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.
Cymerys J, Słońska A, Chodkowski M, Golke A, Krzyżowska M, Bańbura MW.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion and neurological disorders in horses. Similarly, to other alphaherpesviruses, EHV-1 is neurotropic and establishes latency in the neurons of its natural host. Despite the fact that many studies have been devoted to the pathogenesis of various clinical forms of EHV-1 infection, mechanisms of the neuronal damage are still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to define the phosphorylation status of tau protein in neuronal cell culture infected with EHV-1. Phosphorylation of tau was tested at tau-ser199/ser202, tau-ser404,...
Valberg SJ, Finno CJ, Henry ML, Schott M, Velez-Irizarry D, Peng S, McKenzie EC, Petersen JL.Commercial genetic tests for type 2 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM2) and myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) have not been validated by peer-review, and formal regulation of veterinary genetic testing is lacking. Objective: To compare genotype and allele frequencies of commercial test variants (P variants) in MYOT (P2; rs1138656462), FLNC (P3a; rs1139799323), FLNC (P3b; rs1142918816) and MYOZ3 (P4; rs1142544043) between Warmblood (WB) and Arabian (AR) horses diagnosed with PSSM2/MFM by muscle histopathology, and phenotyped breed-matched controls. To quantify variant frequency in public reposi...
Thompson RE, Johnson AK, Dini P, Turco MY, Prado TM, Premanandan C, Burton GJ, Ball BA, Whitlock BK, Pukazhenthi BS.The endometrium, the inner uterine lining, is composed of cell layers that come in direct contact with an embryo during early pregnancy and later with the fetal placenta. The endometrium is responsible for signals associated with normal reproductive cyclicity as well as maintenance of pregnancy. In the mare, functionally competent in vitro models of the endometrium have not been successful. Furthermore, the ability to study various reproductive processes in vitro may allow critical evaluation of signaling pathways involved in the reproductive diseases of animals that cannot be handled frequent...
van Eps AW, Belknap JK, Schneider X, Stefanovski D, Engiles JB, Richardson DW, Zedler ST, Medina-Torres CE, Watts MR.Supporting limb laminitis (SLL) is suspected to be caused by lamellar ischaemia as a consequence of increased mechanical load. Objective: Examine the effects of prolonged preferential weight bearing (PWB) on lamellar perfusion and metabolism. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Microdialysis probes were inserted in the lamellar and sublamellar dermis of one forelimb in 13 Standardbred horses. In six horses, a platform shoe (contralateral forelimb) was used to induce increased load on the microdialysis-instrumented forelimb (PWB). The remaining seven horses were controls (CON). All horses wer...
Jackson K, Kelty E, Tennant M.Equine peripheral caries can be a significant welfare issue in affected horses. Recent work has shown that complete reversal of the condition may be possible if the primary risk factor can be identified and corrected. Determining whether caries are active (deteriorating) or inactive (improving) is of vital importance when formulating a management and treatment plan. A new grading system is proposed that looks at whether caries are likely active or inactive to assist clinicians deciding whether intervention is required. Objective: To examine the reliability of an alternative grading method for ...
Gacem S, Catalán J, Valverde A, Soler C, Miró J.In order to optimize the donkey sperm motility analysis by the CASA (Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis)-Mot system, twelve ejaculates were collected from six jackasses. Capillary loaded chamber (CLC), ISASD4C depths 10 and 20 µm, ISASD4C Leja 20 and drop displacement chamber (DDC), Spermtrack (Spk) depths 10 and 20 µm were used. Sperm kinematic variables were evaluated using each chamber and a high-resolution camera capable of capturing a maximum of 500 frames/second (fps). The optimum frame rate (OFR) (defined according to curvilinear velocity-VCL) was dependent on chamber type. The highest ...
Jarosinski SK, Sampson SN, Russell L.Injection of the centrodistal (CD) joint in the horse is a commonly performed procedure for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This procedure can be technically challenging, and while radiographic guidance has been previously used, ultrasound localised injection of the CD joint has not been described. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of using ultrasound localisation to increase the accuracy of CD joint injection. Methods: Experimental method assessment. Methods: One operator performed the ultrasound and injection of 24 CD joints in 12 sedated horses. T...
