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.
Hardefeldt LY, Thomas K, Begg L.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a problem for equine practitioners in Australia, but antimicrobial use in practice has been largely understudied. We aimed to evaluate equine veterinarians' intentions of prescribing antimicrobials in areas where we perceived there to be wide ranges of practice - dentistry, reproduction and for nonbactericidal effects. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of veterinarians working in equine practice was conducted over 4 months in 2023 and 2024. Antimicrobial use, including compounding practices, for reproductive and dental disorders, and nonbactericidal...
de Oliveira Ferreira LV, Maia L, de Andrade DGA, da Costa Kamura B, de Carvalho M, Amorim RM.Cell-based therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for treating peripheral nervous system (PNS) injuries across different species. However, there is a scarcity in the literature regarding the transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating PNS injuries in horses. This report aims to describe the therapeutic potential of equine MSC transplantation in two horses with chronic traumatic facial nerve paralysis. Both horses presented with lip ptosis and right deviation of the nostril and upper lip, being clinically diagnosed with left facial nerve paralysis. Due to the refractorine...
McCarthy RD, Ordóñez HJ, Semevolos SA.To compare core temperatures of superficial and deep digital flexor tendons (SDFT, DDFT) during application of a compression cooling system versus ice boots and during subsequent lower limb bandaging. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Paired forelimbs of six sedated horses. Methods: Thermocouples were placed in the core of SDFT and DDFT of both front limbs of each horse. A compression cooling system was applied to one front limb and an ice boot was applied to the other front limb for 60 min and then removed for 60 min. Standing bandages were then applied to both front limbs for 60 mi...
Mohtasebi S, Ahn S, Rosa B, Moyes K, Kuzmina TA, Gilleard JS, Poissant J.Equids are infected by a diversity of gastrointestinal nematode parasites, including 64 species of equine strongyle nematodes from19 genera. Despite numerous surveys of horse strongyles worldwide, certain geographic regions and rare species remain understudied. In 1964, a new species of equine strongyle, Cylicocyclus pekingensis, was described from a donkey in China. Subsequently, this species was recorded in horses from Kazakhstan and reclassified as Hsiungia pekingensis (K'ung and Yang, 1964), the only species in this genus. Since then, H. pekingensis has not been reported elsewhere, with li...
Page AE, Rauber-Ramos AM, Humiston M, McPeek JL, Adam EN.Given the metabolic effects of intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids, the goal of this project was to monitor the effects of IA betamethasone in both insulin dysregulated (ID)(n = 3) and non-ID (n = 5) horses. A cross-over design was used where eight geldings were injected with either 9 mg of betamethasone or saline into both metacarpophalangeal joints, followed by regular blood collections for adrenocorticotropin releasing hormone (ACTH), cortisol, insulin, and glucose, as well as pre- and post-administration oral sugar testing. Results were analyzed via two-way repeated measures analysis of v...
Botía M, Muñoz-Prieto A, Martínez-Subiela S, Martín-Cuervo M, Hansen S, Manteca X, Cerón JJ, López-Arjona M.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a frequent disease in horses that comprises two different entities: equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD). This disease considerably reduces the quality of life of affected horses and can negatively affect performance. Saliva contains biomarkers, such as oxytocin, that have been used as a welfare indicator and can develop a function as a protective factor against stress-induced changes in gastric function due to its gastric antisecretory and antiulcer effects. The objective of this work was to evaluate changes...
The protein journalFebruary 22, 2025
Volume 44, Issue 3 271-282 doi: 10.1007/s10930-025-10259-8
Akay MB, Sener K, Sari S, Bodur E.Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE; EC 3.1.1.8), a serine hydrolase found in various tissues, hydrolyses choline esters such as acetylcholine and succinylcholine, as well as other esters such as heroin and acetylsalicylic acid. It is considered to play a role in lipid metabolism as it belongs to the same enzyme group as lipases and its catalytic subunits are similar. In this study, the effects of unsaturated fatty acids, namely arachidonic (AA), linoleic (LA), alpha-linolenic (ALA) and oleic acid (OA), on equine serum BChE (EqBChE) were investigated. Enzyme activity was measured by the modified Ellma...
