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.
Canesin HS, Ortiz I, Rocha Filho AN, Salgado RM, Brom-de-Luna JG, Hinrichs K.Equine embryo vitrification is still not a well-established technique in equine practice. Notably, little work has been done on the effect of the warming system on viability of vitrified embryos. Our goal was to evaluate the effect of warming without cryoprotectants on in vitro - produced (IVP) embryo viability in culture, quality assessment parameters, and pregnancy after transfer. Equine IVP blastocysts were vitrified using commercial embryo vitrification media and a semi-closed vitrification device. In Exp. 1, we evaluated two warming temperatures (room temperature, RT, ∼22 °C; and 38Â...
J Lacy K, Parlane NA, Riley CB, Gee EK, Roberts JM, McIlwraith CW.CellTrace Violetâ„¢ is a commonly used fluorescent dye used with flow cytometry to identify cell proliferation. Activated equine lymphocytes were examined using flow cytometry, microscopy and tritiated thymidine proliferation assays. CellTrace Violetâ„¢ was incorporated into the equine lymphocytes effectively. Equine lymphocytes proliferated when activated with pokeweed mitogen, but did not proliferate when previously stained with CellTrace Violetâ„¢. Serial dilutions of CellTrace Violetâ„¢ did not eliminate the inhibition of activated lymphocytes. Equine lymphocyte viability was greater than ...
Krueger CR, Hackett ES, Hess AM, Mama KR.To compare the Element point-of-care (POC) portable blood gas analyzer with a laboratory-based bench-top reference analyzer using whole blood samples obtained from horses presenting to a referral center with various disorders in order to determine agreement between these analyzers. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: The study was conducted at a university teaching hospital at moderate altitude. Methods: One hundred paired samples from 80 horses >1 year of age were collected after obtaining informed client consent. Fifty paired samples were from patients admitted for elective pro...
Braucke AFGV, Frederiksen NL, Berg LC, Aarsvold S, Müller FC, Boesen MP, Lindegaard C.Joint pain and osteoarthritis (OA) are some of the most common causes of lameness in horses, and most of the available treatments focus on symptomatic relief without a disease-modifying effect. TRPV1 is a potential target for treating joint diseases, including OA, and the present study aims to investigate if the TRPV1 receptor is present in equine articular tissue and determine whether the number of receptors is upregulated in joint inflammation. Metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joints from 15 horses euthanised for reasons unrelated to this study were included. Based on synovial fluid a...
Kakas R, Stockdale S, Carr A.The research article discusses a case study of a young boxer diagnosed with septic physitis of the humerus, and the MRI findings observed which assisted in identifying the condition. Introduction […]
De Coster T, Velez DA, Van Soom A, Woelders H, Smits K.Invitro embryo production has evolved rapidly in the horse over the past decade, but blastocyst rates from vitrified equine oocytes remain quite poor and further research is needed to warrant application. Oocyte vitrification is affected by several technical and biological factors. In the horse, short exposure of immature oocytes to the combination of permeating and non-permeating cryoprotective agents has been associated with the best results so far. High cooling and warming rates are also crucial and can be obtained by using minimal volumes and open cryodevices. Vitrification of invivo-matur...
Wilkołek P, Szczepanik M, Rodzik B, Sitkowski W, Pluta M, Taszkun I, Gołyński M.Intradermal tests (IDTs) and measurement of specific immunoglobulin E class (sIgE) levels in sera are the most common and reliable methods used in allergological clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the sensitization of pollen allergy in atopic horses with pollinosis and to assess the diagnostic value of the multiple allergen simultaneous tests (MASTs) compared with that of the IDT. Twenty-one Malopolski horses with typical skin hypersensitivity symptoms during pollen seasons were enrolled. Intradermal tests were performed, and allergen-specific IgE concentrations in ser...
