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.
Davis W, Caniglia CJ, Lustgarten M, Blackwelder T, Robertson I, Redding WR.Lateral digital flexor tendonitis is a rarely reported cause of hind limb lameness in performance horses. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe clinical and diagnostic imaging findings for a group of horses with lateral digital flexor tendinitis within the tarsal sheath. Equine cases with a diagnosis of lateral digital flexor tendonitis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the affected region were retrieved from North Carolina University’s medical record database. Recorded data for included horses were signalment; findings from history, physical examination, lame...
Pirie RS, Jago RC, Hudson NP.Equine grass sickness (EGS; equine dysautonomia) is a polyneuronopathy affecting both the central and the peripheral nervous systems of horses. As the name implies, EGS almost exclusively affects grazing horses, resulting in the development of a characteristic array of clinical signs, most of which can be attributed to neuronal degeneration in the autonomic and enteric nervous systems. Varying disease severities occur, largely determined by the extent of neuronal degeneration in the myenteric and submucous plexuses of the enteric nervous system. Extensive neuronal degeneration, as seen in acut...
Draper AC, Trumble TN, Firshman AM, Baird JD, Reed S, Mayhew IG, MacKay R, Valberg SJ.To investigate and further characterise posture and movement characteristics during forward and backward walking in horses with shivering and acquired, bilateral stringhalt. Objective: To characterise the movement of horses with shivering (also known as shivers) in comparison with control horses and horses with acquired bilateral stringhalt. Methods: Qualitative video analysis of gait in horses. Methods: Owners' and authors' videos of horses with shivering or stringhalt and control horses walking forwards and backwards and manually lifting their limbs were examined subjectively to characterise...
Govaere JL, Hoogewijs MK, De Schauwer C, De Vliegher S, Van Soom A, Duchateau L, de Kruif A.Deep intra-uterine insemination is commonly accepted as a routine procedure for artificial insemination in horses. The motives and principles of deep insemination are well described, but the equipment used may differ. In this trial, the efficiency of two different insemination pipettes for deep intra-uterine insemination in the mare was compared with insemination into the uterine body using commercially available frozen-thawed semen of two stallions of proven fertility. These inseminations were performed using two different doses. The semi-flexible Minitube pipette was compared with a newly de...
Ellse L, Burden FA, Wall R.A longitudinal study was undertaken over a 21 months period to examine the seasonal abundance of lice infesting donkeys, the risk factors which predispose donkeys to infestation and the effectiveness of louse management. All the lice seen were Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus. A strong seasonal pattern, which was correlated with mean monthly temperature, was observed with higher prevalence and intensity in the cooler, winter months (October-March). Overall infestation in these animals was over-dispersed, suggesting that some individuals are strongly predisposed to infestation. Donkey age and ...
Curtis S, Martin J, Hobbs S.A circumferential ring in the hoof horn of foals occurs at birth and grows down to the distal border as the fetal hoof is replaced. Horn growth and complete hoof capsule renewal have not been measured in Thoroughbred foals but the determination of time of hoof renewal may allow accurate predictions of healing time to be made in cases of hoof lesions. The objective of this study was to measure the time taken for the fetal hoof of newborn foals to grow to the distal border and be replaced by hoof grown since birth. The age of the foal in days on the day that routine hoof trimming removed the hoo...
Veronesi F, Passamonti F, Moretti A, Morganti G, Vardi DM, Laus F, Marenzoni ML, Spaterna A, Coletti M, Fioretti DP.The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a commercially available rapid enzyme-linked immonosorbent assay, the Snap® 4Dx test, in the detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum antibodies in horses. Two hundred apparently healthy horses (asymptomatic) and 244 animals showing clinical symptoms (symptomatic), were tested for A. phagocytophilum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies using both the Snap® 4Dx kit and an indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), with the latter serving as a comparative test. Horses belonging to the symptomatic group were also tested for evidence of active...
Warnock JJ, Fox DB, Stoker AM, Beatty M, Cockrell M, Janicek JC, Cook JL.Introduction. Tissue engineering is a new methodology for addressing meniscal injury or loss. Synovium may be an ideal source of cells for in vitro meniscal fibrocartilage formation, however, favorable in vitro culture conditions for synovium must be established in order to achieve this goal. The objective of this study was to determine cellularity, cell distribution, and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation of equine fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) cultured on synthetic scaffolds, for potential application in synovium-based meniscal tissue engineering. Scaffolds included open-cell poly-L-l...