MacMillan KM, Burns JJ, John E, Clancey N, Stull JW.Decreased total T4 (tT4) concentrations are frequently observed in racing Standardbred horses lacking clinical evidence of hypothyroidism. This poses a diagnostic challenge as primary hypothyroidism is reported to be rare in adult horses. Despite this, owners frequently wish to administer thyroid supplementation to horses having low tT4 concentrations. Forty racing Standardbred horses were sampled. Baseline tT4 concentrations were determined using human-based (equine) and canine-based chemiluminescent assays. Dynamic evaluation of tT4 was performed using a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) s...
Navarrete-Calvo R, Morgaz J, Ruíz-López P, Gómez-Villamandos RJ, Domínguez JM, Quirós-Carmona S, Granados MM.Spectral entropy and bispectral index (BIS) can differentiate between conscious and unconscious levels in horses. This study aimed to determine whether spectral entropy and BIS parameters can distinguish between different end-tidal isoflurane concentrations (EtIso, %), and whether these parameters change when a nociceptive stimulus is applied. Ten clinically healthy horses were anaesthetized using xylazine, diazepam, ketamine, and isoflurane. The following parameters were monitored: EtIso, response entropy (RE), state entropy (SE), RE-SE difference, BIS, and electromyography (EMG). Three EtIso...
Aldayarov N, Tulobaev A, Madumarov A, Risvanli A.While modern veterinary medicine offers effective treatments, traditional ethnoveterinary practices persist among many farming communities, reflecting centuries-old knowledge and cultural beliefs. This study aimed to document ethnoveterinary remedies and their methods of preparation and application, for treating various parasitic diseases in domestic animals used by Kyrgyz farmers. Data on plant, animal and mineral-based remedies, as well as chemicals used for these purposes, were collected through interviews with 173 dialogue partners (DPs). A total of 3403 use reports (URs) were recorded, in...
Dubeibe-Marin DF, Borraez DF, Gomez-López DL, Velasco-Acosta DA.This study evaluated the effect of the presence and location of the corpus luteum (CL) on quantity and competence of equine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). Pairs of ovaries were collected at the slaughterhouse and classified into three groups: ovaries with CL (CL+); ovaries with CL in the contralateral ovary (CL-) and ovaries without a CL (NCL). Were evaluated COC quantity, morphology, nuclear maturation rate, and intrafollicular progesterone concentration and gene expression (BAX, BMP-15, ODC1, GDF9, AURKA) in both cumulus cells and oocytes after in vitro maturation. Results showed a lower r...
Arantes JA, Di Pietro R, Ratté M, Arroyo LG, Leclère M, Costa MC.Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been used as a treatment option for horses (Equus caballus) with gastrointestinal diseases. Several preparation and conservation protocols to improve bacterial survival have been studied in other species. Unassigned: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of oxygen exposure and different protectant solutions on bacterial viability before and after freezing using horse feces. Fecal samples from 10 healthy horses were aliquoted and diluted in cryoprotectant solutions containing antioxidants (n = 40) or 10% glycerol (n = 40). Half of the aliquots from e...
Sijtsema M, Stringer T, Hopman NEM, van der Graaf-van Bloois L, Duim B, van den Brom-Spierenburg A, Theelen M, Zomer A, Broens EM.Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) associated with ESKAPEE pathogens are an emerging concern in equine hospitals, especially in the intensive care unit (ICU). To gain insight into the occurrence of HAIs and to identify potential reservoirs and transmission routes of ESKAPEE pathogens in an equine ICU, a pilot study of two periods (December 2022-January 2023 and April-June 2023) was performed, where patient and environmental samples were obtained upon ICU admission and discharge. A sampling and laboratory protocol for the detection and identification of different ESKAPEE pathogens and Salm...
Anderson JR, Phelan MM, Caamaño-Gutiérrez E, Clegg PD, Rubio-Martinez LM, Peffers MJ.Equine osteoarthritis (OA) is predominantly diagnosed through clinical examination and radiography, leading to detection only after significant joint pathology. The pathogenesis of OA remains unclear and while many medications modify the disease's inflammatory components, no curative or reversal treatments exist. Identifying differentially abundant metabolites and proteins correlated with osteoarthritis severity could improve early diagnosis, track disease progression, and evaluate responses to interventions. Objective: To identify molecular markers of osteoarthritis severity based on histolog...
Adler DMT, Nielsen AT, Olsen C, Verwilghen D, Damborg P, Olsen RH.To investigate the in vitro efficacy of antibiotics (amikacin, ceftiofur, and gentamicin) in combination with local anesthetics (LAs; bupivacaine hydrochloride, lidocaine hydrochloride, and mepivacaine hydrochloride), a combination commonly performed for IA injectate and regional limb perfusion (RLP) in horses. Unassigned: 17 equine clinical isolates were tested by the checkerboard method for their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against a combination of concentrations of LAs and antibiotics from August 2020 through December 2023. Unassigned: For the majority of combinations, the antibi...
