusion bodies (Negri bodies) were detected in some Purkinje neurons in haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections from the brain of one of the two infected horses (H2) by histological examination. A morphological diagnosis of sub-acute m...
Treiber K, Carter R, Gay L, Williams C, Geor R.Inflammatory and redox signals could render lamellar tissue susceptible to damage and contribute to higher risk for laminitis in obese or insulin resistant ponies just as these factors contribute to health risks in humans with metabolic syndrome. This study evaluated circulating markers of inflammatory and redox status in ponies that had a history of recurrent bouts of pasture-associated laminitis (PL, n = 42) or had never developed clinical laminitis (NL, n = 34) under the current management conditions. There were no differences (P > 0.05) between PL and NL ponies for markers of antioxidan...
Tsegay K, Potts AD, Aklilu N, Lötter C, Gummow B.Little work has been done on diseases of horses in Ethiopia or tropical regions of the world. Yet, Ethiopia has the largest horse population in Africa and their horses play a pivotal role in their economy as traction animals. A serological and questionnaire survey was therefore conducted to determine the circulating serovars of Leptospira and their association with potential risk factors in the cart horse population of Central and Southern Ethiopia. A total of 184 out of 418 cart horses from 13 districts had antibody titres of 1:100 or greater to at least one of 16 serovars of Leptospira speci...
Schröder W, Klostermann A, Distl O.Intense selection for speed, endurance or pulling power in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) has resulted in a number of adaptive changes in the phenotype required for elite athletic performance. To date, studies in humans have revealed a large number of genes involved in elite athletic performance, but studies in horses are rare. The horse genome assembly and bioinformation tools for genome analyses have been used to compare human performance genes with their equine orthologues, both to retrieve pathways for these genes and to investigate their chromosomal distribution. In this review, 28 c...
Li Y, Ma Q, Shi X, Liu G, Wang C.Evidence has shown that gut microbiota play a key role in host metabolism and health; however, little is known about the microbial community in the donkey hindgut as well as the interactions that occur between gut microbes and the host. This study aimed to explore the gut microbiome differences by analyzing the microbial community and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to lipid metabolism and the immune system along the donkey hindgut. The hindgut tissues (cecum, ventral colon, and dorsal colon) were separated, and the contents of each section were collected from six male donkeys fo...
Berghaus LJ, Giguère S, Sturgill TL.Rhodococcus equi, a facultative intracellular pathogen of macrophages, causes life-threatening pneumonia in foals and in people with underlying immune deficiencies. As a basis for this study, we hypothesized that macrophage lineage and age would affect intracellular survival of R. equi and cytokine induction after infection. Monocyte-derived and bronchoalveolar macrophages from 10 adult horses and from 10 foals (sampled at 1-3 days, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 5 months of age) were infected ex vivo with virulent R. equi. Intracellular R. equi were quantified and mRNA expression of IL-1β, ...
Esparza I, Brock JH.The effect of trypsin digestion on iron-saturated and iron-free (apo) human, rabbit, bovine, pig and horse tranferrins has been studied. Iron-binding fragments were produced only from iron-saturated pig and bovine transferrins although some cleavage of the polypeptide chain occurred in all cases. The apo-transferrins were generally degraded to a greater extent than the corresponding iron-saturated proteins. The ability of the different transferrins to donate iron to rabbit reticulocytes varied in the order rabbit approximately pig greater than human approximately horse greater than bovine. Try...
Ziegler A, Hamza E, Jonsdottir S, Rhyner C, Wagner B, Schüpbach G, Svansson V, Torsteinsdottir S, Marti E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an allergic dermatitis of horses caused by bites of Culicoides spp. IBH does not occur in Iceland because of the absence of Culicoides, but the prevalence is high in horses imported from Iceland to environments where Culicoides are present. Objective: Test, in a longitudinal study before and after Culicoides exposure, whether a primary sensitizing Culicoides allergen can be identified and if an increase of allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E or IgG subclasses precedes clinical signs of IBH. Methods: Thirty two horses imported from Iceland to Europe; 16 ...
Morgan RA, Keen JA, Walker BR, Hadoke PW.Endocrinopathic laminitis (EL) is a vascular condition of the equine hoof resulting in severe lameness with both welfare and economic implications. EL occurs in association with equine metabolic syndrome and equine Cushing's disease. Vascular dysfunction, most commonly due to endothelial dysfunction, is associated with cardiovascular risk in people with metabolic syndrome and Cushing's syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that horses with EL have vascular, specifically endothelial, dysfunction. Healthy horses (n = 6) and horses with EL (n = 6) destined for euthanasia were recruited. We studied v...
Bailey CJ, Reid SW, Hodgson DR, Suann CJ, Rose RJ.Risk factors for musculoskeletal injury in racing Thoroughbreds were investigated in a case-control study conducted at racetracks administered by the Australian Jockey Club. Univariable analysis of 137 cases from the official Veterinary Surgeon's reports and an equal number of randomly selected controls from the Australian Race Results identified field size, barrier position and class of race as being significantly associated with breakdown (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression was then used to investigate the effect of each putative risk factor whilst controlling for all others. Horses at ...
Bodaan CJ, Wise LM, Wakelin KA, Stuart GS, Real NC, Mercer AA, Riley CB, Theoret C.Healing is delayed in limb wounds relative to body wounds of horses, partly because of sustained inflammation and inefficient angiogenesis. In laboratory animals, proteins derived from orf virus modulate these processes and enhance healing. We aimed to compare immune cell trafficking and the inflammatory, vascular, and epidermal responses in body and limb wounds of horses and then to investigate the impact of orf virus interleukin-10 and vascular endothelial growth factor-E on these processes. Standardized excisional wounds were created on the body and forelimb of horses and their progression ...
Gonçalves NN, Ambrósio CE, Piedrahita JA.Since their original isolation, the majority of the work on embryonic stem cells (ESC) has been carried out in mice. While the mouse is an outstanding model for basic research, it also has considerable limitations for translational work, especially in the area of regenerative medicine. This is due to a combination of factors that include physiological and size differences when compared to humans. In contrast, domestic animal species, such as swine, and companion animal species, such as dogs, provide unique opportunities to develop regenerative medicine protocols that can then be utilized in hu...
Pratt SE, Geor RJ, McCutcheon LJ.There is evidence that adaptation to diets rich in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) contributes to the development of insulin resistance in horses. To date, however, no study in horses has examined the effects of physical conditioning on diet-associated alterations in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Objective: To examine the effects of adaptation to concentrate feeds rich in NSC or fat on insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in horses, both in the sedentary state and after a subsequent period of physical conditioning. Methods: Fourteen mature Standardbred horses underwent both...
Newton JR, Wood JL, Chanter N.A matched case control study was used to determine infections and other factors associated with clinically apparent respiratory disease in young racehorses in training in the UK. A total of 170 cases, defined as horses with sudden onset coughing, nasal discharge or pyrexia, were identified and matched to 632 non-affected controls by trainer and time period. Factors examined included age, sex, time since entry into the training yard, time since last race and different infections including tracheal and nasopharyngeal (NP) bacteria and viruses. Multivariable conditional logistic regression (CLR) ...
