Basement membrane pathology: a feature of acute equine laminitis.
Abstract: Thirty-two dorsal, mid-hoof wall, lamellar sections from 8 Standardbred horses, humanely killed 48 h after the administration of an alimentary carbohydrate overload, were sectioned and examined by light microscopy. Sections were stained with the connective tissue and basement membrane stains periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Azan and periodic acid silver methanamine (PASM) and with routine haematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Lesions of the epidermal lamellae, attributable to laminitis, were graded in order of increasing severity from Grade N (normal), Grade 1 (mild), Grade 2 (moderate) to Grade 3 (severe and extensive). The grading system was based principally on changes to lamellar basement membrane (BM) which were clearly visible when the connective tissue stains PAS and PASM were used. Earliest changes were rounding of the basal cell nuclei and elongation of secondary epidermal lamellae (SELs). Secondary epidermal lamellae tips were pointed instead of round and the basement membrane had separated from the lamellae. In early Grade 1 lesions, this was obvious at the tips of the SELs where the BM had lifted to form teat-shaped bubbles. The absence of BM at the tips of secondary dermal lamellae, along with varying amounts of connective tissue, was considered a progression in severity and classified as Grade 2. Eventually, even the primary epidermal and primary dermal lamellae separated from each other and the empty shells of isolated BM, in what was once the tip of the primary epidermal lamella, signified that a global separation of the epidermal and dermal lamellae had occurred (Grade 3 lesion). The histopathological grading system correlated well with the degree of lameness at the time of euthanasia, (r2 = 0.94) and apparently described the severity of laminitis accurately. Disintegration of the BM and failure of its attachment to the basal cells of the epidermis appears to be one of the earliest pathological events to occur in acute laminitis and could be the change that initiates the collapse of the lamellar architecture. Histopathological diagnoses of laminitis are strengthened when based on sections stained with at least PAS, in addition to routine H&E and should exhibit evidence of the BM pathology described here.
Publication Date: 1996-01-01 PubMed ID: 8565952DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1996.tb01588.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This study examined the connection between the deterioration of the basement membrane (BM) and horseshoe lamitis, a severe hoof disease in horses. The research found that a breakdown of the BM in the hoof often marked the earliest stages of lamitis and that categorization of the disease’s severity could be accurately gauged based on this deterioration.
Research Method
- Thirty-two lamellar sections from the middle hoof walls of eight Standardbred horses were used. These horses were euthanized 48 hours after being given an alimentary carbohydrate overload.
- These sections were examined using light microscopy and stained using periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Azan, and periodic acid silver methanamine (PASM), as well as routine haematoxylin and eosin (H&E).
Establishing a Grading System
- The research team developed a grading system based on the observed changes in the lamellar basement membrane (BM) after staining. This system ranged from Grade N (normal) to Grade 3 (severe and extensive laminitis).
- Key changes signaling the onset of laminitis included basal cell nuclei rounding and elongation of secondary epidermal lamellae (SELs), with SEL tips presenting as pointed rather than round.
- BM separation from the lamellae was considered an early sign of Grade 1 laminitis, especially visible at the tips of the SELs where the BM was lifted to form teat-shaped bubbles.
- Progression to Grade 2 was marked by the absence of BM at the tips of secondary dermal lamellae, accompanied by varying amounts of connective tissue.
- Grade 3 indicated a global separation of epidermal and dermal lamellae, featuring isolated, empty shells of BM.
Findings and Implications
- The severity grading system created for the study correlated strongly (r2 = 0.94) with the degree of lameness observed at the time of euthanasia, thus seemed to accurately reflect the severity of the laminitis.
- The researchers concluded that the degradation of the BM and its failure to adhere to the basal cells of the epidermis are among the earliest pathological events in acute laminitis.
- This degeneration process could potentially be the trigger for the collapse of lamellar architecture, a key feature of the disease.
