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.
Kramer J, Keegan KG, Wilson DA, Smith BK, Wilson DJ.To identify hind limb and pelvic kinematic variables that change in trotting horses after induced lameness of the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints and after subsequent intra-articular administration of anesthetic. Methods: 8 clinically normal adult horses. Methods: Kinematic measurements were made before and after transient endotoxin-induced lameness of the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints and after intra-articular administration of anesthetic. Fourteen displacement and joint angle (metatarsophalangeal [fetlock] and tarsal joints) measurements were made on the right h...
Raulo SM, Sorsa TA, Maisi PS.To determine whether samples of tracheal epithelial lining fluid (TELF) obtained from horses have elastinolytic activity characteristic of metalloproteinases, to compare elastinolytic activity in TELF obtained from healthy horses and horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to determine whether chemically modified tetracycline-3 (CMT-3) inhibits elastinolytic activity in TELF ANIMALS: 10 horses with COPD and 10 healthy control horses. Methods: Zymography and fluorometry were used to measure elastinolytic activity, and EDTA was used to inhibit elastinolytic activity and ver...
Davis PR, Meyer GA, Hanson RR, Stringfellow JS.An 18-year-old 454-kg (1,000-lb) American Quarter Horse gelding was evaluated because of chronic intermittent malodorous right-sided nasal discharge. Endoscopy revealed a mycotic plaque in the nasal cavity adjacent to the nasomaxillary opening of the right caudal maxillary sinus. The nasomaxillary opening appeared to be larger than normal. Fungal culture of specimens of the mycotic plaque yielded Pseudallescheria boydii. The horse was treated with 2% miconazole intranasally, sodium iodide i.v., and potassium iodide p.o. Thirty and 60 days after treatment was initiated, the nasal cavity was fou...
Ball BA, Gravance CG, Medina V, Baumber J, Liu IK.To characterize the activity of catalase in equine semen. Methods: 15 stallions of known and unknown reproductive history. Methods: Seminal plasma was collected from raw equine semen by centrifugation, and samples of seminal plasma were frozen prior to assay for catalase activity. Tissue samples (n = 3 stallions) from the bulbourethral gland, prostate gland, vesicular gland, and testis were homogenized, and cauda epididymal fluid was collected for determination of catalase activity. Catalase activity was determined as an enzyme kinetic assay by the disappearance of H2O2 as measured by ultravio...
Worster AA, Nixon AJ, Brower-Toland BD, Williams J.To determine the morphologic and phenotypic effects of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) on cultured equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and articular chondrocytes. Methods: Bone marrow aspirates and articular cartilage samples from a 2-year-old and two 8-month-old horses. Methods: After initial isolation and culture, MSC and chondrocytes were cultured in Ham's F-12 medium supplemented with TGF-beta1 at a concentration of 0, 1, 5, or 10 ng/ml. Medium was exchanged on day 2, and cells were harvested on day 4. Medium was assayed for proteoglycan (PG) content. Total RNA was isolated fro...
Van Hoogmoed LM, Snyder JR, Nieto JE, Vatistas NJ, Harmon FA.To determine efficacy of an extracorporeal circuit to maintain a segment of equine large colon for 3.5 hours and to evaluate the effect of low arterial flow on histologic and metabolic variables. Methods: Segments of large colon from 15 healthy adult horses. Methods: The pelvic flexure was surgically removed and maintained in an isolated circuit. In the control group, tissue was evaluated for 3.5 hours, whereas in the low-flow group, arterial flow was reduced to 20% of baseline for 40 minutes followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Various metabolic and hemodynamic variables were evaluated at 30-m...
Sarma PN, Tang YJ, Prindiville TP, Osborne PD, Jang S, Silva J, Cohen SH.In order to determine genetic relatedness of Bacteroides fragilis isolates from different clinical sources, arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (AP-PCR) was used to compare 17 strains isolated from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 20 strains isolated from foals with diarrhea. Three reference ATCC strains were also analyzed. Eighteen unique types were identified with a 22-mer arbitrary primer (ERIC-2) among the 20 patient isolates. Types 1 (enterotoxigenic) and 9 (nonenterotoxigenic), were each found in the stools of two patients. All other isolates showed a dis...
