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Topic:Veterinary Research
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.
Contractile behavior of the forelimb digital flexors during steady-state locomotion in horses (Equus caballus): an initial test of muscle architectural hypotheses about in vivo function. The forelimb digital flexors of the horse display remarkable diversity in muscle architecture despite each muscle-tendon unit having a similar mechanical advantage across the fetlock joint. We focus on two distinct muscles of the digital flexor system: short compartment deep digital flexor (DDF(sc)) and the superficial digital flexor (SDF). The objectives were to investigate force-length behavior and work performance of these two muscles in vivo during locomotion, and to determine how muscle architecture contributes to in vivo function in this system. We directly recorded muscle force (via ten...
Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses and ticks: a preliminary survey of Central Italy. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of granulocytic ehrlichiosis, affects several species of wild and domesticated mammals, including horses. In this work we compared direct and indirect methods to evaluate A. phagocytophilum presence in Central Italy: 135 sera were screened by IFA for A. phagocytophilum and other haemopathogens (Theileria equi and Babesia caballi). Each horse was also tested for A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA with a nested-PCR technique. In order to examine the risk of A. phagocytophilum transmission, 114 ticks were examined for the presence of A. phagocytophilum by P...
Correlation of quantitative computed tomographic subchondral bone density and ash density in horses. The purpose of this study was to compare subchondral bone density obtained using quantitative computed tomography with ash density values from intact equine joints, and to determine if there are measurable anatomic variations in mean subchondral bone density. Five adult equine metacarpophalangeal joints were scanned with computed tomography (CT), disarticulated, and four 1-cm(3) regions of interest (ROI) cut from the distal third metacarpal bone. Bone cubes were ashed, and percent mineralization and ash density were recorded. Three-dimensional models were created of the distal third metacarpal...
Equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy: a review of recent developments. Equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM), although a relatively uncommon manifestation of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection, can cause devastating losses on individual farms or boarding stables. Although outbreaks of EHM have been recognized for centuries in domestic horse populations, many aspects of this disease remained poorly characterized. In recent years, an improved understanding of EHM has emerged from experimental studies and from data collected during field outbreaks at riding schools, racetracks and veterinary hospitals throughout North America and Europe. These outbreaks have h...
Determination of threshold concentrations of multiple allergenic extracts for equine intradermal testing using normal horses in three seasons. Forty-one normal horses were evaluated for reactivity to intradermally injected aqueous allergens to determine allergen threshold concentrations (TC), with potential relevance to equine intradermal testing (IDT). Horses were tested three times over 1 year to assess seasonal variation in reactivity, using three to five serial dilutions of 27 allergens each time. Injection sites were evaluated after 15 min, 1 h, 4 h and 24 h. The highest allergen concentration at which or = 2, scale of 0 to 4) at 15 min was considered the TC. The TC was determined for nine pollens (2000 to > 6000 PNU mL(-1))...
Exercise does not affect stiffness and mineralisation of third metacarpal condylar subarticular calcified tissues in 2 year old thoroughbred racehorses. Impact exercise has a profound effect in increasing volumetric density of epiphyseal bone, as clearly shown in 2 year old thoroughbred racehorses from which we derived the tissue studied in the present investigation. Here, we asked the question whether the fabric-level properties of the mineralised tissues immediately below hyaline articular cartilage which transmit the extra loads are themselves altered in consequence. We therefore studied the nanoindentation elastic modulus and its relationship to the concentration of mineral determined by quantitative backscattered electron imaging in the h...
Allometric scaling of echocardiographic measurements in healthy Spanish foals with different body weight. Scaling in biology is usually allometric, and therefore, the size of the heart may be expressed as a power function of body weight (BW). The present research analyses the echocardiographic measurements in 68 healthy Spanish foals weighed between 70 and 347kg in order to determine the correct scaling exponent for the allometric equation. The echocardiographic parameters measured were: left ventricular internal dimensions (LVID), free wall thickness (LVFWT), interventricular septum thickness (IVST) at systole (s) and diastole (d), EPSS (distance between the point E of the mitral valve and the in...