Bostedt H, Sieme H, Bartmann CP, Handler J, Sobiraj A, Wehrend A.This review describes stepwise the recto-manual and transrectal ultrasonographic evidence of early pregnancy detection in the horse. The morphological and physiological conditions in the individual phases of early pregnancy are presented in correlation to the potential clinical findings. The importance of embryonic and early foetal losses is presented. Communication and documentation of findings are also addressed. The final section is devoted to the evaluation of the examination effort. In this regard, it is emphasized that the gynaecological examination for the evaluation of the pregnancy st...
Ploeg M, Saey V, Delesalle C, Gröne A, Ducatelle R, de Bruijn M, Back W, van Weeren PR, van Loon G, Chiers K.Aortic rupture in horses is a rare condition. Although it is relatively common in the Friesian breed, only limited histopathologic information is available. Twenty Friesian horses (1-10 years old) were diagnosed with aortic rupture by postmortem examination. Ruptured aortic walls were analyzed with histology and immunohistochemistry. Based on the histologic and immunohistochemical findings, these cases were divided into 3 groups: acute (n = 4, 20%), subacute (n = 8, 40%), and chronic (n = 8, 40%). Features common to samples from horses in all groups included accumulation of mucoid material; di...
Moens Y, Schramel JP, Tusman G, Ambrisko TD, Solà J, Brunner JX, Kowalczyk L, Böhm SH.The use of alveolar recruitment maneuvers during general anaesthesia of horses is a potentially useful therapeutic option for the ventilatory management. While the routine application of recruitments would benefit from the availability of dedicated large animal ventilators their impact on ventilation and perfusion in the horse is not yet well documented nor completely understood. Methods: A healthy 533 kg experimental horse underwent general anaesthesia in lateral recumbency. During intermittent positive pressure ventilation a stepwise alveolar recruitment maneuver was performed. Results: Anae...
Relf VE, Lester HE, Morgan ER, Hodgkinson JE, Matthews JB.Anthelmintic drugs have been applied indiscriminately to control horse nematodes for over 40 years. We undertook a comprehensive study to investigate efficacy of the four available broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs on 16 Thoroughbred stud farms using the faecal egg count reduction test. Efficacy against strongyles was determined by calculating the percentage of reduction in faecal egg count between the group mean at Day 0 and Days 14-17 post-treatment and the 95% lower confidence intervals estimated by non-parametric bootstrapping. Individual strongyle faecal egg count reduction tests (n=429) ...
Ball MC, Dewberry TD, Freeman PG, Kemsley PD, Poe I.Between 2006 and 2012, there were 11 horses diagnosed with Hendra virus (HeV) on 9 independent premises in New South Wales (NSW). We defined a case of HeV as premises where one or more horses were confirmed to be infected with HeV by PCR. All the cases occurred in the north-eastern region of NSW. In 8 of the 9 cases, infection occurred within 2 months over the winter of 2011. With no exception, the affected horses were kept at pasture on properties visited by flying foxes. Of the 11 horses testing positive for HeV, 5 had an association with a fence, with the horses dead or dying on a fence l...
Prochno HC, Scorsin LM, De Melo FR, Baldani CD, Falbo MK, de Aquino LC, Lemos KR.The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Theileria equi in horses from central western region of Paraná state, Brazil. The presence of antibodies IgG against T. equi was determined in serum samples obtained from 400 team roping horses of the district of Guarapuava by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results showed that 242 (61%) animals were positive which demonstrates that equine piroplasmosis is widespread and therefore it might be a contributing factor for the irregular performance among athletes horses in the region studied. No association regarding age an...
Sampieri F, Allen AL, Alcorn J, Clark CR, Vannucci FA, Pusterla N, Mapes SM, Ball KR, Dowling PM, Thompson J, Bernstein LR, Gebhart CJ, Hamilton DL.Antimicrobial efficacy against Lawsonia intracellularis is difficult to evaluate in vitro, thus, the effects of gallium maltolate's (GaM) were investigated in a rabbit model for equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE). Juvenile (5-6-week-old) does were infected with 3.0 × 10(8) L. intracellularis/rabbit and allocated into three groups (n = 8). One week postinfection, one group was treated with GaM, 50 mg/kg; one, with doxycycline, 5 mg/kg; and one with a sham-treatment (control). Feces and blood were collected daily and weekly, respectively, to verify presence of L. intracellularis fec...
