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.
Mattei D, Fenn MS, Caraguel C, Vinardell T.The characterization of the blood groups, antibody profiles, and its distribution pattern among different horse breeds and geographic locations, can be very useful in life-threatening situations where a blood transfusion is needed, and compatibility tests are not readily available. This study estimated the distribution of blood types and antibody profiles in Straight Egyptian Arabian horses from Qatar. A total of 20 Straight Egyptian Arabian horses, from multiple origins and genetic background were included. Venous blood from each horse was typed and screened for anti-red blood cell (RBC) hemo...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a tincture from the fruit of Mill. ssp. v var. (sweet fennel tincture) when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The product is a ■■■■■ solution, with a dry matter content of approximately 2.16%. The product contained 0.0586% polyphenols (of which 0.0052% were flavonoids), anethole (0.0006%), anisaldehyde (0.0035%) and estragole (0.0006%). The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FE...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a tincture derived from the fruit of (Mill.) Fuss (parsley tincture) when used as a sensory feed additive for all animal species. The product is a ■■■■■ solution, with a dry matter content of approximately 0.82%. The product contained 0.0198% polyphenols (of which 0.0085% were flavonoids), apiole (0.0083%), elemicin (0.0015%) and myristicin (0.0011%). The Panel on Additives and Prod...
Manfredi JM, Jacob S, Norton E.Endocrine disorders are associated with joint pain and tendon injury in humans, but the effects in the horse are only starting to be understood. Similar patterns of clinical signs and injury appear to affect horses and humans for both orthopedic and endocrine disorders, supporting the use of a one-health approach to tackle these issues. In this Currents in One Health, we will discuss common equine endocrinopathies, current testing recommendations, dietary management, genetic predispositions, and endocrine disorders' effects on performance. Our aim is to use a one-health lens to describe curren...
He H, Palm-Vlasak LS, Chen C, Banks SA, Biedrzycki AH.This study aims to quantitatively characterize the passive kinematics of the healthy, soft tissue-intact equine stifle to establish an objective foundation for providing insights into the etiology of stifle disorders and developing a possible surgical treatment for stifle degenerative disease. Methods: 5 whole-horse specimens. Methods: Reflective markers with intracortical bone pins and a motion capture system were used to investigate the stifle joint kinematics. Kinematics of 5 whole-horse specimens euthanized within 2 hours were calculated for internal/external rotation, adduction/abduction,...
Kimura R, Borankulova S, Maratbek SZ.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of differences in trainer skills on horse training during the early stages of riding habituation by measuring the levels of stress and changes in stress levels. Among nine untrained horses employed, five in Group A were trained by two low-skilled trainers, whereas the remaining four in Group B were trained by two high-skilled trainers using the traditional Kazakh method. Salivary α-amylase concentration was measured as a biomarker of stress immediately before and after each riding session during the training period. In the duration of riding and mooring...
Poradowski D, Chrószcz A.The study consisted of the immunohistochemical analysis of fundic and pyloric mucosa in the equine stomach between the 4th and 11th month of gestation. The accessible material was classified into three age groups using the CRL method. The adult reference group was used to define potential differences between foetal and adult populations of gastric APUD cells. The samples were preserved, prepared, and stained according to the standard protocols. The immunohistochemical reaction was assessed using the semi-quantitative IRS method. The results were documented and statistically analysed. The most ...
Musa-Gobe R, Omeiza G, Nafarnda W, Adamu A.West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging arbovirus which affects humans and horses. A cross sectional study was carried out on 106 local horses in Kaduna and 78 domestic chickens in Federal Capital Territory. A total of 184 sera were screened for West Nile virus anti Pr‑E antibodies using ID Screen® West Nile competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. For the horses, an overall prevalence of 92.45% was recorded while domestic chickens had a preponderance of 7.69%. From our study, there was a statistical significant difference between the occurrences of WNV in stallions than mares with p <...
Felici M, Cogger N, Riley CB, Padalino B.There is a lack of information on the number of horses shipped globally by air annually, the purpose of air travel and the routes of their journeys. This pilot study aimed to collect retrospective data on the international movements of horses by air from 2018 to 2021, describe their routes, and identify the possible effects of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Equine transport data was gathered from 7 of 15 international shipping companies (ISCs) and 5 of 8 airlines contacted by email. The seven ISCs performed a median of 10,401 horse movements annually, ranging from a few hundre...
