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.
Ruohoniemi M, Tulamo RM, Hackzell M.Of 462 Finnhorses (age 1-20 years) evaluated and graded (scale 0-5) radiographically for ossification of the collateral cartilages of the 3rd phalanx of the front feet, 22.9% were totally free from sidebones (Grade 0), and 49.1% had minimal or mild ossification (Grade 1 or 2) at the base of 1 or more of the cartilages. Moderate ossification (Grade 3) was present in 10.2% of the horses, whereas ossification was advanced (Grade 4) or extensive (Grade 5) in 17.8%. In most horses > 1 cartilage was affected and 7.6% of the horses had separate centres of ossification in 1 or more of the cartilages. ...
Canè V, Botti P, Soana S.The influence of pulsed low-frequency electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on bone formation was investigated in studies of the healing process of transcortical holes, bored at the diaphyseal region of metacarpal bones of six adult horses, exposed for 30 days to PEMFs (28 G peak amplitude, 1.3 ms rise time, and 75 Hz repetition rate). A pair of Helmholtz coils, continuously powered by a pulse generator, was applied for 30 days to the left metacarpal bone, through which two holes, of equal diameter and depth, had been bored at the diaphyseal region. Two equal holes, bored at the same level in the rig...
Yu M, Robinson NE, Wang Z, Derksen FJ.The effects of epithelial removal and cyclooxygenase inhibition on contractions induced by exogenous acetylcholine (ACh) and electrical field stimulation (EFS) were evaluated in horse tracheal strips and bronchial rings. Epithelial removal potentiated the response to ACh but had no influence on the response to EFS. The effect of epithelial removal was not altered by pretreating the tissues with meclofenamate, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. In trachealis strips, meclofenamate augmented contractions induced by EFS but not by ACh. In bronchial rings, meclofenamate augmented EFS-induced contraction t...
Kollias-Baker CA, Court MH, Williams LL.To determine the effects of yohimbine and tolazoline on the cardiovascular, respiratory and sedative effects of xylazine, four horses were sedated with xylazine and treated with either yohimbine, tolazoline or saline. Xylazine was administered as an intravenous (i.v.) bolus (1.0 mg/kg) followed by a continuous infusion at the rate of 12 micrograms/kg/min. Heart rate, respiratory rate, mean arterial pressure, arterial blood gases, and the chin-to-floor distance were recorded throughout the experiment. After 60 min, either yohimbine or tolazoline was administered i.v. in incremental doses until ...
Roethlisberger-Holm K.Recording of intratracheal pressure during exercise as a method for evaluating upper airway obstruction in the horse has previously been carried out on the treadmill. In the present study the method was applied to normal horses, outdoors under field conditions, to assess its usefulness for analysis of respiratory problems mainly occurring under racing conditions. The horses examined performed a standardized exercise test during which the intratracheal pressure was recorded with a tape recorder receiving amplified signals from a transducer connected to a percutaneously inserted intratracheal ca...
Richa , Grover YP, Charan S.The authors describe a rapid and simple dot immunobinding assay (DIA) for detection and identification of equine herpesvirus-1 antigen in field samples from cases of abortion, stillbirth, perinatal foal mortality and paralysis. The assay employs a nitrocellulose membrane to which antigen is adsorbed as a dot. Antigen is identified as a coloured dot using a procedure based on the principle of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In all, 61 samples were tested by DIA and the test was compared with conventional agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID). With DIA, 44 (72%) samples gave positive result...
Blikslager AT, Tate LP, Weinstock D.Effects of neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser irradiation on equine endometrium were evaluated in vitro and in six mares with endometrial cysts. The Nd:YAG laser was applied to six endometrial sites, in each of five uterine specimens, with power densities of 5659 to 33,954 J/cm2. Depth of tissue ablation was measured and graded on histologic sections of the tissue lesions. Power density had a significant effect on the depth of tissue ablation (p < .001). Grade 3 lesions (full-thickness ablation of the endometrium) were created with energy densities of 16,977 to 33,954 J/cm2. Six ...
