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.
Borena BM, Meyer E, Chiers K, Martens A, Demeyere K, Broeckx SY, Duchateau L, Spaas JH.Mammal skin plays a pivotal role in several life preserving processes and extensive damage may therefore be life threatening. Physiological skin regeneration is achieved through ongoing somatic stem cell differentiation within the epidermis and the hair follicle. However, in severe pathological cases, such as burn wounds, chronic wounds, and ulcers, the endogenous repair mechanisms might be insufficient. For this reason, exogenous purification and multiplication of epithelial-like stem/progenitor cells (EpSCs) might be useful in the treatment of these skin diseases. However, only few reports a...
Stringer A, Lunn DP, Reid S.The working equid is of vital importance in many low-income countries
where horses, mules and donkeys are the primary means of transport and
traction. Notwithstanding basic husbandry and welfare needs, infectious
diseases compromise the health and welfare of these working animals,
which in turn threatens the livelihoods of the most vulnerable members
of society. A workshop on Infectious Diseases of Working Equids was held in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in November 2013, attended by 35 participants
representing academia, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs),
governmental institutions and the ...
Hendrix DV, Newkirk KM.To determine whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are expressed in periocular squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of horses. Methods: Biopsy specimens of SCCs from 46 horses. Methods: Pathology records were searched retrospectively for biopsy specimens of periocular SCCs obtained from horses. Slides of the specimens were reviewed histologically to confirm the SCC diagnosis and stained for EGFR and HER2 by immunohistochemical methods. For both EGFR and HER2, the immunohistochemical staining intensity and percentage of stain-positive cel...
Legrand R, Tiret L, Abitbol M.Seven donkey breeds are recognized by the French studbook. Individuals from the Pyrenean, Provence, Berry Black, Normand, Cotentin and Bourbonnais breeds are characterized by a short coat, while those from the Poitou breed (Baudet du Poitou) are characterized by a long-hair phenotype. We hypothesized that loss-of-function mutations in the FGF5 (fibroblast growth factor 5) gene, which are associated with a long-hair phenotype in several mammalian species, may account for the special coat feature of Poitou donkeys. To the best of our knowledge, mutations in FGF5 have never been described in Equi...
Sarrafian TL, Garcia TC, Dienes EE, Murphy B, Stover SM, Galuppo LD.To develop a nonterminal large animal bone defect model for assessing the efficacy of regenerative and pharmacologic treatments designed to enhance bone healing. Methods: In vivo experimental. Methods: Adult gelding horses (n = 6). Methods: Under general anesthesia, using radiographic guidance, 13.5 mm diameter bilateral, full thickness mandibular defects were created in 6 horses using a custom surgical jig and coring bit. After 16 weeks, under general anesthesia, 23 mm diameter cores that encompassed the original healing defects and surrounding parent bone material were removed for evaluation...
Bazzano M, Giannetto C, Fazio F, Arfuso F, Giudice E, Piccione G.Pregnancy represents a specific physiological status characterized by continuous adjustments that affect maternal metabolism of all nutrients. In the last trimester of pregnancy, mare's nutrient requirements greatly increase and most pregnancy-associated diseases are likely to occur. Therefore, we aimed to assess the metabolic profile of broodmares focusing on the last 3 months of pregnancy and the early post-partum. Fifteen pregnant mares (Group A) were monitored from 263 ± 3 days of pregnancy until 21 days after foaling. Seven non-pregnant mares (Group B) were used as the control group...
Radcliffe RM, Manchester AC, Mohammed HO, Ortved K, Reesink HL, Schnabel LV, Lang HM, Scrivani PV, Fubini SL.To evaluate the veterinary student learning outcome of 2 methods of equine rectal examination training. Methods: Randomized prospective study. Methods: Veterinary students (3rd and 4th year; n = 40) and practicing equine veterinarians (n = 10). Methods: Year 1: Group 1 (n = 11) and Group 2 students (n = 10) received skilled instructor (SI) and laparoscopic-guidance (LG), respectively, during rectal exam instruction. All students were tested on rectal identification of 4 abdominal organs. Year 2: One group of students (n = 19) was trained and subsequently tested using each technique, first SI, ...
