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.
Druml T, Grilz-Seger G, Neuditschko M, Horna M, Ricard A, Pausch H, Brem G.Within the framework of genome-wide analyses using the novel Axiom® genotyping array, we investigated the distribution of two previously described coat color patterns, namely sabino1 (SBI), associated with the KIT gene (KI16+1037A), and splashed white, associated with the PAX3 gene (ECA6:g.11429753C>T; PAX3C70Y ), including a total of 899 horses originating from eight different breeds (Achal Theke, Purebred Arabian, Partbred Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, Shagya Arabian, Haflinger, Lipizzan and Noriker). Based on the data we collected we were able to demonstrate that, besides Quarter horses, the PAX...
It is currently unknown if the intrathecal administration of a high dose of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is safe, how MSCs migrate throughout the vertebral canal after intrathecal administration, and whether MSCs are able to home to a site of injury. The aims of the study were: 1) to evaluate the safety of intrathecal injection of 100 million allogeneic adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs); 2) to assess the distribution of ASCs after atlanto-occipital (AO) and lumbosacral (LS) injection in healthy horses; and 3) to determine if ASCs homed to the site of injury in neurologically diseased hor...
Salgado RM, Brom-de-Luna JG, Resende HL, Canesin HS, Hinrichs K.The aim of this study was to evaluate the differential effects of conventional and Piezo-driven ICSI on blastocyst development, and on sperm component remodeling and oocyte activation, in an equine model. Methods: In vitro-matured equine oocytes underwent conventional (Conv) or Piezo ICSI, the latter utilizing fluorocarbon ballast. Blastocyst development was compared between treatments to validate the model. Then, oocytes were fixed at 0, 6, or 18 h after injection, and stained for the sperm tail, acrosome, oocyte cortical granules, and chromatin. These parameters were compared between inject...
Komosa M, Włodarek J, Dzierzęcka M, Nienartowicz-Zdrojewska A, Tołkacz M.The problem of navicular bone lesions is better understood in warmblood horses. The aim of our research was to compare pathologic lesions of navicular bone of different types of horses divided into age groups. An extra goal was to compare radiographs with anatomical status of navicular bone dissected from the hoof capsule. The study group included 161 horses, out of which 100 individuals were warmbloods, and 61 - coldbloods. In total 280 navicular bones were analysed. The flexor surface, distal border fragments, enthesophytes and the process of obliteration of nutrient foramina were analysed. ...
Wysocka B, Kluciński W.The goal of the present study was to establish the occurrence of structural disorders in the larynx and pharynx during treadmill exercise tests in horses diagnosed with Equine Asthma (EA). Investigation was performed in 29 horses, patients of the Equine Clinic of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland, admitted with poor exercise performance. Upper and lower airway examinations were performed in all patients revealing both mild to moderate Equine Asthma (13 horses), and no lower airway abnormalities (16 animals). In the group of horses with EA, 11 did not have structural disorders of...
Gerstner K, Liesegang A.Free faecal water (fluid excreted separate from normal faeces) is a common problem of unknown origin in horses. Multifactorial causes are assumed. This study assessed the effect of a commercial product (EMP) sold to help support intestinal health of horses, particularly regarding the occurrence of free faecal water. The hypothesis was that water-binding capacity and microbial activity are improved in the large intestine of horses fed EMP. EMP contained montmorillonite-bentonite, whey and extracts from hop and absinthium. Eight adult and healthy horses kept on the same diet and bedding were add...
Seluanov A, Gladyshev VN, Vijg J, Gorbunova V.Cancer researchers have traditionally used the mouse and the rat as staple model organisms. These animals are very short-lived, reproduce rapidly and are highly prone to cancer. They have been very useful for modelling some human cancer types and testing experimental treatments; however, these cancer-prone species offer little for understanding the mechanisms of cancer resistance. Recent technological advances have expanded bestiary research to non-standard model organisms that possess unique traits of very high value to humans, such as cancer resistance and longevity. In recent years, several...
