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Rasmussen N, Karlsen P, Otten ND, Fjeldborg J, Hansen S. Bilateral bronchoalveolar lavage cytology profiles in a warmblood horse population during a 1-year period. J Vet Intern Med 2024. [PMID: 38780440 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.17118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology results from 1 lung might not be representative of both lungs. OBJECTIVES To determine whether the lung site sampled would influence the horse's BAL cytology profile, and if a pooled BAL sample would be superior with regard to BAL cytology diagnosis in a cohort of healthy and subclinical asthmatic warmblood horses. ANIMALS Fifty-nine horses in 2021 and 70 horses in 2022, the follow-up included 53 of the same in each year. METHODS A cross-sectional study with follow-up included BAL cytology samples from individual lungs and from pooled BAL samples. The BAL samples were enumerated and differential cell count were applied to categorize the horses as control or with airway inflammation (AI). RESULTS Bronchoalveolar lavage mast cell count was higher in left lung compared to right lung (2021; median 1.6 [range, 0.6-3.3] vs 1.2 [0.7-1.5] P = .009, 2022; median 3.1 [2.1-4.2] vs 2.4 [1.7-3.4], P < .001) and compared to pooled samples (2022; median 2.6 [1.7-3.7], P < .001). Between year 2021 and 2022, 17 of the horses had changes in BAL cytology from control to AI or vice versa. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Pooled BAL sample was the least reliable for detecting AI, and was not representative of the overall lung condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanna Rasmussen
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Pernille Karlsen
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Nina D Otten
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Julie Fjeldborg
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Sanni Hansen
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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Diez de Castro E, Fernandez-Molina JM. Environmental Management of Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:446. [PMID: 38338089 PMCID: PMC10854533 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental practices related to the inhalation of airborne dust have been identified as the main cause of equine asthma (EA) and reasonably, they are truly relevant in its treatment and control, especially for horses with its severe form. Vast research regarding environmental recommendations has been conducted in recent years. However, no recent exhaustive reviews exist that gather all this new evidence. The aim of this review is to report and compare the most pertinent information concerning the environmental management of EA. The main findings highlight the importance of the type of forage used for feeding but also its method of production and possible contamination during manufacture and/or storage. Procedures to reduce this, such as soaking and steaming hay, improve its hygienic quality, although they also decrease forage's nutritional value, making dietetic supplementation necessary. Regarding stabling, despite some conflicting results, avoiding straw as bedding and improving barn ventilation continue to be the common recommendations if turning to pasture is not feasible. Finally, owners' compliance has been identified as the most critical point in correct environmental control. Educating owners about the genuine benefits of these measures should be a cornerstone of EA management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Diez de Castro
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Cordoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
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Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Bizzotto D, Dellacà R, Lavoie JP, Ferrucci F. Respiratory oscillometry testing in relation to exercise in healthy and asthmatic Thoroughbreds. Equine Vet J 2024. [PMID: 38247256 DOI: 10.1111/evj.14065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Racehorses may experience exercise-induced bronchodilation or bronchoconstriction, with potential differences between healthy and asthmatic individuals. OBJECTIVES To identify exercise-related lung function variations by oscillometry in racehorses, compare lung function between healthy and mild equine asthma (MEA) horses, assess oscillometry's potential as a predictor of racing fitness. STUDY DESIGN Prospective case-control clinical study. METHODS Fourteen Thoroughbred racehorses (5 healthy, 9 MEA) underwent a protocol including respiratory oscillometry at rest, exercise with fitness monitoring, oscillometry at 15 and 45 min post-exercise, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) cytology. Oscillometry parameters (resistance [Rrs] and reactance [Xrs]) were compared within and between healthy and MEA groups at different timepoints. Associations between Rrs and Xrs at rest and 15 min post-exercise and BALf cytology and fitness indices were evaluated. RESULTS MEA horses showed higher Rrs at 15 min post-exercise (0.6 ± 0.2 cmH2 O/L/s) than healthy horses (0.3 ± 0.1 cmH2 O/L/s) (p < 0.01). In healthy horses, Rrs decreased at 15 min post-exercise compared with resting values (0.5 ± 0.1 cmH2 O/L/s) (p = 0.04). In MEA horses, oscillometry parameters did not vary with time. Post-exercise Xrs inversely correlated with total haemosiderin score (p < 0.01, r2 = 0.51). Resting Rrs inversely correlated with speed at 200 bpm (p = 0.03, r2 = -0.61), and Xrs with maximum heart rate (HR) during exercise (p = 0.02, r2 = -0.62). Post-exercise Rrs inversely correlated with mean (p = 0.04, r2 = -0.60) and maximum speed (p = 0.04, r2 = -0.60), and HR variability (p < 0.01, r2 = -0.74). MAIN LIMITATIONS Small sample size, oscillometry repeatability not assessed, potential interference of upper airway obstructions, external variables influencing fitness indices. CONCLUSIONS Oscillometry identified lung function differences between healthy and MEA horses at 15 min post-exercise. Only healthy horses exhibited exercise-induced bronchodilation. Oscillometry showed potential in predicting subclinical airway obstruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Maria Lo Feudo