Lygren T, Hansen S, Langberg H, Fjeldborg J, Jacobsen S, Nielsen MO, Schjerling P, Markussen B, Thomsen PD, Berg LC.Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has important roles in anabolic processes in the musculoskeletal system and has been reported to decrease with age in both people and horses. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine serum IGF-1 levels in the aging horse from early to late adulthood (age range 5-27 years). Methods: Healthy horses (n = 72) were used in a cross-sectional study, while 37 paired serum samples were available for a longitudinal study. Serum IGF-1 protein was determined using an ELISA kit validated for use in equine samples. Results: No association was found betw...
Knych HK, Steffey EP, Casbeer HC, Mitchell MM.Foal responses to a broader range of plasma fentanyl concentrations than currently reported are desirable to support (or not) clinical use. Objective: To describe fentanyl plasma concentrations following an escalating i.v. fentanyl dosing schedule in foals aged 5-13 days and describe selected, associated dose- and time-related behavioural and physiological responses to plasma fentanyl concentration. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Fentanyl was administered i.v. in an escalating fashion (2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 μg/kg bwt) at 10-min intervals. Blood samples were collected before and at selected time...
Holmes JM, Mirams M, Mackie EJ, Whitton RC.Bone is repaired by remodelling, a process influenced by its loading environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a change in loading environment on bone remodelling by quantifying bone resorption and formation activity in the metacarpal subchondral bone in Thoroughbred racehorses. Sections of the palmar metacarpal condyles of horses in race training (n = 24) or resting from training (n = 24) were examined with light microscopy and back scattered scanning electron microscopy (BSEM). Bone area fraction, osteoid perimeter and eroded bone surface were measured withi...
Fitzharris LE, Franklin SH, Allen KJ.There is very limited published information on the prevalence and significance of abnormal breathing patterns adopted during canter/gallop. Objective: The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of abnormal breathing patterns during canter/gallop and to investigate whether these may be associated with dynamic upper respiratory tract (URT) obstructions. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical records. Methods: Simultaneous audio and URT videoendoscopy recordings from 365 horses referred for treadmill evaluation were analysed. Results: Thirty percent of horses had an abnormal breathin...
Finno CJ, Aleman M, Higgins RJ, Madigan JE, Bannasch DL.Genome-wide association (GWA) studies are widely used to investigate the genetic etiology of diseases in domestic animals. In the horse, GWA studies using 40-50,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in sample sizes of 30-40 individuals, consisting of only 6-14 affected horses, have led to the discovery of genetic mutations for simple monogenic traits. Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy is a common inherited neurological disorder characterized by symmetric ataxia. A case-control GWA study was performed using genotypes from 42,819 SNP marker loci distributed across the genome in 99 clinically phe...
Henneke C, Jespersen A, Jacobsen S, Nielsen MK, McEvoy F, Jensen HE.The majority of Halicephalobus gingivalis-infections in horses have been fatal and are usually not diagnosed before necropsy. Therefore, knowledge about the nematode and the pathogenesis of infection in horses is limited. This has resulted in an on-going discussion about the port of entry and subsequent dissemination of H. gingivalis within the host. The present case of H. gingivalis-infection in a horse was diagnosed ante mortem. Post mortem findings, the distribution pattern of H. gingivalis nematodes in the brain, a high prevalence of inflammation in close relation to blood vessels, and the...
Knych HK, Arthur RM, Stanley SD, McKemie DS.In order to ensure the welfare of performance horses and riders as well as the integrity of the sport, the use of both therapeutic and illegal agents in horse racing is tightly regulated. While Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is not specifically banned from administration to racehorses in the United States and no screening limit or threshold concentration exists, the metabolic conversion of DHEA to testosterone make its presence in nutritional supplements a regulatory concern. The recommended regulatory threshold for total testosterone in urine is 55 and 20 ng/mL for mares and geldings, respec...