Siwińska N, Żak A, Słowikowska M, Kubiak K, Jaworski Z, Niedzwiedź A.Hair is a more biologically stable material than other tissues and contains a relatively constant level of minerals, drugs or toxins. The content of essential elements in hair depends on dietary and non-dietary factors. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the effect of diet on the elemental composition and morphological properties of the hair of healthy Polish Konik horses. Mane hair was collected from 19 horses living in The National Park in Popielno in Poland. Six of these horses were free-ranged all year with permanent access to pasture, while 13 horses were kept in the stable a...
Smith LCR, Wylie CE, Palmer L, Ramzan PHL.There is a need for investigation of associations between intrasynovial medication and fracture risk in racehorses. Objective: To document the proportion and type of fracture occurring following intrasynovial medication. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: Review of clinical records from all Thoroughbred flat racehorses receiving intrasynovial medication under the care of a first-opinion veterinary practice between 2006 and 2011. Fractures pre- and post-medication were categorised by location, type, and severity; analysis of fractures sustained within 56-days of medication was ...
Vissani MA, Tordoya MS, Tsai YL, Lee PA, Shen YH, Lee FC, Wang HT, Parreño V, Barrandeguy M.Equine coital exanthema (ECE) is an infectious, venereally transmitted muco-cutaneous disease affecting mares and stallions, caused by equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV3). Diagnostic tools for rapid identification of EHV3 are of primary importance to diminish the risk of EHV3 dissemination at the time of breeding. In the last years, it has been shown that the performance of the insulated-isothermal polymerase chain reaction (iiPCR) is comparable to virus isolation, nested PCR and real-time PCR (qPCR) in detecting pathogens of various animal species. Analytical sensitivity and specificity of the ii...
Zsoldos RR, Voegele A, Krueger B, Schroeder U, Weber A, Licka TF.The equine m. gluteus medius (GM) is the largest muscle of the horse, its main movement function is the extension of the hip joint. The objective of the present study was to measure equine GM activity in three adjacent locations on GM during walk and trot on a treadmill, in order to document potential differences. Fourteen Haflinger mares were measured using surface electromyography and kinematic markers to identify the motion cycles on three occasions over 16 weeks. The electrodes were placed on left and right gluteus medius muscle over the middle of its widest part and 5 cm lateral and med...
Freccero F, Cordella A, Dondi F, Castagnetti C, Niinistö K, Cipone M.In dogs, due to better alignment with the aortic outflow, the subcostal (SC) transducer site provides greater Doppler-derived velocities than those obtained from the left parasternal view. The feasibility of this imaging approach has never been described in equine echocardiography. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of the SC view in newborn foals and compare aortic two-dimensional and Doppler-derived velocity measurements with those of standard parasternal long-axis (LAX) views. Methods: A prospective observational study. Methods: Twenty-three newborn healt...
Persson-Sjodin E, Hernlund E, Pfau T, Haubro Andersen P, Rhodin M.Detailed knowledge of how a rider's seating style and riding on a circle influences the movement symmetry of the horse's head and pelvis may aid rider and trainer in an early recognition of low grade lameness. Such knowledge is also important during both subjective and objective lameness evaluations in the ridden horse in a clinical setting. In this study, inertial sensors were used to assess how different rider seating styles may influence head and pelvic movement symmetry in horses trotting in a straight line and on the circle in both directions. A total of 26 horses were subjected to 15 dif...
Wilson KA, Raisis AL, Drynan EA, Mosing M, Lester GD, Hayman J, Hosgood GL.To determine the agreement of invasive blood pressure measured in the facial, metatarsal and carotid arteries, and evaluate the effects of two haemodynamic conditions on agreement. Methods: Prospective randomized study. Methods: A group of eight horses aged 7 (4-23) years with a body weight of 493 ± 33 kg. Methods: Horses were anaesthetized and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Invasive blood pressure was measured simultaneously via catheters placed in the facial, metatarsal and carotid arteries. Cardiovascular function and agreement between arteries was assessed before and during administr...