Marr CM, Franklin S, Garrod G, Wylie C, Smith L, Dukes-McEwan J, Bright J, Allen K.Exercise-associated cardiac rhythm disturbances are common, but there is a lack of evidence-based criteria on which to distinguish clinically relevant rhythm disturbances from those that are not. Objective: To describe and characterise rhythm disturbances during clinical exercise testing; to explore potential risk factors for these rhythm disturbances and to determine whether they influenced future racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort using a convenience sample. Methods: Medical records were reviewed from two clinical services to identify horses with poor performance and/or respiratory noise ...
Škerlová J, Ismail A, Lindström H, Sjödin B, Mannervik B, Stenmark P.Organotin compounds are highly toxic environmental pollutants with neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting effects. They are potent inhibitors of glutathione transferases (GSTs), thus impeding their detoxication and antioxidant functions. Several GSTs, including equine GST A3-3 (EcaGST A3-3), exhibit steroid double-bond isomerase activity and are involved in the biosynthesis of testosterone and progesterone. We have performed enzyme kinetics analyses of the inhibition of EcaGST A3-3 by organotin compounds. We have also solved crystal structures of EcaGST A3-3 in complexes with glutathione, and wit...
Wernery U, Rodriguez M, Raghavan R, Syriac G, Miriam Thomas M S, Elizabeth SK, Federico Ronchi G, Muhammed R, Patteril NA, Joseph S.African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating viral disease of equids that was first recorded in 1327. Currently, prevention and control of the disease are based on attenuated vaccines and midge control. It has been shown that attenuated Orbivirus vaccines are not always safe as they may reverse to virulence. Objective: In the Emirate of Dubai, a vaccination experiment was carried out with an inactivated AHS vaccine produced at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL), Dubai, UAE to investigate the humoral antibody response of AHS-naïve horses to this vaccine. Our vaccination experim...
Fenner K, Matlock S, Williams J, Wilson B, McLean A, Serpell J, McGreevy P.The Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) was developed to obtain quantitative data on the domestic equine triad: training, management and behaviour. It can be taken repeatedly, thus collecting longitudinal data to enable evaluation of how changes in a horse's training and management are reflected in that horse's behaviour over time and how these changes can impact horse welfare in the longer term. Questionnaire validation and reliability were tested by determining (a) whether an owner's subjective ratings of their horse's problematic behaviours or undesirable tempera...
Shakeshaft A, Tabor G.Dynamic mobilisation exercises (DME) are often used as part of a physiotherapy rehabilitation programme. Whilst immediate kinematic effects have been measured, the change in posture is anecdotally reported to have a longer duration. This study aimed to test the reliability of a simple objective measurement method, suitable for use in clinical practice, and to objectively measure equine thoracolumbar posture, before and after DME. A single investigator took triplicate measurements of the sagittal thoracolumbar shape using a flexicurve ruler (FCR) then triplicate measurements of the thoracolumba...
Wang X, Ji Y, Su J, Xue Y, Xi H, Wang Z, Bi L, Zhao R, Zhang H, Yang L, Guo Z, Guan Y, Feng X, Sun C, Lei L, Ur Rahman S, Dong J, Han W, Gu J. subsp. serovar Abortusequi is a frequently reported pathogen causing abortion in mares. In this study, the preventive and therapeutic effects of phage P SAE-01E2 against Abortusequi in a mouse model of abortion were investigated. Phage P SAE-01E2 was stable at different temperatures (4 to 70°C) and pH values (pH 4 to 10) and could lyse the majority of the serogroup O:4 and O:9 strains tested (25/28). There was no lysogeny-related, toxin, or antibiotic resistance-related gene in the genome of P SAE-01E2. All of these characteristics indicate that P SAE-01E2 has the potential for use in pha...
Rodrigues JB, Sullivan RJE, Judge A, Norris SL, Burden FA.Across Asia the brick-kiln industry is expanding. In Nepal, urban dwelling has increased in recent years, raising requirement for low-cost, mass produced bricks to meet the population needs. Working equids (WEs) play a key role in non-mechanised kilns. Assessing the welfare of these equids is the starting point to addressing concerns. In line with One Welfare principles, the health and welfare of animals, people and the kiln environment are interlinked. In December 2019, 119 WEs were assessed in seven brick kilns in three districts of Nepal, using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool...