Boschwitz JS, Timoney JF.A rapid method for purifying equine C3 which yields milligram quantities of pure C3 is described. Protein from equine plasma was selectively precipitated with polyethylene glycol, and the C3 was purified by anionic and cationic exchange HPLC. The yield from this procedure was 12%. The purified C3 was composed of an alpha chain (118 kD) and a beta chain (68 kD) linked by at least one disulfide bond, and it had an isoelectric point of 4.7. Amino acid analysis indicated a strong conservation of amino acid usage between equine and human C3. The N-terminal sequences of the alpha and beta chains wer...
Watson TD, Packard CJ, Shepherd J.1. Equine plasma contains lipoproteins corresponding to very low density (VLDL), low density (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). 2. HDL accounts for approximately 60% of plasma lipoprotein mass and consists of a single population of particles. 3. LDL is heterogeneous comprising three discrete subfractions. 4. Two proteins are found in the region of apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 in VLDL and LDL and a third similar to apoB-48 is in VLDL. 5. Lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase is active in plasma and hepatic lipase and lipoprotein lipase are evident in post-heparin plasma. 6. There is no si...
Johnson PJ, Lin TL, Jennings DP.Cholesterinic granulomas, commonly found at necropsy in aged horses, may cause neurologic signs by obstructing the interventricular foramina, resulting in hydrocephalus. Diffuse cerebral disease in horses may not always result in rapid progression of clinical signs. Intermittency of neurologic signs may be associated with intermittent increases in CSF pressure.
Nishita T, Goto T, Kimura H, Asari M.1. In this study, carbonic anhydrase III (CA-III) content in 18 equine muscles was determined by enzyme immunoassay. 2. It was found to differ in several muscles. 3. That in external intercostal muscle, rectus abdominis muscle and splenius muscle from four horses was very high. 4. Although the masseter muscle had only type I fibers, CA-III content was similar to that in mixed-fiber type muscles such as the biceps femoris muscle. 5. It thus appear that equine type I fibers can be further subgrouped.
Fikrig E, Magnarelli LA, Chen M, Anderson JF, Flavell RA.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and immunoblots using either whole-cell lysates of Borrelia burgdorferi or an antigenic region of flagellin (41-G) as the antigen were performed, and the abilities of the two assays to detect antibodies to this spirochete in dog, cottontail rabbit, and horse sera were compared. Assays using whole-cell B. burgdorferi lysates as the antigen were more sensitive for detecting antibodies. ELISA with 41-G as the antigen were specific for Borrelia antibodies but were not as sensitive as the assays with whole-cell lysates coated to the solid phase. Use of rec...
Auer DE, Skelton KV, Tay S, Baldock FC.Total plasma carbon dioxide (TCO2) concentrations were measured in Standardbred horses to determine criteria to discriminate between normal horses and horses with excessive TCO2 concentrations on raceday. TCO2 concentrations from stabled horses were distributed normally with a mean of 30.2 mmol/L and a standard deviation of 1.2 (n = 192) while pre-race TCO2 concentrations were not normally distributed. The results indicate that about 50 horses per million are likely to have TCO2 concentrations greater than or equal to 35 mmol/L and that it is extremely unlikely that a normal horse would have a...
Patteson MW, Cripps PJ.Auscultation was used to examine 545 horses for cardiac murmurs and some arrhythmias. The most significant finding was the high prevalence of right-sided holosystolic or pansystolic plateau-type murmurs compatible with a diagnosis of tricuspid regurgitation in National Hunt racing Thoroughbreds of all ages (16.4%). This condition was found in 4.7% of flat-racing Thoroughbreds, 3.7% of non-racing Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred crosses, and in none of the ponies examined. High prevalences of left-sided early systolic murmurs (53%), left-sided early diastolic murmurs (23%), right-sided early dias...
