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.
Maxwell L, McCarrel TM, Hay S, Cole C.The antifibrinolytic agent aminocaproic acid (ACA) is occasionally used prior to episodes of intense training in racehorses suffering from exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Although a previous study indicated that the drug is cleared rapidly in horses, some racetrack practitioners claim that recent adverse analytical findings for ACA in postrace samples were from ACA administrations 5-7 days before the race. The purpose of this study was to re-examine the pharmacokinetics of ACA in horses to address this apparent conundrum. Eight exercise-conditioned thoroughbred horses were administere...
Istanbullugil FR, Risvanli A, Salikov R, Bayraktar M, Kadiraliyeva N, Zhunushova A, Yilmaz O, Yuksel BF, Turanli M, Uz M, Asinbekovic MI.Immune compatibility between mare and foal is one of the important topics of reproductive immunology. At this point, although there are many studies on antibodies, there are not many publications on the relationship between the cytokine levels of mare, foal and milk and the effects of milk composition on this relationship. Here we investigate the relationship between Th1/Th2 cytokine balance and milk composition in Kyrgyz mares and foals. Samples were taken soon after the foal was born and on days 5, 10 and 20 after birth. Th1 (IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10) cytokine levels ...
Alpoim-Moreira J, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Słyszewska M, Rebordão MR, Skarzynski DJ, Ferreira-Dias G.Endometrosis negatively affects endometrial function and fertility in mares, due to excessive deposition of type I (COL1) and type III (COL3) collagens. The pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) induces myofibroblast differentiation, characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, and collagen synthesis. In humans, fibrosis has been linked to epigenetic mechanisms. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been described in mare endometrium. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the in vitro epigenetic regulation in TGF-β1-treated mare endometrial fibroblasts an...
Brown KA, Davidson EJ, Johnson AL, Stefanovski D, Wulster KB, Ortved K.Caudal cervical articular process joint osteoarthritis (CAPJ OA) leads to career-altering clinical signs in the horse. Oblique radiographs and standing cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) facilitate the assessment of this area, however, the variability of interpretation of these images is currently unknown. This retrospective, secondary analysis, methods comparison study investigated interobserver agreement between clinicians and modality in grades of CAPJ OA on lateral and oblique radiographs and CBCT. We hypothesized that agreement between clinicians' grades of CAPJ OA would be lowest for o...
Jindra C, Hainisch EK, Brandt S.Horses and other equid species are frequently affected by bovine papillomavirus type 1 and/or 2 (BPV1, BPV2)-induced skin tumors termed sarcoids. Although sarcoids do not metastasize, they constitute a serious health problem due to their BPV1/2-mediated resistance to treatment and propensity to recrudesce in a more severe, multiple form following accidental or iatrogenic trauma. This review provides an overview on BPV1/2 infection and associated immune escape in the equid host and presents early and recent immunotherapeutic approaches in sarcoid management.
de Favare GM, de Almeida Cipriano I, do Carmo TA, Mena MO, Guelpa GJ, do Amarante AFT, de Soutello RVG.The indiscriminate use of drugs to control gastrointestinal helminths in horses can lead to serious consequences for the animals, which represents a growing problem for health, animal welfare and productivity. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of ivermectin in naturally infected horses in the western region of the state of São Paulo. From May 2021 to April 2022, 123 naturally infected adult horses in 12 equine breeding farms (7 to 14 animals per farm) were evaluated with the fecal egg count reduction test. The horses had not been treated with anthelminti...
Hunt J, Rice M, Henry T.A retrospective cohort study to describe a novel use of a mechanically retained, rigid obturator (RO) to manage maxillary and mandibular persistent pathologic oral communications (PPOCs). This study included 22 horses with PPOC with at least 6 months of follow-up after treatment with a RO. The RO was made with a flowable, bis-acryl-based composite resin. Medical records were analyzed, including case details, obtained imaging, surgical reports, and follow-up information. There were 10 horses that had follow-up examinations by the authors and 8 horses by the referring veterinarian; in 4 horses, ...