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...
Simonato G, Danesi P, Frangipane di Regalbono A, Dotto G, Tessarin C, Pietrobelli M, Pasotto D.Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are based on the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between animals and beneficiaries that is certain to provide positive effects, while currently, it reads as if AAIs aim at exposing stakeholders to potential risk of infection. The surveillance of zoonotic pathogens is necessary for guaranteeing common health. This study investigated the presence of potentially zoonotic parasites, including dermatophytes, in animals involved in AAIs. Between 2015 and 2017, 190 animals (equids, dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and goats) were investigated. Anam...
Martinez-Lopez J, Brown JA, Werre SR.To compare the prevalence of incisional complications after skin closure with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBC) or stainless-steel skin staples (SS) after ventral midline celiotomy for colic surgery in the horse. Methods: Retrospective study (2014-2018). Methods: Two hundred eighteen horses. Methods: Medical records of horses that underwent exploratory celiotomy for colic were included when the skin was closed with NBC or SS and the horse survived ≥15 days after surgery. Records and a follow-up questionnaire were used to determine in-hospital and posthospital discharge incisional complications. ...
Nocera I, Bonelli F, Meucci V, Rinnovati R, Spadari A, Intorre L, Pretti C, Sgorbini M.Literature on the protein carbonyl content (PCC) evaluation in horses is scarce, thus the aims were to evaluate the PCC in healthy and SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) horses and to investigate the performances of PCC in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio in identifying SIRS positive and negative horses. A total of 72 adult horses were included. All the horses underwent to a complete physical examination, blood analysis, and were evaluated for the SIRS status. Blood samples were collected once in healthy horses and at admission time, then 24, 48, 72, and 96 h...
Steel CM, Walmsley EA, Anderson GA, Coles CA, Ahern B, White JD.As myosin heavy chain (MyHC) profile of muscle fibres is heavily influenced by neural input, changes in MyHC expression are expected in horses clinically affected with recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) yet, this has not been thoroughly investigated. Objective: To describe the changes in MyHC and fibre diameter in left cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (L-CAD) muscle of horses with clinical signs of RLN. Methods: Observational cohort study. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the MyHC-based fibre-type proportion, size and grouping in the L-CAD of 10 Thoroughbred horses, five clinically...
Dixon PM, Barnett TP, Morgan RE, Reardon RJM. Computed tomographic (CT) imaging has allowed new anatomical studies and detailed clinical imaging of the complex, overlapping equine sinonasal structures. Despite the widespread use of CT, no study has specifically identified which compartments are most commonly affected with sinus disorders. CT has also shown the presence of intercurrent, ipsilateral nasal disorders, especially infection of the nasal conchal bullae (NCB) in many cases of sinus disease, but the frequency of intercurrent NCB infections has not been reported. To identify which sinus compartments are most commonly affected in ...
Migdał A, Migdał Ł, Oczkowicz M, Okólski A, Chełmońska-Soyta A.The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms leading to the identification of pathogens by congenital immune receptors in foals up to 60 days of age. The study was conducted on 16 foal Polish Pony Horses (Polish Konik) divided into two study groups: control ( = 9) and experimental ( = 7). Foals from the experimental group received an intramuscular duplicate injection of 5 mL of Biotropina (Biowet) at 35 and 40 days of age. The RNA isolated from venous blood was used to evaluate the expression of the, , and genes using RT-PCR. The results of the experiment demonstrated a s...
Gillon A, Ho ENM, Chan GHM, Kauff A, Hughes G, Lund RA, Ashley Z, Wan TSM, Heather AK.Altrenogest is a commonly used progestogen for the suppression of oestrus and associated distracting behaviours that interfere with training and performance of female racehorses. The steroid is derived from 19-nor testosterone and is structurally similar to the anabolic androgenic steroid, trenbolone. In this study, the relative androgen potency of altrenogest was determined by a kidney (HEK293) cell androgen bioassay. The HEK293 bioassay shows that in its pure form, altrenogest has a high relative potency compared with testosterone but is not as strong as β-trenbolone. Our results also show ...