Denac M, Bebié P, Scharrer E.The effects of various neurotransmitters and electrical field stimulation on muscle strips from the distal equine esophagus were studied. Acetylcholine (ACH) caused concentration dependent (1.1-55 x 10(-6) mol/l) contractions of the longitudinal and circular muscle strips from the distal esophagus as well as from the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Atropine (10(-5) mol/l) blocked these contractions. Noradrenaline (NA) induced concentration related (1.1-55 x 10(-6) mol/l) contractions of the muscle strips from the LES. This excitatory effect of noradrenaline was antagonized by the alpha 1-rec...
Wegner W.In 1893 a major component of veterinary practice derived from 4 million horses and from farm animals, whereas thousands of dogs were even slaughtered every year, especially in Saxony and Silesia. Nowadays companion animals figure as an element of ever growing importance for the practitioner. Teaching and research adapted themselves to this altered situation, research funding and professional politics not yet so completely. In former days veterinarians even presided the licensing committees for breeder animals--today the animal breeding act merely mentions them in connection with institutions o...
Hoffman LH, Wooding FB.The cellular origin, structure, and function of trophoblastic giant cells (GC) and binucleate cells (BNC) are reviewed. Mammals in which these cells have received the greatest attention include rodents, rabbits, and humans (GCs), and ruminants and equids (BNCs). In almost all cases these cells arise from the cytotrophoblast. All are large cells and contain either two diploid nuclei (BNCs), multiple nuclei (human placental bed GCs), or single nuclei with amplified DNA content (rodent and rabbit GCs). Giant and binucleate cells typically exhibit the capacity for migration or invasion, although t...
Phillips TJ, Walmsley JP.Of 149 horses that underwent 151 exploratory laparotomies for gastrointestinal disorders from September 1987 to May 1991, 107 (72%) were discharged from the hospital: 100 (66%) survived for > 7 months, 94 of which returned to their intended use. Survival rate (64/80) for horses with caecum/large colon obstruction was significantly (P = 0.003) higher than for horses with small intestinal obstruction (33/64). Prolonged surgery was associated with significantly (P < 0.001) lower survival rates than short surgical time. In the large intestine, survival rate (15/29) for strangulated obstructions wa...
Takeda S, Ohta M, Ebina S, Nagayama K.Horse L-ferritin cDNA was cloned from horse liver, and the base sequence was determined. The L-ferritin was expressed using pTZ18U encoding lac promoter, and found to possess an additional 8-amino acid sequence at the N-terminus as compared with commercially obtained horse spleen (natural) ferritin. It was determined that there was Pro at position 94 in both the recombinant and natural L-ferritin, although it was previously reported that Leu was in this position in the natural species. Transmission electron microscopy showed that this recombinant ferritin formed a 24-mer shell.
Bolann BJ, Ulvik RJ.The redox interaction between O2.- and ferritin cannot solely be regarded as as a Fe(II) release reaction. We demonstrate that native copper bound to horse spleen ferritin and apoferritin, stimulated the decay of O2.- in a catalytic reaction. Copper was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Decay of O2.- was monitored spectrophotometrically as the decrease in (A250-A360) at pH 9.5. The catalytic effect was linearly related to the copper content of the protein. Ferritin copper was less efficient than equimolar CuCl2, and iron-poor ferritin was more efficient than iron-rich ferritin...
Strange R, Morante S, Stefanini S, Chiancone E, Desideri A.Extended X-ray absorbance fine structure measurements have been carried out on the initial Fe(III)-apoferritin complex at a Fe/subunit ratio of 2 in native and modified horse spleen apoferritin. Analysis of the data indicates that in the native protein the iron forms a protein-bound polynuclear cluster (Fe-Fe distance 3.4 A) with a first coordination sphere constituted by 5-6 low-Z atoms, e.g., nitrogen atoms, carboxylate-like ligands or oxo bridges between the iron atoms. Modification of Cys-126, a residue localized on the outer surface of the hydrophilic three-fold channels, with p-chloromer...