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory "Franco Tradati", Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Luca Stucchi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Davide Bizzotto
- TechRes Lab, Department of Electronics, Information and Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele Dellacà
- TechRes Lab, Department of Electronics, Information and Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavoie
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Francesco Ferrucci
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory "Franco Tradati", Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
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Leduc L, Costa M, Leclère M. The Microbiota and Equine Asthma: An Integrative View of the Gut-Lung Axis. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:253. [PMID: 38254421 PMCID: PMC10812655 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Both microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions can have effects beyond the local environment and influence immunological responses in remote organs such as the lungs. The crosstalk between the gut and the lungs, which is supported by complex connections and intricate pathways, is defined as the gut-lung axis. This review aimed to report on the potential role of the gut-lung gut-lung axis in the development and persistence of equine asthma. We summarized significant determinants in the development of asthma in horses and humans. The article discusses the gut-lung axis and proposes an integrative view of the relationship between gut microbiota and asthma. It also explores therapies for modulating the gut microbiota in horses with asthma. Improving our understanding of the horse gut-lung axis could lead to the development of techniques such as fecal microbiota transplants, probiotics, or prebiotics to manipulate the gut microbiota specifically for improving the management of asthma in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Leduc
- Clinical Sciences Department, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
| | - Marcio Costa
- Veterinary Department of Biomedical Sciences, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
| | - Mathilde Leclère
- Clinical Sciences Department, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
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Westerfeld R, Payette F, Dubuc V, Manguin E, Picotte K, Beauchamp G, Bédard C, Leclere M. Effects of soaked hay on lung function and airway inflammation in horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2024; 38:469-476. [PMID: 37930110 PMCID: PMC10800199 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reducing inhaled dust particles improves lung function in horses with severe asthma. Soaked hay is commonly used by owners, but its efficacy in improving lung function and inflammation has not been documented. OBJECTIVES To measure the effects of soaked hay and alfalfa pellets in horses with severe asthma. ANIMALS Ten adult horses with severe asthma from a research colony. METHODS Prospective controlled trial. Horses in clinical exacerbation were housed indoors and allocated to be fed either soaked hay (n = 5) or alfalfa pellets (n = 5) for 6 weeks. Soaked hay was immersed for 45 minutes and dried out hay was discarded between meals. Pulmonary function and clinical scores were measured before and after 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Tracheal mucus scores and bronchoalveolar lavages were performed before and after 6 weeks. Lung function was analyzed with a linear mixed model using log-transformed data. RESULTS Lung resistance decreased from (median (range)) 2.47 (1.54-3.95) to 1.59 (0.52-2.10) cmH2 O/L/s in the pellets group and from 1.89 (1.2-3.54) to 0.61 (0.42-2.08) cmH2 O/L/s in the soaked hay group over the 6-week period for an average difference of 1.06 cmH2 O/L/s for pellets (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.09-2.04, P = .03, not significant after correction) and 1.31 cmH2 O/L/s for soaked hay (95% CI: -0.23 to 2.85, P < .001, significant). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Soaked hay can control airway obstruction in horses with severe asthma. The strict protocol for soaking and discarding dried-out hay in this study could however be considered too great of an inconvenience by owners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Westerfeld
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
| | - Flavie Payette
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
| | - Valérie Dubuc
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
| | - Estelle Manguin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
| | - Khristine Picotte
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
| | - Guy Beauchamp
- Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
| | - Christian Bédard
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
| | - Mathilde Leclere
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalQuebecCanada
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Robins TJ, Bedenice D, Mazan M. A Longitudinal Analysis of Equine Asthma Presentation and Response to Treatment Using Lung Function Testing and BAL Cytology Analysis in Combination with Owner Perception. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3387. [PMID: 37958142 PMCID: PMC10649418 DOI: 10.3390/ani13213387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Equine asthma (EA) is a pervasive and important cause of poor performance and respiratory morbidity in horses. Diagnosis of EA includes an owner complaint, clinical scoring, lung function testing, and cytological analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology. There is a paucity of information about the longitudinal course of the disease using these outcome assessments; thus, this study sought to describe and quantify, in horses with more than one visit to a specialty pulmonary clinic in New England, the type and range of clinical presentations with an eventual diagnosis of EA. It also aimed to develop and compare the outcomes of scoring systems for owner complaints and veterinary assessments, document and assess the diagnostic methods used, and evaluate the response of the horses to treatment and time. (2) Methods: This study was a retrospective, cross-sectional, STROBE-compliant observational analysis of equine patients who visited the Tufts Cummings Hospital for Large Animals (HLA) for evaluation of equine asthma (EA) from 1999-2023. The horses were categorized as having mild-moderate (mEA) or severe EA (sEA) using the ACVIM consensus statement guidelines. After excluding those with inadequate documentation or only one visit (n = 936), a total of 76 horses were included in the study. Of the 197 visits, 138 (70.0%) resulted in a diagnosis of mEA and 45 (22.8%) resulted in a diagnosis of sEA. Demographic information, owner complaints, clinical examination and scoring, lung function testing, BAL cytology, and recommendations for environmental remediation and pharmacologic treatment were recorded for all the visits. The data were analyzed for agreement between owner complaints (complaint score, CS) and clinical examination findings (examination score, ES), changes in CS and ES, lung function testing, and BAL cytology over time, with 197 visits recorded. (3) Results: A comparison between the CS and ES showed that the owners were more likely than veterinarians to detect cough, and a decrease in cough was the most common owner observation after treatment. The response to the histamine challenge, used to detect airway hyperreactivity, was significantly improved with treatment or time in the horses with mEA, whereas baseline lung function did not significantly change in mEA or sEA. (4) Conclusions: Owners can be astute observers of clinical signs, especially cough, in EA. Tests of airway hyperreactivity are more successful in detecting changes in mEA than are baseline lung function testing and assessment of BAL cytology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Melissa Mazan
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
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Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Conturba B, Bozzola C, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Evaluation of fitness parameters in relation to racing results in 245 Standardbred trotter horses submitted for poor performance examination: A retrospective study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293202. [PMID: 37856522 PMCID: PMC10586626 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In racehorses, the associations between physiological parameters obtained by exercise testing and racing results have been questioned. We hypothesized that fitness variables measured during a treadmill incremental test may be related with racing outcomes and lifetime career. Our study aimed to investigate the role of fitness parameters obtained during a treadmill test in performance evaluation and career prediction in poorly performing Standardbreds, through a retrospective review of the clinical records of 245 trotters that underwent an incremental treadmill test. Several fitness parameters were assessed, and their correlations with racing data (number of starts, wins and placings) in the 3 months before and 6 months after examination were evaluated; moreover their associations and predictive power for lifetime racing results and earnings were considered. The associations between fitness parameters and measures of racing performance as well as the associations between racing results over time were evaluated by Spearman's correlation in the whole population and in different age groups. Multivariate regression models predicting the total number of starts, wins and earnings based on fitness parameters were constructed, controlling for age, weight, and sex. Maximum speed and the speed at the aerobic threshold were the parameters correlated with the most racing results, in the three evaluation periods (3 months before, 6 months after, lifetime). Other parameters predictive of career outcomes were maximum blood lactate concentration and maximum hematocrit. Interestingly, in 2-year-old Standardbreds, the only parameters correlated with racing results were maximum hematocrit and minimum pH, suggesting they may reflect individual potential. Both the racing results obtained before and after examination were predictive of lifetime career, with those following hospitalization being more strongly correlated. In conclusion, parameters obtained during treadmill tests both reflect the racing outcomes and the career potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Maria Lo Feudo