Prevalence of serotype specific antibody to equine encephalosis virus in Thoroughbred yearlings in South Africa (1999-2004). Cohorts of yearlings were sampled over a period of 6 years in a retrospective serological survey to establish the annual prevalence of serotype specific antibody to equine encephalosis virus on Thoroughbred stud farms distributed within defined geographical regions of South Africa. Seasonal seroprevalence varied between 3.6% and 34.7%, revealing both single and multiple serotype infections in an individual yearling. During the course of this study serotypes 1 and 6 were most frequently and extensively identified while the remaining serotypes 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 were all identified as sporadic and...
Generalized sarcoidosis in two horses. Equine sarcoidosis is a rare disorder usually characterized by exfoliative dermatitis, moderate to severe wasting, and sarcoidal granulomatous inflammation of multiple organ systems. It has an unknown aetiopathogenesis. The condition is not related to equine sarcoid. This case report describes generalized cutaneous and systemic sarcoidosis in an 11-year-old Trakehner mare (case A) and in a 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (case B). Case A was presented with cutaneous sarcoidosis on the head and body and was diagnosed on the basis of histological examination of skin. Case B presented with mul...
Evaluation of a commercially available apparatus for measuring the acute phase protein serum amyloid A in horses. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of an immunoturbidometric assay for measuring the acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) in horses in clinical practice. The assay was compared to a previously validated assay, and overlap performance was assessed by measuring the concentration of SAA in clinically healthy horses and horses with inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases. In pools of serum with low and high SAA concentrations the assay's intra-assay coefficients of variation were 11.7 per cent and 4.6 per cent, and its interassay coefficients of variation were 9.1 per...
Prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in horses belonging to resource-poor farmers in the north-eastern Free State Province, South Africa. The prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in the north-eastern Free State Province of South Africa was determined by examination of thin and thick Giemsa-stained blood smears, IFAT and PCR. No parasites were detected by microscopy from any blood samples collected at five study sites, Qwaqwa, Kestell, Harrismith, Vrede and Warden. Of the tested serum samples, 28/29 (96.5%), 20/21 (95.2%) and 42/42 (100%) were positive by IFAT for T. equi infections in Harrismith, Kestell and Qwaqwa, respectively, and 5/29 (17.2%), 13/21 (61.9%) and 30/42 (71.4%) were sero-positive for B. c...
Characterization of endothelin receptors in the peripheral lung tissues of horses unaffected and affected with recurrent airway obstruction. The purpose of the study was to determine and compare the expression of endothelin (ET) receptors in the peripheral lungs of healthy horses and those affected with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemical techniques. Two groups of horses (7 healthy and 7 RAO-affected) were selected from a pool of horses destined for euthanasia. The grouping of horses was based on the history, clinical scoring, and pulmonary function testing. After euthanasia, gross postmortem evaluation of th...
Heritability and repeatability of insect bite hypersensitivity in Dutch Shetland breeding mares. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a seasonal recurrent allergic reaction of horses to the bites of certain Culicoides spp. and is found throughout the world. The aim of our study was to estimate the heritability and repeatability of IBH in the Dutch Shetland pony population. A total of 7,924 IBH scores on 6,073 mares were collected during foal inspections in 2003, 2005, and 2006. Mares were scored for clinical symptoms of IBH from June until February by 16 inspectors. Of all mares, 74.4% (n = 4,520) had a single observation, 20.7% (n = 1,255) had 2 observations, and 4.9% (n = 298) had 3 ob...
Sensitive and specific detection of Cryptosporidium species in PCR-negative samples by loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification and confirmation of generated LAMP products by sequencing. Three LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification) assays were applied to detect Cryptosporidium species DNA in a total number of 270 fecal samples originating from cattle, sheep and horses in South Africa. DNA was extracted from 0.5 g of fecal material. Results of LAMP detection were compared to those obtained by nested PCR targeting the Cryptosporidium 18 small subunit rRNA (18S) gene. All samples were negative by nested PCR, while up to one-third of samples were positive by LAMP assays. The SAM-1 LAMP assay, shown to detect C. parvum, C. hominis and C. meleagridis, amplified Cryptospor...