Cameron-Whytock HA, Parkin TDH, Hobbs SJ, Brigden CV, Bennet ED.Equestrian eventing is a dangerous Olympic sport, with 16 rider and 69 horse fatalities at competition in the last 10 years. Despite this, there is limited research that aims to improve safety within the sport. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for horse falls, which are the leading cause of rider fatality within the sport. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Competition data between January 2005 and December 2015 were analysed. Descriptive statistics followed by univariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for inclusion in a multivariabl...
Bernardino PN, Pusterla N, Conrad PA, Packham AE, Tamez-Trevino E, Aleman M, James K, Smith WA.Among the recognized neurologic diseases in horses, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) has been reported around the world and still presents challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Horses can present with clinical neurologic signs consistent with EPM while testing negative for the two main causative agents, Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi, and may still be clinically responsive to anti-parasitic drug therapy. This context led to our hypothesis that another protozoal parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, which is known to cause toxoplasmosis in other mammalian species, is a potential pathog...
Scarlet D, Malama E, Fischer S, Knutti B, Bollwein H.Persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) is a major cause of subfertility in horses and the susceptibility is increased by several factors. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of clinical uterine findings and PBIE therapies, respectively, on pregnancy rate in mares. The analysis included records from 220 mares (390 cycles) inseminated at an artificial insemination (AI) center in Switzerland. Gynecological examinations were performed repeatedly before and after AI to determine cervical tone, uterine edema, and intrauterine fluid accumulation. Pregnancy rate was lower (p < ...
Ginther OJ.Examples of research discoveries and first reports on mare reproduction by the O.J. Ginther team are (1) determined daily circulating concentrations of four hormones during the estrous cycle, (2) showed that mares can be induced to ovulate and superovulate by hormone treatment during both ovulatory and anovulatory seasons, (3) demonstrated that prostaglandin F2α was the luteolysin in mares, (4) described the mare's elaborate hormonal and biochemical mechanism for selecting the ovulatory follicle from a pool of like follicles, (5) developed the method for diagnosing fetal sex by Day 60 using l...
Bevevino KE, Cohen ND, Gordon SG, Navas de Solis C.A point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) protocol for evaluation of the cardiac and respiratory systems in horses does not exist. Objective: (a) Describe the windows of a POCUS protocol for cardiorespiratory assessment of horses (CRASH); (b) Estimate the number of acoustic windows that can be acquired by a sonographer-in-training; (c) Estimate the time required to complete the protocol for specific groups of horses; (d) Describe the sonographic abnormalities detected in horses presented with cardiovascular, respiratory, or systemic disease. Methods: Twenty-seven healthy horses, 14 horses competing i...
Hansen S, Otten ND, Spang-Hanssen L, Bendorff C, Jacobsen S.Studies in people have found neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations are increased in asthma and can be used to distinguish between asthma subtypes. NGAL has not yet been investigated in equine asthma (EA). Objective: To investigate the ability of NGAL concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and serum to distinguish between control horses, horses with mild-moderate EA (MEA) and horses with severe EA (SEA). Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Details of endoscopic examination including tracheal mucus score (TMS, scale 0-5) and BAL cytolog...
Sundra T, Kelty E, Rendle D.An extended-release injectable omeprazole formulation (ERIO) has become a popular treatment for equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) where it is available; however, published data are limited and optimal treatment regimens have not been determined. Objective: To compare effects of treatment on ESGD and EGGD when an ERIO formulation is administered at either 5- or 7-day intervals. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Case records and gastroscopy images of horses with ESGD or EGGD treated with ERIO were reviewed. Images were anonymised and...
Salamanca-Carreño A, Parés-Casanova PM, Crosby-Granados RA, Vélez-Terranova M, Bentez-Molano J.The skull is divided into neurocranium and splanchnocranium, and its variation allows ecomorphological studies to learn about possible evolutionary and adaptive characteristics. The basicranial organization of the neurocranium and splanchnocranium modules was studied in a sample of 31 skulls from adult Araucanian horses by means of 2D geometric morphometric techniques. The neurocranium and splanchnocranium modules on the ventral aspect were analyzed separately using a set of 31 landmarks. The RV coefficient (the multivariate analog of a correlation) was estimated to analyze the independence of...
