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.
ERas is a new gene of the Ras family found in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. Its human ortholog is not expressed in human ES cells. So far ERas gene has only been found to be expressed in the tissues of adult cynomolgus monkeys and cattle; however, information about ERAS expression or its potential functions in equine tissues is lacking. This study was performed to investigate whether Eras is an equine functional gene and whether ERAS is expressed in the tissues of adult horses and determine its potential physiological role. Expression of the ERas gene was detected in all examined adult tis...
Vasić A, Răileanu C, Körsten C, Vojinović D, Manić M, Urošević A, Nikolić N, Dulović O, Tews BA, Petrović T, Silaghi C, Valčić M....West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus classified as family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus. The first WNV outbreak in humans in the Republic of Serbia was recorded in 2012. Equids and dogs can show clinical symptoms after WNV infection and are often used as sentinels. This study aimed to (i) give insight into seropositivity for WNV in clinically healthy dog and horse sera in different regions of Serbia and (ii) compare diagnostic value of 'in-house' and commercially available indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) tests to 'gold standard' v...
Yu K, Pfeiffer C, Burden C, Krekeler N, Marth C.Increased ambient temperatures has been identified to contribute to reproductive outcomes for several domesticated species, but its impact on equine reproduction has not been previously investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between ambient climatic conditions, as measured by temperature-humidity index (THI) between day 7 and day 14 of gestation, and early embryonic loss (EEL) in recipient mares undergoing embryo transfer. The study examined records from 834 embryo transfers at an equine breeding facility in Victoria, Australia. Early embryonic loss was defined a...
Salem M, El-Shafaey ES, Farag AMM, El-Khodery S, Al Mohamad Z, Abass M.This study was conducted to establish a detailed anatomic reference for the carpal joint of apparently healthy donkeys using ultrasonography (US), computed tomographic (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten orthopedically sound adult donkeys were used for US examination of the carpal joint in each forelimb. Additionally, the carpi of ten donkey cadavers were subjected to CT and MRI examinations. The carpal joint was divided into four zones to simplify examination. US assessment of the carpal joint included transverse and longitudinal sonograms. CT was performed using three planes: axi...
Soukup R, Gerner I, Gültekin S, Baik H, Oesterreicher J, Grillari J, Jenner F.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized lipid bilayer-encapsulated particles secreted by virtually all cell types. EVs play an essential role in cellular crosstalk in health and disease. The cellular origin of EVs determines their composition and potential therapeutic effect. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)-derived EVs have shown a comparable therapeutic potential to their donor cells, making them a promising tool for regenerative medicine. The therapeutic application of EVs circumvents some safety concerns associated with the transplantation of viable, replicating cells and facilitates...
Sokołowska J, Cywińska A, Puchalska M.The number, morphology, and distribution of C thyrocytes within the thyroid gland vary among species; however, studies in domestic animals are limited. In this study we compared the morphology, distribution pattern, and percentage of C thyrocytes in four domestic species: dogs, pigs, horses, and cattle. Eighty thyroid glands, 20 per species, were examined. C thyrocytes were visualized immunohistochemically with anti-calcitonin rabbit polyclonal antibody alone and combined with the periodic acid Schiff method to simultaneously visualize C thyrocytes with the basement membranes of thyroid follic...
Coultous RM, Sutton DGM, Boden LA.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is currently not endemic in the UK, despite a lack of formal surveillance and the presence of carrier horses in the equine population. Pathogen establishment would have significant welfare and economic impacts on the national equine industry, but the disease is often overlooked by UK practitioners. Objective: To assess the risk of disease entry, exposure and consequences to the UK equine population. Methods: Qualitative risk assessment. Methods: A qualitative risk assessment was constructed utilising the current World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) published fra...
Contentin R, Jammes M, Bourdon B, Cassé F, Bianchi A, Audigié F, Branly T, Velot É, Galéra P.Equine osteoarthritis (OA) leads to cartilage degradation with impaired animal well-being, premature cessation of sport activity, and financial losses. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies are promising for cartilage repair, but face limitations inherent to the cell itself. Soluble mediators and extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by MSCs are the alternatives to overcome those limitations while preserving MSC restorative properties. The effect of equine bone marrow MSC secretome on equine articular chondrocytes (eACs) was analyzed with indirect co-culture and/or MSC-conditioned media ...
