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.
Cooper CJ, Arroyo LG, Hammermueller JD, Botts MM, Pearl DL, Wootton SK, Lillie BN.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is ubiquitous in the horse population, but prevalence estimates have ranged from 3 to 88% depending on the population and method of sampling. No prevalence studies have been carried out in Ontario, Canada. The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of EHV-1 shedding in healthy broodmares in Ontario. A total of 381 mares from 42 farms in Ontario were sampled, including pregnant and barren broodmares. Samples were collected from the nose, vagina, and blood of each mare up to 6 times from December 2016 through October 2017 using a cross-sectional study ...
Vilela VMT, Zutter BM, Gomes LLO, Silva DF, Diniz JHW, Sancler-Silva YFR, Ignácio FS, Papa FO, Monteiro GA.This study investigated the effects of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) before cryopreservation and the use of FertTalp (FT) after thawing on the structural and functional quality of equine spermatozoa. Methods: Two ejaculates from twelve stallions were divided into four groups: G1 (0 mg CLC), G2 (1.0 mg), G3 (1.5 mg), and G4 (2.0 mg). Post-thaw semen quality was evaluated through computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry. Results: In Experiment I, supplementation with 1.5 mg (G3) significantly improved total motility (64.9 ± 10.1 %) and progressive motility (40.5 ± 8.8 %) com...
Singer J, Chow L, Ammons D, Sabino I, Impastato R, Dow S, Pezzanite LM.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a aging-associated degenerative joint disease. The objective was to determine relative senescence gene expression in joints and leukocytes of OA horses toward considering senotherapeutics to manage OA. Unassigned: To define local (joint) and systemic (peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs]) senescence burden, synovial fluid cell single-cell RNA sequencing and PBMC mRNA sequencing datasets (n = 65 samples) were examined. Differential analyses were conducted using limma to compare OA versus control. A custom 3,043-gene senescence set curated from published metadata was...
Hansen S, Tecles F, Cerón JJ, From C, Carstensen H, Muñoz-Prieto A.The number of horses with equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and equine gastric glandular disease (EGGD) recurrence when pharmacological treatment is discontinued is high. Objective: To examine if a commercially available nutraceutical compound containing lecithin, pectin, and meadowsweet could prevent recurrence of both ESGD and EGGD after omeprazole treatment, evaluated by repeated gastroscopic examinations and saliva biomarkers. Methods: Blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods: Thirty horses of mixed breeds and sex with a recent diagnosis and treatment of both ES...
Cyathostomins and Anoplocephala perfoliata infect equids worldwide and both are of concern due to their potential to cause clinical disease. Although coprological techniques are commonly used for assessing helminth egg shedding these do not provide information about an individual's total parasite burden. Antibody-based tests provide information on infection levels within individuals. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate cyathostomin and Anoplocephala perfoliata occurrence in Italian horses using coprological and serum-based antibody detection methods and to analyse risk factors for infectio...
Becerro-Rey L, Martín-Cano FE, Silva-Rodríguez A, Ortega-Ferrusola C, da Silva-Álvarez E, Zabalo-Palomo C, Gil C, Peña FJ.Commercial extenders for equine semen typically contain high glucose concentrations; however, recent research indicates that these supraphysiological concentrations of glucose may be detrimental. Spermatozoa lack translational activity and depend on post-translational protein modifications for their regulation. Supraphysiological glucose concentrations are known to modify cell regulation, and we hypothesize that post-translational modification deregulation associated with supraphysiological glucose concentrations occurs in spermatozoa extended in high glucose media; and increasing the concentr...
White K, Hird J, Taylor P.The recovery period is associated with the greatest risk of injury for horses undergoing anaesthesia. Recovery quality and duration can be influenced by the volatile agent. Methods: This prospective, randomised blinded clinical investigation recruited 101 healthy client-owned horses undergoing elective surgery at one UK equine hospital. Anaesthesia was standardised, and horses were randomly assigned to receive desflurane or isoflurane for maintenance. Horses were ventilated to normocapnia and received dobutamine to maintain mean arterial blood pressure above 60 mmHg. All the patients received ...