Dorado J, Bottrel M, Ortiz I, Díaz-Jiménez M, Pereira B, Consuegra C, Carrasco JJ, Gómez-Arrones V, Domingo A, Hidalgo M.Embryo transfer and the vitrification of embryos could be used for the conservation and recovery of endangered donkey breeds. It is important to develop techniques that optimize recovery rates and the cryotolerance of donkey embryos. This study evaluates factors affecting the recovery rate, quality, and diameter of embryos obtained from donor jennies as a starting point for the use of vitrification and embryo transfer in the conservation of the Andalusian donkey. A total of 100 embryos were recovered out of 124 estrous cycles (80.6%). The donor jenny affected the rates of positive flushings (P...
Marin F.Motion is key to health and wellbeing, something we are particularly aware of in times of lockdowns and restrictions on movement. Considering the motion of humans and animals as a biomarker of the performance of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, its analysis covers a large array of research fields, such as sports, equine science and clinical applications, but also innovative methods and workplace analysis. In this Special Issue of Sensors, we focused on human and animal motion-tracking using inertial sensors. Ten research and two review papers, mainly on human movement, but also on the locomot...
Su Y, Zhu J, Salman S, Tang Y.The development of the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology has revolutionized the world on the establishment of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) across a great variety of animal species. Generation of iPSCs from domesticated animals would provide unrestricted cell resources for the study of embryonic development and cell differentiation of these species, for screening and establishing desired traits for sustainable agricultural production, and as veterinary and preclinical therapeutic tools for animal and human diseases. Induced PSCs from domesticated animals thus harbor enormous sc...
Vyniarska A, Ziółkowski H, Madej-Śmiechowska H, Jaroszewski JJ.The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of ivermectin and its antiparasitic activity in two horse breeds. Eight Hutsul and 14 Toric horses were administered ivermectin orally at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected for 96 hr, and faecal samples were collected one day before and on days 14 and 21 after drug administration. Ivermectin concentrations in plasma samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Ivermectin concentration was significantly higher in Toric than in Hutsul horses 90 min after ivermectin administration and was...
Vernemmen I, Vera L, Van Steenkiste G, van Loon G, Decloedt A.Echocardiographic reference intervals for Friesian horses are poorly described. Objective: To obtain reference intervals for echocardiographic measurements in Friesians and compare these with Warmbloods. Methods: One hundred healthy adult Friesians and 100 healthy adult Warmblood horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiographic images were obtained. Echocardiographic measurements, including size, area, and volumetric measurements of left atrium, left and right ventricle, aorta, and pulmonary artery, were performed. Measurements were compared between the 2 br...
Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Uchida-Fujii E, Nukada T.The incidence of equine proliferative enteropathy, caused by Lawsonia intracellularis, is increasing around the world. To investigate the relationships of variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) patterns with host species and clinical status in horses, multilocus VNTR analysis (MLVA) was applied to 98 L. intracellularis samples collected from horses, seven from pigs, seven from wildlife, one vaccine strain, and 17 public strains. The VNTR patterns were highly diverse: a total of 130 samples identified 99 distinct patterns, and the 98 horses were classified into 71 different patterns. A phylogen...
Alonso JM, Martins ES, Peccinini RG, Rosa GS, Guerra ST, Ribeiro MG, Santos B, García HDM, Watanabe MJ, Takahira RK, Rodrigues CA, Alves ALG....Intraperitoneal ceftriaxone administration in healthy horses results in high and prolonged peritoneal concentrations. Recent findings suggest that intraperitoneal ceftriaxone might increase survival rates in horses affected by peritonitis. The present study aimed to evaluate plasma and peritoneal concentrations of ceftriaxone after intraperitoneal administration in horses with septic peritonitis. Twenty-six horses presenting clinical, laboratorial, and sonographic findings compatible with the disease were included. All horses received daily intraperitoneal ceftriaxone (25 mg/kg bwt) in additi...
Bolwell CF, Rogers CW, Benschop J, Collins-Emerson JM, Adams B, Scarfe KR, Gee EK.A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of in a cohort of horses and to evaluate potential risk factors for seropositivity in horses in New Zealand. The convenience sample included 499 Thoroughbred racing and breeding horses from 25 commercial properties in North Island, New Zealand. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic data on horses and property-level information on grazing and management practices, pest (rodent) management, access to natural waterways, other livestock on the property, and possible contact with wildlife. The microscopic agglutinati...