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Luca Stucchi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stancari
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Bianca Conturba
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Chiara Bozzola
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Enrica Zucca
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferrucci
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
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Hamouzová P, Drábková Z, Stehlíková Š, Řeháková K, Čížek P, Dobešová O, Jahn P, Doubek J. Regulatory T lymphocytes and selected cytokines in horses with mild to severe equine asthma and different inflammatory cytology profiles. Res Vet Sci 2023; 163:104998. [PMID: 37651940 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.104998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
This study determined Tregs and inflammatory cytokines in BALF and peripheral blood (PB) of adult horses with mild and severe asthma and different BALF cytological inflammation profiles. Horses of diverse breeds with asthma (age range: 2-20 years, n = 24) were divided into groups according to the number of points obtained in a standardized clinical scoring system (mild-moderate equine asthma - MEA, severe equine asthma - SEA) and according to the inflammation type based on cytological finding. Plasma levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17 and MMP-9 in the BALF were determined by ELISA. Tregs in the BALF and PB were detected by flow cytometry. Horses with SEA were older than horses with MEA and had higher concentrations of MMP-9 in the BALF (P < 0.05). The neutrophilic inflammation group was characterised by higher age, grade of clinical score, percentage of Tregs and MMP-9 concentration in the BALF compared to the mastocytic inflammation group (P < 0.05). Age positively correlated with neutrophils, grade of score, Tregs in the BALF and in the PB. The grade of score positively correlated with MMP-9. The percentage of Tregs in the BALF positively correlated with Tregs in the PB. Tregs in the BALF and PB positively correlated with neutrophils and MMP-9 in the BALF and with IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 in the plasma. IFN-γ and IL-10 in the plasma positively correlated with the age. The results indicate that the evaluation of selected parameters in PB, the collection of which is less invasive than the collection of BALF, is of potential importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavla Hamouzová
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Zuzana Drábková
- Equine Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Šárka Stehlíková
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Kristína Řeháková
- Small Animal Clinical Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Čížek
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Olga Dobešová
- Equine Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Jahn
- Equine Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jaroslav Doubek
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Small Animal Clinical Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.
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Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Stancari G, Conturba B, Bozzola C, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Associations between Medical Disorders and Racing Outcomes in Poorly Performing Standardbred Trotter Racehorses: A Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2569. [PMID: 37627359 PMCID: PMC10451774 DOI: 10.3390/ani13162569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Poor performance in racehorses is commonly associated with subclinical diseases. This study aims to evaluate the associations between medical disorders and racing results in Standardbred trotters. The clinical records of 248 poorly performing Standardbreds were retrospectively reviewed, and their racing results were extracted from an online database, concerning the periods 3 months before and 6 months after hospitalization and the entire lifetime. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate the effects of different disorders on racing outcomes. Airway neutrophilia was associated with limiting lifetime starts and wins pre- and post-hospitalization, while mastocytosis was associated with less wins in the post-hospitalization period. Therefore, lower airway inflammation showed both short- and long-term impacts on racing performance. Severe upper airway obstructions and gastric ulcers showed associations with less placings in the post-discharge period but no long-term influence on performance. The significance of exertional rhabdomyolysis was indeterminable, yet interference with the number of starts in the post-discharge period was reported and associated with lower total career earnings. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage and cardiac arrhythmias were not associated with worse racing outcomes: therefore, their role in poor performance remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Maria Lo Feudo
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (C.M.L.F.)
| | - Luca Stucchi
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (C.M.L.F.)
| | - Giovanni Stancari
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Bianca Conturba
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Chiara Bozzola
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (C.M.L.F.)
| | - Enrica Zucca
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (C.M.L.F.)
| | - Francesco Ferrucci
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (C.M.L.F.)