Bruno L, Nappo MA, Ferrari L, Di Lecce R, Guarnieri C, Cantoni AM, Corradi A.Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a viral disease caused by a Henipavirus, belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family, responsible for a zoonosis. The course of the disease can be very serious and lead to death. NiV natural hosts are fruit bats (also known as megabats) belonging to the Pteropodidae family, especially those of the genus. Natural infection in domestic animals has been described in farming pigs, horses, domestic and feral dogs and cats. Natural NiV transmission is possible intra-species (pig-to-pig, human-to-human) and inter-species (flying bat-to-human, pig-to-human, horse-to-human)....
de Laat MA, Warnken T, Delarocque J, Reiche DB, Grob AJ, Feige K, Carslake HB, Durham AE, Sillence MN, Thane KE, Frank N, Brojer J, Lindase S....A glycemic challenge test is used for the diagnosis of insulin dysregulation (ID) in horses and ponies. Different forms of the test exist where the administrative route and dose of glucose vary, which makes interpretation of results challenging. Objective: To evaluate the palatability of, and blood glucose and insulin responses to, carbohydrate pellets fed as an oral glucose test (OGT), and to establish the diagnostic threshold for ID when using the pellets. Methods: University and privately-owned horses and ponies (n = 157) comprised of 31 breeds and both sexes. Methods: Multicenter cohort ...
Tou K, Cawley A, Bowen C, Bishop DP, Fu S.The current approach to equine anti-doping is focused on the targeted detection of prohibited substances. However, as new substances are rapidly being developed, the need for complimentary methods for monitoring is crucial to ensure the integrity of the racing industry is upheld. Lipidomics is a growing field involved in the characterisation of lipids, their function and metabolism in a biological system. Different lipids have various biological effects throughout the equine system including platelet aggregation and inflammation. A certain class of lipids that are being reviewed are the eicosa...
Yu F, Chen Y, Liu B, Wang T, Ding Z, Yi Z, Zhu Y, Li J.Health monitoring is critical for newborn animals due to their vulnerability to diseases. Urine can be not only a useful and non-invasive tool (free-catch samples) to reflect the physiological status of animals but also to help monitor the progression of diseases. Proteomics involves the study of the whole complement of proteins and peptides, including structure, quantities, functions, variations and interactions. In this study, urinary proteomics of neonatal donkeys were characterized and compared to the profiles of adult donkeys to provide a reference database for healthy neonatal donkeys. T...
La Rosa L, Twele L, Duchateau L, Gasthuys F, Kästner SB, Schauvliege S.To study the antinociceptive properties of epidural magnesium sulphate (MgSO) in standing horses Experimental, placebo-controlled, masked, cross-over A group of six healthy horses Through an epidural catheter, 1 mg kg MgSO (treatment Mg) diluted to a volume of 15 mL or the same volume of saline (treatment S) was administered over 15 minutes. Electrical, thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds were determined on the pelvic limb before and 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 minutes after the start of the injection. Heart rate (HR) and respiratory frequency (f) were recorded every ...
Pottier M, Castagnet S, Gravey F, Leduc G, Sévin C, Petry S, Giard JC, Le Hello S, Léon A. is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections in humans. This bacterium is less represented in veterinary medicine, despite causing difficult-to-treat infections due to its capacity to acquire antimicrobial resistance, produce biofilms, and persist in the environment, along with its limited number of veterinary antibiotic therapies. Here, we explored susceptibility profiles to antibiotics and to didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), a quaternary ammonium widely used as a disinfectant, in 168 strains isolated from animals, mainly Equidae. A genomic study was performed on...
Shen Y, Ulaangerel T, Ren H, Davshilt T, Yi M, Li X, Xing J, Du M, Bai D, Dugarjav M, Bou G.The follicular fluid and oviduct fluid play major roles in oocyte maturation, sperm activation, and fertilization. To better understand the physiological environments for equine oocyte maturation and fertilization, here we conducted the proteome analysis and comparison on follicular fluids and oviduct fluids from the ovulatory side and the anovulatory side. The results showed that there is no significant difference between two side oviduct fluids, but a total of 71 differential abundance proteins (DAPs) were identified between two side follicular fluids, of which 9 are up-regulated and 62 are ...