Wright AL, Earley ET, Austin C, Arora M.Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a common, painful and poorly understood disease. Enamel, dentin and cementum accumulate both essential and toxic trace elements during mineralization. Characterization of the spatial accumulation pattern of trace elements may provide insight into the role that toxic elements play and inform biological processes affecting these hard dental tissues for future research. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to map the distribution of multiple trace elements and heavy metals across equin...
Tyrnenopoulou P, Fthenakis GC.Antibiotic administration is a standard therapeutic practice for the treatment of reproductive disorders of equids. This might lead to undesirable microbial imbalance and could favour the acquisition of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, it is imperative for clinicians to understand patterns of antibiotic resistance when considering and developing treatment regimes. Continued engagement of clinicians with novel alternative approaches to treat reproductive infections would be essential in order to address this rising threat within the One Health perspective. The objectives of the present review ...
Alim S, Laitaoja M, Pawar SS, Talluri TR, Jänis J, Swamy MJ.Major proteins of the seminal plasma in a variety of mammals such as bovine PDC-109, equine HSP-1/2, and donkey DSP-1 contain fibronectin type-II (FnII) domains and are referred to as FnII family proteins. To further our understanding on these proteins, we carried out detailed studies on DSP-3, another FnII protein of donkey seminal plasma. High-resolution mass-spectrometric studies revealed that DSP-3 contains 106 amino acid residues and is heterogeneously glycosylated with multiple acetylations on the glycans. Interestingly, high homology was observed between DSP-1 and HSP-1 (118 identical r...
Go YY, Hazard NW, Balasuriya UBR, Chapman AM, Fitton NS, Kenéz Á, Andrews FM.Accurate quantitative analysis of equine insulin in blood samples is critical for assessing hyperinsulinemia in horses. Although there are various laboratory methods for evaluating equine serum insulin, different immunoassays show significant discrepancies between the determined insulin concentrations and are often not comparable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Immulite® 1000 chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) to establish independent laboratory and assay-specific cut values to provide an accurate diagnosis of hyperinsulinemia in horses. Thus, the analytical and clinical performan...
Holtby AR, Hall TJ, McGivney BA, Han H, Murphy KJ, MacHugh DE, Katz LM, Hill EW.Behavioural plasticity enables horses entering an exercise training programme to adapt with reduced stress. We characterised SNPs associated with behaviour in yearling Thoroughbred horses using genomics analyses for two phenotypes: (1) handler-assessed coping with early training events [coping] (n = 96); and (2) variation in salivary cortisol concentration at the first backing event [cortisol] (n = 34). Using RNA-seq derived gene expression data for amygdala and hippocampus tissues from n = 2 Thoroughbred stallions, we refined the SNPs to those with functional relevance to behaviour by c...
Pellegrini F, Buonavoglia A, Omar AH, Diakoudi G, Lucente MS, Odigie AE, Sposato A, Augelli R, Camero M, Decaro N, Elia G, Bányai K, Martella V....Massive sequencing techniques have allowed us to develop straightforward approaches for the whole genome sequencing of viruses, including influenza viruses, generating information that is useful for improving the levels and dimensions of data analysis, even for archival samples. Using the Nanopore platform, we determined the whole genome sequence of an H3N8 equine influenza virus, identified from a 2005 outbreak in Apulia, Italy, whose origin had remained epidemiologically unexplained. The virus was tightly related (>99% at the nucleotide level) in all the genome segments to viruses identif...
Scholler D, Zablotski Y, May A.Stress has a significant impact on equine welfare. There are some studies on the stress response in horses ridden with tight nosebands, but little is known about other stress parameters than cortisol, which potentially could address an emotional component. In this study, blood samples of a total of 74 warmblood horses were used to establish reference values for plasma substance P (SP) concentrations. Moreover, 16 of these warmblood horses were included in a stress model. Four different stress levels (level 1: horses ridden with loose noseband, level 2: tight noseband, level 3: loose noseband a...