Chevrier A, Kouao AS, Picard G, Hurtig MB, Buschmann MD.Microfracture repair tissue in young adult humans and in rabbit trochlea is frequently of higher quality than in corresponding ovine or horse models or in the rabbit medial femoral condyle (MFC). This may be related to differences in subchondral properties since repair is initiated from the bone. We tested the hypothesis that subchondral bone from rabbit trochlea and the human MFC are structurally similar. Trochlea and MFC samples from rabbit, sheep, and horse were micro-CT scanned and histoprocessed. Samples were also collected from normal and lesional areas of human MFC. The subchondral bone...
Park JH, Shurtleff T, Engsberg J, Rafferty S, You JY, You IY, You SH.While the novel robotic hippotherapy system has gradually gained clinical application for therapeutic intervention on postural and locomotor control in individuals with neurological or musculoskeletal impairments, the system's validity and reliability for the robotic hippotherapy system has not been well established. The objective of the current study was to investigate the validity and test-retest reliability of the robotic hippotherapy system by comparing with real horse movements. The 3-axis accelerometer sensors attached on the robotic and real horse saddles were used to collect 3-dimensio...
Pusterla N, Mackie S, Packham A, Conrad PA.The aim of the present study was to investigate the likelihood of transplacental transmission of Neospora hughesi and Sarcocystis neurona in foals, born from seropositive mares. Three broodmares with persistent N. hughesi infection gave birth to eight healthy foals over a period of 7 years. These foals were seropositive to N. hughesi prior to colostrum ingestion, with titers ranging between 640 and 20,480, measured by indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Of 174 foals born at another farm to mares with a high seroprevalence to S. neurona, only one (with a pre-colostrum antibody tit...
Dietze K, Slosarek I, Fuhrmann-Selter T, Hopperdietzel C, Plendl J, Kaessmeyer S.Arterial or venous thromboses are frequent clinical complications with the risk of fatal progression. Recent studies suggest the disruption of angiogenesis in the course of thrombus resolution as the underlying pathomechanism. Very similar to the situation in human patients, equine vessels have been described to be particularly susceptible to thrombosis. In contrast to humans, equine donors are readily available to obtain organs and tissues for isolation of endothelial cells. Objective of this study was to isolate equine endothelial cells and develop an angiogenesis assay from primary cultures...
Nielsen MK, Wang J, Davis R, Bellaw JL, Lyons ET, Lear TL, Goday C.The equine ascarid parasite Parascaris equorum is well known as a ubiquitous parasite infecting foals. A sibling species, Parascaris univalens, was first described over 130 years ago, but very little attention has been given to its existence and possible implications for anthelmintic resistance, clinical disease, or host age spectrum. P. univalens only possesses one germ line chromosome pair as opposed to two for P. equorum, but the two species are otherwise considered morphologically identical. For the present study, live worms obtained from the University of Kentucky parasitology horse herd ...
Anderson SL, Devick I, Bracamonte JL, Hendrick S, Barber SM, Carmalt JL, Wilson DG.To report the occurrence of, and risk factors associated with, incisional complications of equine ventral median celiotomies closed with USP 7 polydioxanone (7PD). Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n = 73; 75 celiotomies). Methods: Medical records (2000-2010) were retrieved and reviewed for horses that had a ventral celiotomy closed with 7PD and survived ≥14 days. Follow-up (>1 year) was obtained from the medical record, owner, or referring veterinarian. Independent variables were selected based on risk factors identified in previous studies, perceived clinical relevan...