Santos RG, Hurtado R, Gomes LGR, Profeta R, Rifici C, Attili AR, Spier SJ, Mazzullo G, Morais-Rodrigues F, Gomide ACP, Brenig B, Gala-GarcÃa A....Bacteria of the genusGlutamicibacterare considered ubiquitous because they can be found in soil, water and air. They have already been isolated from different habitats, including different types of soil, clinical samples, cheese and plants. Glutamicibacter creatinolyticus is a Gram-positive bacterium important to various biotechnological processes, however, as a pathogen it is associated to urinary tract infections and bacteremia. Recently,Glutamicibacter creatinolyticusLGCM 259 was isolated from a mare, which displayed several diffuse subcutaneous nodules with heavy vascularization. In this s...
Claes A, Cuervo-Arango J, Colleoni S, Lazzari G, Galli C, Stout TA.The success of invitro embryo production (IVEP) in horses has increased considerably during recent years, but little is known about the effect of the speed of invitro embryo development. Blastocysts (n=390) were produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection of IVM oocytes from warmblood mares, cryopreserved, thawed and transferred into recipient mares on Days 3, 4, 5 or 6 after ovulation. The time required for invitro-produced (IVP) embryos to reach the blastocyst stage was recorded (Day 7 vs Day 8). The likelihood of foaling was affected by the speed of invitro embryo development and recipient...
Alloway E, Linder K, May S, Rose T, DeLay J, Bender S, Tucker A, Luff J.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common neoplasm of the equine stomach. However, the mechanisms underlying malignant transformation are unknown. As papillomavirus-2 (EcPV-2) is a likely cause of some genital SCCs, we hypothesized that EcPV-2 is associated with a subset of equine gastric SCCs. To this aim, we performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH) for EcPV-2 E6/ E7 oncogenes on 11 gastric SCCs and on gastric samples from 15 control horses with no SCC. PCR for EcPV-2 was positive in 7/11 (64%) gastric SCCs; non-SCC gastric samples were all negative. I...
Coleman MC, Whitfield-Cargile C, Cohen ND, Goldsby JL, Davidson L, Chamoun-Emanuelli AM, Ivanov I, Eades S, Ing N, Chapkin RS.Evaluating the health and function of the gastrointestinal tract can be challenging in all species, but is especially difficult in horses due to their size and length of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Isolation of mRNA of cells exfoliated from the GI mucosa into feces (i.e., the exfoliome) offers a novel means of non-invasively examining the gene expression profile of the GI mucosa. This approach has been utilized in people with colorectal cancer. Moreover, we have utilized this approach in a murine model of GI inflammation and demonstrated that the exfoliome reflects the tissue transcriptom...
Cunneen A, Wood KA, Mathison K, Herndon AM, Bertin FR.Blood glucose is tightly regulated in horses; however, since hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia are associated with poor prognosis, close monitoring is warranted. This study aimed at evaluating a continuous indwelling glucometer (CIG) by comparing performance with a point-of-care glucometer (POC). Ten horses were equipped with CIG and an intravenous catheter. Interstitial glucose concentrations were determined by CIG every 5 min at rest, during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia and dextrose-induced hyperglycaemia, and compared with blood glucose determined by POC. Glucose concentrations were compa...
Chambers TM.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is a common respiratory pathogen of horses and other equids in most parts of the world. EIV are Type A influenza viruses and two subtypes are known: H3N8 and H7N7. Both are believed to have evolved from avian influenza virus ancestors. The H3N8 subtype circulates widely, but the H7N7 subtype is thought to be extinct. The clinical disease in horses, caused by either subtype, is an upper respiratory infection of varying severity depending upon the immune status of the individual animal. It is not normally life-threatening in itself except in very young foals; however...
Balasuriya UBR.Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious disease of horses caused by the equine influenza virus (EIV) H3N8 subtype. EI is the most important respiratory virus infection of horses and can disrupt major equestrian events and cause significant economic losses to the equine industry worldwide. Influenza H3N8 virus spreads rapidly in susceptible horses and can result in very high morbidity within 24-48Â h after exposure to the virus. Therefore, rapid and accurate diagnosis of EI is critical for implementation of prevention and control measures to avoid the spread of EIV and to reduce the econom...