Petry S, Tapprest J, Maillard K, Barbut F, Duquesne F, Kozak S, Foucher N, Bernez-Romand M, Bridoux L, Poquet I. an anaerobic, spore-forming enteropathogen, is less studied in animals than in humans despite its importance in One Health. We evaluated occurrence, diversity, circulation, and virulence in French Equidae ( = 100) after their necropsy in northwestern France, from 2019 to 2021. We systematically recovered all cecal contents and any watery intestinal contents. We isolated strains, determined their toxin gene profile by PCR, and established their PCR-ribotype according to the WEBRIBO database. We also performed free toxin detection. Twenty-seven Equidae were positive for and 20 had a toxigeni...
Sayre KC, Flores-Ahlschwede P, Wethington AB, Kahn SK, Bray JM, Volding DM, Ahlschwede S, Bordin AI, Cohen ND, Welsh TH.Transfusion of Rhodococcus equi hyperimmune plasma (REHIP) to neonatal foals is done to reduce the incidence of rhodococcal pneumonia. Objective: To determine effects in newborn foals of REHIP transfusion on serum cortisol concentrations; the association of serum cortisol concentrations with serum globulin concentration and anti-rhodococcal immunoglobulin activity; and cumulative incidence of rhodococcal pneumonia. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 356 newborn foals from 13 New York farms immediately before and after transfusion of 1 L or 2 L of REHIP. Serum samples were assayed for c...
Pécresse B, Moiroud C, Hanne-Poujade S, Hatrisse C, De Azevedo E, Coudry V, Jacquet S, Audigié F, Chateau H.Locomotor disorders involving the spine are a major cause of impaired performance and early retirement in sport horses. Swimming is increasingly incorporated into rehabilitation protocols, but its effects on spinal biomechanics remain poorly understood. This prospective study evaluated changes in thoracolumbar mobility in sixteen sport horses diagnosed with cervical or thoracolumbar axial musculoskeletal lesions over a 12-week rehabilitation program comprising 4 weeks of land-based training followed by 8 weeks during which swimming sessions were incorporated three times per week. Weekly measur...
Auvinen JRE, Stapley ED, Bertin FR.To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a post-/pre-thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) plasma ACTH ratio for the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses. Unassigned: This was a prospective, case-controlled study conducted monthly from January through December 2018 on 21 horses with PPID and 63 control horses. The ratios were calculated by dividing the plasma ACTH concentration obtained 30 minutes after IV injection of TRH by the pre-TRH plasma ACTH concentration. The effect of PPID and month were assessed using a linear mixed-effect model, and the diagnostic perf...
Eskandari G, Ahmadi Sheikhsarmast S, Ghasemi S, Mohri M.Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a glycoprotein involved in immune responses and inflammation, with established diagnostic utility in acute kidney injury (AKI) and systemic diseases. However, reference values for NGAL in healthy horses, particularly the Turkmen breed, remain poorly defined. Objective: This study aimed to establish reference values for serum NGAL concentrations in healthy Turkmen horses and to evaluate the influence of age, sex, pregnancy status and physical activity on its levels, as well as its correlations with haematological and serum biochemical variabl...
Friedlund AM, Bracamonte JL, Koziy RV, Epp T, Thomas KL.To evaluate if high-volume lavage results in a negative bacterial culture of egress fluid, regardless of pathogen in an experimental model of equine septic arthritis. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: A total of 11 horses in three groups (lipopolysaccharide [LPS] Group 1, n = 4; Escherichia coli [E. coli] Group 2, n = 4; Staphylococcus aureus [S. aureus] Group 3, n = 3). Methods: A middle carpal joint of each horse was injected with LPS (synovitis Group 1), E. coli (septic arthritis Group 2) or S. aureus (septic arthritis Group 3). Arthroscopic lavage of the middle carpal joint...
Risvanli A, Salykov R, Timurkaan N, Seker I, Ekinci E.This study was conducted to examine glandular histological changes in the uterus of Kyrgyz breed mares during the first 6 months of pregnancy. The study used 53 Kyrgyz breed mares; 43 of these were at different stages of pregnancy, while 10 were non-pregnant mares. Uterine samples obtained at the slaughterhouse were evaluated histomorphometrically; endometrial thickness, gland density, gland epithelial height and gland diameter were measured. In conclusion, it was concluded that in Kyrgyz mares, endometrial thickness, glandular epithelial height and diameter increased as pregnancy progressed...