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10
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Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Stancari G, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Medical causes of poor performance and their associations with fitness in Standardbred racehorses. J Vet Intern Med 2023; 37:1514-1527. [PMID: 37148147 PMCID: PMC10365054 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor performance is a multifactorial syndrome of racehorses, commonly associated with subclinical disorders, which can be diagnosed by exercise testing. OBJECTIVES Describe the prevalence of medical causes of poor performance in Standardbreds unassociated with lameness, and evaluate their relationships with fitness variables measured by exercise treadmill test. ANIMALS Hospital population of 259 nonlame Standardbred trotters referred for poor performance. METHODS The horses' medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Horses underwent a diagnostic protocol including resting examination, plasma lactate concentration, treadmill test with continuous ECG and assessment of fitness variables, creatine kinase activity, treadmill endoscopy, postexercise tracheobronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and gastroscopy. The prevalence of different disorders was evaluated, including cardiac arrhythmias, exertional myopathies, dynamic upper airway obstructions (DUAOs), exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), moderate equine asthma (MEA), and gastric ulcers (EGUS). The associations of these disorders with fitness variables were investigated individually and using multivariable models. RESULTS Moderate equine asthma and EGUS were the most common disorders, followed by EIPH, DUAOs, cardiac arrhythmias, and exertional myopathies. Hemosiderin score was positively correlated with BAL neutrophils, eosinophils, and mast cells; increased creatine kinase activity was associated with BAL neutrophilia, DUAOs, premature complexes, and squamous gastric disease. Treadmill velocity at a plasma lactate concentration of 4 mmol/L and at heart rate of 200 beats per minute was negatively affected by BAL neutrophilia, multiple DUAOs, exertional myopathies, and squamous gastric disease. CONCLUSIONS The multifactorial nature of poor performance was confirmed, with MEA, DUAOs, myopathies and EGUS representing the main diseases involved in fitness impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara M. Lo Feudo
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoLodiItaly
| | - Luca Stucchi
- Equine Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoLodiItaly
| | - Bianca Conturba
- Equine Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoLodiItaly
| | - Giovanni Stancari
- Equine Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoLodiItaly
| | - Enrica Zucca
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoLodiItaly
| | - Francesco Ferrucci
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoLodiItaly
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Höglund N, Nieminen P, Mustonen AM, Käkelä R, Tollis S, Koho N, Holopainen M, Ruhanen H, Mykkänen A. Fatty acid fingerprints in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and its extracellular vesicles reflect equine asthma severity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9821. [PMID: 37330591 PMCID: PMC10276833 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36697-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Equine asthma (EA) is an inflammatory disease of the lower airways driven by mediators released from cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vehicles for lipid mediators, which possess either pro-inflammatory or dual anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving functions. In this study, we investigated how the respiratory fatty acid (FA) profile reflects airway inflammatory status. The FA composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), BALF supernatant, and bronchoalveolar EVs of healthy horses (n = 15) and horses with mild/moderate EA (n = 10) or severe EA (SEA, n = 5) was determined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The FA profiles distinguished samples with different diagnoses in all sample types, yet they were insufficient to predict the health status of uncategorized samples. Different individual FAs were responsible for the discrimination of the diagnoses in different sample types. Particularly, in the EVs of SEA horses the proportions of palmitic acid (16:0) decreased and those of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) increased, and all sample types of asthmatic horses had elevated dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) proportions. The results suggest simultaneous pro-inflammatory and resolving actions of FAs and a potential role for EVs as vehicles for lipid mediators in asthma pathogenesis. EV lipid manifestations of EA can offer translational targets to study asthma pathophysiology and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Höglund
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Petteri Nieminen
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anne-Mari Mustonen
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, University of Eastern Finland, 80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Reijo Käkelä
- Helsinki University Lipidomics Unit, HiLIPID, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, HiLIFE, and Biocenter Finland, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sylvain Tollis
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ninna Koho
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minna Holopainen
- Helsinki University Lipidomics Unit, HiLIPID, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, HiLIFE, and Biocenter Finland, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Ruhanen
- Helsinki University Lipidomics Unit, HiLIPID, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, HiLIFE, and Biocenter Finland, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Mykkänen
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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12