Kurz JP, Schoenhals KE, Hullinger GA, Van Wettere AJ.Syringomyelia is a form of myelodysplasia defined by the formation of one or more fluid-filled cavities within the spinal cord that do not communicate with the central canal. The defect may be congenital or acquired. Clinical signs correlate to the segment of spinal cord affected and include pain, paresis, proprioceptive deficits, alterations in sensation, scoliosis, and autonomic dysfunction. This report describes the clinical and pathologic changes in a case of acquired syringomyelia in a 10-year-old American Paint Horse mare. The horse had a six-week history of progressive proprioceptive de...
Saleem S, Ijaz M, Farooqi SH, Ghaffar A, Ali A, Iqbal K, Mehmood K, Zhang H.Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is an important tick borne disease of equines that is caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum). The etiological agent has veterinary as well as public health importance because of its zoonotic nature. A. phagocytophilum causes an acute illness in equines with loss of appetite, lethargy, hemorrhages and lameness. Clinically, EGA is diagnosed upon examination of morulae within neutrophils especially granulocytes in the blood. The best diagnostic tool for the detection of EGA is Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Previous studies suggested that...
Renaud G, Petersen B, Seguin-Orlando A, Bertelsen MF, Waller A, Newton R, Paillot R, Bryant N, Vaudin M, Librado P, Orlando L.Donkeys and horses share a common ancestor dating back to about 4 million years ago. Although a high-quality genome assembly at the chromosomal level is available for the horse, current assemblies available for the donkey are limited to moderately sized scaffolds. The absence of a better-quality assembly for the donkey has hampered studies involving the characterization of patterns of genetic variation at the genome-wide scale. These range from the application of genomic tools to selective breeding and conservation to the more fundamental characterization of the genomic loci underlying speciat...
Fettelschoss-Gabriel A, Fettelschoss V, Thoms F, Giese C, Daniel M, Olomski F, Kamarachev J, Birkmann K, Bühler M, Kummer M, Zeltins A, Marti E....Insect-bite hypersensitivity is the most common allergic dermatitis in horses. Excoriated skin lesions are typical symptoms of this seasonal and refractory chronic disease. On a cellular level, the skin lesions are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration caused by an underlying allergic response. To target these cells and treat disease, we developed a therapeutic vaccine against equine IL-5 (eIL-5), the master regulator of eosinophils. The vaccine consisted of eIL-5 covalently linked to a virus-like particle derived from cucumber mosaic virus containing the tetanus toxoid universal T-...
Sandbaumhüter FA, Thormann W.Glucuronidation catalyzed by uridine-5'-diphospho-glucuronosyl-transferases (UGTs) is the most important reaction in phase II metabolism of drugs and other compounds. O-glucuronidation is more common than N-glucuronidation. The anesthetic, analgesic and antidepressive drug ketamine is metabolized in phase I by cytochrome P450 enzymes to norketamine, hydroxynorketamine (HNK) diastereomers and dehydronorketamine (DHNK). Equine urine samples collected two hours after ketamine injection were treated with β-glucuronidase and analyzed with three enantioselective capillary electrophoresis assays. Co...
Journée SL, Journée HL, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG.There are indications that transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) assesses the motor function of the spinal cord in horses in a more sensitive and reproducible fashion than transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). However, no normative data of TES evoked motor potentials (MEP) is available. Results: In this prospective study normative data of TES induced MEP wave characteristics (motor latency times (MLT); amplitude and waveform) was obtained from the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) and tibial cranialis (TC) muscles in a group of healthy horses to create a reference frame for functional diagn...