A histamine release assay to identify sensitization to Culicoides allergens in horses with skin hypersensitivity. Skin hypersensitivity is an allergic disease induced in horses by allergens of Culicoides midges. The condition is typically diagnosed by clinical signs and in some horses in combination with allergy testing such as intradermal skin testing or serological allergen-specific IgE determination. Here, we describe an alternative method for allergy testing: a histamine release assay (HRA) that combines the functional aspects of skin testing with the convenience of submitting a blood sample. The assay is based on the principle that crosslinking of allergen-specific IgE bound via high-affinity IgE rec...
Initial work experiences of veterinarians who graduated from Australian universities in 2005. To describe the location, type, support from and effects of their first position for the veterinary graduates of 2005, and to make comparisons with graduates of 1950-2000. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to veterinarians who had graduated from an Australian university in 2005, and data were analysed with SAS System 8 for Windows. Results: One-sixth of the graduates left for overseas, and 55% (Murdoch) to 85% (Melbourne) of the remainder found their first veterinary position in the state where they were trained. More were in small animal (48%) and less in mixed practice (48%) than in previous...
Alveolar ridge regeneration with equine spongy bone: a clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical case series. In the case of localized ridge atrophy, a ridge augmentation procedure, with the use of bone substitutes and barrier membranes, may then be necessary. Objective: The aim of the present study was a clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical evaluation of an equine spongy bone in alveolar ridge augmentation procedures. Methods: Five patients showing horizontal mandibular ridge defects participated in this study. A ridge augmentation was performed through an onlay apposition of equine bone covered by a titanium-reinforced membrane. After 6 months of healing, five bone cores from nonaugmented...
Quantification of 19-nortestosterone sulphate and boldenone sulphate in urine from male horses using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Following administration of the anabolic steroid 19-nortestosterone or its esters to the horse, a major urinary metabolite is 19-nortestosterone-17beta-sulphate. The detection of 19-nortestosterone in urine from untreated animals has led to it being considered a naturally occurring steroid in the male horse. Recently, we have demonstrated that the majority of the 19-nortestosterone found in extracts of 'normal' urine from male horses arises as an artefact through decarboxylation of the 19-carboxylic acid of testosterone. The aim of this investigation was to establish if direct analysis of 19-n...
Pathologic findings in equine muscle (excluding polysaccharide storage): a necropsy study. Gross and histopathologic evaluation of skeletal muscle was performed in 229 equids (217 horses, 8 ponies, 3 donkeys, and 1 mule) 1 year of age or older undergoing postmortem examination at Oregon State University in a 2.5-year period. Animals were evaluated for grossly evident muscle lesions, and muscle samples were fixed in formalin, processed routinely, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) for glycogen. Muscle lesions were detected in 149 animals (65%). Chronic myopathic change (excessive fiber size variation and internal nuclei) was evaluated in horses...
Isolation of Arcanobacterium hippocoleae from a case of placentitis and stillbirth in a mare. Based on the scarcity of reports in veterinary medicine literature, it appears that Arcanobacterium spp. are rarely isolated from horses. Recently, a single isolate from vaginal discharge in a mare was characterized as a new species, Arcanobacterium hippocoleae. The present report describes a case of necrosuppurative placentitis and stillbirth in an American Quarterhorse mare. Numerous colonies of irregular, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria were observed by histological examination within fibrin lattice associated with placental lesions. Arcanobacterium hippocoleae was isolated in large numb...
Rapid and sensitive detection of African horse sickness virus by real-time PCR. A highly sensitive and specific TaqMan-MGB real-time RT-PCR assay has been developed and standardised for the detection of African horse sickness virus (AHSV). Primers and MGB probe specific for AHSV were selected within a highly conserved region of genome segment 7. The robustness and general application of the diagnostic method were verified by the detection of 12 AHSV isolates from all of the nine serotypes. The analytical sensitivity ranged from 0.001 to 0.15 TCID(50) per reaction, depending on the viral serotype. Real-time PCR performance was preliminarily assessed by analysing a panel of...