Kim J, Jung H, Yoon M.Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter associated with animal behaviors. Along with other neurotransmitters such as oxytocin (OXT) and serotonin (5-HT), DA is also involved in determining the temperament of animals. However, the involvement of DA in horse temperament has not been well elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the correlation between plasma DA concentration and OXT and 5-HT concentrations and behavioral temperament (eg, docility and friendliness, fearfulness, dominance, and trainability) of horses. Blood samples were collected from 31 horses and the concentration...
Mawhinney I, Bollard A.Detection of Taylorella equigenitalis (CEMO) in the horse uses genital swabs. These swabs traditionally have been put in Amies charcoal transport medium for detection by culture but are also used for PCR. We determined the suitability of swabs without transport medium (Dry swabs) for CEMO PCR compared to swabs in Amies charcoal transport medium. The experiment was a factorial design using swab type and dilution of organism in culture suspensions, done in two parts. Simulated genital swabs were prepared in the laboratory by dipping in pairs into culture suspensions containing T. equigenitalis w...
Cortez JV, Hardwicke K, Cuervo-Arango J, Grupen CG.The cloning of horses is a commercial reality, yet the availability of oocytes for cloned embryo production remains a major limitation. Immature oocytes collected from abattoir-sourced ovaries or from live mares by ovum pick-up (OPU) have both been used to generate cloned foals. However, the reported cloning efficiencies are difficult to compare due to the different somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) techniques and conditions used. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the in vitro and in vivo development of equine SCNT embryos produced using oocytes recovered from abatt...
Marzok M, Al-Jabr OA, Salem M, Alkashif K, Sayed-Ahmed M, Wakid MH, Kandeel M, Selim A. is classified as intracellular protozoa and is one of the major zoonotic parasites. Most warm-blooded intermediate hosts, including humans, are commonly infected by this parasite. The epidemiology of infection in Egyptian horses is currently poorly understood. Methods: 420 blood samples were randomly collected from horses raised in four governorates in Northern Egypt (110 each from Giza and Kafr El Sheikh, and 100 each from Qalyubia and Gharbia) to investigate the existence of antibodies against using a commercial ELISA kit, and to ascertain the risk factors for the infection. Results: the ...
Satué K, Fazio E, Medica P, Miguel L, Gardón JC.In the present review, the authors, based on the multiple functions performed by the liver, analyze the multiple biochemical and hematological changes as an expression of altered liver function in the horse. The liver performs important metabolic functions related to the synthesis, degradation, and excretion of various substances. Modification of these functions can be evaluated and diagnosed by determining serum concentrations of several serum analytes, including enzymes and other endogenous substances. Hepatocellular enzymes, such as sorbitol dehydrogenase-SDH and glutamate dehydrogenase-GLD...
Portela DA, Di Franco C, Chiavaccini L, Araos J, Romano M, Otero PE, Biedrzycki AH, Schramel JP.To evaluate the impact of a 30% end-inspiratory pause (EIP) on alveolar tidal volume (V), airway (V) and physiological (V) dead spaces in mechanically ventilated horses using volumetric capnography, and to evaluate the effect of EIP on carbon dioxide (CO) elimination per breath (Vcobr), PaCO and the ratio of PaO-to-fractional inspired oxygen (PaO:FiO). Methods: Prospective research study. Methods: A group of eight healthy research horses undergoing laparotomy. Methods: Anesthetized horses were mechanically ventilated as follows: 6 breaths minute, tidal volume (V) 13 mL kg, inspiratory-to-expir...
Anderson T, Hamond C, Haluch A, Toot K, Nally JE, LeCount K, Schlater LK.Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease. Pathogenic leptospires colonize the renal tubules and genital tract of animals and are excreted via urine. Transmission occurs via direct contact or through contaminated water or soil. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is the gold standard for the serodiagnosis of leptospirosis. The present study aims to evaluate animal exposure to Leptospira in the U.S. and Puerto Rico during the period 2018-2020. The presence of antibodies against pathogenic Leptospira spp. was assessed with the MAT according to the standards of the World Organisation for...