Riva MG, Dai F, Huhtinen M, Minero M, Barbieri S, Dalla Costa E.Noise anxiety is an over-reaction to loud noises commonly detected among pets and can greatly impact on their welfare and on their management. When exposed to noisy events, horses can show intense escape attempts, which may cause severe accidents for the horse and the rider/handler. The aim of the present study was to investigate, through a web survey, UK and US owners' perception of noise anxiety severity in their horses, their management strategies and perceived efficacy. The questionnaire was shared via social networking and advertised as "What is your horse afraid of?". Over a total of 183...
Boye JK, Bulkeley EA, Dujovne GA.To describe uterine prolapse, predispositions, and outcomes in mares treated between 1988 and 2019. 24 mares with uterine prolapse. Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed, and follow-up information was gathered. The Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze results for history and outcome variables for potential association with mare survival to hospital discharge. The χ2 test was used to compare breed distribution. Age was known in 23 mares (median, 11.1 years). For 15 mares with exact known parity, the median parity was 3 births (range, 1 to 13 births). For 22 m...
Daniels A, Pezzanite LM, Griffenhagen GM, Hendrickson DA.The frequency of surgical site infection (SSI) following orthopaedic implant placement in horses has been reported but not compared with respect to specific antibiotic protocols administered. To determine factors associated with SSI in horses undergoing proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) arthrodesis including perioperative antibiotic protocols. Records were evaluated (2010-2019), and horses undergoing PIPJ arthrodesis were identified. Patient signalment, supervising surgeon, reason for surgery, limb, implants placed, anaesthetic time, duration casting/coaptation postoperatively, antibiotic ...
Nath L, Stent A, Elliott A, La Gerche A, Franklin S.Cardiac arrhythmias resulting in sudden cardiac death (SCD) are an important cause of racehorse fatalities. The objective of this study was to determine risk factors for SCD in Thoroughbreds by evaluating a sample with a policy of mandatory post-mortem following racing or training fatalities. Risk factors were compared between case horses with SCD (n = 57) and control horses with other fatal injury (OFI, n = 188) by univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Survival in years for horses with SCD was compared to OFI using the Kaplan−Meier method with log rank test. The following varia...
Velásquez J, da Silva LLC, Miglino MA.There are many challenges in teaching veterinary anatomy, such as available classroom time, costs, and difficulties accessing animal cadavers, mainly due to animal welfare concerns. Furthermore, veterinary surgeons and radiologists complain that recent graduates lack anatomical knowledge. On the other hand, the current limitations of face-to-face teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that the development of online distance education tools is necessary, mainly in specialties that lack this type of material. Teaching platforms promoting the integration of anatomy with other applied disci...
This study investigated the effects of embryo reduction and transfer of Day 11 embryos, with or without subsequent reduction, on luteostasis in the mare. In Experiment 1, reduction of embryos at Days 10 (n = 15), 11 (n = 47), 12 (n = 36), 13 (n = 27), 14 (n = 5) and 16 (n = 2) of pregnancy resulted in luteostasis in 13%, 47%, 78%, 89%, 80% and 100% mares. Mares undergoing > 1 embryo reduction showed consistency in when luteostasis occurred. In Experiment 2, transfer of Day 11 embryos to recipient mares 10 (n = 9), 11 (n = 8), 12 (n = 9) and 13 (n = 8) days post ovulatio...
Soroko M, Górniak W, Godlewska M, Howell K.The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of training on body surface temperature over the joints in racehorses, measured by infrared thermography. The study involved monitoring of 14 Thoroughbred racehorses in 6 imaging sessions over a period of 3 months. Temperature measurements of the forelimb and hindlimb joints were made before and just after training. Joint temperature of limbs increased significantly after training. Environmental temperature had a statistically significant influence on surface temperature over the joints. The lowest surface temperatures were recorded over the ...