Fedorka CE, Ali HE, Troedsson MHT.Galectins are a family of proteins that bind to glycans, acting in a cytokine-like manner throughout the body. In the majority of mammalians, galectins have been found to be involved in pregnancy maintenance, but few studies have evaluated this in the horse. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the expression of various galectins in pregnant and nonpregnant mares. Next-generation RNA sequencing was performed on the chorioallantois and endometrium of healthy pregnant mares at 120, 180, 300, and 330 days of gestation (n = 4/stage), as well as 45-day chorioallantois (n = 4), post...
Naboulsi R, Cieślak J, Headon D, Jouni A, Negro JJ, Andersson G, Lindgren G.Gene expression differences can assist in characterizing important underlying genetic mechanisms between different phenotypic traits. However, when population-dense tissues are studied, the signals from scarce populations are diluted. Therefore, appropriately choosing a sample collection method that enriches a particular type of effector cells might yield more specific results. To address this issue, we performed a polyA-selected RNA-seq experiment of domestic horse () plucked-hair samples and skin biopsies. Then, we layered the horse gene abundance results against cell type-specific marker ge...
Wang Y, Chen Y, Wei Y.Clinical therapeutics for the regeneration of osteochondral defects (OCD) in the early stages of osteoarthritis remain an enormous challenge in orthopaedics. For in-depth studies of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in terms of OCD treatment, the utility of an optimal OCD animal model is crucial for assessing the effects of implanted biomaterials on the repair of damaged osteochondral tissues. Currently, the most frequently used in vivo animal models for OCD regeneration include mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, horses and nonhuman primates. However, there is no single ...
Niwa H, Higuchi T, Fujii S, Kinoshita Y, Uchida-Fujii E, Sueyoshi M, Nukada T, Ueno T.Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is an equine infectious disease that can lead to severe weight loss and hyperplasia of the intestinal mucosa due to infection with Lawsonia intracellularis. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of EPE in a major Thoroughbred breeding area: Hidaka district, Hokkaido, Japan. Of the 252 symptomatic horses that we tested, 192 EPE cases (76.2%), including 8 fatal cases, were confirmed from April 2015 to March 2020 by etiological and/or serological investigation. Most of the EPE cases were observed in foals (88.5%), with fewer cases in yearlings (7.3%)...
Granello ME, Weatherall KM, Lutter JD, Beard WL. The aim of this study was to compare the deflection distance, deflection angle and pre-loading sub-bandage pressure of a transverse, mid-metacarpal fracture in an equine cadaver limb when loaded in bending while stabilized with either a Robert Jones Bandage (RJB) or a single-stack bandage (SS), each containing two orthogonal splints. Methods: In an ex vivo experimental study, forelimb pairs from eight horses were collected, and one forelimb from each pair was assigned to either the SS or RJB groups. A transverse osteotomy was performed at the midpoint of the metacarpus. After bandaging, ...
Ribeiro MG, Pereira TT, de Lima Paz PJ, de Almeida BO, Cerviño CSA, Rodrigues CA, Santos GTS, de Souza Freire LM, Portilho FVR, Filho MFÁ....Central nervous system (CNS) infections comprise life-threatening clinical conditions in domestic species, and are commonly related to severe sequelae, disability, or high fatality rates. A set of bacterial pathogens have been identified in central nervous infections in livestock and companion animals, although the most of descriptions are restricted to case reports and a lack of comprehensive studies involving CNS-related bacterial infections have been focused on a great number of domestic species. In this scenario, we retrospectively investigated selected epidemiological data, clinical findi...
Vandersmissen M, Wimmer-Scherr CM, Lecoq L, Busoni V, Evrard L.A 15-year-old pony was presented for acute neurological signs. Neurological examination suggested a brainstem lesion, blood laboratory tests detected an active inflammatory process, and upper respiratory endoscopy identified a suppurative lesion at the dorsal aspect of the right guttural pouch. Computed tomography was performed and findings were consistent with pituitary abscess, meningitis, and atlanto-occipital joint septic arthritis. Imaging findings were confirmed based on cerebrospinal and synovial fluid cultures and necropsy. Computed tomography provided important information for identif...