Gibney KB, Robinson S, Mutebi JP, Hoenig DE, Bernier BJ, Webber L, Lubelczyk C, Nett RJ, Fischer M.Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is one of the most severe arboviral encephalitides in North America. Before 2009, limited nonhuman EEE virus activity had been reported in Maine, all from the southernmost area of the state. No human case has been reported in a Maine resident. Methods: We review all EEE virus activity reported to Maine Centers for Disease Control in 2009 and describe current testing practices for possible human EEE cases. Results: In 2009, fatal cases of EEE were identified in 15 horses, 1 llama, and 3 flocks of pheasants in Maine, with activity extending into the central part...
Natenstedt J, Kok AC, Dankelman J, Tuijthof GJ.Articular cartilage has limited regeneration capacities. One of the factors that appear to affect the in vitro cultivation of articular cartilage is mechanical stimulation. So far, no combination of parameters has been identified that offers the best results. The goal is to review the literature in search of the best available set of quantitative mechanical stimuli that lead to optimal in vitro cultivation.The databases Scopus and PubMed were used to survey the literature, and strict in- and exclusion criteria were applied regarding the presence of quantitative data. The review was performed b...
Raudsepp T, Chowdhary BP.A pilot study comparing horse and donkey karyotypes on a molecular basis was initiated using the chromosomal microdissection approach. All equine meta- and submetacentric chromosomes, viz. ECA1 to ECA13 and the X and Y chromosomes, were microdissected. The DNA was PCR amplified, non-radioactively labelled and used as probes on equine metaphase chromosomes to confirm their origin. Once tested, the paints were used as probes on donkey metaphase chromosomes to detect homologous chromosomal segments between the two species. The results not only detected conservation of whole chromosome and/or arm ...
Brown NA, Pandy MG, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW.A detailed musculoskeletal model of the distal equine forelimb was developed to study the influence of musculoskeletal geometry (i.e. muscle paths) and muscle physiology (i.e. force-length properties) on the force- and moment-generating capacities of muscles crossing the carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints. The distal forelimb skeleton was represented as a five degree-of-freedom kinematic linkage comprised of eight bones (humerus, radius and ulna combined, proximal carpus, distal carpus, metacarpus, proximal phalanx, intermediate phalanx and distal phalanx) and seven joints (elbow, radiocarp...
Gelaw AK, Nthaba P, Matle I.Retrospective laboratory-based surveillance was conducted on Salmonella serotypes isolated from various animal species from 2007 to 2014 at the Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute, South Africa. During the surveillance period, 1229 salmonellae isolations were recorded. Around 108 different serotypes were recovered from nine different food and non-food animal host species. The three most common serotypes were Salmonella entericasubspecies enterica serotype Heidelberg (n = 200), Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Enteritidis (n = 17...
Kurowski PB, Traub-Dargatz JL, Morley PS, Gentry-Weeks CR.To use real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to develop a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic assay for the detection of Salmonella spp in fecal specimens. Methods: 299 fecal specimens from cattle, horses, and dogs. Methods: Enrichment of fecal specimens was followed by genomic DNA extraction by use of commercially available isolation kits. Real-time PCR assay was performed to target a Salmonella spp-specific DNA segment. Results of real-time PCR assay were compared with bacterial culture results to determine relative sensitivity and specificity. Results: Use of the spaQ pr...
Bosch G, René van Weeren P, Barneveld A, van Schie HT.The effectiveness of new therapies to treat tendon injuries is difficult to determine and is often based on semi-quantitative methods, such as grey level analysis of ultrasonographic images or subjective pain scores. The alternatives are costly and long-lasting end-stage studies using experimental animals. In this study, a method of ultrasonographic tissue characterisation (UTC), using mathematical analysis of contiguous transverse ultrasonographic images, was used for intra-vital monitoring of the healing trajectory of standardised tendon lesions treated with platelet rich plasma (PRP) or pla...
Chirnside ED, Wearing CM, Binns MM, Mumford JA.cDNA copies of the M and N genes of equine arteritis virus (EAV) isolates were synthesized by reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction amplification. The cDNA was subjected to a cycle sequencing strategy using Taq polymerase, and the nucleotide and derived amino acid sequences of 10 virus isolates were compared. The M and N genes of all isolates had the same initiation and termination sites as the prototype Bucyrus strain and the encoded proteins were conserved between viruses. Comparison of nucleotide sequence homologies and phylogenetic tree analysis implied the existence ...