Shipman E, Burford JH, Bowen M, Duz M.Teaching and learning how to perform examination of the ocular fundus is challenging. Smartphones can support to enhance students' confidence and experience. Following an optional year-4 ophthalmoscopy practical using hand-held ophthalmoscopes, students completed a questionnaire using a visual analogue scale (VAS) investigating if students felt smartphone use aided learning and if student's self-assessed confidence in visualising the ocular fundus had improved. VAS scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test (significance: P<0.05). All 30 year-4 students attending the practic...
Guedes A, Knych H, Tucker L, Almeida DC, Baldo CF, Wendt-Hornickle E, Allweiler S.This study determined the pharmacokinetics and compared the clinical effects of xylazine and dexmedetomidine in horses recovering from isoflurane anesthesia. Six healthy horses aged 8.5 ± 3 years and weighing 462 ± 50 kg were anesthetized with isoflurane for 2 hr under standard conditions on two occasions one-week apart. In recovery, horses received 200 μg/kg xylazine or 0.875 μg/kg dexmedetomidine intravenously and were allowed to recover without assistance. These doses were selected because they have been used for postanesthetic sedation in clinical and research studies. Serial ...
Grzeskowiak RM, Schumacher J, Mulon PY, Steiner RC, Cassone L, Anderson DE.Rostral laryngeal advancement, also known as laryngeal tie-forward, is used to treat horses for intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate and has a morbidity rate of about 6%. We hypothesized that a novel laryngeal clamp would prevent morbidity associated with the sutures tearing through the thyroid cartilage. Larynges (n = 35 horses) were used for ex vivo testing. For uniaxial testing, 15 equine larynges were tested in one of three laryngeal tie-forward constructs [standard laryngeal tie-forward; modified laryngeal tie-forward using a suture-button; and modified laryngeal tie-forwar...
Terzi A, Gallo N, Bettini S, Sibillano T, Altamura D, Madaghiele M, De Caro L, Valli L, Salvatore L, Sannino A, Giannini C.Collagen represents one of the most widely used biomaterial for scaffolds fabrication in tissue engineering as it represents the mechanical support of natural tissues. It also provides physical scaffolding for cells and it influences their attachment, growth, and tissue regeneration. Among all fibrillary collagens, type I is considered one of the gold standard for scaffolds fabrication, thanks to its high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and hemostatic properties. It can be extracted by chemical and enzymatic protocols from several collagen-rich tissues, such as tendon and skin, of differen...
Tzelos T, Geyer KK, Mitchell MC, McWilliam HEG, Kharchenko VO, Burgess STG, Matthews JB.Cyathostomins are ubiquitous parasitic nematodes of horses. These worms spend substantial periods as intestinal wall stage encysted larvae, which can comprise up to 90% of the total burden. Several million larvae have been reported in individuals. Emergence of these larvae from the gut wall can lead to life-threatening colitis. Faecal egg count tests, increasingly used by horse owners to inform anthelmintic treatments, do not correlate with the intra-host burden of cyathostomins; this represents a key gap in the diagnostic toolbox. Previously, a cyathostomin Gut Associated Larval Antigen was i...
Wang J, Qiu J, Xiao H, Gong X, Sun P, Li J, Zhang S, Cao X.The pharmacokinetic properties of three formulations of vitacoxib were investigated in horses. To describe plasma concentrations and characterize the pharmacokinetics, 6 healthy adult Chinese Mongolian horses were administered a single dose of 0.1Â mg/kg bodyweight intravenous (i.v.), oral paste, or oral tablet vitacoxib in a 3-way, randomized, parallel design. Blood samples were collected prior to and at various times up to 72Â hr postadministration. Plasma vitacoxib concentrations were quantified using UPLC-MS/MS, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental analysis...
McKinney CA, Oliveira BCM, Bedenice D, Paradis MR, Mazan M, Sage S, Sanchez A, Widmer G.Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT), a treatment for certain gastrointestinal conditions associated with dysbiosis in people, is also empirically employed in horses with colitis. This study used microbiota high-throughput sequencing to compare the fecal microbial profile of healthy horses to that of geriatric microbial transplant recipients experiencing diarrhea and tested whether FMT restores microbiota diversity. To evaluate the effect of environment and donor characteristics on the intestinal microbiota, fecal samples were collected per rectum from 15 healthy young-adult (2-12 years) and ...