Karikoski NP, McGowan CM, Singer ER, Asplin KE, Tulamo RM, Patterson-Kane JC.Laminitis in equids is a clinical syndrome usually associated with systemic disease. Endocrinopathies recently have been recognized as the most common cause of laminitis, with hyperinsulinemia playing a key role. Descriptions of laminitis-associated lesions have been confusing due to the wide range of experimental models used, failure of adequate clinical documentation for naturally occurring cases, lack of separate analysis of inflammatory and endocrinopathic laminitis, and uncertainty regarding normal morphological variation of lamellae. In this study, lamellar morphology and pathology were ...
Desjardin C, Vaiman A, Mata X, Legendre R, Laubier J, Kennedy SP, Laloe D, Barrey E, Jacques C, Cribiu EP, Schibler L.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small single-stranded non-coding RNA molecules ranging from 18 to 24 nucleotides. They negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and play key roles in many biological processes, including skeletal development and cartilage maturation. In addition, miRNAs involvement in osteoarticular diseases has been proved and some of them were identified as suitable biomarkers for pathological conditions. Equine osteochondrosis (OC) is one of the most prevalent juvenile osteoarticular disorders in horses and represents a major concern f...
Schoster A, Weese JS, Guardabassi L.The gastrointestinal microbiota is extremely important for human and animal health. Investigations into the composition of the microbiota and its therapeutic modification have received increasing interest in human and veterinary medicine. Probiotics are a way of modifying the microbiota and have been tested to prevent and treat diseases. Probiotics are proposed to exert their beneficial effects through various pathways. Production of antimicrobial compounds targeting intestinal pathogens, general immune stimulation, and colonization resistance are among these mechanisms. Despite widespread ava...
Wieder ME, Paine SW, Hincks PR, Pearce CM, Scarth J, Hillyer L.Salbutamol sulphate (Ventolin Evohaler) was administrated via the inhalation route to six horses at a dose of 0.5 mg every 4 h during the day for 2 days (total dose 4 mg). Urine and blood samples were taken up to 92 h postadministration. Hydrolyzed plasma and urine were extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE). A sensitive tandem mass spectrometric method was developed in this study, achieving a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for salbutamol of 10 pg/mL in plasma and urine. The parent drug was identified using UPLC-MS/MS. Most of the determined salbutamol plasma concentrations, post l...
Ranheim B, Risberg ÅI, Spadavecchia C, Landsem R, Haga HA.Dexmedetomidine, the most selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist in clinical use, is increasingly being used in both conscious and anaesthetized horses; however, the pharmacokinetics and sedative effects of this drug administered alone as an infusion are not previously described in horses. Seven horses received an infusion of 8 μg dexmedetomidine/kg/h for 150 min, venous blood samples were collected, and dexmedetomidine concentrations were assayed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and analyzed using noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. Sedation was scored as the distance...
Christoffersen M, Brandis L, Samuelsson J, Bojesen AM, Troedsson MH, Petersen MR.Endometritis constitutes a major problem in the management of broodmares; hence, diagnostic tests with a high sensitivity and specificity are highly appreciated. The aim of this study was to compare the results from endometrial, cytologic, and bacteriologic examinations obtained by a newly developed, double-guarded, flushing technique versus standard diagnostic tests, the double-guarded swab and biopsy. The described double-guarded flush technique requires the use of a disposable uterine flushing tube, a sanitary sleeve, a sterile steel speculum, and a 250 mL fluid bag. Endometrial biopsies, s...
Pyörälä S, Taponen J, Katila T.Use of antimicrobials for veterinary indications related to reproduction in cattle and horses is reviewed. Antimicrobial compounds are widely used to treat and prevent infections of reproductive organs. Total amounts of antimicrobials for such purposes, estimated by weight, are low compared with major uses in food animals. The most common reproduction-related indication in cattle is mastitis. The number of intramammary products available for treatment of mastitis in the European Union is high. Metritis and endometritis also require antimicrobial treatment of cattle and specific products for in...