Zhang Y, Zhang M, Zhao Z, Peng Y, Deng F, Jiang H, Zhang M, Song B, Kim JK, Pan JH, Chai J, Li Y.Unique skin microbial communities have been shaped by the harsh climatic conditions in high-altitude areas, such as intense ultraviolet radiation and low oxygen concentration. However, it is unknown whether high altitude contributes to shaping common microbiota inhabiting the skin across different mammals. The skin microbial communities of humans and horses living in high-altitude (Tibetan) and low-altitude areas were analyzed using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing technology. Alpha diversity differed between high- and low-altitude groups ( < 0.01). Skin microbial community composition also dif...
Jastrzębska E, Dobbek D, Pawłowska A.Back pain in horses is a frequent musculoskeletal issue that affects performance and welfare. Magnetotherapy has been proposed as a complementary, non-invasive treatment to reduce pain and support soft tissue recovery, but studies in horses remain limited. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of low-frequency pulsed magnetic field therapy on horses with hypersensitivity to palpation along the longissimus dorsi muscle. Four recreational horses participated in a 10-session magnetotherapy program, with changes assessed using palpation, neck flexibility tests, heart rate measurements and...
Jager MC, Luethy D, Shallop S, Cathcart J, Divers TJ, Tan JY, Beasley EM, Johnson P, Leduc L, Smith C, Jamieson CA, Magdesian KG, Van de Walle GR....Equine hepacivirus (EqHV) is closely related to hepatitis C virus (HCV), which causes persistent infection and chronic hepatitis in people. Information on persistent EqHV infection and hepatitis is limited. Objective: To report 19 cases of chronic hepatitis and persistent EqHV infection. Methods: Mixed retrospective and prospective case series. Methods: Inclusion criteria were: (1) chronic hepatitis, defined as persistently increased serum liver biomarkers, increased serum liver biomarkers accompanied by histopathological evidence of chronicity, for example, fibrosis, or both; (2) positive ser...
Stanek M, Różański SŁ, Sztuka H, Komosa M.Research on the characteristics of the mineral profile of hooves can help prevent overgrowth or micro-cracks. Knowledge about the interaction of these elements shows how imbalances can lead to hoof pathology or suboptimal hoof quality. Sulphur plays a key role in keratin synthesis, contributing to hoof elasticity and strength. Iron is involved in oxygen transport to the hoof matrix cells, supporting proper metabolism and tissue regeneration. Zinc promotes keratinocyte differentiation and accelerates healing of micro-injuries within the horn structure. Copper is essential for the formation of d...
Ketphan W, Sato M, Tsujimura K, Mizutani T, Takemae H.Equine rhinitis B virus (ERBV), a member of the Picornaviridae family, is associated with mild to moderate respiratory illness in horses, yet its genomic diversity remains incompletely characterized. In this study, we performed metagenomic analysis on a rectal swab sample from a diarrheic foal confirmed to be positive for rotavirus A. Unexpectedly, we identified a highly divergent ERBV strain with a 9,448-nucleotide genome encoding a 2,721-amino-acid polyprotein. Sequence analysis revealed only 62.5-63.1% identity in the polyprotein and 47.1-49.8% in the VP1 region compared to known ERBV serot...
Strompfová V, Štempelová L, Bujňáková D, Karahutová L, Gondoľová D, Nagyová M, Siegfried L.In order to develop non-antibiotic therapies to treat dermatological diseases it is urgent to spread knowledge on composition and properties of skin bacteria in healthy animals. Since horses are popular companions of humans, it is necessary to know what risk skin bacteria pose to humans. Therefore the aim of this work was to analyse species composition of staphylococci isolated from skin swabs of 50 healthy horses using MALDI-TOF (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight) spectrometry and to characterize their virulence properties. Swabs were collected from five body areas (n...
Rossi TM, O'Sullivan TL, Greer AL.Competitions are an important source of entertainment and revenue in the horse industry but may contribute to disease introduction and spread. The objectives of this study were to, (i) describe the annual (2016 to 2018) contact networks of Equestrian Canada competitions in Ontario, Canada, and (ii) determine if the networks exhibit characteristics of 'small world' networks. Data on Equestrian Canada registered competitions in the province of Ontario, Canada between 2016 and 2018 were used to create three types of yearly contact networks: competition networks, horse networks, and venue networks...
