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.
Oheida AH, Shalgum AA, Alrtib AM, Booker AO, Ben-Naser KM, Davies HMS.Carpal conformation is an important factor in relation to joint soundness. The equine carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) was reported to have variations in its three palmaromedial articulations. Lacking one or more of these articulations has not been radiographically evaluated in Thoroughbred (TB) and Standardbred (SB) racehorses. The study aimed to identify the prevalence of the variation in the palmaromedial articulation of the carpometacarpal joint (PM-CMCJ) in TB and SB horses. Additionally, to detect the probability of having each of the three articulations within and between the breeds. Finall...
Mercer MA, Davis JL, McKenzie HC.This review firstly examines the underlying pathophysiology of pain and inflammation associated with orthopedic disease and endotoxemia. Then, it reviews the clinical pharmacology (pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics) of both conventional and non-conventional NSAIDs in the adult horse, and finally provides an overview of different modalities to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of NSAIDs in research.
Brito G, Damián JP, Suárez G, Ruprechter G, Trigo P.RHU is the oldest endurance sport in Uruguay. However, despite 80 years of racing, there are no studies to characterize this type of competition, explore rates and causes of death, and identify the associated risk factors. The aim was to characterize the Raid Hipico Uruguayo (RHU) competencies according to the distance (short (SR, 60 km) vs. long (LR, 80-115 km)), the causes of deaths, and the associated risk factors. The study population comprised horses ( = 16,856) that participated in RHU rides from 2007 to 2018. LR were more frequent than SR ( < 0.001). The average speed of winners was ...
Allen K, Anderson L, King M, Mullan S.The ethics of using horses in sport is receiving increasing attention and media scrutiny. Sports medicine ethics is an important and well-established discipline within human medicine and biomedical ethics, which has, thus far, received little application to the equine veterinary field. Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to explore the existing literature on equine sports medicine ethics, to understand the current concerns and issues, and to map areas for future research. Methods: Scoping review. Methods: Academic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CAB abstracts) were searched to...
Aitken MR.The following article provides an overview of the last 5 years of research and innovation within the field of equine colic surgery, focusing on new techniques, new or recently described lesions, prevention of lesion recurrence or postoperative complications, and updates in prognoses. Early surgical intervention is an important factor in horse survival.
Ratzlaff FR, Osmari V, da Silva D, de Paula Vasconcellos JS, Pötter L, Fernandes FD, de Mello Filho JA, de Avila Botton S, Vogel FSF, Sangioni LA.Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis caused by protozoan species of the genus Leishmania. It generates different clinical manifestations in humans and animals, and it infects multiple hosts. Leishmania parasites are transmitted by sandfly vectors. The main objective of this systematic review was to identify the host, or reservoir animal species, of Leishmania spp., with the exception of domestic dogs, that were recorded in Brazil. This review included identification of diagnostic methods, and the species of protozoan circulating in the country. For this purpose, a literature search was conducted across...
Aoun R, Charles I, DeRouen A, Takawira C, Lopez MJ.Equine shoes provide hoof protection and support weakened or damaged hoof tissues. Two hypotheses were tested in this study: 1) motion of the third phalanx (P3) and hoof wall deformation are greater in laminitic versus unaffected hooves regardless of shoe type; 2) P3 displacement and hoof wall deformation are greatest while unshod (US), less with open-heel (OH), then egg-bar (EB) shoes, and least with heart-bar (HB) shoes for both hoof conditions. Distal forelimbs (8/condition) were subjected to compressive forces (1.0x102-5.5x103 N) while a real-time motion detection system recorded markers o...
Arfuso F, Piccione G, Guttadauro A, Monteverde V, Giudice E, Giannetto C.Inflammaging or chronic, low-grade inflammation is a phenomenon characterizing age-related pathologies and natural processes in aging tissues. This study aimed to investigate the effect of age on the serum levels of C-reactive protein and protein electrophoretic pattern in horses. Thirty Italian Saddle horses from the same horse training center, were enrolled and divided in three equal groups according to their age: Group A (2-4 years), Group B (7-10 years), Group C (15-20 years). Blood samples were collected from each horse to evaluate hematological parameters and the serum concentration of C...