Lu G, Wu L, Ou J, Li S.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) was first reported in a horse that died of equine serum hepatitis in the USA in 2018, and was determined having a strong association with equine serum hepatitis in the following studies. As a newly discovered virus, the genomic sequences of only seven EqPV-H strains have been reported. Considering this, an epidemiological study was performed to investigate the prevalence of EqPV-H in equines in Guangdong Province in China, and obtain genomic sequences of the field prevalent EqPV-H strains. The detection rate of EqPV-H was finally determined to be 8.33% (95%...
Allen WRT, Wilsher S.Early embryo transfer in equids was undertaken simultaneously in the early 1970s in Cambridge, England, and Kyoto, Japan. Both groups achieved limited success when flushing the uterine horn ipsilateral to the side of ovulation but the rates improved markedly when the whole uterus was flushed on realization of the continued movement of the embryo throughout the uterine lumen after day 6. Initial transfers of embryos to recipient mares were carried out surgically, but nonsurgical transfer via the cervix has been used subsequently with increasing success, culminating in pregnancy rates of 75%-90%...
Couetil LL, Thompson CA.Indications for bronchoalveolar lavage, tracheal wash, and thoracocentesis for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases are discussed. Each technique is described in detail and illustrated by videos. Sample handling, preparation and evaluation are reviewed. The advantages and limitations of bronchoalveolar lavage and tracheal wash procedures as well as a critical comparison between the 2 techniques for equine asthma diagnosis are presented. Finally, validated cut-off values for equine asthma diagnosis are reviewed.
Slovis NM, Browne N, Bozorgmanesh R.Point-of-care testing (POCT) refers to benchtop diagnostic modalities that have been translated into portable and easy-to-use formats suitable for patient-side use. Recent advances in diagnostic technology have allowed the development of a growing collection of POCT assays available to equine practitioners. Advantages include rapid results that reduce initial guesswork and promote diagnosis-targeted patient care, which may ultimately provide better clinical outcomes. Small handheld devices comprise most POCT technologies, providing qualitative or quantitative determination of an increasing ran...
Barton MH, Hart KA.The dynamic physiologic changes and unique diet during the neonatal period contribute to key differences in clinicopathologic test results of healthy foals relative to healthy adult horses. When reporting results, most diagnostic laboratories only provide reference intervals for mature horses. Thus, failure to recognize the unique differences that occur in foals relative to adult horses can lead to erroneous interpretation of neonatal clinical pathologic values. Thus, the main objective of this article was to review distinct features of common clinicopathologic tests in foals, relative to matu...
Noll LW, Stoy CPA, Wang Y, Porter EG, Lu N, Liu X, Burklund A, Peddireddi L, Hanzlicek G, Henningson J, Chengappa MM, Bai J.Streptococcus equi subsp. equi is a Gram positive bacterial pathogen commonly associated with strangles in horses, a respiratory disease characterized by abscessation of submandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes which can lead to obstruction of the airway. Several real-time PCR (qPCR) assays have been developed for detection of S. equi from horses with many targeting conserved regions of the S. equi cell wall-associated M-protein (SeM), a major virulence factor and immunogen of S. equi. Our objective was to develop a nested PCR (nPCR) targeting SeM and an 18S rRNA internal control gene for...
Nakamura M, Tozaki T, Kakoi H, Nakamura K, Rajabi-Toustani R, Ohba Y, Matsubara T, Takasu M.The Kiso horse is native to Japan and is on the verge of extinction. Here, we used microsatellites to characterize changes in their genetic diversity over time. We divided a population of Kiso horses that genotyped during 2007-2017 into three groups based on birth year: Group 1, 1980-1998 (70 horses); Group 2, 1999-2007 (61 horses); and Group 3, 2008-2017 (42 horses). We genotyped 31 microsatellites to calculate average number of alleles, observed heterozygosity, and expected heterozygosity. All indicators decreased across age groups. The results indicate that Kiso horses have been experiencin...