Bergstrom TC, Sakai RR, Nieto JE.A mare was euthanized because of gastric rupture secondary to complete duodenal obstruction by 2 bezoars located in the pylorus and proximal duodenum. Infrared spectroscopy showed that the bezoars were composed of psyllium. The mare had been receiving treatment with a pelleted psyllium product at 4 times the recommended dosage. Veterinarians should be aware that treatment of colic in horses with pelleted psyllium products could be associated with gastric impaction. Rupture gastrique catastrophique secondaire à des pharmacobézoards de psyllium en boulettes chez un cheval. Une jument a été e...
Byambaragchaa M, Lee SY, Kim DJ, Kang MH, Min KS.Previous studies showed that recombinant equine chorionic gonadotropin (rec-eCGβ/α) exhibits both follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH)-like activities in rat LHR- and FSHR-expressing cells. In this study, we analyzed signal transduction by eelFSHR and eelLHR upon stimulation with rec-eCGβ/α and native eCG. The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) stimulation in CHO-K1 cells expressing eelLHR was determined upon exposure to different doses (0-1,450 ng/mL) of rec-eCGβ/α and native eCG. The EC values of rec-eCGβ/α and native eCG were 172.4 and 786.6 ng/mL, resp...
Smith FL, Magdesian KG, Michel AO, Vaughan B, Reilly CM.A new syndrome of hematuria in horses has been documented. Objective: Hemorrhagic cystitis is a novel cause of stranguria and hematuria in horses. This syndrome may be difficult to differentiate from bladder neoplasia because they share several clinical features. Methods: Eleven horses with idiopathic hemorrhagic cystitis and 7 horses with bladder neoplasia. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Results: Hemorrhagic cystitis was detected on cystoscopy of affected horses, with hemorrhagic and thickened apical bladder mucosa. Clinical signs and endoscopic appearance of the bladder resolved within...
Pollaris E, Haspeslagh M, Van den Wyngaert G, Vlaminck L.Fissures of the occlusal surface of equine cheek teeth are commonly encountered during oral examination but their aetiology is unknown. Objective: To examine the prevalence and characteristics of occlusal fissures in cadaver teeth. It is hypothesised that their prevalence is influenced by masticatory forces. Consequently, their possible association with wear disorders and occlusal angles were examined. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: The dental abnormalities and occlusal fissure findings in the cheek teeth of 143 cadaver heads were recorded. The cheek teeth occlusal angles were measu...
Devick IF, Leise BS, Rao S, Hendrickson DA.The cause of transient post-operative pain in a subset of horses undergoing laparoscopy is unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate if residual pneumoperitoneum is associated with transient post-operative pain in mares undergoing ovariectomy. Thirty-eight mares undergoing routine standing laparoscopic ovariectomy were randomly allocated into 2 groups. At the completion of laparoscopy, either the abdominal cavity was actively desufflated or the cannulas were opened to achieve ambient pressure before incisional closure. Assessments were performed for 18 hours after surgery using a va...
Rassoli A, Fatouraee N, Guidoin R.The benefit of bioprosthetic aortic valve over mechanical valve replacements is the release of thromboembolism and digression of long-term anticoagulation treatment. The function of bioprostheses and their efficiency is known to depend on the mechanical properties of the leaflet tissue. So it is necessary to select a suitable tissue for the bioprosthesis. The purpose of the present study is to clarify the viscoelastic behavior of bovine, equine, and porcine pericardium. In this study, pericardiums were compared mechanically from the viscoelastic aspect. After fixation of the tissues in glutara...
Espinosa-Mur P, Coté N, Desjardins MR.To describe the radiographic and surgical findings of horses with osteochondral fragments (OCF) in the proximal intertarsal joint (PIJ) and to detail the technique for arthroscopic fragment retrieval and report outcomes. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Twenty-nine horses (32 tarsi) with OCF in the PIJ. Methods: Medical records of horses with radiographic evidence of OCF in the PIJ were reviewed. Clinical features, number of fragments, location, arthroscopic appearance, and outcome were recorded. Technical modifications with visual aids specific to this arthroscopic technique are d...