Alexander SL, Irvine CH.Alpha-2-adrenoceptor activation may lower adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by reducing secretagogue input and/or increasing the release of an inhibitory factor (CIF). To investigate this, we gave clonidine, an alpha-2-agonist, to seven horses, and collected pituitary venous blood every minute for 20 min before treatment and 40 min after treatment. Six horses were given saline vehicle. Mean secretion rates of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), arginine vasopressin (AVP) and ACTH were calculated before and during four 5-min then two 10-min periods after clonidine or saline. Reduction in A...
This section includes clinical conditions which have unique characteristics which make them unsuitable for inclusion in the first six sections. The clinical description, aetiology and histopathologic findings of the unusual ear lesion, aural plaques, are described. Dermatoses complicated by, or caused by, photosensitivity are discussed in regards to their aetiology and pathogenesis as well as clinical features. The suggestion that photosensitization plays a role in the development of the lesions seen in pastern leukocytoclastic vasculitis is made. This section ends with an in depth discussion ...
Woods J, Rigby S, Brinsko S, Stephens R, Varner D, Blanchard T.Two trials were conducted to investigate the effects of intrauterine infusion of PGE2 and uterine horn insemination on pregnancy rates in mares achieved by breeding with a suboptimal number of normal spermatozoa. Estrus was synchronized and mares were teased daily with a stallion to detect estrus. Mares in estrus were examined by transrectal palpation and ultrasonography to monitor follicular status. On the first day a 35-mm diameter follicle was present, hCG (1500 IU, iv) was administered and the mares were bred the next day. Mares (Trial 1, n = 34; Trial 2, n = 28) were inseminated with 25 m...
Lopes MA, Pfeiffer CJ.The hindgut is the major site in the horse for nutrient digestion and absorption. Most of this activity occurs in the large intestinal compartments, i.e., cecum, right and left ventral colon and left and right dorsal colon. The colonic pelvic flexure is a short and narrow loop connecting the left ventral and left dorsal colon. It is not significant directly in digestive and absorptive processes but plays an important functional role in regulating colonic aboral and retropropulsive transit of digesta through its motility pacemaker activity. The pelvic flexure also contributes to the pathophysio...
Dunowska M, Holloway SA, Wilks CR, Meers J.Seventeen New Zealand isolates of equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) were compared to the Australian prototype strain. PCR primers were designed to amplify EHV-5 glycoprotein B (gB) gene, and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) was used to detect differences between cloned PCR products. EHV-5 isolates from different horses showed a high degree of heterogeneity. However, EHV-5 isolates from individual horses remained homogeneous when examined over a period of time or isolated from different sites. A single EHV-5 gB RFLP profile was detected in isolates from each individual horse but one. ...
McManus CJ, Fitzgerald BP.In a variety of species, short-term feed restriction leads to rapid changes in the reproductive axis and reduces serum levels of leptin. Two experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that a single day of feed restriction in aged and young mares would cause a suppression of the gonadotropins and serum leptin concentrations. The estrous cycles of 12 aged (>eight years; Exp. 1) and eight young (<five years; Exp. 2) mares were synchronized and the mares were conditioned to twice-daily meal feeding. On the seventh day after synchronization, restricted mares (n = 6 for Exp. 1; n = 4 fo...
Remzi M, Buchsteiner R, Djavan B, Hittmair A, Seitz C, Klingler C, Marberger M.Actinomycosis of the urogenital tract is rare and predominantly an infectious disease of horses, cattle, swine, and humans. This case report describes isolated actinomycosis of the hydrocele wall presenting as an inflamed right-sighted hydrocele.
Hung GC, Chilton NB, Beveridge I, Gasser RB.In order to maximise the positional homology in the primary sequence alignment of the second internal transcribed spacer for 30 species of equine strongyloid nematodes, the secondary structures of the precursor ribosomal RNA were predicted using an approach combining an energy minimisation method and comparative sequence analysis. The results indicated that a common secondary structure model of the second internal transcribed spacer of these nematodes was maintained despite significant interspecific differences (2-56%) in primary sequences. The secondary structure model was then used to refine...