Gernhardt J, Reuter T, Mählmann K, Schulze N, Lischer CJ.To compare the feasibility and biomechanical stability of two surgical techniques for fixation of vertical plane fractures of the accessory carpal bone (ACB). Methods: Randomized experimental ex vivo study. Methods: Eight equine accessory carpal bones were included in a control group. A total of 20 equine cadaveric forelimbs were randomly assigned into two groups (n = 10 per group). Methods: Vertical plane fractures were created palmar to the extensor sulcus using an oscillating saw. In Group 1 (CS), fractures were stabilized with two 4.5 mm cortical screws in lag fashion. In Group 2 (XP...
Saldaña CL, Justo S, Murga L, Vásquez HV, Maicelo JL, Arbizu CI, Bardales W.The complete mitochondrial genome of the Peruvian Paso Horse was assembled using PacBio HiFi long reads, resulting in a high-quality circular genome of 16,617 bp comprising 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and a control region. Nucleotide composition and gene structure were consistent with other equine mitogenomes. Codon usage analysis revealed a bias toward CUA (Leu), AUA and AUC (Ile), suggesting translational optimization. Thirty-five heteroplasmic variants were identified, predominantly located in RNA genes (12 S rRNA and tRNA-Phe), with allele frequencies between 0.10 and 0.6...
Pourmahdi Borujeni M, Ghobadian Diali H, Mashhadi AG, Aliabad MJ.The recent identification of novel viruses associated with hepatitis in horses has prompted equine veterinarians to investigate the viral factors contributing to equine hepatitis. Hepacivirus equi (EqHV), a member of the Flaviviridae family within the Hepacivirus genus, has been detected in horses affected by hepatitis. Globally, EqHV is highly conserved, existing as a single genotype with three distinct subtypes (Subtypes 1-3). Numerous studies have detected the virus by PCR and identified EqHV-specific antibodies through serological tests in different regions worldwide. However, to the best ...
Weber LA, Oltmanns H, Chiavaccini L, Pickles KJ, Roberts V, Kloock T, Niebuhr T, Feige K.Trigeminal-mediated headshaking (TMHS) in horses shares clinical features with human trigeminal neuralgia (HTN). Increased levels of the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) have been found in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HTN patients. Inhibition of CGRP in humans has shown promise for pain relief. Data on CGRP in horses affected by TMHS are currently lacking but if quantifiable and validated, could assist in developing new diagnostic and more rational therapeutic approaches. Objective: This study aimed to quantify and correlate CGRP concentrations in the serum and...
Sharma M, Singh A, Kumar V, Olla N, Arora R, Sharma R, Mohan NH, Ahlawat S.The genus Equus, encompassing horses, donkeys, and extinct relatives, has evolved over approximately 55 million years from small, multi-toed ancestors to the modern horse. Selective breeding has produced over 600 distinct horse breeds optimized for diverse traits such as size, conformation, performance, and adaptability. In the past two decades, rapid advances in equine genomics have significantly deepened our understanding of the molecular basis of these traits. The integration of high-throughput sequencing, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) geno...
Ramos Serrano B, Ávalos Rodríguez A, Edward Kjelland M, Ernesto Hernández Pichardo J.Semen is a complex fluid that, in addition to spermatozoa, contains other cell populations, including immune cells, immature male germ cells, epithelial cells, and fibroblasts. These cells share the diploid condition, making them suitable candidates as nuclear donors for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloning. The generation of viable embryos and offspring has been demonstrated using these cells. Effective methods for isolating them from semen include centrifugation and osmotic gradient techniques; however, prolonged in vitro culture periods are necessary to establish primary cultures fr...
Takahashi K, Mukai K, Takahashi Y, Ebisuda Y, Sugiyama F, Hatta H, Kitaoka Y.To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying oxygen-dependent regulation of skeletal muscle adaptations, eight Thoroughbred horses performed 2 min of exercise at a velocity corresponding to 95% maximal O2 uptake under a normoxic condition, while using inspired O2 levels of 0.21 (normoxia), 0.26 (hyperoxia) or 0.16 (hypoxia). At the end of the exercise, arterial O2 saturation was significantly higher with hyperoxia and lower with hypoxia than with normoxia. However, no significant difference in plasma lactate or muscle glycogen concentrations was observed across the O2 conditions. A metabol...