Fritz KL, McCue ME, Valberg SJ, Rendahl AK, Mickelson JR.Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis is a heritable disorder that results in painful skeletal muscle cramping with exercise in up to 10% of all Thoroughbred racehorses. Here, we report a genome-wide association study with 48 282 SNPs analyzed among 48 case and 37 control Thoroughbreds. The most significant SNPs spanned approximately 13 Mb on ECA16, and the P-value of the most significant SNP after correcting for population structure was 8.0 × 10(-6) . This region on ECA16 was further evaluated by genotyping 247 SNPs in both the initial population and a second population of 34 case and 98 contr...
Gardner SY, Papich MG.The pharmacokinetics of cefepime, a new fourth generation cephalosporin with enhanced antibacterial activity, was examined in neonatal foals and adult dogs. Cefepime was administered intravenously (i.v.) at a dose of 14 mg/kg to five neonatal foals and six adult dogs. Blood samples were collected in both groups of animals and plasma cefepime concentrations measured by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Cefepime concentrations in both groups of animals were described by a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model with elimination half-lives of 1.65 and 1.09 h for the foal ...
Nikitkina EV, Dementieva NV, Shcherbakov YS, Atroshchenko MM, Kudinov AA, Samoylov OI, Pozovnikova MV, Dysin AP, Krutikova AA, Musidray AA....The semen quality of stallions including sperm motility is an important target of selection as it has a high level of individual variability. However, effects of the molecular architecture of the genome on the mechanisms of sperm formation and their preservation after thawing have been poorly investigated. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for the sperm motility of cryopreserved semen in stallions of various breeds. Methods: Semen samples were collected from the stallions of 23 horse breeds. The following semen characteristics were examined: progressive motility (PM), p...
Brinkschulte M, Bienert-Zeit A, Lüpke M, Hellige M, Ohnesorge B, Staszyk C.Sinusitis is a common disease in the horse. In human medicine it is described, that obstruction of the sinonasal communication plays a major role in the development of sinusitis. To get spatial sense of the equine specific communication ways between the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses, heads of 19 horses, aged 2 to 26 years, were analyzed using three-dimensional (3D) reformatted renderings of CT-datasets. Three-dimensional models were generated following manual and semi-automated segmentation. Before segmentation, the two-dimensional (2D) CT-images were verified against corresponding fr...
Sevane N, Sanz CR, Dunner S.Four loci seem responsible for the dilution of the basic coat colours in horse: Dun (D), Silver Dapple (Z), Champagne (CH) and Cream (C). Apart from the current phenotypes ascribed to these loci, pearl has been described as yet another diluted coat colour in this species. To date, this coat colour seems to segregate only in the Iberian breeds Purebred Spanish horse and Lusitano and has also been described in breeds of Iberian origin, such as Quarter Horses and Paint Horse, where it is referred to as the 'Barlink Factor'. This phenotype segregates in an autosomal recessive manner and resembles ...
Grobbel M, Lübke-Becker A, Alesík E, Schwarz S, Wallmann J, Werckenthin C, Wieler LH.A total of 417 isolates of Escherichia coli collected from five animal species/organ system combinations from swine [urinary/genital tract (UGT) incl. mastitis metritis agalactia syndrome], horses [genital tract (GT)] and dogs/cats [respiratory tract (RT), UGT and gastrointestinal tract (GIT)] were analysed quantitatively for their susceptibility against different antimicrobial agents by determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations. Regardless of which animal species the strains originated from, resistance appeared most frequently against sulfamethoxazole (18-59%), tetracycline (14-54 %)...
Gonzalez-Obando J, Forero JE, Zuluaga-Cabrera AM, Ruiz-Saenz J.Equine influenza is a highly contagious disease caused by the H3N8 equine influenza virus (EIV), which is endemically distributed throughout the world. It infects equids, and interspecies transmission to dogs has been reported. The H3N8 Florida lineage, which is divided into clades 1 and 2, is the most representative lineage in the Americas. The EIV infects the respiratory system, affecting the ciliated epithelial cells and preventing the elimination of foreign bodies and substances. Certain factors related to the disease, such as an outdated vaccination plan, age, training, and close contact ...