Clark BL, Bamford NJ, Stewart AJ, McCue ME, Rendahl A, Bailey SR, Bertin FR, Norton EM.The HMGA2:c.83G>A variant was identified in Welsh ponies having pleiotropic effects on height and insulin concentration. Objective: Determine whether the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant is associated with decreased height and higher basal insulin concentrations across pony breeds. Methods: Two hundred thirty-six ponies across 6 breeds. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Ponies were genotyped for the HMGA2:c.83G>A variant and phenotyped for height and basal insulin concentrations. Stepwise regression was performed for model analysis using a linear regression model for height and mixed linear model ...
Pusterla N, Naranatt P, Swadia H, Winfield L, Hartwig A, Barnum S, Mendonsa E.The introduction of microfluidic card technology has opened the field for rapid point-of-care (POC) molecular assays, including fecal and environmental Salmonella spp. testing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel POC PCR assay for the detection of Salmonella spp. in feces and environmental samples. A total of 143 fecal samples and 132 environmental samples were collected for POC PCR Salmonella spp. testing as well as qPCR testing. Each sample was inoculated into selenite broth and incubated for 18 to 24 hours. For the POC PCR assay, 14 μl of selenite broth were mixed with 126 μ...
Hassall L, Rigsby P, Stickings P.The International Standard for Diphtheria Antitoxin Equine is essential for the standardisation of assays used to determine the potency of therapeutic diphtheria antitoxin products produced from equine serum. This paper describes the production and characterization of the 2nd International Standard for Diphtheria Antitoxin Equine and its calibration in International Units. Calibration was performed by toxin neutralization test in vivo and in vitro (Vero cell assay), and potency was expressed relative to the 1st International Standard to ensure continuity of the International Unit. The candidat...
Huang J, Chen M, He Y, Chen H, Huang M, Li N, Ryan U, Kváč M, Feng Y, Xiao L, Guo Y.The horse genotype is one of three common Cryptosporidium spp. in equine animals and has been identified in some human cases. The species status of Cryptosporidium horse genotype remains unclear due to the lack of extensive morphological, biological, and genetic data. In the present study, we have conducted biological and whole genome sequence analyses of an isolate of the genotype from hedgehogs and proposed to name it Cryptosporidium equi n. sp. to reflect its common occurrence in equine animals. Oocysts of C. equi measured 5.12 ± 0.36 μm × 4.46 ± 0.21 μm with a shape index of 1...
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...
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...
Kuckova S, Smirnova TA, Straka D, Meledina A, Santrucek J, Humpolakova K, Hoskova M, Cejnar P, Hynek R.The aim of this work is to offer an alternative or complementary analytical tool to the time-consuming and expensive methods commonly used for the recognition of animal species according to their hair. The paper introduces a simple and fast way for species differentiation of animal hairs called in-sample digestion. A total of 10 European animal species, including cat, cow, common degu, dog, fallow deer, goat, horse, sika deer, rabbit, roe deer, and 17 different breeds of dogs were examined using specific tryptic cleavage directly in hair followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-...
Harris IT, Maddock C, Farnworth M, Nankervis K, Perrett J, Pyatt AZ, Blanchard RN.Adverse trends in reproductive function are a concern in humans, companion, livestock, and wildlife species. This study indicates that equine populations are at risk of a comparable decline in sperm progressive motility. There is increasing evidence reporting geographically sensitive adverse trends in human semen quality, with parallel trends observed in the dog sentinel. Despite significant economic and welfare complications associated with poor testicular function, trends in current equine populations are undetermined. Given the predictive value of sperm progressive motility (PMOT) in male f...