- Thus, histopathological diagnoses of laminitis are strengthened if the sections are stained with PAS, in addition to routine H&E, to easily exhibit and evidence of the BM pathology present.
Cite This Article
APA
Pollitt CC.
(1996).
Basement membrane pathology: a feature of acute equine laminitis.
Equine Vet J, 28(1), 38-46.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1996.tb01588.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Companion Animal Medicine and Surgery Department, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Acute Disease
- Animals
- Basement Membrane / pathology
- Basement Membrane / ultrastructure
- Coloring Agents
- Connective Tissue / pathology
- Connective Tissue / ultrastructure
- Epidermis / pathology
- Epidermis / ultrastructure
- Foot Diseases / pathology
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Histocytochemistry / methods
- Hoof and Claw / pathology
- Hoof and Claw / ultrastructure
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Inflammation / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 27 times.- Malacarne BD, Martins RR, Paz CFR, Alves JVA, Dias LA, Cavalcante MA, Santos AM, Silva AGM, Leise BS, Carvalho AM, Faleiros RR. Histological comparison of the lamellar tissue of Iberian origin breed horses created in semi-feral conditions or in an intensive system. PLoS One 2023;18(6):e0286536.
- Aoun R, Charles I, DeRouen A, Takawira C, Lopez MJ. Shoe configuration effects on third phalanx and capsule motion of unaffected and laminitic equine hooves in-situ. PLoS One 2023;18(5):e0285475.
- Bai B, Yang X, Li Y, Zhang Y, Pillar N, Ozcan A. Deep learning-enabled virtual histological staining of biological samples. Light Sci Appl 2023 Mar 3;12(1):57.
- Montgomery JB, Klein M, Boire JR, Beck C, Häusermann D, Maksimenko A, Hall CJ. Synchrotron CT of an equine digit at the Australian Synchrotron Imaging and Medical Beamline. J Synchrotron Radiat 2021 Nov 1;28(Pt 6):1769-1777.
- Reisinger N, Wendner D, Schauerhuber N, Mayer E. Effect of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and Lipoteichoic Acid (LTA) on the Inflammatory Response in Rumen Epithelial Cells (REC) and the Impact of LPS on Claw Explants. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 9;11(7).
- Vercelli C, Tursi M, Miretti S, Giusto G, Gandini M, Re G, Valle E. Effect of sugar metabolite methylglyoxal on equine lamellar explants: An ex vivo model of laminitis. PLoS One 2021;16(7):e0253840.
- Meier A, McGree J, Klee R, Preuß J, Reiche D, de Laat M, Sillence M. The application of a new laminitis scoring method to model the rate and pattern of improvement from equine endocrinopathic laminitis in a clinical setting. BMC Vet Res 2021 Jan 7;17(1):16.
- Tuniyazi M, He J, Guo J, Li S, Zhang N, Hu X, Fu Y. Changes of microbial and metabolome of the equine hindgut during oligofructose-induced laminitis. BMC Vet Res 2021 Jan 6;17(1):11.
- Li S, Zheng X, Ding M, Tao Z, Zhang J, Zhang N. Change in Proteolytic Profile in Heifers After Oligofructose Overload. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:580375.
- Campolo A, Frantz MW, de Laat MA, Hartson SD, Furr MO, Lacombe VA. Differential Proteomic Expression of Equine Cardiac and Lamellar Tissue During Insulin-Induced Laminitis. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:308.
- Armstrong C, Cassimeris L, Da Silva Santos C, Micoogullari Y, Wagner B, Babasyan S, Brooks S, Galantino-Homer H. The expression of equine keratins K42 and K124 is restricted to the hoof epidermal lamellae of Equus caballus. PLoS One 2019;14(9):e0219234.
- Roszkowska K, Witkowska-Pilaszewicz O, Przewozny M, Cywinska A. Whole body and partial body cryotherapies - lessons from human practice and possible application for horses. BMC Vet Res 2018 Dec 12;14(1):394.