Eksell P, Carlsson S, Lord P, Carlsten J.The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a digital filter on the detectability of a phantom lesion in a scintigram of the equine tarsus. Lateral images containing 50, 100, 150, 500, or 1000 kcounts were acquired. A created phantom lesion of 0 (normal), 10, 15, 20, or 30% increased intensity relative to local background was placed in the centrodistal tarsal joint area in the images of different count levels. Duplicate images were filtered with a Metz filter. The complete set of filtered and unfiltered images totaling 180 images was projected as slides to a group of 9 observers. The s...
Long CD, Galuppo LD, Waters NK, Hornof WJ.The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of 99mTc-HMPAO leukocyte scintigraphy (LS) by means of a retrospective review of its use in 14 horses that were evaluated for orthopedic infection as a cause of lameness. A total of 17 LS exams were performed in 14 horses. LS studies were positive in 10 of 14 horses. A bacterial infection was confirmed with cytology or culture in 9 of 10 positive horses. Negative LS studies occurred in 4 of 14 horses. Necropsy confirmed the lack of infection in 2 of the 4 horses. Other clinical data and a favorable clinical outcome supported a negative...
Arencibia A, Vázquez JM, Jaber R, Gil F, Ramírez JA, Rivero M, González N, Wisner ER.The purpose of this investigation was to define the magnetic resonance imaging anatomy of the rostral part of the equine head. 10 mm-thick, T1-weighted images of two isolated equine cadaver heads were obtained using a 1.5 Tesla magnet and a body coil. MR images were compared to corresponding frozen cross-sections of the cadaver head. Relevant anatomic structures were identified and labeled at each level. The resulting images provided excellent anatomic detail of the oral and nasal cavities, paranasal sinuses and associated structures. Annotated MR images from this study are intended as a refer...
Eagle RC, Tortonese DJ.Little is known about the neuroendocrine control of fertility in the horse. In this species, unusual features characterize the normal estrous cycle such as a prolonged preovulatory LH surge during the follicular phase and a distinctive FSH surge during the midluteal phase. This study investigated the distribution and hormonal identity of gonadotrophs in the pars distalis (PD) and pars tuberalis (PT) of the equine pituitary gland as possible morphological bases for the referred unusual endocrine characteristics. In addition, the proportion of gonadotrophs in relation to other pituitary cell typ...
Weiss DJ, Evanson OA, Green BT, Brown DR.To study the in vitro effects of cecal contents incubated with corn starch on colonic permeability in horses. Methods: 4 healthy adult ponies. Methods: Mucosal specimens were obtained from the right ventral colon and mounted in Ussing chambers. Changes in short circuit current, conductance, and large-molecule permeability in response to addition of cecal contents and cecal contents incubated with corn starch were evaluated for 120 minutes. Results: Incubation of cecal contents with corn starch for 8 hours resulted in a decrease in cecal content pH and an increase in lactic acid concentration. ...
Soma LR, Birks EK, Uboh CE, May L, Teleis D, Martini J.Seven hundred and eighty-eight Standardbred pacers competing in 8378 races at one racetrack were analysed to determine the effects of the administration of prerace frusemide on racing times (RT). Frusemide was administered i.v. 4 h before the race to pacers diagnosed with exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH). Of the pacers, starting in the 1997 racing season, 32.5% received prerace frusemide. This study demonstrated that administration of frusemide prior to racing significantly decreased RT. There was an overall significant decrease (P<0.00001) in RT of 0.67 s. The overall RT for h...
Camillo F, Marmorini P, Romagnoli S, Cela M, Duchamp G, Palmer E.The aim of this study was to test whether low dose oxytocin i.v. injection once a day to mares diagnosed as being ready for birth by mammary secretion calcium strip test measurements could be used as a reliable method to induce parturition and/or predict the mare would not foal during the following night if parturition did not occur within 2 h of treatment. Fifty-one near-term Haflinger mares were used and a single injection of 2.5 iu oxytocin was given between 1700 and 1900 h, including 10 mares used as controls which were administered a placebo. Administration of oxytocin resulted in the del...