Souza JRM, Gonçalves PBD, Bertolin K, Ferreira R, Ribeiro ASS, Ribeiro DB, Rechsteiner SMDEF, Araújo RR, Pimentel CA, Pimentel AMH.The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation of age and heat cycle to determine reproductive efficiency in young and aged Thoroughbred mares bred on foal heat (FH) or on second heat (SH) after foaling. Embryo mortality (EmbM) was determined every time a mare was found open after a positive pregnancy diagnosis. Parturition to breeding interval, pregnancy rate (PregR) and EmbM rate were the dependent variables and the treatments were breeding on the FH or on SH. The cutoff age to obtain above-average probability for the EmbM was 10 years old. PregR in mares bred on FH was lower ...
Sun WC, Moore JN, Hurley DJ, Vandenplas ML, Linden J, Cao Z, Murray TF.Adenosine is an endogenous nucleoside that regulates many physiological processes by activating one or more adenosine receptor subtypes, namely A1, A2A, A2B and A3. The results of previous studies indicate that adenosine analogues inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by equine neutrophils primarily through activation of A2A receptors. Because peripheral blood monocytes produce cytokines that are responsible for many of the deleterious effects of LPS, the current study was performed to evaluate the effects of an array of novel adenosine receptor a...
Oriol JG, Betteridge KJ, Clarke AJ, Sharom FJ.The equine embryonic capsule replaces the zona pellucida and envelopes the conceptus during the second and third weeks of pregnancy. Although this capsule was described more than 100 years ago, its molecular structure has not been characterized. Here we present evidence that the glycoprotein(s) of the equine capsule resembles those of the mucin glycoprotein family. The resistance of the capsule to chemical and enzymatic solubilization was confirmed, and, as in mucins, protein constituted only 35-40% of its total dry mass. Determination of the sugar composition of the capsule using colorimetric...
Marti E, Gerber H, Lazary S.The horses studied were of the Swiss Warmblood breed and most were ELA-typed to assess a possible association of dermal hypersensitivity to insect bites with the major histocompatibility complex. Firstly, the occurrence of the condition was examined in 304 half-siblings sired by six stallions (A to F). Fourteen cases of dermal hypersensitivity were recognized and all were in the 153 offspring of Stallions C, E and F. Most animals of this group were also investigated for chronic hypersensitivity bronchitis: none of the sires displayed clinical signs of dermal hypersensitivity, but Stallions D, ...
Bergero D, Nery J.The concept 'liver disease' includes several pathological conditions affecting liver's functions. It can either consist of a temporary impaired functioning of the liver and/or it can progress to its failure. The purpose of this review is to update the knowledge on hepatobiliary diseases and in particular on equine hyperlipaemia. Hepatobiliary disease's aetiology, clinical signs, diagnosis and nutritional management are thus described in the first part of the review the second part being devoted to hyperlypaemia's lipid metabolism, epidemiology, clinical signs, post-mortem observations and nutr...
Ikadai H, Nagai A, Xuan X, Igarashi I, Tsugihiko K, Tsuji N, Oyamada T, Suzuki N, Fujisaki K.Antibodies to Babesia caballi and Babesia equi were examined on a total of 2,019 horse serum samples that had been collected in 1971-1973 by the National Institute of Animal Health by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using recombinant proteins and by Western-blot analysis. Based on the criterion for positivity by ELISA, 5.4% (109/2,019) and 2.2% (44/2,019) had antibodies against B. caballi and B. equi, respectively. The ELISA-positive sera were further examined by Western blot; 30/109 for B. caballi and 2/ 44 for B. equi were positive for native B. caballi or B. equi, but none of them...
Fowden AL, Forhead AJ, Ousey JC.Delivery of viable young requires co-ordination of fetal maturation with the onset of labour at term. In turn, this depends on a cascade of fetal and maternal endocrine events. The sequence of these events is broadly similar in most mammals but there are differences in placental hormone synthesis and in the timing and magnitude of key prepartum endocrine changes between species. In most farm animals, maternal progesterone (P4) levels decline and oestrogen levels increase in the last 5 - 10 days before delivery in response to activation of the fetal hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and ...