Auty H, Mundy A, Fyumagwa RD, Picozzi K, Welburn S, Hoare R.Horses kept for recreational riding purposes by a wildlife tourism company in a heavily tsetse fly-infested region of north-western Tanzania were systematically monitored to investigate the occurrence, presentation and management of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis. During a 23-month period, 18 clinical cases were diagnosed (Trypanosoma brucei or Trypanosoma congolense were identified) and treated and trypanosomes were implicated of involvement in four deaths. Pyrexia consistently aided early detection (17 cases). Ataxia, weight loss and anaemia were seen in chronic cases and conferred a poor...
Akkutay AZ, Osterrieder N, Damiani A, Tischer BK, Borchers K, Alkan F.Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2) and EHV-5 are members of the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. The viruses are detected in horses with upper respiratory tract disease and are associated with low performance in racehorses. The aim of the current study was to use nested PCR to investigate the epidemiology of EHV-2 and EHV-5 in Arabian horse populations from breeding farms located in three different cities (Eskişehir, Malatya, and Bursa) in Turkey, using a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) with a TaqMan® minor-groove-binder (MGB) probe to detect EHV-5. Screening of blood and ocular and nasal swab...
Byström A, Roepstroff L, Geser-von Peinen K, Weishaupt MA, Rhodin M.Collection is a central term in equine dressage, defined as a shortening of the horse's stride length with retained energy and hind limb activity. How collection is induced by the rider has yet not been investigated objectively. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the movement pattern of high-level dressage riders between free trot (loose reins), passage and a range of three speeds in collected trot. Both at higher speed in collected trot and in passage, the rider's pelvis became more caudally rotated and the rider's lumbar back became more flexed. However, in passage there was also...
Mealey RH, Lee JH, Leib SR, Littke MH, McGuire TC.Although CTL are critical for control of lentiviruses, including equine infectious anemia virus, relatively little is known regarding the MHC class I molecules that present important epitopes to equine infectious anemia virus-specific CTL. The equine class I molecule 7-6 is associated with the equine leukocyte Ag (ELA)-A1 haplotype and presents the Env-RW12 and Gag-GW12 CTL epitopes. Some ELA-A1 target cells present both epitopes, whereas others are not recognized by Gag-GW12-specific CTL, suggesting that the ELA-A1 haplotype comprises functionally distinct alleles. The Rev-QW11 CTL epitope is...
Pinchbeck GL, Clegg PD, Boyde A, Riggs CM.Palmar/plantar osteochondral disease (POD) of the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (Mc/MtPh) joints is common in Thoroughbred racehorses, but there is little information on predilection sites, associated pathologies and clinical signs. Objective: To describe the distribution of POD at post mortem examination and to examine the association of POD with other pathologies and clinical histories. Methods: The Mc/MtPh joints of 102 Thoroughbred racehorses were examined post mortem. Gross pathology of associated osteochondral elements, suspensory ligament and flexor tendons was recorded. Clinical data w...
Dudhia J, Becerra P, Valdés MA, Neves F, Hartman NG, Smith RK.Recent advances in the application of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) for the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries in the horse suggest improved outcome measures in both experimental and clinical studies. Although the BMMSC are implanted into the tendon lesion in large numbers (usually 10 - 20 million cells), only a relatively small number survive (<10%) although these can persist for up to 5 months after implantation. This appears to be a common observation in other species where BMMSC have been implanted into other tissues and it is important to understand when this loss o...
Smedley RC, Earley ET, Galloway SS, Baratt RM, Rawlinson JE.Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a painful progressive condition of older horses that involves multiple teeth, including canines and incisors. EOTRH is uncommonly recognized by veterinary pathologists and in some cases may be misdiagnosed as cementoblastoma. The cause is unknown. The goals of this study were to describe the histopathologic features of EOTRH in 17 affected horses from the United States and to increase awareness of this condition. Samples ranged from affected tooth to the entire rostral mandible and maxilla. Affected teeth exhibited cemental h...