Zhang Y, Shi Q, Laven R, Li C, He W, Zheng H, Liu S, Lu M, Yang DA, Guo Q, Chahan B.Theileria equi is a tick-borne intracellular apicomplexan protozoan parasite that causes equine theileriosis (ET). ET is an economically important disease with a worldwide distribution that significantly impacts international horse movement. Horses are an essential part of the economy in Xinjiang which is home to ∼10% of all the horses in China. However, there is very limited information on the prevalence and genetic complexity of T. equi in this region. Blood samples from 302 horses were collected from May to September 2021 in Ili, Xinjiang, and subjected to PCR examination for the presence...
Mustikka MP, Pietilä EM, Mykkänen AK, Grönthal TSC.To obtain a reference range for evaluation of intraocular pressure (IOP) in horses using Tonovet Plus , to compare the IOP readings obtained with Tonovet and Tonovet Plus , and to evaluate the repeatability of readings. Unassigned: Intraocular pressure of 30 client-owned horses (60 eyes) with no signs of illness or ocular disease was evaluated using Tonovet and Tonovet Plus rebound tonometers. Horses' mean age was 10.7 (range 6-17) years. Triplicate measurements were performed without using sedatives or local anesthetics, with minimal restraint. Results: Calculated reference intervals (the CLS...
Briston L, Dudhia J, Lees P.Time- and concentration-related actions of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the synthesis of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) were investigated in cartilage explants and synoviocytes harvested from 3 age groups of horses, all with clinically normal joint function: group A 20 years. Cartilage explants from group A horses were least and those from group C were most sensitive to LPS. Significant increases in PGE(2) concentration (P <or= 0.01) were obtained in group C horses in response to LPS concentrations of 1.0 microg/mL (and higher) after exposure for 24, 36 and 48 h, whereas explants from group A h...
Rodrigues JB, Dixon PM, Bastos E, San Roman F, Viegas C.Dental disease is now recognised as a major but often unrecognised disorder of equids, including horses and donkeys. However, very few large clinical studies have documented the prevalence and type of dental disease present in different equid populations and no dental studies have been reported in Zamorano-Leonés or Mirandês donkeys, two endangered donkey breeds. Clinical and detailed oral examinations were performed in 400 Mirandês and 400 Zamorano-Leonés donkeys in Portugal and Spain. It was found that just 4.5 per cent had ever received any previous dental care. Cheek teeth (CT) disorde...
Fenton CS, Buckley TC.Rhodococcus equi is a gram positive, intracellular pathogen of foals worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was an increasing resistance occurring in Rhodococcus equi towards the antibiotics rifampin and erythromycin over a seven year period. The investigation was carried out with the use of E test strips (epsilometers) for rifampin and erythromycin in order to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) values of Rhodococcus equi to these antibiotics. Results: The main results of this study found that the mean MICs were higher for erythromycin than for rifam...
Ghanem YM, Fukushi H, Ibrahim ES, Ohya K, Yamaguchi T, Kennedy M.Viruses related to equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) were isolated from an aborted fetus of an onager (Equus hemionus) in 1984, an aborted fetus of Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) in 1984 and a Thomson's gazelle (Gazella thomsoni) with nonsuppurative encephalitis in 1996, all in the USA. The mother of the onager fetus and the gazelle were kept near plains zebras (Equus burchelli). In phylogenetic trees based on the nucleotide sequences of the genes for glycoproteins B (gB), I (gI), and E (gE), and teguments including ORF8 (UL51), ORF15 (UL45), and ORF68 (US2), the onager, Grevy's zebra and gazell...
Brommer H, van Weeren PR, Brama PA.To evaluate a modified digital imaging technique for quantitative assessment of the grade of osteoarthritis across the proximal articular surface of the first phalanx in horses. Methods: 6 metacarpophalangeal (fet-lock) joint specimens from 6 horses with various stages of osteoarthritis. Methods: First phalanx specimens, together with 4 gray scale reference calibration targets, were positioned in a bath with the proximal articular cartilage surface submerged in saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Digital images were obtained from the articular surface before and after staining with Indian ink. Comput...