Gregg AS, Jones RS, Snowdon SL.A fault in the assembly of a Matrix Large Animal Circle anaesthetic machine resulted in reversal of fresh gas flow through the vaporizer. The fault was discovered only after the sudden development of excessive depth of anaesthesia in two equine patients. Laboratory investigations were conducted to determine the effect of flow reversal on vaporizer output. Results indicated that output concentration was approximately doubled under these conditions.
Balazs EA, Denlinger JL.Viscosupplementation is a new medical concept that has as its therapeutic goal the restoration of rheological homeostasis in pathological structures such as osteoarthritic joints. When the normal viscoelasticity of a solid tissue compartment or the elastoviscosity of a liquid tissue compartment is decreased under pathological conditions, normal function and regenerative processes are impaired. By introducing viscosupplementary devices, the normal rheological state of such compartments is restored or augmented. These devices stay in the tissue compartment for various periods of time, depending ...
Hagebock JM, Chieves L, Frerichs WM, Miller CD.The agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assays were evaluated as supplemental tests to the complement-fixation (CF) test, the official US importation certification test for dourine in equids. The American stabilate (n = 10 animals) or the Canadian stabilate (n = 6 animals) of Trypanosoma equiperdum cultured in rat blood was administered by catheterization and infusion in the urogenital tract of 16 equids. To assess parasitemia and serologic responses by use of the CF, AGID, and IFA tests, a total of 787 serum and blood samples were obtained from equids befor...
Green SL.Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a viral disease of livestock that results in vesicles and ulcerations on the teats, oral mucosa, tongue, and coronary bands. All three main serotypes of the VS virus can infect the horse. Although VS does not have a major impact on the equine industry, it is clinically identical to the other more economically devastating vesicular diseases of cattle and swine and can produce influenza-like symptoms in humans. VS in horses is reportable, as are all vesicular diseases of livestock.
Glanville RJ, Christie B.The equine influenza (EI) outbreak presented many challenges that required high-level coordination and decision making, as well as the development of new approaches for satisfactory and consistent resolution. This paper outlines the elements of the national coordination arrangements, preparatory arrangements in place prior to the outbreak that facilitated national coordination, and some of the issues faced and resolved in the response.
Mugnier S, Boittin S, Douet C, Monget P, Magistrini M, Goudet G.In human and rodents, sperm-zona pellucida binding is mediated by a sperm surface Galactosyltransferase that recognizes N-Acetylglucosamine residues on a glycoprotein ZPC. In large domestic mammals, the role of these molecules remains unclear: in bovine, they are involved in sperm-zona pellucida binding, whereas in porcine, they are not necessary. Our aim was to clarify the role of Galactosyltransferase and N-Acetylglucosamine residues in sperm-zona pellucida binding in ungulates. For this purpose, we analyzed the mechanism of sperm-zona pellucida interaction in a third ungulate: the horse, si...
Gimeno BF, Bariani MV, Laiz-Quiroga L, Martínez-León E, Von-Meyeren M, Rey O, Mutto AÁ, Osycka-Salut CE.Cryopreservation by negatively affecting sperm quality decreases the efficiency of assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs). Thus, we first evaluated sperm motility at different conditions for the manipulation of equine cryopreserved spermatozoa. Higher motility was observed when spermatozoa were incubated for 30 min at 30 × 106/mL compared to lower concentrations (p < 0.05) and when a short centrifugation at 200× g was performed (p < 0.05). Moreover, because sperm suitable for oocyte fertilization is released from oviduct epithelial cells (OECs), in response to the capacitation process, we e...
Katayama Y, Oikawa M, Kaneko M, Yoshihara T, Yoshikawa H, Yoshikawa T.Three monoclonal antibodies capable of individually recognizing chondrocytes, osteoblasts and osteocytes were prepared. EB-1 reacted with a 55-kDa antigen on the chondrocyte membrane, EB-2 with a 110-kDa antigen on the membrane of osteoblasts and/or partial osteocytes, and EB-3 with a 130-kDa antigen on the membrane of osteocytes. These monoclonal antibodies may be useful probes for studying the differentiation and maturation of osteogenic cells.