Battista JM, Tallmadge RL, Stokol T, Felippe MJ.We investigated how the equine fetus prepares its pre-immune humoral repertoire for an imminent exposure to pathogens in the neonatal period, particularly how the primary hematopoietic organs are equipped to support B cell hematopoiesis and immunoglobulin (Ig) diversity. We demonstrated that the liver and the bone marrow at approximately 100 days of gestation (DG) are active sites of hematopoiesis based on the expression of signature messenger RNA (mRNA) (c-KIT, CD34, IL7R, CXCL12, IRF8, PU.1, PAX5, NOTCH1, GATA1, CEBPA) and protein markers (CD34, CD19, IgM, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD11b, CD172A)...
Pickles K, Pirie RS, Rhind S, Dixon PM, McGorum BC.Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples are often subject to time delays, possibly with temperature fluctuations, between collection and processing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of time, temperature and 2 different fixatives on equine BALF cytology, in order to develop guidelines for optimal equine BALF storage conditions. Total nucleated cell count (TCC), differential cell counts (DCC), absolute cell counts (ACC), cell viability, cell morphology and bacterial growth of BALF samples stored at 4, 18 (+/- addition of formalin- or alcohol-based fixatives) and 38 degrees C...
Maharana BR, Potliya S, Ganguly A, Bisla RS, Mishra C, Ganguly I.Equine ocular setariasis arising mainly from ectopic infestation of Setaria digitata is a common vision impairing ophthalmic disease in India, and the identification of this filarial nematode is based solely on morphology. However, morphological characters alone are inadequate to detect and differentiate S. digitata from its congeners. The present communication reports the first phylogenetic characterization of equine S. digitata from India based on sequences derived from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), the mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA (12S rDNA), and the n...
Schrenk D, Bignami M, Bodin L, Del Mazo JKCJ, Grasl-Kraupp B, Hogstrand C, Leblanc JC, Nielsen E, Ntzani E, Petersen A, Sand S, Schwerdtle T....In 2017, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) adopted a Scientific Opinion on the risks for animal health related to the presence of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its acetylated and modified forms in food and feed. No observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) and lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) were derived for different animal species. For horses, an NOAEL of 36 mg DON/kg feed was established, the highest concentration tested and not showing adverse effects. For poultry, an NOAEL of 5 mg DON/kg feed for broiler chickens and laying hens, and an NOAEL of 7 mg DO...
Walker RL, Madigan JE, Hird DW, Case JT, Villanueva MR, Bogenrief DS.An outbreak of salmonellosis in foals occurred on a large Thoroughbred farm in California. Only foals less than 8 days of age exhibited clinical signs, which included depression, anorexia, and diarrhea. Three foals died from septicemia. The agent responsible was Salmonella ohio, which is rarely involved in salmonellosis in horses. During the course of the outbreak, S. ohio was isolated from 27 of 97 mares (27.8%) and 34 of 97 foals (35.1%). Mares were the presumed source of infection for foals. The absence of clinical signs in mares allowed for increased exposure of foals through environmental...
Vijarnsorn M, Riley CB, Shaw RA, McIlwraith CW, Ryan DA, Rose PL, Spangler E.To evaluate use of infrared spectroscopy for diagnosis of traumatic arthritis in horses. Methods: 48 horses with traumatic arthritis and 5 clinically and radiographically normal horses. Methods: Synovial fluid samples were collected from 77 joints in 48 horses with traumatic arthritis. Paired samples (affected and control joints) from 29 horses and independent samples from an affected (n = 12) or control (7) joint from 19 horses were collected for model calibration. A second set of 20 normal validation samples was collected from 5 clinically and radiographically normal horses. Fourier transfor...