Verwilghen DR, Pelosi A, Abbas M, Allerton F, Archer D, Baxter G, Brehm W, Burgess BA, Dallap-Schaer B, Ferreira J, Isgren C, Harbarth S, Jacobsen S....To establish specific veterinary surgical site infection (SSI) terminology to support the creation of consistent, comparable, and repeatable clinical and research datasets. Unassigned: Establishment of SSI definitions by iterative Delphi questionnaires leading to a convergence of consensus opinion by a multidisciplinary panel of 32 specialists in large- and small-animal surgery (European College of Veterinary Surgeons, American College of Veterinary Surgeons), veterinary internal medicine (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Europ...
Anger-Håål C, Fjordbakk CT, Ekstrand C, Skedsmo FS, Rørtveit R.Insulin dysregulation is a hallmark of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), and in recent years, pharmacological treatment with sodium-dependent glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have shown promise in reducing the risk of hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis in horses diagnosed with EMS. In humans and laboratory animals, this transporter protein is responsible for the majority of renal tubular glucose reabsorption, however, the presence of this and the related sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) have not yet been studied in equine kidneys. Additionally, studies in humans and la...
Bowen RA, Nemeth NM.West Nile virus emerged recently in North America as a serious human and animal pathogen. This review summarizes the use of experimental infections with West Nile virus in diverse vertebrate species that have been used to answer fundamental questions about the host response, pathogenesis of West Nile virus infection and virus evolution. Results: West Nile virus has an extremely broad vertebrate host range. Infection of common species of birds has defined those with high vs. low potential to serve as amplifying hosts for the virus. In general, mammals (primates, horses, companion animals) are d...
Carter CA, Jolly DG, Worden CE, Hendren DG, Kane CJ.Nonhealing wounds of the lower equine limb represent a challenging model. The platelet is a natural source of a myriad of growth factors and cytokines that promote wound healing. This study evaluates the potential of platelet derived factors to enhance wound healing in the lower equine limb. Platelets were isolated from horse blood and activated with thrombin, a process known to induce growth factor release. This produced a platelet gel composed of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). To test this all-natural wound healant, 2.5-cm(2) full thickness cutaneous wounds were created below the knee and hock ...
Seguin JC, Walker RD, Caron JP, Kloos WE, George CG, Hollis RJ, Jones RN, Pfaller MA.During a 13-month period, 11 equine patients visiting a veterinary teaching hospital for various diagnostic and surgical procedures developed postprocedural infections from which methicillin (oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains were isolated. The S. aureus isolates were identified by conventional methods that included Gram staining, tests for colonial morphology, tests for clumping factor, and tests for coagulase and urease activities and were also tested with the API STAPH IDENT system. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed by the disk diffusion method. The b...
Lindenberg F, Krych L, Fielden J, Kot W, Frøkiær H, van Galen G, Nielsen DS, Hansen AK.Billions of bacteria inhabit the gastrointestinal tract. Immune-microbial cross talk is responsible for immunological homeostasis, and symbiotic microbial species induce regulatory immunity, which helps to control the inflammation levels. In this study we aimed to identify species within the equine intestinal microbiota with the potential to induce regulatory immunity. These could be future targets for preventing or treating low-grade chronic inflammation occurring as a result of intestinal microbial changes and disruption of the homeostasis. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed on ...
Marsh GA, Wang LF.Henipavirus, including Hendra and Nipah viruses, is a group of emerging bat-borne paramyxoviruses which were responsible for severe disease outbreaks in humans, horses and pigs. The mortality rate of human infection varies between 50 and 100%, making them one of the most deadly viruses known to infect humans. Its use of highly conserved cell surface molecules (ephrin) as entry receptors and its highly effective replication and fusion strategies are believed to be important characteristics responsible for its high pathogenicity. Henipavirus also encodes multiple accessory proteins which play a ...
Adams MR, Register TC, Golden DL, Wagner JD, Williams JK.Although estrogen replacement therapy is associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease and reduced extent of coronary artery atherosclerosis, the effects of combined (estrogen plus progestin) hormone-replacement therapy are uncertain. Some observational data indicate that users of combined hormone replacement consisting of continuously administered oral conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) and oral sequentially administered (7 to 14 days per month) medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) experience a reduction in risk similar to that of users of CEE alone. However, the effects of combined, con...