Dini P, El-Sheikh Ali H, Carossino M, C Loux S, Esteller-Vico A, E Scoggin K, Daels P, A Ball B.Equine chromosome 24 microRNA cluster (C24MC), the ortholog of human C14MC, is a pregnancy-related miRNA cluster. This cluster is believed to be implicated in embryonic, fetal, and placental development. The current study aimed to characterize the expression profile of this cluster in maternal circulation throughout equine gestation. The expression profile of miRNAs belonging to this cluster was analyzed in the serum of non-pregnant (diestrus), pregnant (25 d, 45 d, 4 mo, 6 mo, 10 mo), and postpartum mares. Among the miRNAs examined, 11 miRNAs were differentially expressed across the analyzed ...
Navarrete F, Saravia F, Cisterna G, Rojas F, Silva PP, Rodríguez-Alvarez L, Rojas D, Cabezas J, Mançanares ACF, Castro FO.Horse mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are potential anti-inflammatory tools for post-breeding induced endometritis (PBIE). In this research MSCs isolated from the endometrium or subcutaneous fat of the same donors were infused iu into mares with PBIE for assessment of their anti-inflammatory action and engraftment. PBIE was induced in nine gynecologically healthy mares by iu infusion of 500 million dead sperm in saline. Inflammatory markers were analyzed in uterine lavages and biopsies immediately before (phase I) and 3 h after infusion of sperm (phase II). Measurements: polymorph nuclear cells ...
Busschers E, Holt JP, Richardson DW.To determine effects of interleukin (IL)-1 beta and glucocorticoids on total glycosaminoglycan (GAG) loss and aggrecanase-mediated matrix degradation in equine cartilage. Methods: Cartilage from 24 equine cadavers free of sepsis and musculoskeletal disease. Methods: Effects of IL-1 beta, IL-1 beta with glucocorticoids (dexamethasone and triamcinolone, 10(-6) and 10(-7)M), and glucocorticoids alone on degradation of equine articular and nasal cartilage explants were assessed by measuring GAG release in media and GAG content in cartilage. Aggrecanase-mediated cleavage within the interglobular do...
Chapman HS, Gale AL, Dodson ME, Linardi RL, Ortved KF.Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) are being investigated for their potential in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, including tendon and ligament lesions, and cartilage lesions. Culture expansion of cells has traditionally been performed in medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS), however, concerns regarding the antigenicity and potential viral or prion contamination of FBS have prompted interest in alternative medium supplements. Platelet lysate (PL) contains elevated concentrations of growth factors, including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), pla...
Horn R, Bertin FR.The thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test and the 2-step insulin sensitivity test are commonly used methods to diagnose, respectively, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and insulin dysregulation (ID). Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of combining the TRH stimulation test and the 2-step insulin sensitivity test to diagnose PPID and ID simultaneously. Methods: Twenty-seven adult horses, 10 control horses without PPID or ID, 5 horses with PPID only, 5 horses with ID only, and 7 horses with PPID and ID. Methods: Randomized prospective study. Horses underwent...
Lepage OM, Carstanjen B, Uebelhart D.This paper summarizes traditional and current methods of non-invasive assessment of bone in the horse. The description and potential clinical utility of two non-invasive technologies with major development in the last decade are presented, namely, (1) serum biochemical markers for bone turnover and (2) quantitative ultrasound. Serum biochemical markers of bone formation valid in horses are osteocalcin, carboxy-terminal peptide of type I procollagen and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase. The cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen c-telopeptides of type I collagen and tota...
Kingston JK, Bayly WM, Sellon DC, Meyers KM, Wardrop KJ.To investigate the effects of sodium citrate, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on aggregation, fibrinogen binding, and enumeration of equine platelets. Methods: Blood samples obtained from 4 Thoroughbreds. Methods: Blood was collected into syringes in the ratio of 9 parts blood:1 part anticoagulant. Anticoagulants used were sodium citrate, LMWH, sodium citrate and LMWH, or 300 nM PGE1/ml of anticoagulant. Platelet aggregation in response to ADP, collagen, and PGE1 was assessed, using optical aggregometry. Platelet activation was evaluated, using flow cytometry, ...