Falcão MVD, Laroucau K, Vorimore F, Deshayes T, Santana VLA, Silva KPC, do Nascimento SA, de Castro RS, Araújo FR, Mota RA.Glanders is an infectious zoonosis caused by Burkholderia (B.) mallei that mainly affects equids. The objective of this work was to provide additional knowledge on the diversity of the strains circulating in Brazil. Six Burkholderia mallei isolates obtained during necropsies of glanderous horses between 2014 and 2017 in two different states (Pernambuco and Alagoas) were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting (PCR-HRM). While four strains (9902 RSC, BM_campo 1, BM_campo 3 and UFAL2) clustered in the L3B2 branch, which already includes the Brazilian 16-2438_BM#8 strain, tw...
Jiménez BLM, Elghandour MMMY, Adegbeye MJ, Tirado González DN, Tirado Estrada G, Salem AZM, Pacheco EBF, Pliego AB.In the race against deadly diseases, multiple drugs have been developed as a treatment strategy in livestock. Each treatment is based on a specific mechanism to find a suitable drug. Antibiotics have become a fundamental part of the equine industry to treat bacterial diseases. These antibiotics have specific doses and side effects, and understanding each parameter allows veterinarians to avoid or limit the adverse effects of such drugs. Use of antibiotics causes microbial imbalance, decreased microbial diversity and richness in both cecal and fecal samples. Antibiotics reduced metabolites prod...
Javanshir S, Younesi Soltani F, Dowlati G, Parham A, Naderi-Meshkin H.Managing tendon healing process is complicated mainly due to the limited regeneration capacity of tendon tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have potential applications in regenerative medicine and have been considered for tendon repair and regeneration. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of equine adipose tissue-derived cells (eASCs) to differentiate into tenocytes in response to platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and growth differentiation factor-6 (GDF-6) in vitro. Frozen characterized eASCS of 3 mares were thawed and the cells were expanded in basic culture medium (DMEM...
Macon EL, Harris P, Bailey S, Caldwell Barker A, Adams A.Identifying intake levels of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) that limit the postprandial insulinaemic response in the insulin dysregulated (ID) horse may help reduce hyperinsulinaemia-associated laminitis (HAL) risk. Objective: To determine if ID horses have thresholds for pure sources of starch and sugar, above which there is an augmented insulin response. Methods: Randomised crossover experiment. Methods: Fourteen adult horses (6 ID and 8 noninsulin dysregulated, NID; matched for bodyweight) were randomly fed eight dietary treatments. Dietary treatments were formulated using a base of low...
Netherwood T, Binns M, Townsend H, Wood JL, Mumford JA, Chanter N.During a survey of foal diarrhoea between 1991 and 1994, Clostridium perfringens was significantly associated with disease with 56% of cases infected [1]. The contribution of enterotoxigenic C. perfringens to this association, was assessed by use of the reverse passive latex agglutination test for enterotoxin (RPLA; Oxoid Unipath) and vero cell toxicity neutralized by antitoxin on stored faecal samples and sporulated faecal isolates of C. perfringens. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR1) based on the DNA sequence for the whole enterotoxin gene [2] yielded a fragment from an equine isolate of the a...
Kellon EM, Gustafson KM.Hyperinsulinemia associated with equine metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is a risk factor for laminitis. Research in other species has shown elevated body iron levels as both a predictor and consequence of insulin resistance. In humans, this is known as dysmetabolic hyperferritinemia. To explore the relationship between equine hyperinsulinemia and body iron levels. We reviewed case histories and laboratory results from an open access database maintained by the Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance Group Inc. (ECIR). We identified 33 horses with confirmed hyperinsu...