Edwards VL, Loux S, Embertson R.Juvenile Thoroughbreds can be expensive to raise and train to race. Part of the economic return in these juveniles are the weanling, yearling and 2-year-old in training sales at which major surgeries must be declared. Objective: To determine if surgically corrected large colon displacements were associated with a reduction of sales price and racing performance. We hypothesised that the surgery would be associated with a reduced sales price but would not be associated with a reduction in race earnings or starts. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: The medical, sales and racing records...
Kent E, Coleman S, Bruemmer J, Casagrande RR, Levihn C, Romo G, Herkelman K, Hess T.Antioxidant supplementation decreases postexercise oxidative stress but could also decrease muscle protein synthesis. This study compared the effects of three diets: low antioxidant (control, CON), high antioxidant (AO), and branched-chain amino acid high antioxidant (BCAO) supplementation on postexercise protein synthesis and oxidative stress. We hypothesized that supplementing antioxidants with branched-chain amino acids(BCAA) would reduce oxidative stress without hindering muscle protein synthesis. Eighteen mixed-breed polo horses (11 mares and 7 geldings, with age range between 5 and 18 ye...
Paraschou G, Cook JM, Priestnall SL, Evans NJ, Staton GJ, Paterson GK, Winkler B, Whitbread TJ.Keratoma is an aberrant keratin mass thought to originate from epidermal horn-producing cells interposed between the stratum medium of the hoof wall and the underlying third phalanx. The cause is unknown, although the presence of keratomas is frequently associated with chronic irritation, focal infection, or trauma. A total of 167 donkeys with keratomas were presented in this study. The diagnosis of a keratoma was based on clinical signs, radiography, and histopathologic examination. Surgical excision was attempted on all donkeys with lameness unless euthanasia was advised. Histopathologic exa...
Rodrigues VD, de Freitas MG, Milan B, Reckziegel GH, Borges DGL, Nakatani MTM, Tutija JF, Borges FA.The equine pinworm could become an increasingly common problem, as there are reports of failure in the control of this parasite. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ivermectin (IVM) and IVM combined with pyrantel pamoate (PYR). Thirteen parasitological positive equines were treated with oral IVM (200 µg/kg) and therapeutic efficacy, clinical recovery and the egg reappearance period (ERP) were evaluated. In cases for which ERP was shorter than the pre-patent period (PPP), a second treatment was performed with IVM (200 µg/kg) + PYR (6.6 mg/kg), followed by the same evaluatio...
Liu L, Zhang Y, Ma H, Cao H, Liu W.Horse Milk has important quantitative characteristics and high economic value. However, the DNA methylation regulators involved in horse milk traits have not been clarified. To explore the important role of genome-wide DNA methylation in regulating equine milk yield, this study systematically investigated the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of Kazakh horse blood by comparing a high-production group (HP, average daily milk yield of 7.5 kg) and low-production group (LP, average daily milk yield of 3.2 kg) using deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. First, both groups showed similar prop...
Hyytiäinen HK, Boström A, Asplund K, Bergh A.Electrotherapy modalities are currently used in the treatment of animals, but the evidence base supporting their use has not yet been systematically reviewed. Cochrane guidelines, as adapted by the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services, were followed for this systematic review. A literature search regarding all currently known electrotherapy modalities applied to horses, dogs, and cats was conducted for the years 1980-2020 using three databases: CABI, PubMed, and Web of Science Core Collection. Of the 5385 references found, 41 articles were included ...
Laukkanen T, Karma L, Virtala AM, Mykkänen A, Pehkonen J, Rossi H, Tuomola K, Raekallio M.Equine dental diseases are often underdiagnosed and their signs inadequately reported. Many horse owners have difficulties in recognizing pain-related behavioral signs and in associating them with dental pain. Our objective was to determine what type and degree of dental findings may cause behavioral signs associated with dental pain. In this cross-sectional study, dental examination was performed on 183 adult horses and cheek tooth findings were scored. Owners filled in an internet-based questionnaire including 35 questions concerning eating behavior, bit behavior, and general behavior of the...