Walther B, Lübke-Becker A, Stamm I, Gehlen H, Barton AK, Janssen T, Wieler LH, Guenther S.Enterobacteriaceae such as Escherichia coli are common commensals as well as opportunistic and obligate pathogens. They cause a broad spectrum of infectious diseases in various hosts, including hospital-associated infections. In recent years, the rise of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli in companion animals (dogs, cats and horses) has been striking. However, reports on nosocomial infections are mostly anecdotic. Here we report on the suspected nosocomial spread of both ESBL-producing and non-ESBL-producing multi-drug resistant E. coli isolates in three equine patients ...
Sanz M, Loynachan A, Sun L, Oliveira A, Breheny P, Horohov DW.While Rhodococcus equi remains the most common cause of subacute or chronic granulomatous bronchopneumonia in foals, development of a relevant model to study R. equi infection has proven difficult. The objective of this study was to identify a challenge dose of R. equi that resulted in slow progressive disease, spontaneous regression of lung lesions and age-dependent susceptibility. Foals less than one-week of age were challenged intratracheally using either 10(6), 10(5), 10(4), 10(3) or 10(2) cfu of R. equi. Two doses (10(3) cfu and 10(5) cfu) were used to challenge 2 and 3-week-old, and 3 an...
Allen TE, Bligh J.1. The temporal patterns of cutaneous water vapour loss from the skin of the sheep, goat, ox, horse, donkey and llama during exposure to 40°C Ta and during i.v. injections and infusions of adrenaline are examined.
2. It is concluded that there are marked species variations in the extent to which the discharge of sweat is affected by periodic contractions of the myoepithelium, or by simple displacement of fluid from the filled lumen as more fluid is secreted into it.
Lopez J, Copps J, Wilhelmsen C, Moore R, Kubay J, St-Jacques M, Halayko S, Kranendonk C, Toback S, DeShazer D, Fritz DL, Tom M, Woods DE.Considerable advances in understanding of the disease caused by Burkholderia mallei have been made employing a combination of tools including genetic techniques and animal infection models. The development of small animal models has allowed us to assess the role of a number of putative virulence determinants in the pathogenesis of disease due to B. mallei. Due to the difficulties in performing active immunization studies in small animals, and due to the fact that the horse is the target mammalian species for glanders, we have initiated experimental studies on glanders in horses. Intratracheal ...
Padalino B, Davis GL, Raidal SL.Transportation has been suggested as a risk factor for gastric ulceration in horses, but limited evidence supports this assumption. Methods: Twenty-six Standardbred, Thoroughbred, and Warmblood mares from a university teaching herd. Methods: Twelve mares were confined for 12 hours, overnight, in reproductive stocks with indwelling nasogastric tubes (NGTs) to assess pH of gastric fluid (GF). Gastric ulceration was assessed endoscopically before and after confinement. Subsequently, 26 horses were transported for 12 hours, overnight, in 2 consignments. During transportation, GF was aspirated ...
Hinrichs K, Love CC, Brinsko SP, Choi YH, Varner DD.Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of oocyte and sperm treatments on rates of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the horse and to determine the capacity of in vitro-matured horse oocytes to be fertilized in vivo. There was no effect of duration of oocyte maturation (24 vs. 42 h) or calcium ionophore concentration during sperm capacitation (3 microM vs. 7.14 microM) on in vitro fertilization rates. Oocytes matured in 100% follicular fluid had significantly higher fertilization (13% to 24%) than did oocytes matured in maturation medium or in 20% follicular fluid (0% to 12%; P <...
Morton AJ.Septic arthritis (SA) is a common orthopedic condition encountered in horses that are presented to equine veterinarians. Successful out-come is dependent on prompt and thorough evaluation and treatment. This article briefly reviews the pathophysiology, outlines diagnostics, describes treatment options and prognostics, and discusses current research in diagnosis and treatment of SA.