Yamanaka T, Cullinane A, Gildea S, Bannai H, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T.The protection induced by an equine influenza (EI) vaccine strain depends on its antigenic relatedness to the challenge virus. Although the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recommend that both Florida sublineage clade 1 (Fc1) and clade 2 (Fc2) viruses should be included in EI vaccines, Japanese EI vaccines have not, thus far, been updated to include a Fc2 virus. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of antibodies raised against Japanese EI vaccine strains in the neutralisation of recent Fc2 viruses. Methods: Antigenic analysis. Methods: Virus neutralisation tests were performed using a...
Cassano JM, Fortier LA, Hicks RB, Harman RM, Van de Walle GR.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have the therapeutic potential to decrease inflammation due to their immunomodulatory properties. They can be isolated from various tissue sources such as bone marrow, adipose tissue, and blood, but it is unknown how the tissue source of origin affects the responses of MSC to inflammatory stimuli. Here, we conceptually addressed this question by evaluating the immune-related gene expression profiles of equine MSC from different tissue sources in response to interferon gamma (IFN-γ) stimulation, with the goal to determine if there is a preferable MSC source for ...
Darnaud SJ, Southwood LL, Aceto HW, Stefanovski D, Tomassone L, Zarucco L.It is our clinical impression that age and incision length are more strongly associated with surgical site infection (SSI) following colic surgery than skin closure or wound protection method. Therefore, the objective of this observational clinical cohort study was to identify the risks for SSI in horses undergoing colic surgery. Data collection included pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables. Variables with P < 0.2 following univariable analysis were used in a logistic regression multivariable model. Variables with P <0.05 were included in the final model. Odds ratios (OR; 95% confid...
Mendez-Angulo JL, Mudge MC, Vilar-Saavedra P, Stingle N, Couto CG.To evaluate the use of citrated recalcified (nonactivated) thromboelastography (TEG) in healthy horses and horses with colitis and suspected coagulopathies. Methods: Prospective, observational study conducted between October 2007 and June 2009. Methods: Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Methods: Forty-five healthy adult horses and 12 sick adult horses with colitis and prolonged prothrombin time (PT) or activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Methods: None. Results: Whole blood was collected on admission. Coagulation profile (PT, aPTT, platelet count, and fibrinogen concentration) and citrate...
Johnson AL, McAdams-Gallagher SC, Aceto H.The laboratory diagnosis of botulism in horses traditionally has relied upon the mouse bioassay (MBA). The accuracy of this test for the diagnosis of botulism in horses is unknown. Objective: Our goal was to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the MBA on laboratory-processed fecal and gastrointestinal samples for foals and adult horses. Methods: Cases included all horses with a final clinical diagnosis of botulism that were admitted between 1986 and 2011 and had MBA testing performed. Controls included horses without botulism that...
Regan FH, Hockenhull J, Pritchard JC, Waterman-Pearson AE, Whay HR.To identify pain-related behaviour in working donkeys in order to assist their owners and veterinarians to recognise and manage pain. Objective: To identify general and specific behaviours associated with pain or its relief using a trial with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam (Metacam). Methods: Observer-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Forty adult male working donkeys with common clinical abnormalities were randomly assigned to receive either a single loading dose of meloxicam (1.2 mg/kg bwt per os; n = 20) or a placebo (30 mg honey/250 ml water per os; n = 20...
Christensen JW, Ahrendt LP, Malmkvist J, Nicol C.The mechanisms underlying individual variation in learning are key to understanding the development of cognitive abilities. In humans and primates, curiosity has been suggested as an important intrinsic factor that enhances learning, whereas in domesticated species research has primarily identified factors with a negative effect on cognitive abilities, such as stress and fearfulness. This study presents the first evidence of a link between object-directed curiosity and learning performance in young horses in two very different learning tasks (visual discrimination and pressure-release). We exp...
Bundgaard L, Åhrman E, Malmström J, Auf dem Keller U, Walters M, Jacobsen S.The objectives of this study was to establish a sensitive and reproducible method to map the cartilage and subchondral bone proteomes in quantitative terms, and mine the proteomes for proteins of particular interest in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). The horse was used as a model animal. Protein was extracted from articular cartilage and subchondral bone samples from three horses in triplicate by pressure cycling technology or ultrasonication. Digested proteins were analysed by data independent acquisition based mass spectrometry. Data was processed using a pre-established spectral li...