Estberg L, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Drake CM, Johnson B, Ardans A.To investigate the relation between several racing speed history characteristics and risk of fatal skeletal injury (FSI) in racing Thoroughbreds. Methods: 64 Thoroughbreds euthanatized during a 9-month period in 1991 at a California racemeet because of a catastrophic fracture incurred while racing (cases), identified retrospectively. For each race in which an FSI occurred, 1 control horse was randomly selected from the noncatastrophically injured participants. Methods: Racing and officially timed workout histories were obtained for each horse. Several history characteristics were calculated to...
Upjohn MM, Attwood GA, Lerotholi T, Pfeiffer DU, Verheyen KL.The relative merits and potential complementarity of participatory methods and classical epidemiological techniques in veterinary-related research is a current topic of discussion. Few reported studies have applied both methodologies within the same research framework to enable direct comparison. The aim of this study was to compare issues identified by a classical epidemiological study of horses and their owners with those identified by owner communities using participatory approaches. In 2009, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken as part of an impact assessment study of farrier and saddle...
Stubbs NC, Hodges PW, Jeffcott LB, Cowin G, Hodgson DR, McGowan CM.Research in spinal biomechanics and functional anatomy has advanced back pain research in man. Yet, despite the performance limiting nature of back pain in horses, there are few data for the equine spine. Objective: To describe aspects of functional anatomy of the equine thoracolumbar and lumbosacral (LS) spine and potential effects on performance. Methods: The first study investigated variations in LS vertebral formula by post mortem examination of 120 horses. Midline vertebral transection was carried out on 65 Thoroughbred (TB), 24 Standardbred (SB) and 31 other breeds. The second study inve...
Barrey E, Mucher E, Robert C, Amiot F, Gidrol X.Genomics using cDNA microarrays could provide useful information about physiological adaptations and metabolic disorders in endurance horses. Objective: In order to show that genes are modulated in leucocytes in relationship with performance and clinical status of the horses, gene expression in leucocytes, haematological and biochemical parameters were compared between successful and disqualified endurance horses. Methods: Blood samples were collected at rest (TO) and just after a 140-160 km endurance race (T1) in 2 groups of horses: 10 continuing successful (S) and 10 disqualified horses stop...
Schoster A, Arroyo LG, Staempfli HR, Shewen PE, Weese JS.Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens are commonly associated with colitis in equids, but healthy carriers exist. Scarce information is available on the prevalence of Clostridium spp. in gastrointestinal compartments other than faeces in healthy horses, and it is unknown whether faecal samples are representative of proximal compartments. The objectives were to investigate the prevalence of C. difficile and C. perfringens in different intestinal compartments of healthy adult horses and to determine whether faecal samples are representative of colonization in proximal sites and overa...
Stoneham SJ, Palmer L, Cash R, Rossdale PD.This paper describes the use of a latex agglutination assay to measure serum amyloid A (SAA) in the neonatal foal. The normal range and response to clinical disease was determined. This retrospective study evaluated SAA concentrations over the first 3 days postpartum of 226 Thoroughbred foals judged to be clinically healthy. The normal range for each day was determined; levels were found to be significantly highest on Day 2 (Day 1 vs. Day 2 P<0.0001). The 95th percentile for Days 1-3 was 27.1 mg/l. Clinical records of 133 foals, presented as first or second opinion cases, were evaluated. Fo...
Egenvall A, Franzén P, Gunnarsson A, Engvall EO, Vågsholm I, Wikström UB, Artursson K.A cross-sectional study of the seroprevalence to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and granulocytic Ehrlichia spp. in Swedish horses was conducted to evaluate associations with demographic, clinical and tick-exposure factors. From September 1997-1998, blood samples from 2018 horses were collected from the animals presented to veterinary clinics affiliated with the Swedish Horserace Totalizator Board (regardless of the primary cause for consultation). Standardized questionnaires with information both from owners and attending veterinarians accompanied each blood sample. The apparent seroprevalenc...