Kappmeyer LS, Thiagarajan M, Herndon DR, Ramsay JD, Caler E, Djikeng A, Gillespie JJ, Lau AO, Roalson EH, Silva JC, Silva MG, Suarez CE, Ueti MW....Transmission of arthropod-borne apicomplexan parasites that cause disease and result in death or persistent infection represents a major challenge to global human and animal health. First described in 1901 as Piroplasma equi, this re-emergent apicomplexan parasite was renamed Babesia equi and subsequently Theileria equi, reflecting an uncertain taxonomy. Understanding mechanisms by which apicomplexan parasites evade immune or chemotherapeutic elimination is required for development of effective vaccines or chemotherapeutics. The continued risk of transmission of T. equi from clinically silent,...
Schmidt A, Möstl E, Wehnert C, Aurich J, Müller J, Aurich C.Based on plasma cortisol concentrations it is widely accepted that transport is stressful to horses. So far, cortisol release during transport has not been evaluated in depth by non-invasive techniques such as analysis of salivary cortisol and faecal cortisol metabolites. Transport also causes changes in heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). In this study, salivary cortisol, faecal cortisol metabolites, heart rate and HRV in horses transported by road for short (one and 3.5 h) and medium duration (8 h) were determined. With the onset of transport, salivary cortisol increased immediately...
Smith RK.Optimal management of tendon overuse injuries in equine and human athletes should avoid the formation of excessive scar tissue, regenerate normal tendon matrix, and reduce re-injury rates. We hypothesized that the implantation of marrow-derived stromal stem cells (BM-MSCs), in far greater numbers than are present normally within tendon tissue, would synthesize a matrix more closely resembling tendon matrix than scar tissue, and hence increase the capacity to return to performance successfully. This article reviews the technique used clinically in the horse and the current outcome data for hors...
Carrade Holt DD, Wood JA, Granick JL, Walker NJ, Clark KC, Borjesson DL.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used in both human clinical trials and veterinary medicine for the treatment of inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. MSCs modulate inflammation by decreasing the cells and products of the inflammatory response. Stimulated equine MSCs from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AT), cord blood (CB), and umbilical cord tissue (CT) inhibit lymphocyte proliferation and decrease inflammatory cytokine production. We hypothesized that equine MSCs inhibit T cell proliferation through secreted mediators and that MSCs from different tissue sources decrease T cell proli...
Labruna MB, Kasai N, Ferreira F, Faccini JL, Gennari SM.Natural tick infestations were assessed every 14 days on horses over a 2-year period. Amblyomma cajennense adult ticks were counted individually, without detachment from the horses. Larvae and nymphs of A. cajennense were collected using a rubber scraper that scratched engorged immature ticks from the host. Adult females of Anocentor nitens larger than 4mm length were counted on the horses. Blood samples were also obtained from the horses every 14 days and macroclimatic data were obtained for the study period. Infestations of A. cajennense demonstrated distinct peaks of activity for each of th...
Guest DJ, Smith MR, Allen WR.Injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is common in racing and sport horses and poor tendon regeneration leads to high reinjury rates. Autologous mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are being used clinically to improve tendon regeneration but they have some practical limitations. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) may overcome these limitations but their fate following injection into the damaged SDFT is unknown. Objective: To inject MSCs and ESCs into distinct areas of damage in the SDFT and monitor their survival over a 3 month period. Methods: MSCs and ESCs expressing different reporte...
Kriek NP, Kellerman TS, Marasas WF.An isolate of Fusarium verticillioides (MRC826) that induced experimental leukoencephalomalacia, also caused acute toxicity when fed to pigs and administered per rumen fistula to sheep. Pigs developed severe pulmonary oedema while sheep manifested severe nephrosis and hepatosis. A less toxic isolate (F. verticillioides MRC602), fed to baboons, resulted in acute congestive heart failure or hepatic cirrhosis, depending on the dose. Both isolates were toxic to rats and caused similar lesions, namely, hepatic cirrhosis and intraventricular cardiac thrombosis.
Grieder FB, Vogel SN.To investigate the role of type I interferon (IFN) and its regulatory transacting proteins, interferon regulatory factors (IRF-1 and IRF-2), in early protection against infection with virulent Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE), we utilized mice with targeted mutations in the IFN-alpha/beta receptor, IRF-1, or IRF-2 genes. IFN-alpha/beta-receptor knockout mice are highly susceptible to peripheral infection with virulent or attenuated VEE, resulting in their death within 24 and 48 h, respectively. Treatment of normal macrophages with anti-IFN-alpha/beta antibody prior to and during infe...