Ayala-Valdovinos MA, Lemus-Flores C, Galindo-García J, Bañuelos-Pineda J, Rodríguez-Carpena JG, Sánchez-Chiprés D, Duifhuis-Rivera T.Theileria equi infection prevalence was calculated from 1000 blood samples obtained from apparently healthy horses in western Mexico. Samples were sent to the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico) for T. equi diagnosis. Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was used as a diagnostic method to detect pathogen DNA. Using primers for the merozoite antigen-1 (EMA-1) gene, 19.70±2.47% of the horses (95% CI, 17.23-22.17%) tested positive for T. equi. There was no significant association between gender and T. equi infection. However, prevalence was higher among s...
Hasebe R, Kimura T, Nakamura K, Ochiai K, Okazaki K, Wada R, Umemura T.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) shows endotheliotropism in the central nervous system (CNS) of infected horses. However, infection of endothelial cells has not been observed in the CNS of infected mice. To explore the basis for this difference in endotheliotropism, we compared the susceptibility of equine brain microvascular endothelial cells (EBMECs) and mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (MBMECs) to EHV-1 infection. The kinetics of viral growth in EBMECs was typical of a fully productive infection whereas viral infection in MBMECs seemed to be nonproductive. Immunofluorescence microsco...
Hurcombe SD, Fox JG, Kohn CW.A 2-year-old quarterhorse was evaluated for chronic diarrhea and weight loss of 5 weeks duration after numerous diagnostic tests failed to identify an underlying cause. Historically, the horse was housed at pasture where human household waste vehicles were routinely cleaned and the effluent could run onto the field. Physical examination revealed poor body condition and frequent high-volume diarrhea. Diagnostic testing for Salmonella spp., endoparasites, Cryptosporidium spp., Clostridium spp., and diffuse infiltrative bowel disease were negative. Rectal tissue histopathology failed to identify ...
Elbrønd VS, Thomsen MB, Isaksen JL, Lunde ED, Vincenti S, Wang T, Tranum-Jensen J, Calloe K.The Purkinje fibers convey the electrical impulses at much higher speed than the working myocardial cells. Thus, the distribution of the Purkinje network is of paramount importance for the timing and coordination of ventricular activation. The Purkinje fibers are found in the subendocardium of all species of mammals, but some mammals also possess an intramural Purkinje fiber network that provides for relatively instantaneous, burst-like activation of the entire ventricular wall, and gives rise to an rS configuration in lead II of the ECG. To relate the topography of the horse heart and the dis...
Bouhali O, Bensmail H, Sheharyar A, David F, Johnson JP.Great advances have been made in human health care in the application of radiomics and artificial intelligence (AI) in a variety of areas, ranging from hospital management and virtual assistants to remote patient monitoring and medical diagnostics and imaging. To improve accuracy and reproducibility, there has been a recent move to integrate radiomics and AI as tools to assist clinical decision making and to incorporate it into routine clinical workflows and diagnosis. Although lagging behind human medicine, the use of radiomics and AI in veterinary diagnostic imaging is becoming more frequent...
Gold JR, Grubb TL, Cox S, Malavasi L, Villarino NL.The repeated administration of high doses of gabapentin may provide better analgesia in horses than current clinical protocols. Objective: Administration of gabapentin at 40 and 120 mg/kg PO q 12 h for 14 days will not alter serum biochemistry findings or cause adverse effects. Our objectives were to evaluate the effect of gabapentin on serum biochemistry, physical examination, and plasma pharmacokinetics of gabapentin. Methods: Six healthy adult mares. Methods: Horses received 40 and 120 mg/kg of gabapentin orally q 12 h for 14 days. Horses were examined and scored for ataxia and ...