Varner DD, Blanchard TL, Love CL, Garcia MC, Kenney RM.Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of semen fractionation and dilution ratio on motility parameters of stallion spermatozoa. In Experiment 1, three ejaculates from each of three stallions were divided into sperm-rich (SR) and sperm-poor (SP) fractions to determine the difference in sperm concentration. Mean sperm concentration in SR fractions (349.5 x 10(6)/ml) was greater (P < 0.001) than that of SP fractions (96.9 x 10(6)/ml). In Experiment 2, three ejaculates from each of two stallions were divided into SR and SP fractions. Fifty percent of the original volume of SR fract...
Allen PZ, Glode M, Schneerson R, Robbins JB.Hyperimmune horse serum from a single animal (horse 46) immunized with group B (strain B-11) meningococcal vaccine provides a standardized, readily available diagnostic reagent used in primary isolation medium and for serogrouping of meningococci. Identification of the heavy-chain isotypes of specific anticapsular polysaccharide and anti-lipopolysaccharide isolated from horse 46 serum revealed a differential distribution in the occurrence of immunoglobulin classes. Meningococcal anticapsular antibodies of horse 46 serum were restricted predominately to the immunoglobulin M (IgM) class, with on...
Bischofberger AS, Dart CM, Perkins NR, Dart AJ.To determine the effect of manuka honey on second-intention healing of contaminated, full-thickness skin wounds in horses. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Adult Standardbred horses (n = 8). Methods: One wound was created on the dorsomedial aspect of the third metacarpus in both forelimbs, contaminated with feces, and bandaged for 24 hours. Bandages were removed and wounds rinsed with isotonic saline solution. Wounds on 1 limb had manuka honey applied daily (n = 8) whereas wounds on the contralateral limb received no treatment (n = 8). Bandages were replaced and changed daily for 12 days, after...
Dunowska M, Holloway SA, Wilks CR, Meers J.Seventeen New Zealand isolates of equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) were compared to the Australian prototype strain. PCR primers were designed to amplify EHV-5 glycoprotein B (gB) gene, and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) was used to detect differences between cloned PCR products. EHV-5 isolates from different horses showed a high degree of heterogeneity. However, EHV-5 isolates from individual horses remained homogeneous when examined over a period of time or isolated from different sites. A single EHV-5 gB RFLP profile was detected in isolates from each individual horse but one. ...
Buchner HH, Obermüller S, Scheidl M.The body centre of mass (BCM) is a key factor in the analysis of equine gait, as its position and movement determines the distribution and magnitude of loads on the limbs. Changes in the BCM movement are proposed to be important factors in the lameness management of horses. In this study, changes in the position and the 3-dimensional (3-D) movement of the BCM in horses with induced forelimb lameness were studied using a kinematic, segmental method. The kinematics of 30 markers representing 20 body segments were recorded in 12 horses while trotting (3.9 m/s) on a treadmill using a high speed vi...
McKellar QA, Varma KJ.Florfenicol was administered to horses and ponies at a dose rate of 22 mg/kg bwt by i.v., i.m. and oral routes. Following i.v. administration it had an elimination half-life of 1.8 ± 0.9 h, a body clearance of 0.4 ± 0.11/h.kg and a volume of distribution at steady-state of 0.7 ± 0.2 1/kg. It was highly bioavailable following i.m. (81%) and oral (83%) administration. Less than 15% of the administered dose was excreted unchanged in the urine during the 30 h following administration. Animals treated with florfenicol had elevated bilirubin concentrations. Florfenicol was well tolerated by anima...
Estberg L, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Johnson BJ, Jack RA, Case JT, Ardans A, Read DH, Anderson ML, Barr BC, Daft BM, Kinde H, Moore J, Stoltz J, Woods L.To investigate relationships of several racehorse characteristics and race conditions with risk of a catastrophic musculoskeletal injury (CMI) resulting in euthanasia in Thoroughbreds during racing in California in 1992. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: Thoroughbreds that incurred CMI during racing and all California race entrants in 1992. Methods: Necropsy records were reviewed, and race start information was obtained. Incidence risk of CMI/1,000 race entrants was estimated. Relationships between CMI during racing and race-meet, entrant age and sex, race type and length, an...