Dhar AK, Thompson MS, Paradis MR, Alcivar-Warren A.To determine the complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) in horses and compare messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of IL-1ra among horses of various breeds. Methods: Blood samples from neonatal and adult horses examined for a variety of diseases. Methods: A polymerase chain reaction procedure was used to amplify a 220 base pair (bp) portion of the genomic DNA. The upstream and downstream regions of the cDNA sequence were determined by means of 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) procedures. Northern blot hybridization was used to examine steady...
van Duijkeren E, van Asten AJ, Gaastra W.In the present study E. coli strains isolated from the faeces of ten horses with diarrhoea and 14 horses without diarrhoea were characterized. All horses were culture negative for Salmonella species. Nine colonies of E. coli from each faecal sample were picked at random and a DNA fingerprint was made by means of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC) primers. The number of E. coli genotypes did not differ significantly between horses with and without diarrhoea. In addition, all E. coli strains with different DNA fingerprints were tested b...
Clayton HM, Hodson E, Lanovaz JL.The objective was to measure the net joint moments and joint powers for the joints of the equine forelimb during the walk. Videographic and force data were combined with morphometric information using an inverse dynamics method. During stance phase the predominant joint moment was on the palmar aspect of all forelimb joints except the shoulder, where the peak moment was considerably higher than at any other joint. The entire forelimb showed net energy absorption in both stance and swing phases. The elbow was the only joint that showed net generation of energy, which was used to maintain the li...
Robert C, Valette JP, Denoix JM.Electromyographic activity (EMG) was used to determine how hindlimb muscle activation patterns vary with speed and incline in the horse. EMG was recorded using surface electrodes over the gluteus medius and tensor fasciae latae muscles during treadmill locomotion at trot for different combinations of speed (3.5 to 6 m/s) and inclination (0, 3 and 6%). Raw EMG signals were processed to determine stride duration, activity onset and end, and integrated EMG (IEMG). Stride and stance phase duration decreased linearly with increasing speed. Stride duration was not influenced by the slope. Onset and ...
Letendre L, Kvaternick V, Tecle B, Fischer J.A rugged, sensitive and efficient liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of firocoxib in urine from 5 to 3000 ng/mL and in plasma from 1 to 3000 ng/mL. The method requires 200 microL of either plasma or urine and includes sample preparation in 96-well solid phase extraction (SPE) plates using a BIOMEK 2000 Laboratory Automated Workstation. Chromatographic separation of firocoxib from matrix interferences was achieved using isocratic reversed phase chromatography on a PHENOMENEX LUNA Phenyl-Hexyl column. The mobile phase w...
Herholz C, Phillip M, Straub R, Ueltschi G, Busato A.The elimination of carbon dioxide from the lung can be used to monitor ventilation and perfusion, and 99mtechnetium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (99mTc-DTPA) clearance is a highly sensitive index of alveolar epithelial integrity, which is a presupposition for effective gas exchange. The aim of this study was to determine whether a correlation exists between indices of lung function derived from the single breath diagram for CO2, and 99mTc-DTPA clearance in horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The rate of 99mTc-DTPA elimination was negatively and substantially correlated with th...
Davern AJ, Peloso JG, Hawkins JF, Moore GE, Morehead JP.OBJECTIVE To evaluate 2- and 3-year-old and career race performance of Thoroughbred racehorse prospects with and without osteochondral fragmentation of the accessory carpal bone (ACB) identified on yearling presale radiographs. DESIGN Retrospective, matched cohort study. ANIMALS 47 nonlame Thoroughbreds with (exposed cohort) and 94 nonlame Thoroughbreds without (unexposed cohort) osteochondral fragmentation of ACB facture identified on yearling sales repository radiographs. PROCEDURES Repository radiographic interpretation reports for September yearling sales of a large Kentucky auction house ...