Bannai H, Kambayashi Y, Nemoto M, Yamanaka T, Tsujimura K.Using 85 sera collected from horses that had been experimentally infected with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) and 200 field sera collected from racehorses in Japan, we compared 4 agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) kits for serologic detection of EIAV antibodies from Idexx, VMRD, IDvet, and the National Engineering Research Center of Veterinary Biologics, China (NECVB). The positive control lines were sufficiently clear in all kits for evaluation to be made, with slight differences in sharpness: NECVB was the sharpest, followed by VMRD, IDvet, and Idexx. The test results for all 285 samples...
van Heule M, Monteiro HF, Bazzazan A, Scoggin K, Rolston M, El-Sheikh Ali H, Weimer BC, Ball B, Daels P, Dini P.In spite of controversy, recent studies present evidence that a microbiome is present in the human placenta. However, there is limited information about a potential equine placental microbiome. In the present study, we characterized the microbial population in the equine placenta (chorioallantois) of healthy prepartum (280 days of gestation, n = 6) and postpartum (immediately after foaling, 351 days of gestation, n = 11) mares, using 16S rDNA sequencing (rDNA-seq). In both groups, the majority of bacteria belonged to the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidota. T...
Ricard RM, Burton J, Chow-Lockerbie B, Wobeser B.Chlamydiae are reported to cause abortion in several species, however the association between Chlamydia sp. and equine abortions is poorly understood. A zoonotic transfer event of C. psittaci from aborted equine tissues in Australia has emphasized the need to better understand the prevalence of this pathogen in equine populations. The prevalence of chlamydia in equine abortions in North America has not been investigated thoroughly. We examined 99 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded placental samples submitted between 2009 and 2020 from equine abortions in Western Canada using chlamydia-specific ...
Martins AV, Corrêa LL, Ribeiro MS, Lobão LF, Dib LV, Palmer JPS, de Moura LC, Knackfuss FB, Uchôa CMA, Molento MB, Barbosa ADS.The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of helminths in Thoroughbred horses in Rio de Janeiro; make correlations with risk factors for these infections; and compare the efficiency of three floatation solutions applied in the quantitative Mini-FLOTAC technique. Fecal samples from 520 horses were collected from six training centers between 2019 and 2021. These were subjected to the Mini-FLOTAC technique using three solutions: NaCl (density = 1.200 g/mL), ZnSO4 (1.350 g/mL) and ZnSO4 (1.200 g/mL); and also to qualitative techniques. Information on the horses' sex and age of hors...
Gothe LMR, Ganzenberg S, Ziegler U, Obiegala A, Lohmann KL, Sieg M, Vahlenkamp TW, Groschup MH, Hörügel U, Pfeffer M.Since 2018, autochthonous West Nile virus (WNV) infections have been regularly reported in eastern-central Germany. While clinically apparent infections in humans and horses are not frequent, seroprevalence studies in horses may allow the tracing of WNV and related flaviviruses transmission, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Usutu virus (USUV), and consequently help to estimate the risk of human infections. Hence, the aim of our study was to follow the seropositive ratio against these three viruses in horses in Saxony, Saxony Anhalt, and Brandenburg and to describe their geograp...
Fan Y, Lou J, Tam CC, Wen W, Conrad F, Leal da Silva Alves P, Cheng LW, Garcia-Rodriguez C, Farr-Jones S, Marks JD.Equine-derived antitoxin (BAT) is the only treatment for botulism from botulinum neurotoxin serotype G (BoNT/G). BAT is a foreign protein with potentially severe adverse effects and is not renewable. To develop a safe, more potent, and renewable antitoxin, humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated. Yeast displayed single chain Fv (scFv) libraries were prepared from mice immunized with BoNT/G and BoNT/G domains and screened with BoNT/G using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Fourteen scFv-binding BoNT/G were isolated with K values ranging from 3.86 nM to 103 nM (median K 2...
Carroll SL, Sykes BW, Mills PC.Behaviour-related issues are common in horses. Many 'undesirable behaviours' pose important safety concerns for the human handlers / riders / carers, as well as welfare concerns for the horse. Undesirable behaviours can also devalue a horse, or result in the horse being re-homed, relinquished, or euthanased. Undesirable behaviours occur for a range of reasons. These include physiological causes, poor management, and the use of inappropriate or poorly applied handling and training techniques. The potential contribution of each of these aspects must be considered when attempting to reduce or eli...