Gentry LR, Thompson DL, Gentry GT, Davis KA, Godke RA, Cartmill JA.An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of high vs low body condition scores (BCS) produced by restricted feeding on reproductive characteristics, hormonal secretion, and leptin concentrations in mares during the autumnal transition and winter anovulatory period. Mares with BCS of 6.5 to 8.0 were maintained on pasture and/or grass hay, and starting in September, were full fed or restricted to produce BCS of 7.5 to 8.5 (high) or 3.0 to 3.5 (low) by December. All but one mare with high BCS continued to ovulate or have follicular activity during the winter, whereas mares with low BCS...
McGurrin MK, Physick-Sheard PW, Kenney DG.Transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) has been developed for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses. The relationship among patient variables, treatment response, and outcome in a typical referral population has not been evaluated. Objective: Patient variables such as age, sex, weight, and duration of arrhythmia affect prognosis for response to treatment and the energy level at which cardioversion occurs. Methods: TVEC was applied to 72 episodes of lone AF in 63 client-owned performance horses, with the majority (54) being Standardbred racehorses. Methods: Catheterization of the...
Co C, Vickaryous MK, Koch TG.Ongoing research is aimed at increasing cartilage tissue yield and quality from multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) for the purpose of treating cartilage damage in horses. Low oxygen culture has been shown to enhance chondrogenesis, and novel membrane culture has been proposed to increase tissue yield and homogeneity. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of reduced oxygen and membrane culture during in vitro chondrogenesis of equine cord blood (CB) MSC. Methods: CB-MSC (n = 5 foals) were expanded at 21% oxygen prior to 3-week differentiation in membrane or...
Buss DG, Giuliano EA, Sharma A, Mohan RR.To establish an in vitro model for the investigation of equine corneal wound healing. To accomplish this goal, a protocol to isolate and culture equine corneal keratocytes, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts was developed. ANIMAL MATERIAL: Equine corneal buttons were aseptically harvested from healthy research horses undergoing humane euthanasia for reasons unrelated to this study. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy was performed prior to euthanasia by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist to ensure that all samples were harvested from horses free of anterior segment disease. Methods: Equine corneal s...
O'Neill T, Kydd JH, Allen GP, Wattrang E, Mumford JA, Hannant D.The frequency of antigen-specific, genetically restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTLp) was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of ponies before and after infection with equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV1). Split-well limiting dilution analysis (LDA) was developed to measure CTLp frequency using EHV1-infected 51Cr-labelled lymphoblasts as targets. Extensive characterisation showed that recombinant human interleukin-2, autologous antigen presenting cells and equine serum containing virus neutralising antibody were necessary for maturation of CTLp into effector CTL in vitro. ...
Paillot R, Rash NL, Garrett D, Prowse-Davis L, Montesso F, Cullinane A, Lemaitre L, Thibault JC, Wittreck S, Dancer A.Vaccination is highly effective to prevent, control, and limit the impact of equine influenza (EI), a major respiratory disease of horses. However, EI vaccines should contain relevant equine influenza virus (EIV) strains for optimal protection. The OIE expert surveillance panel annually reviews EIV evolution and, since 2010, the use of Florida clade 1 and 2 sub-lineages representative vaccine strains is recommended. This report summarises the development process of a fully- updated recombinant canarypox-based EI vaccine in order to meet the last OIE recommendations, including the vaccine mode ...
Crabb BS, Nagesha HS, Studdert MJ.Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV4) glycoproteins of M(r) 63K and 250K were identified in the supernatant of infected cell cultures. The 63K glycoprotein was type-specific; that is, it reacted with monospecific sera from horses that had been immunized or infected with EHV4, but not with monospecific sera from horses immunized or infected with EHV1, a closely related alphaherpesvirus. It was postulated that the secreted protein may be the homologue of similarly secreted glycoproteins of herpes simplex virus 2 glycoprotein G (HSV2 gG) and pseudorabies virus (PRV) gX, which is the homologue of HSV2 gG. T...