Smiet E, Van Dierendonck MC, Sleutjens J, Menheere PP, van Breda E, de Boer D, Back W, Wijnberg ID, van der Kolk JH.Different head-and-neck positions (HNPs) are discussed in relation to potential welfare issues. To evaluate the effect on welfare, seven Royal Dutch Sport horses were studied in five predetermined HNPs: (1) unrestrained (HNP1); (2) neck raised, bridge of nose around the vertical (HNP2); (3) neck lowered and considerably flexed, bridge of nose pointing towards the chest (HNP4); (4) neck raised and extended, bridge of nose in front of the vertical (HNP5), and (5) neck lowered and flexed, bridge of nose pointing towards the carpus (HNP7). A standardised exercise test (SET) of 34 min consisted o...
Hosaka Y, Kirisawa R, Yamamoto E, Ueda H, Iwai H, Takehana K.Although inflammatory activation of cytokines have been analyzed in various tissues, there have only been a few and as-yet-inconclusive studies on cytokines in equine tendons. In this study, the localizations of 4 cytokines (IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, TNFalpha and IFNgamma) in tendinocytes of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) were analyzed by the use of an immunohistochemical method. In inflamed tendons positive staining for all 4 cytokines antibodies were detected in endotedinieum cells and vascular epithelial cells. In contrast, negative or trace immunoreactions were obtained in ...
Orlando L, Librado P.Domestication has changed the natural evolutionary trajectory of horses by favoring the reproduction of a limited number of animals showing traits of interest. Reduced breeding stocks hampered the elimination of deleterious variants by means of negative selection, ultimately inflating mutational loads. However, ancient genomics revealed that mutational loads remained steady during most of the domestication history until a sudden burst took place some 250 years ago. To identify the factors underlying this trajectory, we gather an extensive dataset consisting of 175 modern and 153 ancient genome...
Tham HL, Linder KE, Olivry T.Autoimmune dermatoses targeting melanocytes have gained attention in human medicine due to their progressive nature and the social impact suffered by affected individuals. In veterinary medicine, vitiligo and the uveodermatological syndrome are the two autoimmune diseases that are known to affect skin melanocytes.In the first part of this article, we will review the signalment, clinical signs, histopathology and the treatment outcome of vitiligo in dogs, cats and horses; where pertinent, we compare the animal diseases to their human homologue. In a similar fashion, the information on the uveod...
Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O, Bąska P, Czopowicz M, Żmigrodzka M, Szarska E, Szczepaniak J, Nowak Z, Winnicka A, Cywińska A.Development of an anti-inflammatory state during physical training has been postulated in both human and equine athletes, but it is not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether endurance training changes pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine profiles within a 20-week training season in young inexperienced endurance horses. Nine Arabian horses were examined in this prospective 20-week follow-up study. Blood samples were analysed 5 times monthly, at rest and after training sessions. Routine haematological examinations were performed. Cytokine patterns including IL-1...
Schefer KD, Bitschnau C, Weishaupt MA, Schwarzwald CC.Stress echocardiography is used to diagnose myocardial dysfunction in horses, but current methods are not well standardized. The influence of heart rate (HR) on measurements is largely unknown. Objective: To investigate the use of 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), anatomical M-mode (AMM), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and 2D speckle tracking (2DST) at rest and after exercise for quantification of regional and global left-ventricular (LV) function. Methods: Five athletic Warmblood horses; 11.6+/-3.6 years; 529+/-48 kg. Methods: Prospective study. Three separate echocardiographic examination...
Marklund S, Chaudhary R, Marklund L, Sandberg K, Andersson L.The hypervariable D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was amplified with the polymerase chain reaction using total horse DNA samples. Analysis of single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) of denatured amplification products was carried out by native polyacrylamide (8%) gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining. As many as 15 distinct SSCP variants were revealed when screening a total of 78 maternally unrelated horses representing five different breeds. All breeds showed a high degree of polymorphism and the estimated probability (PImt) that two maternally unrelated individual...
Steinman A, Zimmerman T, Klement E, Lensky IM, Berlin D, Gottlieb Y, Baneth G.The prevalence of Theileria equi infection as well as the environmental and demographic risk factors for infection was studied in 590 healthy horses from 46 farms in Israel. The prevalence of T. equi DNA was assessed using a polymerase chain reaction for a segment of the Theileria 18S rRNA gene. The overall prevalence was 26.4% (156/590). There was a significant geographical variation in the prevalence of T. equi infection, ranging from 9.3% (25/270) in the central lowlands to 81.7% (49/60) in the Golan Heights. The prevalence of T. equi infection was found to be significantly associated with ...