Rush BR, Worster AA, Flaminio MJ, Matson CJ, Hakala JE.To determine alteration in adrenocortical function in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (heaves) after aerosol and parenteral administration of beclomethasone dipropionate and dexamethasone, respectively. Methods: 6 horses with inducible and reversible heaves. Methods: Episodes of heaves were induced by exposure to moldy hay and straw for 7 days (natural challenge). Horses then underwent treatment (aerosolized beclomethasone, parenterally administered dexamethasone, and aerosolized propellant) for 7 days. Horses remained in the mold-contaminated environment for 7 days after discontinuat...
Grint NJ, Beths T, Yvorchuk K, Taylor PM, Dixon M, Whay HR, Murrell JC.To evaluate a mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) testing device in the donkey, and to investigate the influence of potential confounders on MNTs generated. Methods: Prospective, randomised. Methods: Sixteen castrated male donkeys aged 4-9 years, weighing 105-170 kg. Methods: Mechanical nociceptive thresholds were measured using an actuator with three pins placed on the dorsal aspect of the distal limb, connected to a force meter. The pins (surface area 15 mm(2) ) were extruded onto the limb by pressurising an air-filled syringe, until the MNT force (when foot-lift was observed) or 25 N (cu...
Power MM.Two unrelated chromosome abnormalities were found in equine half sibs. The proposita, Case 1, which was short in stature and infertile, had a de novo unbalanced X;15 translocation involving loss of Xp. Replication studies indicated that the translocated X was preferentially late replicating and that this late replication spread variably into the autosomal segment. Case 2, a half brother of the proposita, was short in stature, had cryptorchidism, and was trisomic for chromosome 28. Cytogenetic analysis of the dam, the sire of Case 1, and two other phenotypically normal half sibs revealed normal...
Shingleton WD, Mackie EJ, Cawston TE, Jeffcott LB.Cartilage canals have been described in most mammals and contain the vascular elements necessary for the maintenance of epiphyseal growth cartilage. The presence and longevity of cartilage canals in developing articular/epiphyseal cartilage of horses is described for the first time. Growth cartilages from 30 normal horses (from 130 days gestation to age 2 years) and 6 cases of dyschondroplasia (age 6 months. Cartilage canals were associated with retained cartilage of dyschondroplastic lesions found in animals age < 15 months. The presence of cartilage canals in association with dyschondrop...
Semevolos SA, Nixon AJ, Fortier LA, Strassheim ML, Haupt J.The purpose of this study was to determine changes in the expression of regulatory molecules in normal equine articular cartilage throughout development up to 18 months of age. The hypothesis was that expression of these regulatory molecules would decrease from birth to postpubescence. Cartilage was harvested from normal femoropatellar or scapulohumeral joints from 34 fresh horse cadavers. Horses were placed in four age groups [prenatal (n = 5); prepubertal, 0-6 months (n = 11); pubertal, 7-14 months (n = 13); and postpubertal, 15-18 months (n = 5)]. Indian hedgehog (Ihh), Gli1, Gli3, Patched1...
Alward A, Corriher CA, Barton MH, Sellon DC, Blikslager AT, Jones SL.Ingestion of wilted red maple leaves by horses can result in severe hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia. Little is known about what factors influence the outcome of red maple leaf toxicosis in horses. Objective: Our hypothesis was that physical examination findings, clinicopathologic variables or therapeutic modalities may predict outcome in horses with red maple leaf toxicity. Methods: Horses with red maple leaf toxicosis presented to referral hospitals in the southeast region of the United States. Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective study was designed to identify factors that pre...
King SS, Campbell AG, Dille EA, Roser JF, Murphy LL, Jones KL.Dopamine (DA) agonist and antagonist treatments can affect ovarian reproductive events in the mare. To support our theory that DA produces these effects by acting directly on the ovary, we analyzed equine ovarian tissues for the presence of dopamine receptor-1 (D1r) and dopamine receptor-2 (D2r) mRNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and D1r and D2r proteins by Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). RT-PCR was performed on RNA isolated from ovarian cortex, medulla, granulosa/theca or corpus luteum (CL) tissues and from pituitary (D2r control) and renal artery (D...