Engiles JB, Stefanovski D, van Eps A.To examine the effects of prolonged preferential weight bearing (PWB) and reduced ambulation (RA) on hoof lamellae using a nonpainful in vivo experimental model. Unassigned: 12 healthy Standardbred horses were housed in stocks continuously for 92 hours. A platform shoe was placed on 1 forelimb in the PWB group (n = 6) to increase the load on the supporting limb (SL) by approximately 10% bodyweight, whereas the RA group (n = 6) had normal weight bearing. Archived healthy horse (n = 8) samples were used as controls. Histomorphometry and histochemistry (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP ...
Fernandes TA, Paulino PG, Dos Santos Juliano D, Rabello CA, de Oliveira NVB, de Souza Santana M, Peckle M, Massard CL, da Costa Angelo I, Jacob JCF....Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a reportable disease according to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), caused by Babesia caballi, Theileria equi and T. haneyi. This syndrome is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, including various areas in Brazilian. This study examines EP in the Distrito Federal, Brazil, focusing on prevalence, epidemiological characteristics, and circulating genotypes. Epidemiological data and whole blood samples were collected from horses in the Distrito Federal. DNA was analyzed using qPCR for Theileria sp. and B. caballi, followed by cPCR for 18S rDNA ...
Risvanli A, Hatipoglu F, Salykov R, Timurkaan N, Kadiralieva N, Kasymalieva KK, Seker I, Ekinci E.In the current study, we aimed to determine the distribution of telocytes in the ovary, oviduct and uterus of Kyrgyz mares depending on whether they were pregnant. We also studied the progression during the first 6 months of pregnancy. To this end, ovary, oviduct and uterus tissues from 53 Kyrgyz mares were obtained post-mortem. The mare tissue samples were divided into two groups: pregnant (n = 43) and non-pregnant (n = 10). Telocyte levels in the tissues were determined using light microscopic and immunohistochemical methods. Subsequently, the data acquired were evaluated based on ...
Isgren CM, Pinchbeck GL, Salem SE, Hann MJ, Townsend NB, Cullen MD, Archer DC.Surgical site infection (SSI) is a frequent complication following emergency equine laparotomy, negatively impacting equine welfare, increasing treatment costs and presenting a hospital biosecurity risk. Objective: To determine if a sutured-on stent dressing for incisional protection during anaesthetic recovery reduced SSI following emergency laparotomy. Methods: Randomised controlled trial. Methods: Eligible horses were randomised to a sutured-on stent (intervention) or textile dressing (control) as the primary component of a 3-layer abdominal bandage placed for anaesthetic recovery. Horses w...
Son JK, De Paz P, Kim J, Sanaei R, Ryu S, Bailey S, Davies HMS.Changes in the third metacarpal (MC3) mid-diaphyseal dimensions were measured radiographically in young Thoroughbred racehorses through race training and found to be associated with a higher risk of shin soreness. However, it is still unclear whether such negative MC3 morphologies are set congenitally or through development. Objective: To quantify MC3 bone dimensional changes through growth. Methods: Longitudinal. Methods: Twenty privately owned Thoroughbred foals were radiographed bimonthly from birth to 14 months of age. Four linear MC3 parameters (proximodistal MC3 length, mid-diaphyseal do...
Gaspari G, Lange-Consiglio A, Cremonesi F, Desantis S.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of cell-cell communication thanks to their ability to transfer their bioactive cargo, thus regulating a variety of physiological contexts. EVs derived from amniotic mesenchymal/stromal cells (eAMC-EVs) are internalized by equine endometrial cells (eECs) with positive effects on regenerative medicine treatments. As the cellular uptake of EVs is influenced by the glycan profile of both EVs and target cells, this study is focused on the role of surface glycans in the uptake of eAMC-EVs by recipient eECs. Equine ECs were obtained by enzymatic di...