Xu Y, Zhang X, Peng P, Liu Y, Yu M, Xie L.Equine copivirus (EqCoPV) is a newly discovered parvovirus that infects equines. Currently, it is unclear whether this virus is prevalent in China. In the present study, serum samples were collected from equines in China and were processed for EqCoPV DNA detection by PCR. The results demonstrated that EqCoPV was circulating among the sampled equines, with a low detection rate of 0.94%. The genome sequence of one Chinese EqCoPV strain, UH26, was determined and used for genetic and phylogenetic analysis. The results demonstrated that UH26 has a close genetic relationship to EqCoPV strains from t...
Mazaheri-Khameneh R, Azizi S, Davoodi F, Gooran MM.One of the traumatic fractures occurring in the hindlimb of the foals is physeal fractures of the tibia. The most common type of proximal tibial fracture in foals is reported to be Salter-Harris type II. Methods: This case report describes the history, clinical signs, radiographic findings, and surgical management of a proximal physeal fracture of the tibia due to the kick trauma in a 2-weeks-old Kurdish female foal, with signs of left pelvic limb lameness, valgus deviation with non-weight-bearing, non-mobility in stifle region and crepitation in the affected area. In this case, radiography wa...
da Silva TRO, Gonçalves PNC, Marcus VB, Mucellini CI, Dos Santos IR, Kommers G, Driemeier D, Flores EF, Cargnelutti JF, Flores MM.For approximately one decade, a novel papillomavirus termed Equus caballus papillomavirus-2 (EcPV-2) has been associated with equine penile/preputial papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). It is currently believed that the virus has a carcinogenic activity, being able to induce such neoplastic lesions. After being first described, EcPV-2 has been detected in many countries from North America, Europe, and Asia; however, to date, it has not been reported in Brazil. The aim of this research was to investigate the presence of EcPV-2 in penile/preputial papillomas and SCCs of Brazilian hor...
Machin J, Brewer K, Morales-Briceno A, Fenger C, Maylin G, Tobin T.Zilpaterol is a β2-adrenergic agonist medication approved in certain countries as a cattle feed additive to improve carcass quality. Trace amounts of Zilpaterol can transfer to horse feed, yielding equine urinary "identifications" of Zilpaterol. These "identifications" occur because Zilpaterol is highly bioavailable in horses, resistant to biotransformation and excreted as unchanged Zilpaterol in urine, where it has a 5 day or so terminal half-life.In horses, urinary steady-state concentrations are reached 25 days (5 half-lives) after exposure to contaminated feed. Zilpaterol readily presen...
Kang H, Zsoldos RR, Skinner JE, Gaughan JB, Mellor VA, Sole-Guitart A.The frequent monitoring of a horse’s body temperature post strenuous exercise is critical to prevent or alleviate exertional heat illness (EHI) from occurring. Percutaneous thermal sensing microchip (PTSM) technology has the potential to be used as a means of monitoring a horse’s body temperature during and post-exercise. However, the accuracy of the temperature readings obtained, and their relationship to core body temperature are dependent on where they are implanted. This study aimed to document the relationship between core body temperature, and temperature readings obtained using PTSM...
Ndebé MMF, Mouiche MMM, Moffo F, Poueme RNS, Awah-Ndukum J.African horse sickness (AHS), a highly fatal arbovirosis of equines is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its epidemiology is poorly known in Cameroon. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence profile and risk factors of African horse sickness in Cameroon. Horse sera were subjected to the ELISA blocking test for the determination of antibodies against African horse sickness virus, and positive samples were submitted to capture ELISA to determine the presence of antigens. Potential risk factors associated with AHS were assessed based on the information collected in the field. The chi...
Hu Y, Jia Q, Liu J, Sun W, Bao Z, Che C, Wu G, Fan B, Jarhen , Ran D.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is prevalent in China, and causes notable economic damage to the equine industry. However, there is no information regarding the molecular characteristics and pathogenicity of the Chinese strains. Therefore, an EHV-1 strain, named YM2019, was isolated from the lung tissue of an aborted horse fetus in Xinjiang, China, and its genome and pathogenicity were analyzed. The full genome of the isolate was 150,267 base pairs in length, with 56.7% G + C content. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis showed that strain YM2019 (GenBank: MT063054) belonged to the ORF30 N75...