Wohlfender FD, Doherr MG, Driessen B, Hartnack S, Johnston GM, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R.Multicentre Confidential Enquiries into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF) have not been conducted since the initial CEPEF Phases 1-3, 20 years ago. Objective: To collect data on current practice in equine anaesthesia and to recruit participants for CEPEF-4. Methods: Online questionnaire survey. Methods: An online questionnaire was prepared and the link distributed internationally to veterinarians possibly performing equine anaesthesia, using emails, posters, flyers and an editorial. The questionnaire included 52 closed, semiclosed and open questions divided into 8 subgroups: demographic ...
Fiege JK, Hackett ES, Rao S, Gillette SC, Southwood LL.To report the results of a survey of opinions on current treatments and estimated outcomes of ascending colon volvulus in horses. Methods: Web-based survey. Methods: American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) Diplomates (n = 151) who perform gastrointestinal surgery in horses. Methods: ACVS Diplomates with credentials in the large animal specialty obtained by examination in 2010 or earlier (n = 410) were solicited by e-mail to complete a web-based survey designed to determine ascending colon volvulus treatment preferences and outcomes. Results: Responses were obtained from 162 ACVS Diploma...
Baldacchino F, Desquesnes M, Mihok S, Foil LD, Duvallet G, Jittapalapong S.Tabanids are nuisance pests for people and livestock because of their painful and irritating bite, persistent biting behavior, and blood ingestion. About 4400 tabanid species have been described; they are seasonally present in all kinds of landscapes, latitudes, and altitudes. High populations have a significant economic impact on outdoor activities, tourism, and livestock production. Tabanids are also vectors of animal disease agents, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. However, tabanids have received little attention in comparison with other hematophagous Diptera. Here, we highlight t...
Tallmadge RL, Tseng CT, Felippe MJ.To further studies of neonatal immune responses to pathogens and vaccination, we investigated the dynamics of B lymphocyte development and immunoglobulin (Ig) gene diversity. Previously we demonstrated that equine fetal Ig VDJ sequences exhibit combinatorial and junctional diversity levels comparable to those of adult Ig VDJ sequences. Herein, RACE clones from fetal, neonatal, foal, and adult lymphoid tissue were assessed for Ig lambda light chain combinatorial, junctional, and sequence diversity. Remarkably, more lambda variable genes (IGLV) were used during fetal life than later stages and I...
Bracamonte JL, Anderson SL, Hendrick S, Barber SM, Deutscher D, Sumner D.To compare bursting strength, construction time, and anastomotic dimensions of 4 jejunoileal anastomotic techniques. Methods: Experimental ex vivo study. Methods: Adult horses (n = 12). Methods: Jejunoileal anastomoses were constructed from harvested ileal and distal jejunal segments using a single-layer Lembert technique (1HS), double-layer simple continuous/Cushing technique (2HS), stapled side-to-side technique (SS), or stapled functional end-to-end technique (FEE). Anastomotic construction time was recorded. Bursting pressures (BP), bursting wall tension (BWT), percentage of mean anastomot...
Nieri-Bastos FA, Lopes MG, Cançado PH, Rossa GA, Faccini JL, Gennari SM, Labruna MB.Adult ticks of the species Amblyomma parvum were collected from the vegetation in the Pantanal biome (state of Mato Grosso do Sul) and from horses in the Cerrado biome (state of Piauí) in Brazil. The ticks were individually tested for rickettsial infection via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting three rickettsial genes, gltA, ompA and ompB. Overall, 63.5% (40/63) and 66.7% (2/3) of A. parvum ticks from Pantanal and Cerrado, respectively, contained rickettsial DNA, which were all confirmed by DNA sequencing to be 100% identical to the corresponding fragments of the gltA, ompA and ompB ge...
Azab W, Harman R, Miller D, Tallmadge R, Frampton AR, Antczak DF, Osterrieder N.Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was shown to use an unusual receptor for cellular entry - MHC-I molecules. Here, we demonstrated that the closely related EHV, EHV-4, also uses this strategy for cellular invasion, both in equine cells in culture and in the heterologous, non-permissive murine mastocytoma cell line (P815) after stable transfection with horse MHC-I genes. Using a panel of P815 cell lines transfected with individual horse MHC-I genes, we provided support for the hypothesis that EHV-1 and EHV-4 target classical polymorphic MHC-I molecules as viral entry receptors. All known equine ...