Uberti B, Morán G.Neutrophilic bronchiolitis is the primary lesion in asthma-affected horses. Neutrophils are key actors in host defense, migrating toward sites of inflammation and infection, where they act as early responder cells toward external insults. However, neutrophils can also mediate tissue damage in various non-infectious inflammatory processes. Within the airways, these cells likely contribute to bronchoconstriction, mucus hypersecretion, and pulmonary remodeling by releasing pro-inflammatory mediators, including the cytokines interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-17, neutrophil elastase, reactive oxygen specie...
van Herwerden L, Gasser RB, Blair D.This study investigated sequence heterogeneity in the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) of ribosomal DNA within and among species and strains of Echinococcus. Different ITS-1 sequence variants exist in Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis, which represent at least four evolutionary lineages: (1) a sheep strain-lineage of E. granulosus, (2) a sister lineage of a cervid and camel E. granulosus ITS-1 variants, (3) a lineage including the ITS-1 variants representing horse, bovine and camel strains of E. granulosus, as well as variants from E. multilocularis, Echinococcus...
Chung MJ, Park S, Son JY, Lee JY, Yun HH, Lee EJ, Lee EM, Cho GJ, Lee S, Park HS, Jeong KS.In previous work, we established an equine induced pluripotent stem cell line (E-iPSCs) from equine adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) using a lentiviral vector encoding four transcription factors: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. In the current study, we attempted to differentiate these established E-iPSCs into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by serial passaging using MSC-defined media for stem cell expansion. Differentiation of the MSCs was confirmed by analyzing expression levels of the MSC surface markers CD44 and CD29, and the pluripotency markers Nanog and Oct4. Results indicated that the E-iPS...
Rozovsky I, Hoving S, Anderson CP, O'Callaghan J, Finch CE.Premarin, which contains several equine estrogens, as well as estradiol (E2) as a minor component, is widely used for replacement therapy of estrogen deficits, but little is known of its direct actions on brain cells. In mixed glial cultures, apolipoprotein E (apoE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are induced by estrogens. GFAP induction showed an inverted-U shape E2 dose response, with a maximum induction at 1 pM, whereas apoE mRNA induction was greatest at 100 pM. GFAP and ApoE mRNAs were induced by equine estrogens in the following order: E2=equilin>estrone>17 alpha-dihydro...
Abutarbush SM, Carmalt JL, Shoemaker RW.The medical records of equine gastrointestinal colic cases presented to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine between 1992 and 2002 are reviewed. There was no breed predisposition to colic. Geldings were more prone to colic than females and stallions. Overall, the 3 most common causes of colic were large colon impaction (20.8%), large colon displacement (16.5%), and spasmodic colic (11.7%), after excluding the 13% of cases in which the diagnosis was undetermined. Of the medical cases, large colon impaction (38.4%) and spasmodic colic (22.5%) were the most common. Of the surgical cases, la...
Dini P, Daels P, Loux SC, Esteller-Vico A, Carossino M, Scoggin KE, Ball BA.The human chromosome 14 microRNA cluster (C14MC) is a conserved microRNA (miRNA) cluster across eutherian mammals, reported to play an important role in placental development. However, the expression kinetics and function of this cluster in the mammalian placenta are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the expression kinetics of the equine C24MC, ortholog to the human C14MC, in the chorioallantoic membrane during the course of gestation. Results: We demonstrated that C24MC-associated miRNAs presented a higher expression level during early stages of pregnancy, followed by a decline later in g...