Ehrich M, Perry BD, Troutt HF, Dellers RW, Magnusson RA.Fecal specimens from horses in Montgomery County, Md, and in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, Va, were examined for Clostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin and for C difficile cytotoxin (92 and 108 specimens, respectively). The toxins were found in feces from horses that had experienced an acute diarrhea syndrome and from clinically normal horses. The toxins did not appear to be primary determinants of the diarrhea syndrome, although they may have contributed to the spectrum of clinical entities observed.
Holmes MA, Townsend HG, Kohler AK, Hussey S, Breathnach C, Barnett C, Holland R, Lunn DP.Horses are commonly vaccinated to protect against pathogens which are responsible for diseases which are endemic within the general horse population, such as equine influenza virus (EIV) and equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), and against a variety of diseases which are less common but which lead to greater morbidity and mortality, such as eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (EEE) and tetanus. This study consisted of two trials which investigated the antigenicity of commercially available vaccines licensed in the USA to protect against EIV, EHV-1 respiratory disease, EHV-1 abortion, EEE and tetan...
Dabareiner RM, Cohen ND, Carter GK, Nunn S, Moyer W.To identify types of musculoskeletal problems associated with lameness or poor performance in horses used for barrel racing. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 118 horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for information on signalment, history, physical and lameness examination findings, diagnostic tests performed, diagnosis, and treatment. Results: Most horses were examined because of lameness (n = 72 [61%]) rather than poor performance (46 [39%]), but owner complaint was not significantly associated with age or body weight of the horse. The most common performance change was ...
Butcher MT, Hermanson JW, Ducharme NG, Mitchell LM, Soderholm LV, Bertram JE.The forelimb digital flexors of the horse display remarkable diversity in muscle architecture despite each muscle-tendon unit having a similar mechanical advantage across the fetlock joint. We focus on two distinct muscles of the digital flexor system: short compartment deep digital flexor (DDF(sc)) and the superficial digital flexor (SDF). The objectives were to investigate force-length behavior and work performance of these two muscles in vivo during locomotion, and to determine how muscle architecture contributes to in vivo function in this system. We directly recorded muscle force (via ten...
Cardwell JM, Wood JL, Smith KC, Newton JR.Rates of airway inflammation in young racehorses decrease with time but it is not clear whether this is associated with increasing age or time exposed to the training environment. The structure of the British National Hunt (NH) population allowed closer examination of this relationship. Objective: To compare rates of inflammatory airway disease diagnosed by tracheal sampling (trIAD), and its components, in NH racehorses by age and training history and with published rates in young racehorses. Methods: A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted on 5 NH yards over 2 years. Period sample pre...
Henson FM, Getgood AM, Caborn DM, McIlwraith CW, Rushton N.To investigate effects of 1% hyaluronic acid-chondroitin sulfate-N-acetyl glucosamine (HCNAG) on the damage repair response in equine articular cartilage. Methods: Articular cartilage from 9 clinically normal adult horses. Methods: Full-thickness cartilage disks were harvested from the third metacarpal bone. Cartilage was single-impact loaded (SIL) with 0.175 J at 0.7 m/s and cultured in DMEM plus 1 % (vol/vol) HCNAG or fibroblastic growth factor (FGF)-2 (50 ng/mL). Histologic and immunohistochemical techniques were used to identify tissue architecture and apoptotic cells and to immunolocalize...
Degroote RL, Hauck SM, Kremmer E, Amann B, Ueffing M, Deeg CA.The molecular mechanism which enables activated immune cells to cross the blood-retinal barrier in spontaneous autoimmune uveitis is yet to be unraveled. Equine recurrent uveitis is the only spontaneous animal model allowing us to investigate the autoimmune mediated transformation of leukocytes in the course of this sight threatening disease. Hypothesizing that peripheral blood immune cells change their protein expression pattern in spontaneous autoimmune uveitis, we used DIGE to detect proteins with altered abundance comparing peripheral immune cells of healthy and ERU diseased horses. Among ...