Brown S, Stubbs NC, Kaiser LJ, Lavagnino M, Clayton HM.Trotting over poles is used therapeutically to restore full ranges of limb joint motion. The mechanics of trotting over poles have not yet been described, hence quantitative evidence for the presumed therapeutic effects is lacking. Objective: To compare limb kinematics in horses trotting over level ground, over low poles and over high poles to determine changes in joint angulations and hoof flight arcs. Methods: Repeated measures experimental study in sound horses. Methods: Standard motion analysis procedures with skin-fixed reflective markers were used to measure swing phase kinematics from 8...
Barr L, Getgood A, Guehring H, Rushton N, Henson FM.The aim of this in vitro study was to ascertain the effect of recombinant human Fibroblast Growth Factor-18 (rhFGF18) on the repair response of mechanically damaged articular cartilage. Articular cartilage discs were harvested from healthy mature horses (n = 4) and subjected to single impact load (SIL). The impacted explants, together with unimpacted controls were cultured in modified DMEM ± 200 ng/ml rhFGF18 for up to 30 days. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release into the media was measured using the dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay. Aggrecan neopepitope CS846, collagen type II synth...
McCarty CA, Thomason JJ, Gordon K, Burkhart T, Bignell W.We wished to add to the existing baseline data on impact loading of the distal limb as a precursor to assessing the potential role of impact in injury and joint disease. Objective: To examine the effect of 3 hoof-strike conditions (toe first, flat and heel first) and 2 specimen masses (with and without a ballast of ∼2% body mass) on impact deceleration and vibration frequencies and energies at the hoof, first phalanx and third metacarpal. Methods: Biomechanical experiments in cadaver material. Methods: Eight cadaver limbs were subjected to randomised, repeated controlled trials, in which the...
Eydt C, Schröck C, Geburek F, Rohn K, Staszyk C, Pfarrer C.The sternum is a frequently used anatomical site to obtain bone marrow for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in equine medicine and surgery. For a safe and reproducible aspiration of sternal bone marrow, a reliable anatomical description of the sternum is mandatory. However, the anatomical literature provides very heterogeneous information concerning the structure and number of sternebrae. Isolated sterna (horses of different ages) underwent clinical computed tomography, and single sternebrae were scanned by microcomputed tomography. Data sets were analysed in detail, the dimensions of each ...
Agrawal K, Ebel JG, Bischoff K.Most antidoping method development in the equine industry has been for plasma and urine, though there has been recent interest in the analysis of synovial fluid for evidence of doping by intra-articular corticosteroid injection. Published methods for corticosteroid analysis in synovial fluid are primarily singleplex methods, do not screen for all corticosteroids of interest and are not adequately sensitive. The purpose of this study is to develop a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) screening method for the detection of four of the most common intra-a...
Bozorgmanesh R, Magdesian KG, Sutton-Burges JW, Owens SD, Tablin F.Development of equine platelet concentrate (PC) would aid management of cases requiring transfused platelets (PLTs), where adminstration of whole-blood or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) might be contraindicated. Objective: To test and validate a method for production of an equine PRP-PC product. Methods: Six healthy Thoroughbred geldings from a research herd. Methods: In this prospective experimental study, whole blood was collected and processed through multiple centrifugation steps to yield 120 mL of PC. The PC was stored at 22°C and gently and continuously agitated. Measurements of PLT count...
Khusro A, Aarti C, Salem AZM, Pliego AB, Rivas-Caceres RR.Methane (CH) emission from nonruminant livestock, particularly equines, is a colossal burden for veterinarians worldwide. In view of this, the present context was investigated to predict the antimethanogenic attributes of Moringa oleifera L. associated phytocomponents by targeting methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) receptor in horses using in silico tools. Initially, the pharmacokinetics and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties of 26 phytocomponents were analyzed using Lipinski's rule of five and Swiss ADME tool, respectively. Among all the tested phytocomponent...