Price D, Barnum S, Mize J, Pusterla N.The purpose of this study was to explore sampling options for a reliable and logistically more feasible protocol during a large EHV-1 outbreak. Seventeen horses with clinical infection as well as nineteen healthy herdmates, all part of an EHM outbreak, were enrolled in the study. Each horse was sampled two-four times at intervals of 2-6 days during the outbreak. All samples were collected using 6'' rayon-tipped swabs. Nasal secretions were used as the diagnostic sample of choice. Additional samples, including swabs from the muzzle/nares, swabs from the front limbs, rectal swabs, swabs of the f...
Miranda ALS, Antunes BC, Minozzo JC, Lima SA, Botelho AFM, Campos MTG, Chávez-Olórtegui CD, Soto-Blanco B.Bites of brown spiders ( spp.) are responsible for dermonecrotic lesions and potentially systemic envenoming that can lead to death. The only effective therapy is the use of the antivenom, usually produced in horses. However, little is known about the consequences of the systematic use of the venom and adjuvants and of the bleedings on antivenom-producing horses. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical changes in horses in their first immunization protocol for antivenom production. Eleven healthy horses, never immunized, were evaluated in three different periods: T0 (before ...
Anttila M, Raekallio M, Valros A.A bit that fits is essential for horse welfare and good communication with the ridden, driven or led horses. The bit causes pressure on the sensitive structures of the horse mouth. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in oral dimensions related to bit fit in adult horses and ponies and to evaluate bit fit by comparing oral dimensions with the currently used bit size selected by the horse owner. The study population consisted of 554 horses and ponies, 308 geldings and 246 mares, age 5-29 years, presented for routine dental care. Oral dimensions: mouth width, distance between upper...
Boelow H, Krücken J, Thomas E, Mirams G, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Due to high prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in equine helminths, selective treatment is increasingly promoted and in some countries a positive infection diagnosis is mandatory before treatment. Selective treatment is typically recommended when the number of worm eggs per gram faeces (epg) exceeds a particular threshold. In the present study we compared the semi-quantitative sedimentation/flotation method with the quantitative methods Mini-FLOTAC and FECPAK in terms of precision, sensitivity, inter-rater reliability and correlation of worm egg counts to improve the choice of optimal diagn...
Gellman K, Ruina A.Horses stand for most of each day. Although they can use various leg configurations (postures), they usually stand with vertical legs. Why? We addressed this question with a 2D quasi-static model having three rigid parts: a trunk, massless fore-limbs and massless rear limbs, with hinges at the shoulders, hips, and hooves. The postural parameter we varied was ℓg, the distance between the hooves. For a given ℓg, statics finds an equilibrium configuration which, with no muscle stabilization (i.e. using minimal effort) is unstable. We assume a horse uses that configuration. To measure the neur...
Garrett KS.MRI and CT have enhanced our diagnostic abilities for equine lameness beyond what is available using radiography and ultrasonography. This has allowed veterinarians to better prognosticate and treat lameness conditions, improving patient outcomes. This article discusses the basic principles behind MRI and CT, their advantages and disadvantages, the different types of equipment available for clinical use in horses, the typical diagnostic workup prior to pursuing advanced imaging, and common regions where MRI and CT are used clinically. The companion Currents in One Health by Spriet, AJVR, July ...
Satoła A, Łuszczyński J, Petrych W, Satoła K.Knowledge of the body weight of horses permits breeders to provide appropriate feeding and care regimen and allows veterinarians to monitor the animals' health. It is not always possible to perform an accurate measurement of the body weight of horses using horse weighbridges, and therefore, new body weight formulas based on biometric measurements are required. The objective of this study is to develop and validate models for estimating body weight in Icelandic foals using machine learning methods. The study was conducted using 312 data records of body measurements on 24 Icelandic foals (12 col...
Boutet BG, Gordon SG, De Solis CN, Lepiz MA, Saunders AB, Wesselowski S.Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is a method of obtaining echocardiographic images with a steerable ultrasound catheter placed within the heart via a venous or arterial approach. The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility of a 5-10 MHz, 8 French, 90 cm ICE catheter to evaluate cardiac structures and function in standing, sedated horses, and describe standard views in this species. Methods: Ten apparently healthy horses weighing 458.1-618.2 kg from a university teaching herd. Methods: Each horse had a physical examination, transthoracic echocardiography, and ICE performe...