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Ermers C, McGilchrist N, Fenner K, Wilson B, McGreevy P. The Fibre Requirements of Horses and the Consequences and Causes of Failure to Meet Them. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081414. [PMID: 37106977 PMCID: PMC10135103 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Failure to meet the minimum forage requirement of 1.5% of the horse's bodyweight and the opportunity for foraging for a minimum of 8 h a day (not going without this opportunity longer than four to five consecutive hours) can have both physiological and behavioural consequences. To provide an energy source for horses, rations often include starch rather than fibre. This can result in health issues related to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in the horse. In the stomach, the main concern is equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and, more specifically, equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). Ulcerations are caused either by increasing acidity in the stomach (from starch ingestion and reduced saliva production) or splashing of acidic juices caused by a lack of a forage barrier prior to exercise or prolonged periods without fibrous feed intake, which allows the stomach to collapse and spread acidic gastric fluids into the upper squamous regions of the stomach. In the hindgut, starch that has escaped digestion in the small intestine causes microbial instability and increased production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and lactic acid. This puts horses at great risk for acidosis and subsequent laminitis. Shifts in the hindgut microbiota will also affect a horse's behaviour via the gut-brain axis, as well as potentially compromise immune function. Reduced fluid intake caused by reduced saliva production can result in colic. Choosing a fibrous alternative for starch in a high-energy diet greatly reduces the risk of EGUS and acidosis and improves digestion, GIT pH, body condition, behaviour, immune functions, and performance. Providing hay can reduce crib-biting, wood-chewing, coprophagia, the consumption of bedding, aggression, and stress, and subsequently increase social bonding and affiliation with conspecifics. Adequate fibre intake is related to reduced clinical signs of EGUS, reduced reactivity, and better adaptation to weaning. Lignophagia (wood chewing) has also been observed in horses that are foraging, and this is thought to reflect low fibre content in the available forage (for example, early vegetative, lush pasture).
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette Ermers
- School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | | | - Kate Fenner
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - Bethany Wilson
- School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Paul McGreevy
- School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
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13
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Woodrow JS, Sheats MK, Cooper B, Bayless R. Asthma: The Use of Animal Models and Their Translational Utility. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071091. [PMID: 37048164 PMCID: PMC10093022 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthma is characterized by chronic lower airway inflammation that results in airway remodeling, which can lead to a permanent decrease in lung function. The pathophysiology driving the development of asthma is complex and heterogenous. Animal models have been and continue to be essential for the discovery of molecular pathways driving the pathophysiology of asthma and novel therapeutic approaches. Animal models of asthma may be induced or naturally occurring. Species used to study asthma include mouse, rat, guinea pig, cat, dog, sheep, horse, and nonhuman primate. Some of the aspects to consider when evaluating any of these asthma models are cost, labor, reagent availability, regulatory burden, relevance to natural disease in humans, type of lower airway inflammation, biological samples available for testing, and ultimately whether the model can answer the research question(s). This review aims to discuss the animal models most available for asthma investigation, with an emphasis on describing the inciting antigen/allergen, inflammatory response induced, and its translation to human asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Seymour Woodrow
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
| | - M Katie Sheats
- Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Bethanie Cooper
- Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Rosemary Bayless
- Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
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14
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Cullinane A, Garvey M, Walsh C, Gibbons J, Creighton A. A Scoping Review of Non-Structural Airway Disease as a Cause of Poor Performance in Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030429. [PMID: 36766318 PMCID: PMC9913315 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between poor performance and respiratory disease in Thoroughbred racehorses that do not have a structural abnormality of the respiratory tract, is often based on anecdotal evidence. The objective of this scoping review was to examine the scientific evidence for such associations. Publications were selected based on a search of three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and CAB Direct), in English and without date restriction, followed by a screening process to exclude non-relevant papers, duplicates, and reviews. This process identified 996 publications of which 20 were analysed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. The results indicated that the evidence supporting the relationship between proposed diagnostic indicators and poor performance is variable. There is a need for better quality evidence. In particular, there are conflicting reports relating to the impact of equine asthma and EIPH on athletic performance. Furthermore, a lack of standardisation in the measurement of racehorse performance makes it difficult to compare findings from different studies. The industry would benefit from high-level guidance concerning the design of controlled performance studies in Thoroughbred racehorses to collect comprehensive data and facilitate targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Cullinane