Adami C, Westwood-Hearn H, Bolt DM, Monticelli P.The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of intraoperative electrolyte disturbances and risk factors associated with perianesthetic death in horses undergoing colic surgery. The files of 120 horses meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Data retrieved from the medical records, including demographic data and the occurrence of electrolyte disturbances and other intraoperative complications, were analyzed with a two step-approach by univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Hypocalcemia was the most represented electrolyte disturbance (52.5%), followed by h...
Brink P, Smith RK, Tverdal A, Dolvik NI.To quantify concentrations of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and fibromodulin in synovial fluid from the tarsocrural joints (TCJs) of horses with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia and determine whether concentrations would change following arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments. Methods: 115 client-owned horses with OCD of the TCJ and 29 control horses euthanized for unrelated reasons. Methods: COMP and fibromodulin concentrations were measured in synovial fluid from the TCJs of the affected horses before and after osteochondral ...
Bramlage LR, Schneider RK, Gabel AA.Clinical experience continues to expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of pain and injury within the carpal joints. The anatomical and physiological capacity of the equine carpus to neutralise loading stress plays a significant role in the prevention of carpal injury. The ability of joint surfaces to dissipate axial force by transfer to the interosseous ligaments is the principal means by which carpal injury is avoided. In the medial aspect of the intercarpal joint and the dorsal aspect of the radial carpal joint, however, the effects of chronic maximal stress and isolated acute supr...
Steelman SM, Chowdhary BP.Equine laminitis is a devastating disease that causes severe pain in afflicted horses and places a major economic burden on the horse industry. In acute laminitis, the disintegration of the dermal-epidermal junction can cause the third phalanx to detach from the hoof wall, leaving the horse unable to bear weight on the affected limbs. Horses that survive the acute phase transition into a chronic form of laminitis, which is often termed "founder". Some evidence suggests that chronic laminar inflammation might be associated with alterations in the endocrine and immune systems. We investigated th...
Nagel C, Aurich J, Aurich C.Abortion and preterm birth of foals are major reasons for reproductive losses in the horse. Risk pregnancies require close supervision so that adequate treatment can be initiated in time. The aim of this study was to determine normal values in heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) of the pregnant mare compared to her foetus and to detect physiological changes during ongoing gestation. In mares, the RR interval decreased from 1480±29 ms on day 270 of pregnancy to 1190±58 ms on day 330 of pregnancy (p<0.05). In contrast, foetal RR interval increased during the same time period from ...
de Oliveira FS.Anatomical specimens used in human or veterinary anatomy laboratories are usually prepared with formaldehyde (a cancerous and teratogenic substance), glycerin (an expensive and viscous fluid), or ethanol (which is flammable). This research aimed to verify the viability of an aqueous 30% sodium chloride solution for preservation of anatomical specimens previously fixed with formaldehyde. Anatomical specimens of ruminant, carnivorous, equine, swine and birds were used. All were previously fixed with an aqueous 20% formaldehyde solution and held for 7 days in a 10% aqueous solution of the same ...
Cadario ME, Merritt AM, Archbald LF, Thatcher WW, LeBlanc MM.Intrauterine pressure was measured in 4 reproductively normal mares and 4 mares with delay in uterine clearance after administration of oxytocin to determine if intrauterine pressure varied between dosage and group. Changes in intrauterine pressure were measured during estrus, when a follicle was > or =35 mm, using a Millar "Mikro-tip" catheter that had 3 discrete pressure sensors/channels. Mares received 4 different treatments of 10, 5, 2.5 or 0 IU (vehicle) of oxytocin. The protocol for each treatment consisted of a 10-min baseline recording, administration of treatment and measurement of...
Smith KC, Borchers K.The polymerase chain reaction and DNA in-situ hybridization were used to study sections of uterine tissue collected from mares near the time of abortion due to equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection. These techniques revealed viral nucleic acids in endothelial cells of endometrial arterioles, in accordance with previously published immunohistological data. In addition, however, they revealed nucleic acids in cellular debris within endometrial glands and diffusing across the placenta at sites of microcotyledonary infarction. Perivascular leucocytes were generally negative for viral DNA, despite ...
Bonin CP, Baccarin RY, Nostell K, Nahum LA, Fossum C, de Camargo MM.Engagement of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a master trigger of the deleterious effects of septic shock. Horses and humans are considered the most sensitive species to septic shock, but the mechanisms explaining these phenomena remain elusive. Analysis of tlr4 promoters revealed high similarity among LPS-sensitive species (human, chimpanzee, and horse) and low similarity with LPS-resistant species (mouse and rat). Four conserved nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) binding sites were found in the tlr4 promoter and two in the md2 promoter sequences that are likely to be t...