Galinelli NC, Bamford NJ, Erdody ML, Mackenzie SA, Warnken T, Harris PA, Sillence MN, Bailey SR.Due to the high frequency of laminitis reported for both conditions, the relationship between pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and insulin dysregulation (ID), and the potential role of dopamine in modifying insulin secretion, requires further investigation. Objective: To evaluate the effect of pergolide mesylate on insulin sensitivity and postprandial insulin and glucose responses in horses and ponies with ID, both with or without concurrent PPID. Methods: Randomised crossover study. Methods: Sixteen horses and ponies, comprising eight matched pairs (PPID+ID or ID-only), were given...
Skurková L, Matulníková L, Peťková B, Florian M, Slivková M, Lešková L, Mesarčová L, Kottferová J.This study aimed to assess the seasonal changes of the cortisol concentrations in horsehair (HCC), as an indicator of long-term or chronic stress. Hair samples were taken four times throughout one year from 12 horses (aged from 1.5 to 30 years), and analysed by the ELISA method. The sampling interval (interval between two collections of the samples representing two different seasons) ranged between 102-115 days. Seasonal dynamics have been confirmed with a pattern: August ˃ November ˃ January ˃ April (F (3.93) = 50.28, P < 0.001). The lowest cortisol concentrations were detected in A...
Primo ALM, Assis DM, Santos VGS, de Melo LRB, da Nóbrega LD, Medeiros Dantas AF, Maciel TA.Cerebellar abiotrophy is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, resulting in premature neuronal death. In horses, its occurrence has been reported mainly in the Arabian breed as a congenital mutation inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. The objective of this study was to describe the case of cerebellar abiotrophy in a Quarter Horse foal. An 8-day-old foal was treated after presenting signs of ataxia, hypermetria, difficulty maintaining a standing position, and decreased menace response. The foal was hospitalized for 26 days, received treatment wit...
Faulk C.Sequencing a genome by students has now become practical as we demonstrated with our recent publication of the Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) genome. In this review, I describe my experience teaching genome assembly in the classroom. In my course, students sequenced, assembled, and published a high-quality genome for Przewalski's horse using Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing with only $4000 of materials. Along with the genome, we assembled the mitochondrial genome, sequence variants, predicted gene annotations, and DNA methylation levels. Our genome statistics far exceeded the...
Gotić J, Špelić L, Kuleš J, Horvatić A, Gelemanović A, Ljubić BB, Mrljak V, Bottegaro NB.Long-term aerobic exercise during endurance racing places high demands on equine homeostasis. This study aimed to use proteomic analysis to elucidate complex biological responses during endurance exercise. It was hypothesized that different serum proteome changes would be noted, reflecting physiological processes as a response to race. The serum has been taken before and after an 80 km race from 13 endurance horses. Proteomic analysis of samples has been performed by TMT-based quantitative method. Apolipoprotein and haptoglobin values have been validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay a...
Vandaele Z, Van den Broeke C, Merchiers A, Schauvliege S.Different assisted recovery techniques have been developed to enhance the safety and quality of equine recoveries. This case series evaluates the recovery of horses using an air-inflated pillow (Equi-lift®). With owner consent, the following data were collected from 19 horses undergoing open castration and 21 horses where a difficult recovery was anticipated: age, bodyweight, procedure, anaesthetic protocol, time required for proper positioning in the Equi-lift®, time to extubation, time to standing, number of attempts to stand, number of stimuli, behaviour during recumbency/first attempts, ...
Littiere TO, Costa GB, Sales NAA, Carvalho JRG, Rodrigues IDM, Ramos GV, Ferraz GC.In humans, there is an ongoing academic discussion about measuring plasma lactate concentration ([La]) during an incremental exercise test (IET) to establish thresholds that can predict the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS). Training studies on horses have utilized the onset of [La] (OBLA), also known as V, the velocity at which the [La] of 4 mM is reached. This study assesses the effectiveness of four methods for estimating the MLSS in teaching horses. Ten teaching horses underwent a single IET to determine four exercise intensity thresholds for predicting MLSS and performed several constan...
Byambaragchaa M, Park SH, Park MH, Kang MH, Min KS.Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) hormone, comprising highly glycosylated α- and β-subunits, elicits responses similar to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in non-equid species. This study aimed to establish a mass production of recombinant eCG (rec-eCG) using CHO DG44 cells. Single-chain rec-eCG β/α was expressed in CHO DG44 cells. FSH- and LH-like activities were evaluated in CHO-K1 and HEK 293 cells expressing the equine LH/CG receptor (eLH/CGR), rat LH/CGR (rLH/CGR), and rFSHR. pERK1/2 activation and β-arrestin 2 recruitment were assessed in PathHunter ...