- The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co., W91 RH93 Kildare, Ireland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +353-45-866266; Fax: +353-45-866273
| | - Marie Garvey
- The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co., W91 RH93 Kildare, Ireland
| | - Cathal Walsh
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland
| | - James Gibbons
- The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co., W91 RH93 Kildare, Ireland
| | - Alan Creighton
- The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co., W91 RH93 Kildare, Ireland
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15
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Bond S, McMullen C, Timsit E, Léguillette R. Topography of the respiratory, oral, and guttural pouch bacterial and fungal microbiotas in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2023; 37:349-360. [PMID: 36607177 PMCID: PMC9889660 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The lower respiratory tract microbiota of the horse is different in states of health and disease, but the bacterial and fungal composition of the healthy respiratory tract of the horse has not been studied in detail. HYPOTHESIS The respiratory tract environment contains distinct niche microbiotas, which decrease in species richness at more distal sampling locations. OBJECTIVE Characterize the bacterial and fungal microbiotas along the upper and lower respiratory tract of the horse. ANIMALS Healthy Argentinian Thoroughbred horses (n = 11) from the same client-owned herd. METHODS Prospective cross-sectional study. Eleven upper and lower respiratory tract anatomical locations (bilateral nasal, bilateral deep nasal, nasopharynx, floor of mouth, oropharynx, arytenoids, proximal and distal trachea, guttural pouch) were sampled using a combination of swabs, protected specimen brushes, and saline washes. Total DNA was extracted from each sample and negative control, and the 16S rRNA gene (V4) and ITS2 region were sequenced. Community composition, alpha-diversity, and beta-diversity were compared among sampling locations. RESULTS Fungal species richness and diversity were highest in the nostrils. More spatial heterogeneity was found in bacterial composition than in fungal communities. The pharyngeal microbiota was most similar to the distal tracheal bacterial and fungal microbiota in healthy horses and therefore may serve as the primary source of bacteria and fungi to the lower respiratory tract. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE The pharynx is an important location that should be targeted in respiratory microbiota research in horses. Future studies that investigate whether biomarkers of respiratory disease can be reliably detected in nasopharyngeal swab samples are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Bond
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada,School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of QueenslandGattonAustralia
| | - Christopher McMullen
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada,Feedlot Health Management Services, IncOkotoksAlbertaCanada
| | - Edouard Timsit
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryAlbertaCanada,I&D Pharma DepartementCeva Santé AnimaleLibourneFrance
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16
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Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Stancari G, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome affects fitness parameters in poorly performing Standardbred racehorses. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1014619. [PMID: 36504861 PMCID: PMC9732101 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1014619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a highly prevalent disorder in horses, which can be classified, based on the localization of the lesions, as Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD) or Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD). Although EGUS is recognized as a common cause of poor performance in racehorses, objective investigations about its relation with athletic capacity are lacking. Therefore, the present retrospective study aims to evaluate the associations between EGUS severity and some fitness parameters measured during an incremental treadmill test in Standardbred racehorses in training. Methods With this aim, data from 87 Standard bred racehorses which underwent a complete diagnostic evaluation for poor performance was reviewed. During gastroscopic examination, a 0-4 score was assigned to ESGD, while EGGD was evaluated for absence/presence; a total EGUS score was obtained by adding 1 point to ESGD score in horses showing concomitant EGGD. Fitness parameters obtained during incremental treadmill test included speed at a heart rate of 200 bpm (V200), speed and heart rate at a blood lactate of 4 mmol/L (VLa4, HRLa4), peak lactate, lactate and heart rate at 30 minutes post-exercise, maximum speed, minimum pH and maximum hematocrit. The associations between fitness parameters and EGUS and ESGD scores were evaluated by Spearman correlation, while Mann-Whitney test was used to compare them between horses with or without EGGD. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results EGUS grade was inversely correlated with V200 (p = 0.0025) and minimum pH (p = 0.0469); ESGD grade was inversely correlated with V200 (p = 0.0025) and VLa4 (p = 0.0363). Although a trend was observed, no significant differences in V200 were observed between horses with or without EGGD (p = 0.073); horses with EGGD reached a lower minimum pH (p = 0.0087). Discussion These results show a negative association between aerobic capacity and EGUS, in particular ESGD. Although different hypotheses have been proposed, including abdominal pain and decreased appetite due to lactate accumulation, the underlying mechanisms are still unknown, and it is not clear whether EGUS represents a cause or a consequence of an early lactate accumulation and post-exercise acidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Maria Lo Feudo
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Luca Stucchi
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy,*Correspondence: Francesco Ferrucci
| | - Bianca Conturba
