Gene Expression Profiles of the Immuno-Transcriptome in Equine Asthma.
- Journal Article
Summary
The research article focuses on investigating the differences in gene expression in the respiratory tracts of horses affected by mild and severe equine asthma. It aims to enhance understanding of the diseases’ pathogenesis which may help improve diagnostic and therapeutic practices.
Research Methods
The research involved a clinical examination and endoscopy performed on 18 horses (8 affected by severe equine asthma (SEA) and 10 by mild equine asthma (MEA)) alongside with 7 healthy controls. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from these horses was subjected to cytological and microbiological analyses. The gene expression profiling of this fluid was achieved using a custom oligo-DNA microarray.
- The cytological and microbiological analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were performed to study cell types and detect possible infectious agents, respectively.
- An oligo-DNA microarray, a biochip that allows the detection of gene expression levels, was used for gene expression profiling.
Results and Findings
Remarkable findings from the study involve changes in the expression of several genes related to:
- Genesis, length, and motility of respiratory epithelium cilia: This group of genes was found to be downregulated in both forms of equine asthma, marring the normal functioning of the cilia in the respiratory tract.
- Inflammatory mediators: Overexpression of genes encoding these mediators was observed in MEA.
- Bronchoconstriction, apoptosis, and hypoxia pathways: In SEA, these were significantly upregulated, leading to severe asthma symptoms such as narrowed airways, cell death, and low oxygen levels in the body.
- Formation of a protective muco-protein film: The genes involved in this process were underexpressed in SEA, implying a compromised defense mechanism in the airways of severely asthmatic horses.
Conclusions
The study made new strides in understanding equine asthma pathogenesis, revealing distinct differences in gene expressions in horses suffering from mild and severe forms of the disease. These insights mark a major step forward in transcriptomic analysis’ role in diagnosing and treating this prevalent equine respiratory disease.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
- Equine Hospital Padova, 35010 Limena, Italy.
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
Conflict of Interest Statement
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Woodrow JS, Sheats MK, Cooper B, Bayless R. Asthma: The Use of Animal Models and Their Translational Utility.. Cells 2023 Apr 5;12(7).