Pezzanite LM, Nelson BB, Downey AC, Gadomski B, McGilvray K, Baer K, Kappel SM, Nout-Lomas Y, Seim HB, Easley JT.To determine the biomechanical properties of pedicle screw and rod (PSR) constructs alone and with an interbody fusion device (PSRIFD) for equine ventral cervical vertebral stabilization. Methods: Cadaveric ex vivo biomechanical analysis. Methods: A total of 14 (n = 14) adult equine cervical vertebral columns. Methods: Cervical vertebral columns were stabilized by PSR alone (n = 6) or PSRIFD (n = 5). Three columns were left unaltered as controls. Non-destructive biomechanical testing showed the kinematic range of motion (ROM), compliance, and neutral zone of each spinal unit in the...
Nicpoń J, Marycz K, Grzesiak J.In this article we demonstrate the efficiency of autologous transplantations of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells for equine bone spavin treatment. Horses qualified to the study were divided into three groups: (i) research - treated with intra-articular injections of autologous stem cells, (ii) comparison treated with steroid drugs and (iii) control - untreated. All animals underwent comprehensive clinical examination before and after treatment. Our research confirms the long-term beneficial influence resulting from stem cell therapy in horse bone spavin treatment, in contrast to routine ...
Biewener AA, Thomason J, Goodship A, Lanyon LE.Longitudinal stresses acting in the cranial and caudal cortices of the radius and the dorsal and palmar cortices of the metacarpus in the horse were determined using two independent methods simultaneously. One approach involved the use of rosette strain gauges to record in vivo bone strain; the other involved filming the position of the horse's forelimb as it passed over a force plate. Agreement between the two analyses was better for the radius than for the metacarpus. Both methods showed the radius to be loaded primarily in sagittal bending, acting to place the caudal cortex in compression a...
Jagannathan V, Gerber V, Rieder S, Tetens J, Thaller G, Drögemüller C, Leeb T.Whole-genome sequencing studies are vital to gain a thorough understanding of genomic variation. Here, we summarize the results of a whole-genome sequencing study comprising 88 horses and ponies from diverse breeds at 19.1× average coverage. The paired-end reads were mapped to the current EquCab3.0 horse reference genome assembly, and we identified approximately 23.5 million single nucleotide variants and 2.3 million short indel variants. Our dataset included at least 7 million variants that were not previously reported. On average, each individual horse genome carried ∼5.7 million single n...
Milinovich GJ, Trott DJ, Burrell PC, Croser EL, Al Jassim RA, Morton JM, van Eps AW, Pollitt CC.Carbohydrate-induced laminitis in horses is characterized by marked changes in the composition of the hindgut microbiota, from a predominantly Gram-negative population to one dominated by Gram-positive bacteria. The objective of this study was to monitor changes in the relative abundance of selected hindgut bacteria that have previously been implicated in the pathophysiology of equine laminitis using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Caecal cannulae were surgically implanted in five Standardbred horses and laminitis induced by oral administration of a bolus dose of oligofructose. Caec...
Reinemeyer CR, Smith SA, Gabel AA, Herd RP.Fifty-five adult horses were necropsied over a 15-month period, and their worm burdens counted and speciated. Twenty-one species of Cyathostominae were recovered. Ten species: Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicocyclus nassatus, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cyathostomum coronatum, Cylicostephanus goldi, C. calicatus, C. minutus, Cylicocyclus leptostomus, C. insigne and Cyathostomum pateratum, comprised 98.9% of the total cyathostome burdens. These same 10 species also demonstrated high prevalences in 4 previous surveys. Eight of these 10 species have been shown to be resistant to benzimidazole ant...
Starke SD, Witte TH, May SA, Pfau T.Gait analysis using small sensor units is becoming increasingly popular in the clinical context. In order to segment continuous movement from a defined point of the stride cycle, knowledge about footfall timings is essential. We evaluated the accuracy and precision of foot contact timings of a defined limb determined using an inertial sensor mounted on the pelvis of ten horses during walk and trot at different speeds and in different directions. Foot contact was estimated from vertical velocity events occurring before maximum sensor roll towards the contralateral limb. Foot contact timings mat...
Krueger K, Farmer K, Heinze J.Social learning is said to meet the demands of complex environments in which individuals compete over resources and cooperate to share resources. Horses (Equus caballus) were thought to lack social learning skills because they feed on homogenously distributed resources with few reasons for conflict. However, the horse's social environment is complex, which raises the possibility that its capacity for social transfer of feeding behaviour has been underestimated. We conducted a social learning experiment using 30 socially kept horses of different ages. Five horses, one from each group, were chos...