Fretheim-Kelly ZL, Halvorsen T, Clemm H, Roksund O, Heimdal JH, Vollsæter M, Fintl C, Strand E.Dynamic obstructions of the larynx are a set of disorders that occur during exercise in equines and humans. There are a number of similarities in presentation, diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment. Both equines and humans present with exercise intolerance secondary to dyspnea. During laryngoscopy at rest, the larynx appears to function normally. Abnormalities are only revealed during laryngoscopy at exercise, seemingly triggered by increased ventilatory demands, and quickly resolve after cessation of exercise. Lower airway disease (asthma being the most prevalent condition), cardiac diseas...
Sandbaumhüter FA, Thormann W.Glucuronidation catalyzed by uridine-5'-diphospho-glucuronosyl-transferases (UGTs) is the most important reaction in phase II metabolism of drugs and other compounds. O-glucuronidation is more common than N-glucuronidation. The anesthetic, analgesic and antidepressive drug ketamine is metabolized in phase I by cytochrome P450 enzymes to norketamine, hydroxynorketamine (HNK) diastereomers and dehydronorketamine (DHNK). Equine urine samples collected two hours after ketamine injection were treated with β-glucuronidase and analyzed with three enantioselective capillary electrophoresis assays. Co...
Goudet G, Belin F, Bézard J, Gérard N.In the equine species, a large proportion of oocytes fail to complete meiosis during in-vitro culture. The biochemical and molecular basis of this failure is unknown. The meiotic cell cycle is controlled in part by the maturation-promoting factor (MPF) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). In this study, we evaluated the oocyte competence for in-vitro maturation and the expression of MPF components (p34cdc2 and cyclin B) and MAPK after in-vitro culture. The maturation rate was influenced by the culture medium and the physiological stage of the mare at the time of oocyte recovery. We...
Aleman M, Weich KM, Madigan JE.Horses are a precocious species that must accomplish several milestones that are critical to survival in the immediate post-birth period for their survival. One essential milestone is the successful transition from the intrauterine unconsciousness to an extrauterine state of consciousness or awareness. This transition involves a complex withdrawal of consciousness inhibitors and an increase in neuroactivating factors that support awareness. This process involves neuroactive hormones as well as inputs related to factors such as cold, visual, olfactory, and auditory stimuli. One factor not previ...
Claessen C, Favoreel H, Ma G, Osterrieder N, De Schauwer C, Piepers S, Van de Walle GR.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) is an ubiquitous alphaherpesvirus that can cause respiratory disease, abortion and central nervous disorders. EHV1 is known to infect a variety of different cell types in vitro, but its tropism for cultured primary equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) has never been explored. We report that equine MSC were highly permissive for EHV1 and supported lytic replication of the virus in vitro. Interestingly, we observed that an infection of MSC with EHV1 resulted in a consistent downregulation of cell surface molecules CD29 (β1-integrin), CD105 (endoglin), major histocompat...
Stannard AA, Cello RM.In a study of Onchocerca cervicalis infection in a sample of 100 horses from the western United States, 48 were infected. Infection was more common in older horses and occurred in both sexes equally. Data about the distribution and the concentration of microfilariae within the skin are presented. The only cutaneous pathologic change that could be attributed to microfilariae was minimal perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrate. Invasion of the eye with microfilariae occurred in 60 percent of the infected horses. An attempt was not made to relate microfilarial invasion of the eye with ocular pa...
Byström A, Stalfelt A, Egenvall A, Von Peinen K, Morgan K, Roepstorff L.Saddle fit is well recognised as an important factor for the health and performance of riding horses. However, only few studies have addressed general effects of different saddle construction details within a group of horses. Objective: To assess the influence of girth strap placement, traditional vs. v-system, and panel flocking material, wool vs. synthetic foam, on the saddle pressure pattern during riding. Methods: Six horses were ridden by 3 riders in sitting and rising trot and sitting canter. Saddle pressure was measured with 3 different saddle variants: 1) wool flocked panels and tradit...