Desmet J, Van Dael H, Van Cauwelaert F, Nitta K, Sugai S.The enthalpy change of the binding of Ca2+ and Mn2+ to equine lysozyme was measured at 25 degrees C and pH 7.5 by batch microcalorimetry: delta H degrees Ca2+ = -76 +/- 5 kJ mol-1, delta H degrees Mn2+ = -21 +/- 10 kJ mol-1. Binding constants, log KCa2+ = 6.5 +/- 0.2 and log KMn2+ = 4.1 +/- 0.5, were calculated from the calorimetric data. Therefore, delta S degrees Ca2+ = -131 +/- 20 JK-1 mol-1 and delta S degrees Mn2+ = 8 +/- 44 JK-1 mol-1. Removal of Ca2+ induces small but significant changes in the circular dichroism spectrum, indicating the existence of a partially unfolded apo-conformatio...
Gonzalez LM, Kinnin LA, Blikslager AT.To characterize epithelial cells of the small intestine and colon in horses without clinical gastrointestinal abnormalities with an emphasis on the stem cell niche constituents. Methods: Mucosal biopsy specimens from small and large intestines obtained from 12 horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to gastrointestinal disease or systemic disease. Methods: Intestinal biopsy specimens were collected by sharp dissection immediately following euthanasia. Specimens were prepared for immunohistochemical, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopic imaging to detect and characterize ea...
Liuti T, Reardon R, Dixon PM.Disorders affecting the equine maxillary cheek teeth and paranasal sinuses are relatively common, but limited objective information is available on the dimensions and relationships of these structures in horses of different ages. The aims of this study were to assess age-related changes in the positioning and anatomical relationships of the individual maxillary cheek teeth with the infraorbital canal and maxillary septum and the volumes of the individual sinus compartments. CT and gross examination were performed on 60 normal equine cadaver heads that were aged by their dentition. The intrasin...
Sedykh SE, Purvinsh LV, Burkova EE, Dmitrenok PS, Ryabchikova EI, Nevinsky GA.Exosomes are nanovesicles with a 40-150 nm diameter and are essential for communication between cells. Literature data suggest that exosomes obtained from different sources (cell cultures, blood plasma, urea, saliva, tears, spinal fluid, milk) using a series of centrifugations and ultracentrifugations contain hundreds and thousands of different protein and nucleic acid molecules. However, most of these proteins are not an intrinsic part of exosomes; instead, they co-isolate with exosomes. Using consecutive ultracentrifugation, gel filtration, and affinity chromatography on anti-CD9- and anti-C...
DeLuca L, Erb HN, Young JC, Perkins GA, Ainsworth DM.Chemokine expression in airway epithelium and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cells of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is increased. Objective: For RAO-affected horses that are stabled and fed a pelleted ration, the addition of oral dexamethasone further improves pulmonary function and reduces inflammatory gene expression in pulmonary cells. Methods: Twelve RAO-affected horses. Methods: In a randomized cross-over experiment, the effect of feeding pellets in lieu of hay to stabled, RAO-affected horses was compared with the effect of feeding pellets and administering a 21-day ...
Beech J, McFarlane D, Lindborg S, Sojka JE, Boston RC.To compare endogenous ACTH and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) concentrations after administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and to compare ACTH concentrations after TRH administration with those following domperidone administration in healthy horses and horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Methods: Prospective case series. Methods: 69 clinically normal horses and 47 horses with or suspected to have PPID. Methods: ACTH concentrations were measured during 108 TRH stimulation tests in 88 horses, and α-MSH concentrations were measured during 56 TRH st...
Ringer SK, Portier K, Torgerson PR, Castagno R, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R.To compare xylazine and romifidine constant rate infusion (CRI) protocols regarding degree of sedation, and effects on postural instability (PI), ataxia during motion (A) and reaction to different stimuli. Methods: Blinded randomized experimental cross-over study. Methods: Ten adult horses. Methods: Degree of sedation was assessed by head height above ground (HHAG). Effects on PI, A and reaction to visual, tactile and acoustic stimulation were assessed by numerical rating scale (NRS) and by visual analogue scale (VAS). After baseline measurements, horses were sedated by intravenous loading dos...