Freeman DE, Bauck AG.Repeat celiotomy can be lifesaving in horses with a surgically treatable postoperative obstruction, although guidelines for its use are lacking, except for uncontrollable postoperative pain. Overdiagnosis of ileus as the cause of postoperative obstruction could delay a second surgery so the disease progresses beyond a manageable level of severity. Although many horses respond favorably to repeat celiotomy, complications can be severe and life threatening, such as incisional infection and adhesions. Repeat celiotomy does not seem to exacerbate postoperative ileus, despite additional surgical ma...
Bookbinder L, Prisk A.Gastrointestinal colic is the most common primary care equine emergency and affects nearly one of four horses per year. Colic is a significant welfare concern for equine patients and a financial and emotional burden for owners. The primary care practitioner is instrumental in identifying critical cases quickly and making appropriate management recommendations to improve patient outcomes.
Smith HL, Berglund AK, Robertson JB, Schnabel LV, McMullen RJ, Gilger BC, Oh A.The objective of the study was to determine the effect of gentamicin on CD3+ T-lymphocyte proliferation and cell viability using an in vitro cell culture model as a means of investigating the mechanism of action of low-dose intravitreal gentamicin injection. Methods: Three adult horses with no evidence of ophthalmic or systemic disease. Methods: Peripheral blood lymphocytes were treated with gentamicin at concentrations 37.5 μg/mL, 112.5 μg/mL, 187 μg/mL, 375 μg/mL, or 750 μg/mL then stimulated to proliferate with concanavalin A (ConA). 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and c...
Yocom A, Contino E, Kawcak C.Bisphosphonates are a group of drugs that can reduce bone resorption by incorporating into the crystal structure of exposed hydroxyapatite where they are taken up by osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates have several other mechanisms of action including reducing pain and inflammation and altering macrophage function. There are two types of bisphosphonates-nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous, the latter of which is used in horses. This article provides a literature-based review of the proposed mechanisms of action and therapeutic uses of bisphosphonates including a brief review of bone response to disease. ...
Barton CK, Hughes KL, Cowan C, Nout-Lomas YS, Nelson BB.A 21-year-old Quarter Horse mare presented with a chronic, progressively worsening left pelvic limb lameness of 3 weeks duration. The initial examination identified a consistent lameness at a walk. Neurological examination showed sensory and gait abnormalities consistent with left femoral nerve dysfunction. The horse minimally advanced the leg cranially and had a shortened stride length at the walk. During the stance phase, the heels of the left hind foot did not contact the ground and the horse quickly took weight off of the limb. Diagnostic imaging (ultrasound and nuclear scintigraphy) exami...
Condon V, Wilson B, Fleming PJS, Kennedy BPA, Keeley T, Barwick J, McGreevy P.Feral horses, also known as brumbies, are widely distributed across Australia with some populations being managed largely by human intervention. Rehoming of suitable feral horses following passive trapping has wide community acceptance as a management tool. However, there is little information about the number and relative economic value of feral horses compared with cohorts in the riding horse market. We examined 15,404 advertisements of horses for sale in 53 editions of Horse Deals, published from February 2017 to July 2022. Despite the considerable media attention and public scrutiny surrou...
Hagen A, Lehmann H, Aurich S, Bauer N, Melzer M, Moellerberndt J, Patané V, Schnabel CL, Burk J.Translation of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapies is advancing in human and veterinary medicine. One critical issue is the culture of MSC before clinical use. Using fetal bovine serum (FBS) as supplement to the basal medium is still the gold standard for cultivation of many cell types including equine MSC. Alternatives are being explored, with substantial success using platelet lysate-supplemented media for human MSC. However, progress lags behind in the veterinary field. The aim of this study was to establish a scalable protocol for equine platelet lysate (ePL) produc...
Wilson WD, Madigan JE.Diagnosis of bacterial septicemia was confirmed by results of bacteriologic culture of antemortem blood samples and/or necropsy specimens obtained from 47 foals up to 8 days old. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from all 47 foals, and mixed infections with more than one organism were involved in 26 (55%). Escherichia coli, Actinobacillus spp, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most frequent isolates, infecting 55, 34, and 23% of foals, respectively. Gram-positive bacteria and anaerobic bacteria were isolated only from foals with mixed infections with gram-negative organisms. Clostridium pe...