Müller N, Welle M, Lobsiger L, Stoffel MH, Boghenbor KK, Hilbe M, Gottstein B, Frey CF, Geyer C, von Bomhard W.The present report describes a novel etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in horses that, at least for some cases, sporadically appeared as autochthonous infections in geographically distant regions of Germany and Switzerland. The infection was initially diagnosed upon clinical and immunohistological findings. Subsequent comparative sequence analysis of diagnostic PCR products from the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) of ssrRNA classified the respective isolates as neither Old World nor New World Leishmania species. However, four isolates subjected to molecular analyses all exhibit...
Bossart KN, Wang LF, Eaton BT, Broder CC.Hendra virus (HeV) is an emerging paramyxovirus first isolated from cases of severe respiratory disease that fatally affected both horses and humans. Understanding the mechanisms of host cell infection and cross-species transmission is an important step in addressing the risk posed by such emerging pathogens. We have initiated studies to characterize the biological properties of the HeV envelope glycoproteins. Recombinant vaccinia viruses encoding the HeV F and G open reading frames were generated and glycoprotein expression was verified by metabolic labeling and detection using specific antis...
Rossdale PD, Hopes R, Digby NJ, offord K.An epidemiological study of wastage among racehorses was conducted in 1982 and 1983 among six stables, five of which were in Newmarket. The basis of the survey was the inability of horses to take part in cantering exercise as a result of injury or disease. The greatest number of days lost to training was caused by lameness (67.6 per cent) and respiratory problems (20.5 per cent). Conditions of the foot (19 pe cent), muscle (18 per cent), carpus (14 per cent), fetlock joints (14 per cent), tendons (10 per cent) and sore shins (9 per cent) were the major reasons for training days being lost in 1...
Pirie RS.Recurrent airway obstruction is a widely recognised airway disorder, characterised by hypersensitivity-mediated neutrophilic airway inflammation and lower airway obstruction in a subpopulation of horses when exposed to suboptimal environments high in airborne organic dust. Over the past decade, numerous studies have further advanced our understanding of different aspects of the disease. These include clarification of the important inhaled airborne agents responsible for disease induction, improving our understanding of the underlying genetic basis of disease susceptibility and unveiling the fu...
Lyons S, Kapoor A, Sharp C, Schneider BS, Wolfe ND, Culshaw G, Corcoran B, McGorum BC, Simmonds P.Although the origin of hepatitis C virus infections in humans remains undetermined, a close homolog of this virus, termed canine hepacivirus (CHV) and found in respiratory secretions of dogs, provides evidence for a wider distribution of hepaciviruses in mammals. We determined frequencies of active infection among dogs and other mammals in the United Kingdom. Samples from dogs (46 respiratory, 99 plasma, 45 autopsy samples) were CHV negative by PCR. Screening of 362 samples from cats, horses, donkeys, rodents, and pigs identified 3 (2%) positive samples from 142 horses. These samples were gene...
Bond S, Léguillette R, Richard EA, Couetil L, Lavoie JP, Martin JG, Pirie RS.The term "equine asthma" has been proposed as a unifying descriptor of inflammatory airway disease (IAD), recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), and summer pasture-associated obstructive airway disease. Whilst the term will increase comprehensibility for both the lay and scientific communities, its biologic relevance must be compared and contrasted to asthma in human medicine, recognizing the limited availability of peer-reviewed equine-derived data, which are largely restricted to clinical signs, measures of airway obstruction and inflammation and response to therapy. Such limitations constrain ...
Lobsiger L, Müller N, Schweizer T, Frey CF, Wiederkehr D, Zumkehr B, Gottstein B.The present case report describes a novel etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis that appears for the first time in a cow. A similar agent had recently been described as causing autochthonous infections in horses of Germany and Switzerland. The infection in the cow was initially diagnosed upon clinical and immunohistological findings. Subsequent comparative sequence analysis of diagnostic PCR products from the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) of ssrRNA classified the respective isolate as neither Old World nor New World Leishmania species, but yielded complete identity of the analyse...