Adegbeye MJ, Elghandour MMMY, Barbabosa-Pliego A, Monroy JC, Mellado M, Ravi Kanth Reddy P, Salem AZM.Several concerns exist regarding horse rearing such as environmental pollution, antibiotics resistance, digestive disorders, mycotoxins contamination of animal feed, gut health management, and improvement of feed efficiency. Nanoparticles have the potential to address these issues and thus could be used as feed additive. Citrate reduces and stabilizes gold nanoparticles, alongside biosynthesized silver nanoparticles have the potential to prolong and improve digestive enzyme activity, which would enhance starch digestibility in the stomach. Zinc oxide and selenium nanoparticles could be used to...
Terry RL, McDonnell SM, Van Eps AW, Soma LR, Liu Y, Uboh CE, Moate PJ, Driessen B.Gabapentin is being used in horses although its pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, pharmacodynamic (PD) effects and safety in the equine are not fully investigated. Therefore, we characterized PKs and cardiovascular and behavioral effects of gabapentin in horses. Gabapentin (20 mg/kg) was administered i.v. or p.o. to six horses using a randomized crossover design. Plasma gabapentin concentrations were measured in samples collected 0-48 h postadministration employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Blood pressures, ECG, and sedation scores were recorded before and for 12 h after gaba...
Essén-Gustavsson B, Lindholm A.Muscle biopsies were taken from the middle gluteus muscle of 36 Standardbred horses. Twelve of the horses were inactive, while 24 were actively trained and raced. Twelve of the trained horses were moderate performers, with a mean racing time of 1 min 21 secs per km (741 m/min) and the other 12 were excellent performers, with a mean racing time of 1 min 16 secs per km (789 m/min). The percentage and mean area of Type I fibres were similar in all three groups of horses. Marked differences were found among the subgroups of Type II fibres. The well-trained horses had a higher proportion of Type II...
Diez de Castro E, Lopez I, Cortes B, Pineda C, Garfia B, Aguilera-Tejero E.Equine pituitary pars intermedia function can be assessed by the measurement of baseline and thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)-induced concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); however, these measurements may be affected by the environment. Therefore, a prospective observational study evaluated the influence of feeding, time of the day, and season on baseline and TRH-induced concentrations of ACTH in healthy horses. Baseline ACTH was measured in 50 horses before and 2 h after feeding. Six research horses were subjected to a crossover study in which 6 TRH tests were performed in ...
Hammond CJ, Mason DK, Watkins KL.Routine post mortem examination of 195 Thoroughbreds in Hong Kong revealed that 66 per cent suffered from gastric ulceration. Racehorses killed straight out of training suffered a significantly greater incidence of ulceration (80 per cent) than those having been retired for a month or more (52 per cent). The macroscopic findings post mortem enabled a classification of equine gastric ulceration to be suggested (Types 1, 2, 3), according to severity. Severe lesions (Types 2 and 3) were present in 45 per cent of horses put down from training and 5 per cent of retired horses. This difference was s...
Sigg L, Gerber V, Gottstein B, Doherr MG, Frey CF.In Switzerland, the prevalence and incidence of equine piroplasma parasite (EPP) infections are unknown. In order to obtain a first insight into the prevalence, a representative sample of 689 sera of horses from Switzerland was serologically tested for the presence of antibodies directed against T. equi and B. caballi using the Indirect Fluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT). A total of 50 (7.3%) horses were seropositive for EPP: overall, the seroprevalence of T. equi was significantly higher than that of B. caballi (p=0.002). The seropositivities in indigenous horses (animals bred and raised in Sw...
Lankveld DP, Bull S, Van Dijk P, Fink-Gremmels J, Hellebrekers LJ.Ketamine is widely used in equine anaesthesia. Beside its anaesthetic and analgesic properties, ketamine possesses a cytokine-modulating activity. However, to date, no data are available regarding the inhibitory effect of ketamine on the cytokine response in horses. In horses, cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of equine endotoxaemia following gastrointestinal disorders. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the influence of ketamine on LPS-induced TNF-alpha and IL-6 formation in an equine macro...