Dziezyc J, Taylor L, Boggess MM, Scott HM.To determine the effect of ocular blinkers on driving horses' reactions to visual and audible stimuli. Methods: Balanced crossover trial with horses randomly assigned to either wear blinkers or not wear blinkers first or second, then subjected to repeated sequences of four distinct stimuli (chain rattle, cap gun, umbrella opening, and shaking of an aluminum can containing coins). Two weeks later, this process was repeated with the ordering of wearing blinkers reversed. Methods: Eight driving horses of various breeds. Methods: Responses were recorded quantitatively as inter-beat times (the time...
Frisbie DD, Sandler EA, Trotter GW, McIlwraith CW.To determine response of interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha)-conditioned equine articular cartilage explants to insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Sample Population-Cartilage from the trochlea and condyles of the femur of a clinically normal 4-year-old horse. Methods: Effects of IGF-1 (0 to 500 ng/ml) after addition of IL-1alpha were evaluated by assessing matrix responses, using a sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) assay, matrix 35SO4 GAG incorporation, and release of GAG. Mitogenic response was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA and fluorometric assay of total DNA concentration. Res...
Nocera I, Puccinelli C, Sgorbini M, Bagnoli E, Citi S.In adult horses, specific ultrasound (US) features and reference values have been reported for the appearance of the joint cartilage and thickness according to the type of joint, such as femoropatellar and tarsocrural. The US appearance of the fetlock has been described in several diseases. The present research evaluates the US features of the metacarpal/tarsal-phalangeal joints in healthy racehorses according to age and breed, since no information is available in the literature. Seventy-one fetlocks in 28 healthy horses (15/28 thoroughbreds and 13/28 standardbreds) were assessed. The horses w...
Asmis R, Jörg A.Horse eosinophils preincubated with 3H-labelled acetate and stimulated with the Ca2+ ionophores ionomycin or A23187 form a radioactive compound, which we have shown to be 1-O-alkyl-2-[3H]acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (platelet-activating factor). We could detect no 1-O-acyl-2-[3H]acetyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine in the radioactive fraction. The formation of platelet-activating factor was strongly correlated to the generation of leukotriene C4, the main arachidonate metabolite in horse eosinophils, suggesting that platelet-activating factor and leukotriene C4 have a common precursor pool (1...
Montelaro RC, West M, Ivey M.Representative glycoproteins including fetuin, protein A, ovalbumin, alpha 1 acid glycoprotein, and the major glycoprotein of equine infectious anemia virus were labelled with 125I by the chloramine-T or Bolton-Hunter procedure and their binding to immobilized Con A or lentil lectin compared to untreated samples of each glycoprotein. Glycoprotein modification was no greater than one substituted residue per protein molecule. Yet the radioiodinated glycoproteins typically displayed only 0-50% of the lectin binding observed with untreated samples. These results indicate that lectin glycoprotein b...
Ludewig T.Corpora amylacea are present in all the mammary glands of the investigated animals (ewe, goat, and mares). Generally, they are comparable to the cow regarding to its distribution, frequency, size, morphological structure, and staining properties. Corpora amylacea occur most frequently in the ewe, and in non-lactating mammary glands. In lactating mammary glands they are mostly situated in the alveoles. During gestation they are located outside of the alveoles and in the interalveolar connective tissue. Only in very few cases corpora amylacea are found inside and outside of the alveoles in the s...
Recent outbreaks of equine infectious anaemia and equine viral arteritis in the UK. Update on the equine infectious anaemia situation in Europe. West Nile virus reported in several Mediterranean countries. Current and future approaches to equine viral arteritis control in the UK. These are among matters discussed in the quarterly equine disease surveillance report for April to June 2010, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Rossdale PD.The place of clinical research in the veterinary profession is discussed against the author's personal experiences and in the context of how research workers, clinicians, teachers and veterinary students might be brought into a more cohesive unit through the development of a Faculty of clinical research and experimental medicine. It is argued that students should receive training in research and teaching and that efforts should be made to break down the attitude of "them" and "us" which tends to separate the clinicians and academics.