Tate LP, Blikslager AT, Papich MG.The objective was to develop a protocol whereby 808-nm diode laser irradiation combined with intravenous (IV) indocyanine green (ICG) could be used in non-contact mode with equal surgical efficacy to the Nd:YAG on equine tissues. Background: The 808-nm diode laser, delivering 20-40 W of power, has been produced for veterinary medical applications. This laser's power output is less than that of most neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers. ICG is absorbed at a wavelength of 810 nm, which when concentrated in tissue should be an excellent absorber for the energy produced by the 808-nm ...
Goudet G, Leclercq L, Bézard J, Duchamp G, Guillaume D, Palmer E.This study reports the follicular growth and oocyte competence for in vitro maturation and fertilization under the influence of circulating eCG. Three to 7 successive ultrasound-guided follicular punctures were performed on 4 pregnant mares from Day 23 until Day 75 of pregnancy and on 5 control mares whose embryonic vesicle was crushed on Day 22. All follicles larger than 5 mm were punctured 24 h after the largest follicle reached 18 mm. Expanded cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were stained at recovery to analyze the nuclear stage. Compact COCs were cultured in vitro for 46 h and either staine...
Chui YC, Esaw B, Laviolette B.Urine samples collected from a horse after intramuscular administration of 40 mg of azaperone were extracted at pH 10 before and after acid hydrolysis. The extracts were concentrated and analysed by LC-MS-MS. Two N-dealkylated metabolites, N-despyridinylazaperol and N-despyridinylazaperone, and a low concentration of azaperone were detected in the unhydrolysed urine. Six metabolites; hydroxyazaperol, two hydroxyazaperones, azaperol, N-despyridinylazaperol and N-despyridinylazaperone were detected in the hydrolysed urine extracts. Using XAD-2 resin extraction, three glucuronide conjugated azape...
Nakazawa M, Isayama Y, Kashiwazaki M, Yasui T.A protein antigen that reacted in the agar gel diffusion (AGD) test and which had equi factor(s) activity, was partially purified from the culture supernatant of Rhodococcus equi by successive column chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose and Sepharose 4B. Employing a standard foal serum, the concentration of this antigen was adjusted for the AGD test. Optimal dilutions of the antigen reacted in the AGD test with sera from foals naturally infected with serologically different R. equi. The antigen prepared was considered suitable for use in field surveys of R. equi infection. Accordingly...
Smith JE, Erickson HH, Debowes RM, Clark M.Five horses were exercised at 10m/sec at a 3 degree incline for 2 mins. Packed cell volume, erythrocyte count, haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, plasma protein, total white cell count and lymphocytes increased significantly in blood samples taken after exercise, compared with those taken before exercise; but mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration decreased. Erythrocytes were more resistant to osmotic stress after exercise, but their shape and degree of deformity were unaffected by exercise.
de Souza AF, Pascual CJ, Maia BT, do Valle De Zoppa AL.This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of dye at two perineural injection sites of the palmar/plantar nerves and describe their anatomical variations of positioning at the level of the distal metacarpus/metatarsus in horses. Two ml of 1% methylene blue solution was injected in 24 limbs (12 forelimbs and 12 hindlimbs) of horse cadavers at two different points: Group 1: between the branch of the suspensory ligament and deep digital flexor tendon, and Group 2: between the deep and superficial digital flexor tendons. This was followed by dissection and evaluation of the solution diffusion. ...
Wong CH, Tang FP, Wan TS.The authors' laboratory at one time employed four liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric (LC/MS) methods for the detection of a large variety of drugs in equine urine. Drug classes covered by these methods included anti-diabetics, anti-ulcers, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, sedatives, corticosteroids, anabolic steroids, sulfur diuretics, xanthines, etc. With the objective to reduce labour and instrumental workload, a new ultra performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric (UPLC/MS/MS) method has been developed, which encompasses all target analytes detected by the origina...
Zamora CS, Vitums A, Nyrop KA, Sande RD.The heart of a 6-week old Arabian filly with a history of poor health and exercise intolerance revealed at postmortem examination, multiple cardiac malformations which included atresia of the right atrioventricular orifice (tricuspid atresia, with associated atrial and ventricular septal defects), complete transposition of the great arteries, anomalous drainage of the venae cavae and coronary sinus into the left atrium, coarctation of the aorta, and a small but patent ductus arteriosus. The course of blood through the heart was suggested and discussed.