Meana A, Luzon M, Corchero J, Gómez-Bautista M.Three coprological methods were tested to establish the reliability of in vivo diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata. A total of 107 faecal samples were analyzed, and the presence of tapeworms were confirmed postmortem in 24 animals with burdens that ranged from 1 to 248 worms; most of them (71%) with less than 100 parasites. Best results were obtained with a combination of two sedimentation/flotation methods, detecting only half the parasitized animals (54% sensitivity). No relationship could be established between tapeworm burden and egg detection, but results indicate that coprological meth...
Martano M, Corteggio A, Restucci B, De Biase ME, Borzacchiello G, Maiolino P.Equine sarcoids are locally invasive, fibroblastic benign skin tumors. Bovine papillomavirus type-1 (BPV-1) and/or Bovine papillomavirus type-2 (BPV-2) are believed to be the causative agent of sarcoids, although the mechanisms by which the virus induce the tumor are still poorly understood. We hypothesized that in genetically predisposed equines latent BPV infection may be reactivated by immunosoppression and/or mechanical injury leading to a form of pathologic wound which may transform into a sarcoid. In this study, we investigated in 25 equine sarcoids and in five normal skin samples the hi...
Buhl R, Meldgaard C, Barbesgaard L.Electrocardiographic reference values of clinically normal horses during exercise are a prerequisite when evaluating horses with poor performance or horses presented with cardiac abnormalities (e.g. valvular regurgitation). No published studies have reported cardiac rhythms of clinically normal showjumping horses. Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining exercise electrocardiogram (ECG) in normal horses during showjumping and also to document the prevalence and frequency of arrhythmias in association with exercise. Methods: Thirty-four healthy showjumping horses aged 4-13 years (...
Rice NR, Simek S, Ryder OA, Coggins L.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) recently has been shown to possess a high-molecular-weight RNA genome and a virion reverse transcriptase. We completed the demonstration that EIAV is a retrovirus by showing the presence of proviral DNA in equine cells infected in vitro, but not in normal horse DNA. These studies were performed by using a highly representative cDNA probe synthesized by the virion polymerase. It was found that this cDNA reassociated extensively, and with high thermal stability, with either viral RNA or DNA extracted from infected cells, but showed no detectable reassociatio...
Fortin JS, Hetak AA, Duggan KE, Burglass CM, Penticoff HB, Schott HC.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a common endocrine disease of aged horses that shows a similar pathophysiology as Parkinson's Disease (PD) with increased levels of α-synuclein (α-syn). While α-syn is thought to play a pathogenic role in horses with PPID, it is unclear if α-syn is also misfolded in the pars intermedia and could similarly promote self-aggregation and propagation. Consequently, α-syn was isolated from the pars intermedia from groups of healthy young and aged horses, and aged PPID-afflicted horses. Seeding experiments confirmed the prion-like properties...
Lombana KG, Goodrich LR, Phillips JN, Kisiday JD, Ruple-Czerniak A, McIlwraith CW.Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are a major cause of loss of use and retirement in sport horses. The use of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDMSCs) for healing of traumatized tissue has gained substantial favor in clinical settings and can assist healing and tissue regeneration in orthopedic injuries. There are two common sites of harvest of BMDMSCs, the sternum and the ilium. Our objective was to determine if any differences exist in BMDMSCs acquired from the sternum and the ilium. We compared the two harvest sites in their propensity to undergo multilineage differentiatio...
Bergvall KE.Sarcoids are the most common skin tumors seen in horses worldwide. The pathogenesis of sarcoids is multifactorial, including an association with bovine papillomavirus types 1 and 2 and a genetic susceptibility to tumor development. Clinical manifestations vary and include occult, verrucous, nodular, fibroblastic, mixed, and malignant (malevolent) types. The tumor is nonmetastasizing but can become very aggressive locally. Multiple tumors are common. All clinical types can be present in the same horse. No treatment protocol is universally effective. The tumor has a high risk of recurrence. Recu...
Foley JE, Spier SJ, Mihalyi J, Drazenovich N, Leutenegger CM.To characterize isolates of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis from horses, cattle, and sheep in Colorado, Kentucky, Utah, and California in samples collected during perceived epidemics of infection (increased numbers of cases identified) in 2002 and 2003, and determine how closely isolates were related and their possible source. Methods: 54 isolates of C pseudotuberculosis from 49 horses, 4 cattle, and 1 sheep. Methods: Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, PCR assay for the gene encoding the phospholipase D (PLD) toxin, biochemical analyses, and tests...