Axon JE, Carrick JB, Barton MD, Collins NM, Russell CM, Kiehne J, Coombs G.To evaluate if methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is present in the horse population in Australia. Methods: A two-part retrospective study of laboratory submissions of microbial culture results from horses. Methods: Part A: medical records of 216 horses that had MRSA screening performed on nasal swabs collected over a 30-day period at admission to the Scone Equine Hospital Clovelly Intensive Care Unit were retrieved. Part B: laboratory records from 2004 to 2009 of culture submissions to the Scone Veterinary Laboratory were reviewed and cultures that grew MRSA were identified. T...
Spadari A, Gialletti R, Gandini M, Valle E, Cerullo A, Cavallini D, Bertoletti A, Rinnovati R, Forni G, Scilimati N, Giusto G.The occurrence of colic could be influenced by the characteristics of a population, geographical area, and feeding management. The aim of this study was to report the short-term postoperative complications and survival rates and to identify factors that might affect the outcome of horses that underwent colic surgery in three Italian surgical referral centres. Data of horses subjected to colic surgery in three referral centres (2018-2021) were analysed. Comparisons of the outcomes were performed using a Mann-Whitney or a Chi square test. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) c...
Rosales R, Rangel-Rivas A, Escalona A, Jordan LS, Gonzatti MI, Aso PM, Perrone T, Silva-Iturriza A, Mijares A.The focus of this study was the detection of equine piroplasmosis in Distrito Capital, Miranda, Aragua, Guárico and Apure States from Venezuela, using two methods: Competitive-Inhibition ELISA and multiplex PCR and the analysis of the possible differences in occurrence in relation to the primary purpose of the horses, which is related to varied degrees of exposure to tick. Antibody levels to Babesia caballi and Theileria equi were assessed in 694 equine serum samples using Competitive-Inhibition ELISA, while PCR assays were performed in 136 horses, using two sets of oligonucleotides to establ...
Denwood MJ, Love S, Innocent GT, Matthews L, McKendrick IJ, Hillary N, Smith A, Reid SW.The faecal egg count (FEC) is the most widely used means of quantifying the nematode burden of horses, and is frequently used in clinical practice to inform treatment and prevention. The statistical process underlying the FEC is complex, comprising a Poisson counting error process for each sample, compounded with an underlying continuous distribution of means between samples. Being able to quantify the sources of variability contributing to this distribution of means is a necessary step towards providing estimates of statistical power for future FEC and FECRT studies, and may help to improve t...
Beech J, Boston RC, McFarlane D, Lindborg S.To measure plasma ACTH, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (aloha-MSH), and insulin concentrations during various photoperiods between February and October in horses and ponies with and without pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Methods: Cohort study. Methods: 13 clinically normal (control) ponies, 14 clinically normal (control) horses, 7 ponies with PPID, and 8 horses with PPID. Methods: Blood samples were collected from February through October during 8 photoperiods: 1, February 13 through March 2; 2, April 4 through 6; 3, June 19 through 22; 4, August 6 through 7; 5, August 14 ...
Paillot R, Daly JM, Juillard V, Minke JM, Hannant D, Kydd JH.Equine cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) are well characterised but little is known about the cytokine response after infection or vaccination. EHV-1 is common in horses and infects lymphocytes in vivo. This virus was used as a model to measure the synthesis of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) by equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after in vivo infection and/or in vitro stimulation with EHV-1. Both flow cytometry and ELISPOT assays were used to quantify equine IFN-gamma using a mouse anti-bovine IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody (clone CC302; shown to...