Hoolahan DE, White SD, Outerbridge CA, Shearer PL, Affolter VK.Alopecia areata (AA) causes hair loss due to inflammatory changes within and around hair bulbs and lower portions of the hair follicles. Documentation of AA in horses is limited to a few case reports. Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to characterize equine AA by describing patterns in age, sex, breed and lesion distribution in a series of cases. An attempt was made to characterize the long-term course of the disease by surveying owners of affected horses. Methods: Computerized records from 1 January 1980 to 1 July 2011 yielded 15 horses. Methods: Descriptive statistics were c...
Wiebe ME, Scherer WF, Peick WJ.Ninety-four strains of Venezuelan encephalitis (VE) virus isolated from sentinel hamsters exposed in the Middle American countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras were examined for the presence of virions with marker characteristics of strains that cause large epidemics and equine epizootics. Thirty-four strains came from before and 60 strains came from after the Middle American epidemics and equine epizootics of 1966 and 1969-1972. Twenty-three virion clones that resembled epizootic strains by hydroxylapatite chromatography and Vero monkey kidney cell plaque size determinations wer...
Inzana TJ, Iritani B.A group C latex agglutination reagent, included as the negative control in the PathoDx Strep A latex agglutination test (Diagnostic Products Corp., Los Angeles, Calif), was compared with culture for rapid detection of group C streptococci (Streptococcus equi, S. equisimilis, S. zooepidemicus, and S. dysgalactiae) from swabs of veterinary specimens. The overall sensitivity of the latex test was 78%, and specificity was 97.6%. Only 25% of S. dysgalactiae isolates were detected, thereby accounting for the relatively low sensitivity. Ninety-three percent of the group C streptococci other than S. d...
Kwok WH, Choi TLS, Tsoi YYK, Leung GNW, Wan TSM.A fast method for the direct analysis of enzyme-hydrolysed horse urine using an automated on-line solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled to a liquid-chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometer was developed. Over 100 drugs of diverse drug classes could be simultaneously detected in horse urine at sub to low parts per billion levels. Urine sample was first hydrolysed by β-glucuronidase to release conjugated drugs, followed by centrifugal filtration. The filtrate (1mL) was directly injected into an on-line SPE system consisting of a pre-column filter and a SPE cartridge column for the separa...
Chung C, Wilson C, Timoney P, Adams E, Adams DS, Chung JS, Evermann JF, Shuck K, Lee SS, McGuire TC.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) causes contagious equine viral arteritis, characterized by fever, anorexia, conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, dependent edema, abortion, infrequent death in foals, and establishment of the carrier state in stallions. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) defines a horse as seropositive if the serum neutralization (SN) antibody titer is ≥1:4 to EAV. However, determining the SN titer is time-consuming and requires specific laboratory facilities, equipment, and technical expertise to perform. Furthermore, interpretation of the SN titer of some sera can be di...
True RG, Lowe JE.Juglone, a toxic compound found in all parts of plants of the walnut tree family Jugans, was evaluated as the possible toxin involved in black walnut shaving-associated laminitis in the horse. Large amounts (up to 1 g) of this chemical administered per os inconsistently caused mild signs of laminitis in ponies. Topical application of juglone to the digits of horses caused local skin irritation but did not cause laminitis. Intravenous administration of juglone caused acute pulmonary edema in some individuals previously exposed to the compound per os or IV.
Waugh SL, Fregin GF, Thomas DP, Gerber N, Grant BD, Campbell KB.Aortic root blood flow was measured with an electromagnetic (EM) flow meter in unanesthetized horses during rest and exercise. The cardiac output response to exercise, as determined by the EM technique, was compared with the response reported by others who used indicator dilution techniques with good agreement. The EM method will allow making measurement of cardiovascular responses to exercise in the horse, not obtainable with other techniques.