Santinelli I, Beccati F, Arcelli R, Pepe M.There are scant data on the incidence of different anatomical variants of the equine caudal cervical spine, despite interest in cervical pathology. Objective: To identify morphological radiographic variation in the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae and the first thoracic vertebra in horses of different breeds and to determine whether there are breed- and sex-related differences. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study. Methods: Radiographs of the cervical spine of 270 horses were assessed retrospectively. The Chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test when appropriate, was used to test for associat...
Self Davies ZT, Spence AJ, Wilson AM.The horse has evolved to gallop economically at high speed. Limb force increases with speed but direct measures of limb ground reaction forces (GRFs) at gallop are sparse. This study reports GRFs for multiple limbs, using force plates, across seven Thoroughbred racehorses during ridden galloping. The results show peak vertical GRF values of 13.6 N kg (non-lead hindlimb), 12.3 N kg (lead hindlimb), 14.0 N kg (non-lead forelimb) and 13.6 N kg (lead forelimb) at 11.4 m s and recorded values are consistent with those predicted from duty factor. The distribution of body weight b...
Moore RM, Schneider RK, Kowalski J, Bramlage LR, Mecklenburg LM, Kohn CW.Bacterial culture and susceptibility results were analysed from 233 horses with septic arthritis/tenosynovitis or osteomyelitis that developed after fracture repair. Antibiotics were deemed highly effective, effective or ineffective if > or = 85%, 70-84.9% or < 70% of the isolates were susceptible respectively. In total, 424 bacterial types were isolated; 386 were aerobic or facultative and 38 were anaerobic. Enterobacteriaceae (28.8%) were the most common bacterial group isolated, followed by non-beta-haemolytic streptococci (13.0%), coagulase-positive staphylococci (11.8%), beta-haemol...
Nemoto M, Oue Y, Murakami S, Kanno T, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.Equine coronavirus has been responsible for several outbreaks of disease in the United States and Japan. Only one complete genome sequence (NC99 isolated in the US) had been reported for this pathogenic RNA virus. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of three equine coronaviruses isolated in 2009 and 2012 in Japan. The genome sequences of Tokachi09, Obihiro12-1 and Obihiro12-2 were 30,782, 30,916 and 30,916 nucleotides in length, respectively, excluding the 3'-poly (A) tails. All three isolates were genetically similar to NC99 (98.2-98.7%), but deletions and insertions were observed i...
Probst A, Henninger W, Willmann M.Heads from 15 male and female horses of various breeds and ages were examined with computed tomography under general anesthesia in dorsal recumbency. The main interest was the evaluation of the entire paranasal sinus system. Special attention was paid to the location, size, and shape of the conchomaxillary, nasomaxillary, frontomaxillary, and sphenopalatinal openings. The frontomaxillary opening was the largest aperture and was found to be age-dependent in size mostly. Orientation and shape of the openings were sagittal or horizontal; the narrowest of them was the slit-like nasomaxillary apert...
Broström H, Larsson A, Troedsson M.A survey of allergic dermatitis (sweet itch) in Sweden contained information on 441 Icelandic horses. Results of a questionnaire indicated that approximately 15 per cent of the country's Icelandic horses suffered from the disease. The prevalence of allergic dermatitis was significantly higher among horses imported from Iceland (26.2 per cent) compared to that of Swedish-born animals (6.7 per cent). In addition, horses born in Iceland were significantly more severely affected than horses born in Sweden. The risk of allergic dermatitis in Sweden appeared to be more than six times higher for hors...
Hesselkilde EM, Isaksen JL, Petersen BV, Carstensen H, Jespersen T, Pehrson S, Kanters JK, Buhl R.In equine medicine, 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) rarely are used, which may in part be a result of shortcomings in the existing guidelines for obtaining 12-lead ECGs in horses. The guidelines recommend placing the limb leads on the extremities, which is inappropriate because the ventricular mean electrical axis is then perpendicular to the limb leads, leading to large variations in ECG configuration even among healthy horses. From an electrophysiological point of view, the leads instead should be parallel to the electrical axis to minimize variability. Objective: Develop an improved metho...