Mahalingam-Dhingra A, Mazan MR, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Minuto J, Deveney EF.There are limited options for treatment of the common disease, equine asthma. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility and potential efficacy of using nebulized lidocaine for treating equine asthma, while at the same time treating a separate cohort of asthmatic horses with inhaled budesonide. Nineteen horses with a history consistent with equine asthma were recruited from our referral population for a double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot clinical trial using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. After screening, 16 horses met the inclusion criteria...
Savill MG, Murray SR, Scholes P, Maas EW, McCormick RE, Moore EB, Gilpin BJ.Rhodococcus coprophilus, a natural inhabitant of herbivore faeces, has been suggested as a good indicator of animal (as opposed to human) faecal contamination of aquatic environments. However, conventional detection methods limit its use for this as they require up to 21 days to obtain a result. In this paper an optimised method for extracting R. coprophilus DNA from faecal samples is described. PCR and 5'-nuclease (TaqMan) PCR methods were developed to allow the detection and enumeration of R. coprophilus in faecal samples within 2-3 days. Both PCR methods targeted the 16S rRNA gene, producin...
Moltmann UG, Mehlhorn H, Schein E, Rehbein G, Voigt WP, Zweygarth E.The development of Babesia equi (Piroplasmia) in the vertebrate host was studied by electron microscopy. The tick-borne sporozoites initiated an exoerythrocytic schizogony in lymphocytes in vivo and in vitro. In lymphocyte cultures the schizonts of B. equi lay as fissured bodies directly within the host cell forming numerous cytomeres. These cytomeres were bordered by a single membrane and contained polymorphous nuclei. Merozoite differentiation was initiated at several places by protrusions appearing at the periphery of the cytomeres. The cytoplasm of the schizont merged progressively into th...
Gómez-Almaguer D, Jaime-Pérez JC, Ruiz-Arguelles GJ.Antibodies have been the cornerstone of treatment of acquired aplastic anemia for more than 25 years. Treatment with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is considered pivotal and the addition of cyclosporine improves the overall response rate. This antibody is heterogeneous and horse ATG is apparently more effective than rabbit ATG. Several issues remain unsolved in relation to the combination of ATG and cyclosporine: cost, toxicity and late clonal disorders. In recent years, alternative immunosuppressive therapy has been proposed and new antibodies have emerged: porcine ATG, alemtuzumab, daclizumab...
Looft C, Paul S, Philipp U, Regenhard P, Kuiper H, Distl O, Chowdhary BP, Leeb T.Defensins are a family of evolutionary ancient antimicrobial peptides consisting of three sub-families: alpha-, beta- and theta-defensins. This investigation was focused on the genomic characterization of equine beta-defensins and the investigation of the potential clustering of beta-defensin genes in the equine genome. Six genomic BAC clones were isolated from the CHORI-241 library and one of these was mapped by FISH to ECA 27q17. This location was confirmed by RH-mapping. The contiguous 212 kb sequence of this clone was determined. Sequence analysis revealed the identification of ten pseudog...
Phumoonna T, Barton MD, Vanniasinkam T, Heuzenroeder MW.Rhodococcus equi remains a significant bacterial pathogen, causing severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals aged 1-3 months. There is no effective vaccine currently available for the prevention of R. equi pneumonia. DNA vaccines are known to offer specific advantages over conventional vaccines. The aim of this study was to demonstrate efficacy of our recombinant DNA vaccine candidates, namely pcDNA3-Re1, pcDNA3-Re3 and pcDNA3-Re5 by combining a heat shock protein GroEL2 to a virulence-associated protein A (VapA) from R. equi to protect C3H/He mice against the R. equi infection. VapA was show...
Sessions DR, Vick MM, Fitzgerald BP.Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMP) regulate tissue remodeling events necessary for ovulation. Thus, changes in MMP and TIMP expression and protein enzyme activity were examined in vivo and in vitro during follicular development and atresia in the horse. Equine granulosa cells and follicular fluid from medium (15 to 29 mm) healthy and atretic follicles and from large (>30 mm) healthy and preovulatory follicles were collected by transvaginal aspiration. The cells were either snap-frozen (in vivo study) or cultured for 48 h (in vitro study) to determine gene ex...