Infections in horses: diagnosis and therapy. Borna Disease Virus (BDV) is a unique RNA virus, whose organs of manifestation are the brain and blood of animals as well as humans. The infection disrupts certain cell functions, but does not damage the cell structure. The infection with BDV can exist without associated clinical symptoms. Furthermore the majority of natural BDV-infections occur unnoticed without causing symptoms particularly those in connection with only a slight BDV-infection. BDV-infected horses can be detected by an extremely practicable ELISA based on blood samples and developed by the Berlin Working Group under guidance ...
Effects of methylprednisolone acetate and glucosamine on proteoglycan production by equine chondrocytes in vitro. To evaluate the effects of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) on proteoglycan production by equine chondrocytes and to investigate whether glucosamine hydrochloride modulates these effects at clinically relevant concentrations. Methods: Articular cartilage with normal gross appearance from metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints of 8 horses (1 to 10 years of age). Methods: In vitro chondrocyte pellets were pretreated with glucosamine (0, 1, 10, and 100 microg/mL) for 48 hours and exposed to MPA (0, 0.05, and 0.5 mg/mL) for 24 hours. Pellets and media were assayed for proteoglycan prod...
An improved method to generate equine dendritic cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells: divergent maturation programs by IL-4 and LPS. Equine dendritic cells (eqDC) can be generated from peripheral blood monocytes by propagation in GM-CSF and IL-4. Despite similarities with the generation of human DC, we found significant improvements for eqDC generation and functional influences on eqDC maturation. The fractionation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by two subsequent gradients at densities of 1.090 and 1.077 as well as an adherence step in AIM V((R)) medium on dishes coated with extracellular matrix components (Primaria) improved the purity and yield of DC. After 3 days, eqDC cultures with GM-CSF alone developed i...
Validation of thromboelastometry in horses. Thromboelastometry is used for identifying or monitoring coagulation abnormalities. It has been validated in several species but not in horses and the characteristics of the equine thromboelastogram have not yet been detailed. Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate a thromboelastometer to be used with equine blood and to define the normal equine thromboelastogram. Methods: A Rotem-gamma thromboelastometer (Pentapharm GmbH, Munich, Germany) was used on 38 citrated blood samples to investigate native coagulation, the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways, the function of fibrinogen (lar...
[Control of Anocentor nitens (Neumann, 1897) (Acari: Ixodidae) on equines]. This trial evaluated control practices of Anocentor nitens on equines, using spraying devices and application of acaricide paste formulation in the auricular pavilion and nasal diverticulum. The study was carried out from October 2003 to March of 2008 and the evaluations had been divided in the following stages: Phase 1--out/03 mar/04 and Phases 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, correspondents to the month's periods until março/08. It was used score of 0 to 3 to classify infestation levels. From abr/04 to mar/06 was implanted a schedule of acaricide sprayings every seven days and divided in two se...
[Seroepidemiological studies on Babesia equi in horses from the State of Rio Grande do Sul determined by indirect immunoflourecence test and Elisa]. This research was performed to study the prevalence of antibodies against Babesia equi in horses of the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul state, using ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFA). The total sera sample was 380, this number was considered as statistically representative of the population, as determined by mathematical model. The prevalence of B. equi was 31.6% and 35.8% by ELISA and IFA, respectively. The concordance between the assays was 0.87 (indices kappa), which is considered an optimal result. The results did not show any significant statistical difference...
Equine anesthesia: triple drip. Anesthetization of large animals, such as the horse, is a challenge for veterinarians and compounding pharmacists. This article discusses the technique of intravenous anesthesia by using a combination of xylazine and ketamine in the horse for short-term unconsciousness; a combination of xylazine, diazepam, and ketamine, for improved sedation and muscle relaxation; and a combination of xylazine, ketamine, and guaifenesin, referred to as Triple Drip, for the maximum 1-hour duration of unconsciousness. Compounding pharmacists that have the facilities and training required to prepare sterile compo...