Mshelia PW, Kappmeyer L, Johnson WC, Kudi CA, Oluyinka OO, Balogun EO, Richard EE, Onoja E, Sears KP, Ueti MW.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an infectious, tick-borne disease caused by the hemoprotozoan parasites, Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and a recently reported new species, T. haneyi. Infections by these apicomplexan parasites limit performance and cause economic losses for the horse industry. Equine piroplasmosis is widespread in the northern regions of Nigeria, where an increasing portion of the animal population is composed of horses. This disease has remained epidemiologically challenging, especially as the movement of horses increases across Nigeria. In this study, blood samples from 300 h...
McGowan CM, Frost R, Pfeiffer DU, Neiger R.Serum insulin concentration and its use as a prognostic indicator in horses with equine Cushing's syndrome (ECS) have been poorly documented. Objective: To examine daily insulin variations in horses with ECS and the effect of treatment using trilostane, a competitive inhibitor of 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Further, we aimed to examine the relationship between baseline serum insulin concentration and survival in horses with ECS. Methods: Basal serum insulin concentrations were measured in 20 confirmed ECS cases by taking blood at regular 4 h intervals for 24 h (1200, 1600, 2000, 2400, ...
Schurink A, da Silva VH, Velie BD, Dibbits BW, Crooijmans RPMA, Franҫois L, Janssens S, Stinckens A, Blott S, Buys N, Lindgren G, Ducro BJ.Many common and relevant diseases affecting equine welfare have yet to be tested regarding structural variants such as copy number variations (CNVs). CNVs make up a substantial proportion of total genetic variability in populations of many species, resulting in more sequence differences between individuals than SNPs. Associations between CNVs and disease phenotypes have been established in several species, but equine CNV studies have been limited. Aim of this study was to identify CNVs and to perform a genome-wide association (GWA) study in Friesian horses to identify genomic loci associated w...
Keegan KG, Pai PF, Wilson DA, Smith BK.In horses at a trot, the head moves up and down twice in one stride. In horses with unilateral forelimb lameness this movement is asymmetric. Computer-assisted kinematic analysis of vertical head movement can be used to quantify objectively lameness in horses in clinical trials. However, in mild lameness, absolute measurements of vertical head height may not be sensitive enough to detect small differences in lameness, and extraneous head movement by the horse due to curiosity, excitement or nervousness interferes with the accurate measurement of vertical head movement asymmetry. We describe a ...
Hübert PH, Birkenmaier S, Rziha HJ, Osterrieder N.The equine herpesvirus type-1 modified live-vaccine strain RacH (256th passage on porcine embryonic kidney cells) was investigated by restriction-enzyme analysis and compared to representative plaque isolates of the 12th passage (RacL11, RacL22) and 185th passage (RacM24, RacM36). The restriction patterns of all Rac plaque isolates differed compared with reference strain Ab4. The left UL terminus was shortened by 0.1 kbp and a missing BamHI site led to the fusion of the f and t fragments. In some Rac derivatives, losses of restriction sites without deletions were observed: 1. One BamHI site lo...
Kornicka K, Śmieszek A, Węgrzyn AS, Röcken M, Marycz K.Endocrine disorders, including equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), are a serious issue in veterinary medicine and horse breeding. Furthermore, EMS was shown to affect the cytophysiological properties of adipose-derived stem cells, reducing their therapeutic potential. However, it was shown that those cells can be rejuvenated while using a combination of two chemicals: 5-azacytydine (AZA) and resveratrol (RES). In the present study, we decided to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of AZA/RES-treated adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) isolated from EMS horses (ASC). Thus, we co-cultured ASC wit...
Novilla MN.Monensin, lasalocid, salinomycin, narasin and maduramicin are carboxylic ionophores intended for use as anticoccidial drugs for poultry and as growth promotants for ruminants. Generally, ionophores have been found safe and effective in the target animals receiving recommended dosage levels. However, toxic syndromes can result from overdosage and misuse situations. More information and reports of adverse reactions are available for monensin than the other ionophores because of monensin's longstanding and widespread use in the poultry and livestock industries. Care must be exercised in the diagn...