- Baskerville CL, Chockalingham S, Harris PA, Bailey SR. The effect of insulin on equine lamellar basal epithelial cells mediated by the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor. PeerJ 2018;6:e5945.
- Dern K, van Eps A, Wittum T, Watts M, Pollitt C, Belknap J. Effect of Continuous Digital Hypothermia on Lamellar Inflammatory Signaling When Applied at a Clinically-Relevant Timepoint in the Oligofructose Laminitis Model. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Jan;32(1):450-458.
- Dern K, Watts M, Werle B, van Eps A, Pollitt C, Belknap J. Effect of Delayed Digital Hypothermia on Lamellar Inflammatory Signaling in the Oligofructose Laminitis Model. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Mar;31(2):575-581.
- Ememe MU, Abdullahi US, Sackey AK, Ayo JO, Mshelia WP, Edeh RE. Effects of a joint supplement whose main components are resveratrol and hyaluronic acid on some biochemical parameters in aged lame horses. J Equine Sci 2016;27(1):19-22.
- Reisinger N, Schaumberger S, Nagl V, Hessenberger S, Schatzmayr G. Concentration Dependent Influence of Lipopolysaccharides on Separation of Hoof Explants and Supernatant Lactic Acid Concentration in an Ex Vivo/In Vitro Laminitis Model. PLoS One 2015;10(11):e0143754.
- Linardi RL, Megee SO, Mainardi SR, Senoo M, Galantino-Homer HL. Expression and localization of epithelial stem cell and differentiation markers in equine skin, eye and hoof. Vet Dermatol 2015 Aug;26(4):213-e47.
- Reisinger N, Schaumberger S, Nagl V, Hessenberger S, Schatzmayr G. Milk thistle extract and silymarin inhibit lipopolysaccharide induced lamellar separation of hoof explants in vitro. Toxins (Basel) 2014 Oct 6;6(10):2962-74.
- Menzies-Gow NJ, Wray H, Bailey SR, Harris PA, Elliott J. The effect of tumour necrosis factor-α and insulin on equine digital blood vessel function in vitro. Inflamm Res 2014 Aug;63(8):637-47.
- Zamboulis DE, Senior JM, Clegg PD, Gallagher JA, Carter SD, Milner PI. Distribution of purinergic P2X receptors in the equine digit, cervical spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. Purinergic Signal 2013 Sep;9(3):383-93.
- Steelman SM, Chowdhary BP. Plasma proteomics shows an elevation of the anti-inflammatory protein APOA-IV in chronic equine laminitis. BMC Vet Res 2012 Sep 27;8:179.
- Coyne MJ, Cousin H, Loftus JP, Johnson PJ, Belknap JK, Gradil CM, Black SJ, Alfandari D. Cloning and expression of ADAM-related metalloproteases in equine laminitis. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2009 Jun 15;129(3-4):231-41.
- Wattle O. Cytokeratins of the stratum medium and stratum internum of the equine hoof wall in acute laminitis. Acta Vet Scand 2000;41(4):363-79.
- Underberg BA, Van der Vekens E, Drews B, Kaessmeyer S. Cyclooxygenase-2 and von Willebrand factor-an immunohistochemical study of the equine foot with and without laminitis, post-mortem perfused with paraffin oil. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1673415.
- Zamith Cunha R, Gobbo F, Morini M, Salamanca G, Zanoni A, Bernardini C, Gramenzi A, Chiocchetti R. Cannabinoid and cannabinoid related receptors in fibroblasts, inflammatory and endothelial cells of the equine hoof with and without laminitis: novel pharmacological target. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1723160.
- Zamith Cunha R, Gobbo F, Morini M, Zannoni A, Mainardi C, D'arpe L, Gramenzi A, Chiocchetti R. Distribution of endocannabinoid system receptors in the equine hoof: dysregulation as a potential therapeutic target for laminitis. Histochem Cell Biol 2025 Jul 1;163(1):71.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