Huhtinen M, Reilas T, Katila T.The pregnancy rate is lower in mares inseminated at the first post-partum (p.p.) oestrus (40-50%) compared with pregnancy rates in subsequent oestrous cycles (55-65%). The causes of the lowered pregnancy rate are not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to examine if embryonic defects could be one of the reasons for lowered pregnancy rate. A total of 23 p.p. and 14 non-lactating control mares were flushed 7 days after detection of ovulation. Embryo recovery rate was 48% and 71% in p.p. and control mares, respectively (p = 0.16). Embryos were photographed, measured, graded and sta...
Lillich JD, Ray-Miller W, Silver KS, Davis EG, Schultz BD.To determine hyaluronan concentrations in peritoneal fluid from healthy horses and horses with sudden signs of severe abdominal pain and to identify the cellular sources of hyaluronan within the peritoneal cavity. Methods: 7 client-owned horses that were evaluated for sudden signs of severe abdominal pain, 6 healthy teaching horses, and 13 euthanized horses (11 with no abdominal disease and 2 that had undergone abdominal surgery 2 weeks previously for a different study). Methods: Abdominal fluid was collected from the client-owned and teaching horses. Hyaluronan concentrations were determined ...
Watson ED, Pedersen HG, Thomson SR, Fraser HM.Control of the equine estrous cycle was studied by suppressing gonadotropin secretion by administration of a GnRH antagonist to cyclic pony mares. Four mares received vehicle (control cycle) or a GnRH antagonist, Antarelix (100 microg/kg) on Day 8 of diestrus, and blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals from 0 to 16 h, 24 to 36 h, and daily until the next ovulation. Ovarian activity was monitored by transrectal ultrasonography, and measurement of plasma concentrations of progesterone and estradiol. Antagonist treatment eliminated large diestrous pulses of LH. Progesterone concentratio...
Cornelissen BP, Buma P, Rijkenhuizen AB, Barneveld A.To localize and determine relative frequency of occurrence of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) fibers in the proximal sesamoid bones (PSB) and adjacent structures in sound horses. Methods: 4 foals and 3 adult horses. Methods: Medial PSB and adjacent ligaments of both forelimbs were collected, flushed, and fixed in buffered 4% formalin. The left PSB were cut into 5 longitudinal, sagittally oriented slabs, and the right PSB were cut into 5 transverse slabs. After decalcification in EDTA, slices were transferred to a 30% sucrose solution, deep frozen, sectioned (80 micr...
Teifke JP.From 932 equine skin lesions 421 were diagnosed as sarcoids (about 45%). The most common locations were the ventral body regions, head, neck and sites of thin skin. Most often the fibroblastic type, less frequently the mixed type and most infrequent the verrucous type of sarcoid were diagnosed. Detection of BPV-DNA was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using an oligonucleotide primer pair located in the E5-open reading frame. DNA of BPV 1 and BPV 2 could be differentiated by digestion with restriction endonucleases. In 97 out of 108 sarcoids BPV-DNA was detected by PCR. Most samples...
Tezuka A, Takasu M, Tozaki T, Nagano AJ.Taishu horses are a native Japanese breed, of which only 41 individuals remained on Tsushima Island in 2018. Their genetic diversity is considered lower than that of other Japanese native horse breeds; thus, it needs to be investigated for sustainable conservation of this breed. Historical records revealed that several Taishu individuals were released areas off-Tsushima Island in mid-1980s. At present, Taishu horses living outside of Tsushima Island, hereafter referred to as Non-Tsushima Taishus (NTTs), are tagged. However, the genetic structure of the NTT individuals remains unclear, and such...
Urwin VE, Allen WR.The concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone and progesterone were measured in serial blood samples taken throughout one or more oestrous cycles from 12 Thoroughbred mares, some of which exhibited single and others twin ovulations. The resulting profiles clearly demonstrated that no simple relationship exists between circulating gonadotrophin levels and subsequent ovulation rate in the mare. However, plasma progesterone concentrations during dioestrus are, as expected, higher following twin than single ovulations. The findings suggest that the underlying cause of twi...