Adams AP, Antczak DF.A system for transplanting invasive equine trophoblast (i.e., chorionic girdle) to ectopic sites has been developed as a means to study the differentiation of this tissue and to assess maternal immune responses to the conceptus tissue in a site outside the uterus. Chorionic girdle was isolated from Day 33 to 34 conceptuses and surgically placed into the vulvar mucosa or subdermal skin of recipient mares. Biopsy specimens of the graft sites for immunohistochemical staining were taken at weekly or biweekly intervals after grafting. Serum samples were collected from each recipient and tested for ...
Keller RL, Hendrix DV.Bacterial ulcerative keratitis is a common and often vision-threatening problem in horses. Emerging bacterial resistance to commonly used topical antibiotics has been demonstrated. Previous antibiotic use may alter the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates. Objective: To document aerobic bacterial isolates and associated bacterial susceptibilities from horses with ulcerative keratitis treated at the University of Tennessee between January 1993 and May 2004 and determine whether prior antibiotic therapy affected antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates. Methods: Medical records...
Hedges JF, Balasuriya UB, MacLachlan NJ.Open reading frame 3 (ORF 3) of equine arteritis virus (EAV) is predicted to encode a glycosylated membrane protein (GP3) that is uncharacterized. ORF 3 of the American Type Culture Collection strain of EAV was in vitro transcribed and the encoded GP3 protein was in vitro translated with and without canine microsomal membranes. The GP3 protein was approximately 17 kDa after in vitro translation without canine microsomal membranes whereas the glycosylated form, after translation with microsomal membranes, was a diffuse band of 36-42 kDa, indicating that the GP3 protein is extensively glycosylat...
van Heel MC, van Dierendonck MC, Kroekenstoel AM, Back W.Foot stance in grazing significantly influences hoof conformation and development from foal to yearling age. Objective: To conduct a longitudinal study to establish if the relationship between motor laterality and uneven front feet persisted in 3-year-old horses at the time of studbook selection and to investigate if such laterality and unevenness might influence the horses' ability to perform symmetrically while trotting, cantering and free jumping. Methods: Seventeen clinically sound but untrained (with only minimal experience of handling) and sound Warmblood horses that had participated in ...
Wagner B, Hillegas JM, Brinker DR, Horohov DW, Antczak DF.Interleukin-10 (IL-10) terminates inflammatory immune responses and inhibits activation and effector functions of T-cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells. IL-10 has also been found to be a key cytokine expressed by subpopulations of regulatory T-cells. In this report, we describe the generation and characterization of three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to equine IL-10. The antibodies were found to be specific for equine IL-10 using different recombinant equine cytokine/IgG fusion proteins. Two of the anti-equine IL-10 mAbs were selected for ELISA to detect secreted IL-10 in superna...
Bullone M, Beauchamp G, Godbout M, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.Endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) revealed differences in the thickness of the layer representing subepithelial tissues (L2) between human asthmatics and controls, but whether this measurement correlates with airway smooth muscle (ASM) remodeling in asthma is unknown. In this study, we sought to determine the ability of EBUS to predict histological ASM remodeling in normal and equine asthmatic airways. We studied 109 isolated bronchi from the lungs of 13 horses. They underwent EBUS examination using a 30 MHz radial probe before being processed for histology. ASM remodeling parameters were e...
Nieto JE, Snyder JR, Beldomenico P, Aleman M, Kerr JW, Spier SJ.Gastric endoscopy was performed at the end of a 50 or 80 km endurance ride. Gastric ulceration was evident in 67% of the horses with ulcers on the squamous region of the stomach found in 57% of the horses and active bleeding of the glandular mucosa in 27%. Three horses (10%) had lesions only on the glandular mucosa. Values of albumin, creatinine and glucose were higher in horses without gastric lesions. We conclude that horses from endurance competitions have a high prevalence of gastric ulceration that is similar to that observed in performance horses. However the severity of ulceration is le...
Hernandez J, Hawkins DL, Scollay MC.To identify race-start characteristics associated with catastrophic musculoskeletal (MS) injury in Thoroughbred racehorses at 2 racetracks in Florida during 1995 through 1998. Methods: Matched case-control study. Methods: 97 Thoroughbreds (case horses) that incurred a catastrophic MS injury during racing and 388 Thoroughbreds (control horses) randomly selected from noninjured participants and matched on the basis of racetrack and year. Methods: Incidence of MS injury was calculated for all race meets at 2 racetracks in Florida from 1995 through 1998. Race-start characteristics were compared am...