Vietmeier J, Niedorf F, Bäumer W, Martin C, Deegen E, Ohnesorge B, Kietzmann M.A study was performed to evaluate the use of precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) for studies on the contraction of equine airways. Lungs of 10 horses were taken to prepare PCLS of approximately 250 microm from equine lung tissue using a special microtome. The lung slices were cultured and the enclosed small airways were monitored using a microscope with coupled digital camera, which was used to determine the airway luminal area and diameter from digital images. As indicated by the beating of the ciliated epithelium and reactivity of airways on methacholine challenge, the tissue slices were found ...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Kusano K, Nagata SI.The Thoroughbred breed was formed by crossing Oriental horse breeds and British native horses and is currently used in horseracing worldwide. In this study, we constructed a single-nucleotide variant (SNV) database using data from 101 Thoroughbred racehorses. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) revealed 11,570,312 and 602,756 SNVs in autosomal (1-31) and X chromosomes, respectively, yielding a total of 12,173,068 SNVs. About 6.9% of identified SNVs were rare variants observed only in one allele in 101 horses. The number of SNVs detected in individual horses ranged from 4.8 to 5.3 million. Individual...
García-Bocanegra I, Arenas-Montes A, Napp S, Jaén-Téllez JA, Fernández-Morente M, Fernández-Molera V, Arenas A.West Nile virus (WNV) is recognized as an emerging zoonotic pathogen, whose incidence in horses, humans and birds has increased significantly in different European countries in the last decade. A serosurvey study was carried out in non vaccinated horses to determine the geographical distribution of WNV in Andalusia (Southern Spain), and to assess the factors that influence the risk of WNV infection in horses. Antibodies to WNV were detected in 54 out of 510 horses analyzed by a blocking ELISA, of which 36 were confirmed by micro virus neutralization test (7.1%; CI(95%): 4.9-9.3). A total of 28...
Romeike A, Brügmann M, Drommer W.Despite extensive clinical research, the etiology of equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is still unknown. After an immunologic pathogenesis was established in recurrent uveitis in humans, a similar pathogenic mechanism was assumed to exist in ERU. To investigate whether immunopathologic mechanisms are involved in ERU, 20 eyes of 15 horses with ERU were examined immunohistochemically with a T cell marker, B cell marker, and anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antibodies. Twenty-six eyes of 20 horses were used for investigation of MHC class II antigen expression in normal equine eye...
Doty A, Buhi WC, Benson S, Scoggin KE, Pozor M, Macpherson M, Mutz M, Troedsson MH.Equine spermatozoa induce a uterine inflammatory response characterized by a rapid, transient influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). Seminal plasma proteins have been shown to modulate the interaction between spermatozoa and PMNs, but a specific protein responsible for this function has not been identified. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify a protein in equine seminal plasma that suppresses binding between spermatozoa and PMNs. Seminal plasma was pooled from five stallions, and proteins were precipitated in 60% (w/v) ammonium sulfate and dialyzed (3500 MW cutoff)...
Gy C, Leclere M, Vargas A, Grimes C, Lavoie JP.Asthma in horses is associated with nonspecific respiratory clinical signs and may be manifested only as exercise intolerance. Its diagnosis relies on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology in the presence of compatible clinical signs. The identification of blood biomarkers for this condition would facilitate diagnosis in the field, because there are regional areas where BAL is not routinely performed in clinical practice. Objective: Identification of blood biomarkers for the diagnosis of asthma in horses. Methods: Fourteen horses with asthma with increased neutrophil numbers in BALF (ne...
Saleem S, Ijaz M, Farooqi SH, Ghaffar A, Ali A, Iqbal K, Mehmood K, Zhang H.Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is an important tick borne disease of equines that is caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum). The etiological agent has veterinary as well as public health importance because of its zoonotic nature. A. phagocytophilum causes an acute illness in equines with loss of appetite, lethargy, hemorrhages and lameness. Clinically, EGA is diagnosed upon examination of morulae within neutrophils especially granulocytes in the blood. The best diagnostic tool for the detection of EGA is Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Previous studies suggested that...
Vidugiris GJ, Royer CA.The volume change for the transition from the native state of horse heart apomyoglobin to a pressure-induced intermediate with fluorescence properties similar to those of the well-established molten globule or I form was measured to be -70 ml/mol. Complete unfolding of the protein by pressure at pH 4.2 revealed an upper limit for the unfolding of the intermediate of -61 ml/mol. At 0.3 M guanidine hydrochloride, the entire transition from native to molten globule to unfolded state was observed in the available pressure range below 2.5 kbar. The volume change for the N-->I transition is relat...