Mizen K, Woodman J, Boysen SR, Wagg C, Greco-Otto P, Léguillette R, Roy MF.Blood lactate concentration is a marker of tissue perfusion and helps guide therapeutic interventions in critically ill horses. In both humans and dogs, administration of corticosteroids can increase blood lactate concentration, leading to type B hyperlactatemia. This effect could be a consequence of the impact of corticosteroids on glucose metabolism. Objective: To investigate the effects of daily IM dexamethasone administration on blood lactate and glucose concentrations in horses. Methods: Nine healthy adult horses. Methods: A randomized, blinded, controlled, cross-over study design was use...
Kearns CF, McKeever KH, Malinowski K, Struck MB, Abe T.The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of therapeutic levels of clenbuterol, with and without exercise training, on body composition. Twenty-three unfit Standardbred mares were divided into four experimental groups: clenbuterol (2.4 microg/kg body wt twice daily) plus exercise (ClenEx; 20 min at 50% maximal oxygen consumption 3 days/wk; n = 6), clenbuterol only (Clen; n = 6), exercise only (Ex; n = 5), and control (Con; n = 6). Rump fat thickness was measured at 2-wk intervals by using B-mode ultrasound, and percent body fat (%fat) was calculated by using previously published meth...
Davis JL, Salmon JH, Papich MG.To characterize pharmacokinetics of voriconazole in horses after oral and IV administration and determine the in vitro physicochemical characteristics of the drug that may affect oral absorption and tissue distribution. Methods: 6 adult horses. Methods: Horses were administered voriconazole (1 mg/kg, IV, or 4 mg/kg, PO), and plasma concentrations were measured by use of high-performance liquid chromatography. In vitro plasma protein binding and the octanol:water partition coefficient were also assessed. Results: Voriconazole was adequately absorbed after oral administration in horses, with a s...
Van Biervliet J.The practice of equine neurology has special challenges posed by the size of the animal being examined. Many diagnostic procedures routinely used in small animal practice are unsafe when applied to the equine patient or unavailable to the equine practitioner. Therefore, astute observation is the mainstay of making a neuroanatomic diagnosis, and detailed evidence on the deficits present may be difficult to obtain. Because clinical observation can sometimes be ambiguous and somewhat subjective, it is even more important to approach equine neurology from an evidence-based point of view. Here, suc...
Anderson SL, Singh B.Horses are susceptible to a multitude of inflammatory conditions that are characterized by a strong neutrophilic response. Here, we review basic equine neutrophil biology and explore the role of neutrophils in inflammatory conditions with emphasis on intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury and lung inflammation. In addition, unique aspects of equine neutrophil biology have been highlighted. Neutrophils comprise the highest proportion of circulating white blood cells in equine blood. The concentration of circulating equine neutrophils is a primary indicator of systemic inflammation. Addition...
Ginel PJ, Hernández E, Lucena R, Blanco B, Novales M, Mozos E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a common cause of pruritus in horses, but there are few controlled studies on the efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT). Atopic dermatitis and IBH can present with overlapping clinical signs; multiple insect and environmental allergens could be indicated in these horses to achieve effective hyposensitization. Although the success of ASIT using Culicoides spp. whole-body extracts is controversial, there are no controlled studies published that clearly show benefit from this form of therapy. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy ...
Pavulraj S, Virmani N, Bera BC, Joshi A, Anand T, Virmani M, Singh R, Singh RK, Tripathi BN.Equine influenza viruses (EIVs) are responsible for acute contagious respiratory infection in equines and the disease remains a major threat for equine population throughout the world despite vaccination strategies in place. The present study was aimed to assess the suitability of BALB/c mice as a potential small animal model for preliminary screening of EI vaccine candidates. For this, we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of an inactivated EIV (H3N8) vaccine in BALB/c mouse model after challenge with homologous H3N8 virus (Clade 2 virus, Florida sublineage) through serology...