Borchers K, Frölich K, Ludwig H.In blood samples of seven captive equid species from four German zoos EHV-1 specific antibodies were detected in 76% and EHV-4 specific antibodies in 73% of the 55 animals, whereas 93% were tested positive for EHV-2 and EHV-5, respectively. In only one blood sample from a Przewalski's wild horse EHV-4 DNA was amplified by PCR. From seven Przewalski's wild horses EHV-2, and from another one EHV-5 was isolated by cocultivation. The identity of the virus isolates was verified by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion.
Flash ML, Crabb HK, Hitchens PL, Firestone SM, Stevenson MA, Gilkerson JR.The number of horses leaving the Australian Thoroughbred (TB) racing industry each year is of concern to animal welfare advocates, public and regulators. A horse's previous athletic performance is a significant driver of retirement from racing. Racehorse performance can be measured in terms of the total number of starts, duration of racing and prize money earned. This study investigated Australian racing records for the 2005 and 2010 Victorian TB foal crops to identify factors associated with total number of starts, racing career duration, prize money earned and age of last race start-up to th...
Young DR, Richardson DW, Markel MD, Nunamaker DM.The third carpal bone (C3) was collected from both forelimbs of 27 Thoroughbreds. On the basis of age, training, and history, specimens were assigned to 1 of 5 groups: yearling, untrained horses (group 1, n = 4); 2- to 3-year-old, untrained horses (group 2, n = 7); trained 2-year-old horses (group 3, n = 6); trained 3-year-old horses (group 4, n = 6); and 3-year-old, trained horses with carpal pathologic features (group 5, n = 4). A transverse section of subchondral bone 5-mm thick was cut in a precise fashion 10 mm below the proximal articular surface of all specimens. After high-detail radio...
Deniz Ö, Ekinci G, Onmaz AC, Derelli FM, Fazio F, Aragona F, Hoven RVD.Rhodococcus equi (R. equi), a gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen, is a common cause of pneumonia in foals and represents a major cause of disease and death. The aim of the present study was to investigate the time-depended changes in White Blood Cells (WBC), basophils (Baso), neutrophils (Neu), lymphocytes (Lymf), monocytes (Mon), eosinophils (Eos), platelet (PLT) counts, fibrinogen (Fbg) concentration, interferon (IFN-α, IFN-γ) and interleukins (IL-2 and IL-10) in foals with clinical R. equi pneumonia. The main treatment was with azithromycin-rifampicin for 14 days. Blood was ...
Li P, Sun S, Zhang W, Ouyang W, Li X, Yang K.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of pre-exercise -citrulline supplementation on the athletic performance of speed-racing horses during a high-intensity exercise. On the 20th day of the experiment, blood samples were collected at 3 h and 6 h post-supplementation to measure the amino acid and polyamine concentrations. On the 38th day of the experiment, the horses participated in a 2000 m speed race, and three distinct blood samples were gathered for assessing blood gases, hematological parameters, the plasma biochemistry, antioxidant parameters, and NO concentrations. The...
Šenica P, Žele Vengušt D, Vengušt G, Kuhar U.Rotaviruses A (RVA) are a major cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in humans worldwide and are responsible for about two million hospitalizations per year. They can also infect other mammals such as pigs, calves, goats, lambs, and horses, in which they are also considered a major cause of viral diarrhea. While RVA is well studied in humans and domestic animals, its occurrence in wild ruminants is not well known. The RVA genome is a double-stranded RNA consisting of 11 segments, and genotyping is based on the VP7 (G) and VP4 (P) segments. Currently, there are 42G genotypes and 58P genotypes. ...
Fletcher KA, Padalino B, Felici M, Bigi D, Limon-Vega G, Grist A, Gibson TJ.There is limited research into horse slaughter, particularly ante mortem welfare, and the effectiveness of captive-bolt gun (CBG) stunning, despite this being a widely used method worldwide. To address this evidence gap and explore associations between ante and post mortem factors, the welfare of 62 horses was assessed at a commercial Italian abattoir. Animal-based measures were used to identify stress-related behaviours and stunning effectiveness. A sub-sample (44%; 27/62) of heads were assessed for gross brain pathology. All animals in the study showed stress-related behaviours at all stage...