Takai S, Kawazu S, Tsubaki S.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to diagnose Corynebacterium (Rhodococcus) equi infection in foals. In tests done with different antigen-extraction procedures (sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium deoxycholate, polyoxy-ethylene [9] p-tert-octylphenol, polyoxy-ethylene [9-10] p-tert-octylphenol, sonification, homogenization, and heat treatment at 121 C), Tween 20 was a satisfactory reactive antigen. Using hyperimmune rabbit sera or infected foal sera, we investigated the specificity and the sensitivity of the ELISA with the Tween 20 antigen of the different serotypes or of the is...
Senior JM.General anesthesia in horses carries an increased risk of morbidity and mortality compared with other species. In recent years the number and complexity of epidemiologic studies in equine anesthesia has increased. The ability to interpret such studies and understand epidemiologic terminology is vital for veterinarians for them to make potential improvements to their anesthetic practice and to allow them to communicate effectively the findings of such studies to colleagues and owners. This article provides the equine clinician with a basic understanding of the methodologies that can be used in ...
de Mestre AM, Miller D, Roberson MS, Liford J, Chizmar LC, McLaughlin KE, Antczak DF.The objective of this study was to identify transcription factors associated with differentiation of the chorionic girdle, the invasive form of equine trophoblast. The expression patterns of five transcription factors were determined on a panel of conceptus tissues from early horse pregnancy. Tissues from Days 15 through 46 were tested. Eomesodermin (EOMES), glial cells missing homologue 1 (GCM1), heart and neural crest derivatives expressed transcript 1 (HAND1), caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2), and distal-less homeobox 3 (DLX3) were detected in horse trophoblast, but the expression patterns for...
Yildirim Y, Yilmaz V, Kirmizigul AH.The herpesviruses infections in equides are caused by five different serotypes of viruses, belonging to family Herpesviridae. The goal of this study was to conduct a seroepidemiological investigation of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4) in horses and donkeys raised in two provinces and their villages in northeastern Turkey. A total of 666 samples from 423 horses and 243 donkeys that were not immunized against these infections were tested with ELISA. While 52.48% of tested horse sera was found to carry specific antibodies to EHV-1, 83.69% of these serums were found to carry s...
Wilsher S, Clutton-Brock A, Allen WR.A total of 78 day 10 horse embryos were transferred non-surgically to recipient mares that had ovulated 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 day after (negative asynchrony), on the same day (synchronous), or 2 or 4 days before (positive asynchrony) the donor (n=6 or 8 mares per group). Pregnancy rates between 100% (6/6) and 63% (5/8) were seen in recipient mares that were between +2 and -6 days asynchronous. Embryo survival to the heartbeat stage declined in recipients that were -7 days asynchronous and no embryos survived in recipients that were -9 days asynchronous. Irrespective of uterine asynchrony, c...
Fortier LA, Nixon AJ, Lust G.To assess the effects of supraphysiologic concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on morphologic and phenotypic responses of chondrocytes. Methods: Articular cartilage obtained from 2 young horses. Methods: Chondrocytes were suspended in fibrin cultures and supplemented with 25, 12.5, or 0 mg of IGF-1/ml of fibrin. Chondrocyte morphology and phenotypic expression were assessed histologically, using H&E and Alcian blue stains, immunoreaction to collagen type I and II, and in situ hybridization. Proteoglycan content, synthesis, and monomer size were analyzed. The DNA content w...
Jun J, Cho YS, Hu H, Kim HM, Jho S, Gadhvi P, Park KM, Lim J, Paek WK, Han K, Manica A, Edwards JS, Bhak J.The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is one of the earliest domesticated species and has played an important role in the development of human societies over the past 5,000 years. In this study, we characterized the genome of the Marwari horse, a rare breed with unique phenotypic characteristics, including inwardly turned ear tips. It is thought to have originated from the crossbreeding of local Indian ponies with Arabian horses beginning in the 12th century. Results: We generated 101 Gb (~30 × coverage) of whole genome sequences from a Marwari horse using the Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencer. The seq...