Silaghi C, Liebisch G, Pfister K.Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (EGA) is caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a tick-transmitted, obligate intracellular bacterium. In Europe, it is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus. A large number of genetic variants of A. phagocytophilum circulate in nature and have been found in ticks and different animals. Attempts have been made to assign certain genetic variants to certain host species or pathologies, but have not been successful so far. The purpose of this study was to investigate the causing agent A. phagocytophilum of 14 cases of EGA in naturally infected horses with molecular methods o...
Munsters CC, Visser KE, van den Broek J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.A good horse-rider 'match' is important in the context of equine welfare. To quantify the influence of repetition and horse-rider matching on the stress of horses encountering challenging objects, 16 Warmblood horses were ridden in a test-setting on three occasions. On each occasion the horse was ridden by a different rider and was challenged by three objects (A-C). Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) of horse and rider, and behaviour score (BS) of the horse were obtained for each object and as a total for each test. The horse-rider interaction was evaluated with each combination and...
Weaver SC, Powers AM, Brault AC, Barrett AD.Recent studies using molecular genetic approaches have made important contributions to our understanding of the epidemiology of veterinary arboviral encephalitides. Viruses utilizing avian enzootic hosts, such as Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) and North American Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), evolve as relatively few, highly conserved genotypes that extend over wide geographic regions; viruses utilizing mammalian hosts with more limited dispersal evolve within multiple genotypes, each geographically restricted. Similar findings have been reported for Australian alphaviruse...
Boere J, Malda J, van de Lest CHA, van Weeren PR, Wauben MHM.The use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a potential therapy is currently explored for different disease areas. When it comes to the treatment of joint diseases this approach is still in its infancy. As in joint diseases both inflammation and the associated articular tissue destruction are important factors, both the immune-suppressive and the regenerative properties of EVs are potentially advantageous characteristics for future therapy. There is, however, only limited knowledge on the basic features, such as numerical profile and function, of EVs in joint articular tissues in general and th...
Singer ER, Barnes J, Saxby F, Murray JK.Two related studies on injuries sustained by event horses during competition and during training are reported. During the cross-country phase of competition, the most common injuries were lacerations and abrasions to the carpus and stifle. Superficial digital flexor tendonitis and exertional rhabdomyolysis were significantly more common during Cours Complete Internationale (CCI) competitions compared to one-day event (ODE) competitions. The difference in injury types at ODEs and CCI competitions probably relates to the increased athletic demands of the CCI and the closer veterinary observation...
Reix CE, Burn CC, Pritchard JC, Barr AR, Whay HR.Lameness is prevalent in working donkeys and has major welfare implications; however, a detailed study of the associated clinical signs is lacking. Objective: To describe the range and prevalence of clinical signs and conformation associated with lameness in working draught donkeys. Methods: Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. Methods: Data were collected from 102 working draught donkeys in Pakistan. A lameness assessment adapted for working donkeys was used to record clinical signs of lameness, gait, limb conformation and pain responses in the feet, limbs and spine using observ...
Chowdhary BP, Raudsepp T, Kata SR, Goh G, Millon LV, Allan V, Piumi F, Guérin G, Swinburne J, Binns M, Lear TL, Mickelson J, Murray J, Antczak DF....A first-generation radiation hybrid (RH) map of the equine (Equus caballus) genome was assembled using 92 horse x hamster hybrid cell lines and 730 equine markers. The map is the first comprehensive framework map of the horse that (1) incorporates type I as well as type II markers, (2) integrates synteny, cytogenetic, and meiotic maps into a consensus map, and (3) provides the most detailed genome-wide information to date on the organization and comparative status of the equine genome. The 730 loci (258 type I and 472 type II) included in the final map are clustered in 101 RH groups distribute...
Allen WR, Brown L, Wright M, Wilsher S.Previous surveys of reproductive efficiency in British Thoroughbreds included only mares and stallions standing on studfarms in and around Newmarket. The present study was widened to compare Flatrace (FR) (Group A) and National Hunt (NH) (Group B) mares and stallions on studfarms throughout England. Objective: To assess the influences of mare type, status and age, and veterinary manipulations on reproductive efficiency parameters. To compare the inherent fertility of stallions, based on singleton and twin pregnancy rates and pregnancy loss rates, in Groups A and B Thoroughbred breeding stock. ...