Ebert DW, Bertone AL, Roberts C.To determine whether irradiation with a low-intensity diode laser, which produces radiation at a wavelength of 810 nm, will induce nonthermal enhancement of chondrocyte metabolism. Methods: 144 grossly normal articular cartilage explants aseptically harvested from the femoral condyles of 6 adult horses. Methods: Treated cartilage explants were irradiated with a diode laser at 1 of 7 fluence levels that ranged from 8 to 1,600 J/cm2. Explants were incubated for 24 or 72 hours, labeled for 24 hours with [35S]Na2SO4, and assayed for newly synthesized sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG; measured incor...
Causey RC, Weber JA, Emmans EE, Stephenson LA, Homola AD, Knapp KR, Crowley IF, Pelletier DC, Wooley NA.The purpose of this study was to describe strain-specific immune responses to Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) during uterine infection in horses. Five isolates of S. zooepidemicus were differentiated into four strains antigenically by bactericidal testing in blood of 12 horses, and genetically by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Eight healthy mares were then divided into two groups, each inoculated with one strain intrauterinely on three successive oestrous cycles followed by a second strain for three successive cycles, first and second strains being reversed fo...
Beech J.This article presents a brief description of what is known about the cause and pathogenesis of chronic intermittent rhabdomyolysis in horses. Clinically applicable diagnostic tests and published results in affected horses, prophylaxis, and treatment of the acute case are discussed.
Morris DD, Whitlock RH, Palmer JE.Fecal samples from 74 horses with diarrhea were examined microscopically for leukocytes and epithelial cells. The diarrhea was categorized as either acute (less than two weeks) or chronic, Salmonella positive or negative, and mild or severe (based on the fecal consistency). A large number of fecal leukocytes was strongly suggestive of salmonellosis; however, approximately 1/3 of the horses with Salmonella-negative diarrhea also shed fecal leukocytes. Fecal leukocytes were more common in horses with acute and/or severe diarrhea regardless of cause. Numbers of fecal colonic mucosal epithelial ce...
Kropich-Grant JN, Wiley KE, Manyweathers J, Thompson KR, Brookes VJ.Hendra virus disease (HeVD) is an emerging zoonosis in Australia, resulting from the transmission of Hendra virus (HeV) to horses from Pteropus bats. Vaccine uptake for horses is low despite the high case fatality rate of HeVD in both horses and people. We reviewed evidence-based communication interventions to promote and improve HeV vaccine uptake for horses by horse owners and conducted a preliminary evaluation of potential drivers for HeV vaccine uptake using the Behavioural and Social Drivers of Vaccination (BeSD) framework developed by the World Health Organization. Six records were eligi...
Mittelholzer C, Johansson I, Olsson AK, Ronéus M, Klingeborn B, Belák S.Recovery of infectious Equine arteritis virus (EAV) from the semen of persistently infected Swedish stallions was attempted by classical cell culture isolation and by transfection of extracted total RNA. Whereas virus from semen samples stored for several months at -20 degrees C or from extended semen could only be recovered by transfection of extracted RNA, isolation in cell culture was achieved readily with fresh, unextended semen stored at -70 degrees C or directly used after sampling. In parallel, the viruses were examined in the variable region of the large glycoprotein GP5 by nested RT-P...
Spyrou V, Papanastassopoulou M, Psychas V, Billinis Ch, Koumbati M, Vlemmas J, Koptopoulos G.There appears to be a lack of information concerning responses of mules to natural infection or experimental inoculation with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). In the present study EIAV was isolated from mules, for the first time, and its pathogenicity in naturally infected and experimentally inoculated animals was investigated. Two naturally infected (A and B) and three EIAV free mules (C, D and E) were used for this purpose. Mule A developed clinical signs, whereas mule B remained asymptomatic until the end of the study. Mules C and D were each inoculated with 10ml of blood from mule A ...