Jørgensen E, Lazzarini G, Pirone A, Jacobsen S, Miragliotta V.Information on microscopic anatomy of equine skin is sparse. In horses, limb wounds often become chronic and/or non-healing whereas body wounds heal normally. These dissimilarities in healing patterns might be a product of different phenotypic characteristics of body and limb skin. The objective of this study was to investigate microscopic anatomy, epidermal thickness, keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation as well as the presence of mast cells in normal equine skin of body and limb. Methods: The study involved body and limb skin biopsies from six horses. Histological characteristics o...
Ford JE, Home WA, Gibson DM.Horse Ig kappa genes have been characterized to determine whether there may be a structural basis for the low level of kappa expression in this species. The overall organization of the J kappa-C kappa locus is remarkably similar to that of the mouse and human loci. A single C kappa exon is separated by 2.9 kb from five J kappa segments, four of which seem functional and three of which are associated with canonical recombination signal sequences. A highly conserved intron enhancer was identified upstream of the C kappa exon and a single restriction fragment in horse genomic DNA hybridized stron...
Whalley JM, Ruitenberg KM, Sullivan K, Seshadri L, Hansen K, Birch D, Gilkerson JR, Wellington JE.Equine herpesviruses 1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4) cause equine respiratory disease worldwide. However, only EHV-1 is a cause of abortion and neurological disease, despite the two viruses having all 76 genes in common. In addition EHV-1 has a broader host range in cell culture than EHV-4, as exemplified by the rabbit kidney (RK) cell line that is permissive for EHV-1, but not for EHV-4. Here we describe that when EHV-4 produced in equine cells was inoculated onto RK cells expressing glycoprotein D of EHV-1 (RKgD1), infection developed as clusters of rounded cells, and this infectivity could be pas...
Bleumink-Pluym NM, Werdler ME, Houwers DJ, Parlevliet JM, Colenbrander B, van der Zeijst BA.A PCR for the detection of Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of contagious equine metritis, was developed and evaluated. A genus-specific primer-probe set was derived from the 16S ribosomal DNA sequences. The PCR was specific and amplified a 585-bp product from all 64 available T. equigenitalis isolates. This PCR product hybridized with a specific probe in a dot spot assay. A variety of microorganisms from the genital tracts of horses or with a close phylogenetic relationship to T. equigenitalis did not yield a visible PCR product and were all negative in the dot spot hybridization...
Stepnik CT, Outerbridge CA, White SD, Kass PH.This retrospective study reports on the clinical presentation of equine atopic skin disease and evaluates response to treatment with allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) based on intradermal testing and/or serum testing. Computerized medical records from January 1991 to December 2008 yielded 54 horses included in the study. Presenting clinical signs (CS) included urticaria (n=28), pruritus (n=8) or both (n=18). Forty-one of 54 horses received ASIT, and response to ASIT (n=32) was evaluated via telephone survey. Eighty-four per cent (n=27) of owners reported that ASIT reduced their horse's CS...
Hermanson JW.The extensor carpi radialis muscle of the horse is deceptive at first appearance. It has a fusiform shape similar to other forearm extensor muscles. The fiber arrangement also appears long and relatively parallel. However, it may contain two or more compartments that correlate with differing functional roles. Histochemical and immunocytochemical analysis of proximal and distal regions of the muscle (n = 9) demonstrate that the proximal portion of the muscle is composed of a mean of 13% type I, presumed slow twitch, and 61% type IIb, presumed fast twitch fibers. In contrast, the distal compartm...
Meredith D, Elser AH, Wolf B, Soma LR, Donawick WJ, Lazary S.Frequencies of equine leukocyte antigen distribution were determined by complement-mediated cytotoxicity testing among populations of Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses, including animals affected with equine sarcoid and laminitis. A highly significant association is described between the presence or history of sarcoid lesions in Thoroughbreds and the expression of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded antigens, W3 and B1. No association was found between antigenic expression frequencies and laminitis in either breed. These findings suggest that a strong relationship exists betw...