Jenkins C, Jelocnik M, Micallef ML, Galea F, Taylor-Brown A, Bogema DR, Liu M, O'Rourke B, Chicken C, Carrick J, Polkinghorne A.Chlamydia psittaci is an avian pathogen capable of spill-over infections to humans. A parrot C. psittaci strain was recently detected in an equine reproductive loss case associated with a subsequent cluster of human C. psittaci infections. In this study, we screened for C. psittaci in cases of equine reproductive loss reported in regional New South Wales, Australia during the 2016 foaling season. C. psittaci specific-PCR screening of foetal and placental tissue samples from cases of equine abortion (n = 161) and foals with compromised health status (n = 38) revealed C. psittaci positiv...
Desancé M, Contentin R, Bertoni L, Gomez-Leduc T, Branly T, Jacquet S, Betsch JM, Batho A, Legendre F, Audigié F, Galéra P, Demoor M.Cartilage engineering is a new strategy for the treatment of cartilage damage due to osteoarthritis or trauma in humans. Racehorses are exposed to the same type of cartilage damage and the anatomical, cellular, and biochemical properties of their cartilage are comparable to those of human cartilage, making the horse an excellent model for the development of cartilage engineering. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiated into chondrocytes with chondrogenic factors in a biomaterial appears to be a promising therapeutic approach for direct implantation and cartilage repair. Here, we cha...
MacDonald ES, Barrett JG.One hallmark of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is the ability to differentiate into multiple tissue types which assists in tissue regeneration. Another hallmark of MSCs is their potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties and the potential to treat inflammatory, immune-mediated, and ischemic conditions. In equine practice, MSCs have shown efficacy in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders such as tendinopathy, meniscal tears and cartilage injury. However, there are many equine disease processes and conditions that may benefit from the immunomodulatory properties of MSCs. Exampl...
Hartmann J, Lindau M.Exocytosis begins with formation of a small fusion pore which then expands allowing rapid release of granular contents. We studied the influence of cytoplasmic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) on the conductance of the initial pore and on the dynamics of subsequent expansion in horse eosinophils using the patch clamp technique. The mean initial conductance is approximately 200 pS independent of [Ca2+]i. This value is close to that previously found in beige mouse mast cells. The pore subsequently expands by 18 nS/s at [Ca2+]i < 10 nM, by 40 nS/s at [Ca2+]i = 1.5 microM and by 90 nS/s at [Ca2+]i = 10 micr...
Paterson YZ, Rash N, Garvican ER, Paillot R, Guest DJ.Autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive concept in regenerative medicine, but their mechanism of action remains poorly defined. No immune response is reported after in vivo injection of allogeneic equine MSCs or embryo-derived stem cells (ESCs) into the equine tendon, which may be due to the cells' immune-privileged properties. This study further investigates these properties to determine their potential for clinical application in other tissues. Methods: Mitomycin C-treated MSCs, ESCs, or differentiated ESCs (dESCs) were cultured with allogeneic equine peripheral blood mono...
Betteridge KJ, Eaglesome MD, Mitchell D, Flood PF, Beriault R.Forty nine embryos, twenty unfertilized eggs and five other fresh eggs of 'doubtful' status have been recovered from 58 pony mares in 122 flushes up to 22 days after ovulation. The fresh egg or embryo recovery rate was 78% with surgical methods (or at slaughter) and 40-60% with non-surgical methods of recovery. The fertilization rate was about 70%. It has been confirmed that horse embryos normally enter the uterus as blastocysts 5-6 days after ovulation. Three features of early embryo morphology have become clearer upon comparison with unfertilized eggs of similar ages; early embryos are often...
Morrice-West AV, Hitchens PL, Walmsley EA, Stevenson MA, Whitton RC.Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) in racehorses are commonly due to bone fatigue, a function of the number of cycles (strides) and the magnitude of load applied to the limb. These parameters can be estimated using speed and distance, with greater than 6000 m/month at a gallop (>14 m/s), in combination with canter distances greater than 44,000 m/month, reported to increase fracture risk. Despite their importance, there are limited data on the distances and speeds horses are exposed to during training. Objective: Estimate training volume at different speeds undertaken by Australian Thoroughbr...