Murray RC, Walters JM, Snart H, Dyson SJ, Parkin TD.The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of illness and lameness at different anatomical sites in registered United Kingdom dressage horses and to identify risk factors for lameness. A questionnaire was sent to all 11,363 registered members of British Dressage in 2005, with one questionnaire assigned per horse. Four multivariable logistic regression models were developed for each section of the questionnaire. A final mixed effects logistic regression model was developed which combined the results from all prior models. Owners reported that 33% of horses had been lame at some time d...
Shin EK, Perryman LE, Meek K.The equine SCID defect is more severe than its murine counterpart in that SCID foals are incapable of forming either coding or signal joints, whereas SCID mice manifest normal signal joint formation. To determine the basis of this difference and whether DNA-dependent kinase, catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)), is involved in signal joint formation, equine DNA-PK(CS) transcripts were cloned and sequenced from normal and SCID cell lines. In the mutant allele, a frame-shift mutation truncates the protein N terminal of the domain with homology to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family resulting in c...
Radcliffe CH, Flaminio MJ, Fortier LA.Mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) are often characterized using surface markers after expansion and treatment in culture. There are no studies directly comparing gene and protein markers in undifferentiated samples during the very early phases of culture. The goal of this study was to evaluate temporal gene and protein expression changes during establishment of equine MPC cultures. Bone marrow aspirate was obtained from 35 horses and processed by density gradient centrifugation. In freshly isolated bone marrow, mononuclear cells had variable expression of CD44, CD11a/CD18, CD90, and CD45RB c...
Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Brévers B, Avesani V, Van Broeck J, Leroux A, Gallot M, Bruwier A, Amory H, Delmée M, Daube G.The equine faecal microbiota is very complex and remains largely unknown, while interspecies interactions have an important contribution to animal health. Clostridium difficile has been identified as an important cause of diarrhoea in horses. This study provides further information on the nature of the bacterial communities present in horses developing an episode of diarrhoea. The prevalence of C. difficile in hospitalised horses at the time of admission is also reported. Results: Bacterial diversity of the gut microbiota in diarrhoea is lower than that in non-diarrhoeic horses in terms of spe...
von Bargen K, Haas A.The soil actinomycete Rhodococcus equi is a pulmonary pathogen of young horses and AIDS patients. As a facultative intracellular bacterium, R. equi survives and multiplies in macrophages and establishes its specific niche inside the host cell. Recent research into chromosomal virulence factors and into the role of virulence plasmids in infection and host tropism has presented novel aspects of R. equi infection biology and pathogenicity. This review will focus on new findings in R. equi biology, the trafficking of R. equi-containing vacuoles inside host cells, factors involved in virulence and ...
Corbin LJ, Blott SC, Swinburne JE, Vaudin M, Bishop SC, Woolliams JA.Many genomic methodologies rely on the presence and extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between markers and genetic variants underlying traits of interest, but the extent of LD in the horse has yet to be comprehensively characterized. In this study, we evaluate the extent and decay of LD in a sample of 817 Thoroughbreds. Horses were genotyped for over 50,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers across the genome, with 34,848 autosomal SNPs used in the final analysis. Linkage disequilibrium, as measured by the squared correlation coefficient (r(2)), was found to be relatively high bet...
Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.The kinematic patterns of head and trunk were studied in horses during induced supporting limb lameness to understand the mechanisms horses use to compensate for lameness and to evaluate different symmetry indices for their significance as lameness indicators. Using the locomotion analysis system CODA-3 the kinematics of 11 clinically nonlame Dutch Warmblood horses were recorded while walking (1.6 m/s) and trotting (3.5 m/s) on a treadmill. A transient lameness model, evoking pressure induced pain on the hoof sole, was used to induce 3 degrees of fore- and hindlimb lameness. Peak vertical disp...
van der Kolk JH, Endimiani A, Graubner C, Gerber V, Perreten V.Acinetobacter spp. are aerobic, rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the Moraxellaceae family of the class Gammaproteobacteria and are considered ubiquitous organisms. Among them, Acinetobacter baumannii is the most clinically significant species with an extraordinary ability to accumulate antimicrobial resistance and to survive in the hospital environment. Recent reports indicate that A. baumannii has also evolved into a veterinary nosocomial pathogen. Although Acinetobacter spp. can be identified to species level using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mas...