Wagner B, Perkins G, Babasyan S, Freer H, Keggan A, Goodman LB, Glaser A, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V, Björnsdóttir S.Neonatal foals respond poorly to conventional vaccines. These vaccines typically target T-helper (Th) cell dependent B-cell activation. However, Th2-cell immunity is impaired in foals during the first three months of life. In contrast, neonatal basophils are potent interleukin-4 (IL-4) producers. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel vaccine triggering the natural capacity of neonatal basophils to secrete IL-4 and to evaluate if vaccination resulted in B-cell activation and antibody production against EHV-1 glycoprotein C (gC). Neonatal vaccination was performed by oral biotinylated...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Takasu M, Kikuchi M, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Kusano K, Nagata SI.Indiscriminate genetic manipulation to improve athletic ability is a major threat to human sports and the horseracing industry, in which methods involving gene-doping, such as transgenesis, should be prohibited to ensure fairness. Therefore, development of methods to detect indiscriminate genetic manipulation are urgently needed. Here, we developed a highly sensitive method to detect horse erythropoietin () transgenes using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). We designed two TaqMan probe/primer sets, and the transgene was cloned into a plasmid for use as a model. We extracted the spiked transgene f...
Carrier TK, Estberg L, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Johnson BJ, Read DH, Ardans AA.To determine whether a two-month or longer period without official high-speed workouts (lay-up) is associated with humeral or pelvic fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Reprospective study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses in California that were euthanatized because of a complete humeral or pelvic fracture. Methods: Age, sex, activity, number of lay-ups, number of days from a race or official timed workout to fracture, number of days from end of last lay-up to fracture, mean duration of lay-ups, and total number of days in race training were compared between horses with humeral frac...
Stringer A, Lunn DP, Reid S.The working equid is of vital importance in many low-income countries
where horses, mules and donkeys are the primary means of transport and
traction. Notwithstanding basic husbandry and welfare needs, infectious
diseases compromise the health and welfare of these working animals,
which in turn threatens the livelihoods of the most vulnerable members
of society. A workshop on Infectious Diseases of Working Equids was held in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in November 2013, attended by 35 participants
representing academia, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs),
governmental institutions and the ...
Ohmura H, Jones JH.We investigated changes in heart rate (HR) and HR variability as a function of age in newborn foals to old Thoroughbred horses. Experiments were performed on a total of 83 healthy and clinically normal Thoroughbred horses. Resting HR decreased with age from birth. The relationship between age and HR fit the equation Y=48.2X(R=0.705); the relationship between age and HR for horses 0-7 years old fit the equation Y=44.1X(R=0.882). Seven-day-old horses had the highest HR values (106 ± 10.3 beat/min). The low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) powers increased with age in newborn to old horses...
Ojo KK, Dangoudoubiyam S, Verma SK, Scheele S, DeRocher AE, Yeargan M, Choi R, Smith TR, Rivas KL, Hulverson MA, Barrett LK, Fan E, Maly DJ....Sarcocystis neurona is the most frequent cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, a debilitating neurological disease of horses that can be difficult to treat. We identified SnCDPK1, the S. neurona homologue of calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1), a validated drug target in Toxoplasma gondii. SnCDPK1 shares the glycine "gatekeeper" residue of the well-characterized T. gondii enzyme, which allows the latter to be targeted by bumped kinase inhibitors. This study presents detailed molecular and phenotypic evidence that SnCDPK1 can be targeted for rational drug development. Recombinant ...
Aleman M, Magdesian KG, Peterson TS, Galey FD.A 4-month-old American Paint filly was evaluated because of sudden onset of ataxia that progressed to recumbency. Five additional horses from the same and neighboring premises developed signs of poor performance, generalized weakness, ataxia, and recumbency; 2 of those horses were also evaluated. A new batch of a commercial feed supplement had been introduced to the horses' diet on each farm within the preceding 3 days. Results: Other than recumbency, findings of physical and neurologic examinations of the foal were unremarkable. The other 2 horses had generalized weakness and mild ataxia, and...
The Bering Land Bridge (BLB) last connected Eurasia and North America during the Late Pleistocene. Although the BLB would have enabled transfers of terrestrial biota in both directions, it also acted as an ecological filter whose permeability varied considerably over time. Here we explore the possible impacts of this ecological corridor on genetic diversity within, and connectivity among, populations of a once wide-ranging group, the caballine horses (Equus spp.). Using a panel of 187 mitochondrial and eight nuclear genomes recovered from present-day and extinct caballine horses sampled acros...