Christie JL, Hewson CJ, Riley CB, McNiven MA, Dohoo IR, Bate LA.In North America, there are few representative data about the effects of management practices on equine welfare. In a randomized survey of 312 nonracing horses in Prince Edward Island (response rate 68.4%), owners completed a pretested questionnaire and a veterinarian examined each horse. Regression analyses identified factors affecting 2 welfare markers: body condition score (BCS) and stereotypic behavior. Horses' BCSs were high (mean 5.7, on a 9-point scale) and were associated with sex (males had lower BCSs than females; P < 0.001) and examination date (P = 0.052). Prevalences of crib bi...
Baquero-Perez B, Kuchipudi SV, Nelli RK, Chang KC.Current methods of isolation of muscle satellite cells from different animal species are highly variable making inter-species comparisons problematic. This variation mainly stems from the use of different proteolytic enzymes to release the satellite cells from the muscle tissue (sometimes a single enzyme is used but often a combination of enzymes is preferred) and the different extracellular matrix proteins used to coat culture ware. In addition, isolation of satellite cells is frequently laborious and sometimes may require pre-plating of the cell preparation on uncoated flasks or Percoll cent...
Santín M, Vecino JA, Fayer R.This is the first report of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in an equid species. Feces from 195 horses from 4 locations in Colombia were examined for E. bieneusi by polymerase chain reaction. Of these, 21 horses (10.8%) were found positive for E. bieneusi . The prevalence of E. bieneusi in horses 1 yr of age (2.5%). No significant differences in prevalence were observed between male (13.7%) and female horses (9%). Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region of the SSUrRNA locus identified 3 genotypes. Two genotypes appear to be unique to horses and were named Horse 1 and Horse 2. A third geno...
Lange-Consiglio A, Tassan S, Corradetti B, Meucci A, Perego R, Bizzaro D, Cremonesi F.This is the first study to compare the treatment of horse tendon and ligament injuries with the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) obtained from two different sources: amniotic membrane (AMSCs) and bone marrow (BM-MSCs). The objective was to prove the ability of AMSCs to exert beneficial effects in vivo. Methods: Five million allogeneic frozen-thawed AMSCs or autologous fresh BM-MSCs were injected intralesionally in horses belonging to group A (51 horses) and group B (44 horses). The interval lesion/implantation was of 6-15 days for the AMSCs and 16-35 days for the BM-MSCs. Healing was as...
Smith RK, Gerard M, Dowling B, Dart AJ, Birch HL, Goodship AE.Over-strain injury of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is a common injury in the horse. Tendon appears to adapt to loads placed on it during development, but fatigue damage accumulates after skeletal maturity, which is inadequately repaired and predisposes to clinical tendinitis. In any population of horses, there is a wide variation in SDFT mechanical properties. A noncollagenous protein, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), is particularly abundant during growth in the equine SDFT and has been proposed to have an organisational role in the formation of collagenous matrices...
Fortier G, van Erck E, Pronost S, Lekeux P, Thiry E.Equine gammaherpesviruses (γEHV) have been widely studied over the past 45 years and many isolates have been characterised. Despite this, the diagnosis of γEHV infection remains difficult to establish as its clinical manifestations lack specificity, ranging from mild respiratory signs in a small number of animals to outbreaks in large groups of young horses. This review focuses on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and diagnosis of equine herpesvirus (EHV)-2 and -5 infections, as well as on the genetic variation of these viruses. Study of these variations has resulted in...
Tan H, Wilson AM.Manoeuverability is a key requirement for successful terrestrial locomotion, especially on variable terrain, and is a deciding factor in predator-prey interaction. Compared with straight-line running, bend running requires additional leg force to generate centripetal acceleration. In humans, this results in a reduction in maximum speed during bend running and a published model assuming maximum limb force as a constraint accurately predicts how much a sprinter must slow down on a bend given his maximum straight-line speed. In contrast, greyhounds do not slow down or change stride parameters dur...
Wang W, Wang S, Hou C, Xing Y, Cao J, Wu K, Liu C, Zhang D, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Zhou H.Recent studies have found that copy number variations (CNVs) are widespread in human and animal genomes. CNVs are a significant source of genetic variation, and have been shown to be associated with phenotypic diversity. However, the effect of CNVs on genetic variation in horses is not well understood. In the present study, CNVs in 6 different breeds of mare horses, Mongolia horse, Abaga horse, Hequ horse and Kazakh horse (all plateau breeds) and Debao pony and Thoroughbred, were determined using aCGH. In total, seven hundred CNVs were identified ranging in size from 6.1 Kb to 0.57 Mb across a...