Lovati AB, Corradetti B, Cremonesi F, Bizzaro D, Consiglio AL.Adult bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are a potential cell source for tendon repair in direct cell therapy and tissue engineering investigations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tenogenic induction of undifferentiated BM-MSCs under indirect co-culture technique with trimmed native tendon tissue. Since the horse represents a preferred species to study tendon regenerative strategies, this work was conducted on equine BM-MSCs. Methods: Equine BM-MSCs were co-cultured in a transwell system with tendon tissue fragments. The BM-MSC tenogenic differentiation was evaluated b...
van Biervliet J, Scrivani PV, Divers TJ, Erb HN, de Lahunta A, Nixon A.Different criteria have been described based on height reduction of the total myelographic contrast column and components of it as tests for compression of the spinal cord due to cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM). Fifty percent height reduction of the dorsal myelographic column (DMC), <2 mm empiric height of the DMC and a 40% reduction of the ratio of stenosis calculated based on the height reduction of the entire dural diameter (DD) have been described as decision criteria for considering the test result positive. The reasons for selecting these decision criteria or their accuracies have ...
Young LE, Rogers K, Wood JL.Cardiac morphology in human athletes is known to differ, depending on the sports-specific endurance component of their events, whereas anecdotes abound about superlative athletes with large hearts. As the heart determines stroke volume and maximum O(2) uptake in mammals, we undertook a study to test the hypothesis that the morphology of the equine heart would differ between trained horses, depending on race type, and that left ventricular size would be greatest in elite performers. Echocardiography was performed in 482 race-fit Thoroughbreds engaged in either flat (1,000-2,500 m) or jump racin...
Leon IM, Lawhon SD, Norman KN, Threadgill DS, Ohta N, Vinasco J, Scott HM.Although Salmonella enterica can produce life-threatening colitis in horses, certain serotypes are more commonly associated with clinical disease. Our aim was to evaluate the proportional morbidity attributed to different serotypes, as well as the phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Salmonella isolates from patients at an equine referral hospital in the southern United States. A total of 255 Salmonella isolates was obtained from clinical samples of patients admitted to the hospital between 2007 and 2015. Phenotypic resistance to 14 antibiotics surveilled by the U.S. Nati...
Lorenzo JM, Fuciños C, Purriños L, Franco D.The effects of sex, slaughtered age (9 vs. 12 months) and livestock production system (freedom extensive system vs. semi extensive system) of "Galician Mountain" foals breed on the fatty acid composition were studied. The sex and slaughtered age of the animals had no statistical significance in the intramuscular fatty acids. Furthermore, the livestock production system showed differences in the fatty acid profiles from the Longissimus dorsi. The feeding system showed significant differences in PUFA content (P<0.001) higher in freedom extensive production system that semi extensive system, wher...
Schaffartzik A, Marti E, Crameri R, Rhyner C.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated seasonal dermatitis of the horses associated with bites of Simulium (black fly) and Culicoides (midge) species. Although cross-reactivity between Simulium and Culicoides salivary gland extracts has been demonstrated, the molecular nature of the allergens responsible for the observed cross-reactivity remains to be elucidated. In this report we demonstrate for the first time in veterinary medicine that a homologous allergen, present in the salivary glands of both insects, shows extended IgE cross-reactivity in vitro and in vivo. The cDNA sequ...
Mauel S, Steinbach F, Ludwig H.Dendritic cells (DC) are the initiators of immune responses and are present in most tissues in vivo. To generate myeloid DC from monocytes (MoDC) in vitro the necessary cytokines are granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4). Using degenerated primers delineated from other species and rapid amplification of cDNA ends reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RACE RT-PCR), the cDNA of equine (eq.) GM-CSF was cloned and found to have a point deletion at the 3'-end of eq.GM-CSF, resulting in a 24-nucleotide extended open reading frame not described ...