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stancari
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Enrica Zucca
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferrucci
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy,Luca Stucchi
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17
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Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Stancari G, Ferrucci F. Impact of Lower Airway Inflammation on Fitness Parameters in Standardbred Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223228. [PMID: 36428455 PMCID: PMC9687017 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild-moderate equine asthma (MEA) is a common respiratory disorder among racehorses, characterized by lower airway inflammation. Although it is generally agreed that MEA causes poor performance, contrasting results have been reported about the effects of tracheal mucus and the leukocyte populations of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on performance. This study aims to investigate the associations between airway inflammation and fitness parameters measured during an incremental treadmill test on Standardbred racehorses. For this purpose, the clinical records of 116 Standardbreds subjected to a diagnostic protocol for poor performance were retrospectively reviewed. Parametric and nonparametric statistics were used to evaluate the relationships between endoscopic scores, BAL cytological results, and fitness parameters. Moreover, horses were divided into MEA and non-MEA groups and into neutrophilic, eosinophilic-mastocytic, and mixed MEA groups; fitness parameters were compared between groups. Neutrophils percentages were inversely correlated with the speed at a heart rate of 200 bpm, the speed and heart rate at a plasma lactate concentration of 4 mmol/L (VLa4 and HRLa4), and the maximal speed, while they were positively correlated with higher lactate concentrations. Moreover, significant differences were detected between different MEA subtypes concerning VLa4, HRLa4, and lactate concentrations. These results suggest that airway neutrophilic inflammation impairs athletic capacity in Standardbreds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Maria Lo Feudo
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Luca Stucchi
- Equine Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Bianca Conturba
- Equine Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stancari
- Equine Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferrucci
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati”, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0250334146
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18
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Akula S, Riihimäki M, Waern I, Åbrink M, Raine A, Hellman L, Wernersson S. Quantitative Transcriptome Analysis of Purified Equine Mast Cells Identifies a Dominant Mucosal Mast Cell Population with Possible Inflammatory Functions in Airways of Asthmatic Horses. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232213976. [PMID: 36430453 PMCID: PMC9692376 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease and a serious health problem in horses as well as in humans. In humans and mice, mast cells (MCs) are known to be directly involved in asthma pathology and subtypes of MCs accumulate in different lung and airway compartments. The role and phenotype of MCs in equine asthma has not been well documented, although an accumulation of MCs in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is frequently seen. To characterize the phenotype of airway MCs in equine asthma we here developed a protocol, based on MACS Tyto sorting, resulting in the isolation of 92.9% pure MCs from horse BALF. We then used quantitative transcriptome analyses to determine the gene expression profile of the purified MCs compared with total BALF cells. We found that the MCs exhibited a protease profile typical for the classical mucosal MC subtype, as demonstrated by the expression of tryptase (TPSB2) alone, with no expression of chymase (CMA1) or carboxypeptidase A3 (CPA3). Moreover, the expression of genes involved in antigen presentation and complement activation strongly implicates an inflammatory role for these MCs. This study provides a first insight into the phenotype of equine MCs in BALF and their potential role in the airways of asthmatic horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivas Akula
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7011, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Miia Riihimäki
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ida Waern
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7011, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Magnus Åbrink
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amanda Raine
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Hellman
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Wernersson
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7011, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-(0)1-8672-112
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Effect of Hay Steaming on the Estimated Precaecal Digestibility of Crude Protein and Selected Amino Acids in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223092. [PMID: 36428320 PMCID: PMC9686632 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Steaming hay is increasingly used to treat low-quality forage because it was proven to reduce inhalable allergens such as mould spores, bacteria, and airborne dust particles. Preliminary results have shown a substantial loss of precaecal (pc) digestibility (D) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA). For this purpose, six different batches of hay from central Germany were divided into four subsamples, and each one was individually steamed. Native hay and four replicates of each steamed subsample were analysed for CP, AA, neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP), neutral detergent soluble crude protein (NDSCP) as well as pepsin insoluble CP (piCP). Based on the analytical parameters, pcD of CP, protein solubility (PS), piCP (% CP) and precaecal digestible (pcd) CP and pcdAA contents were calculated. Selected Maillard reaction products (MRP), namely furosine and carboxymethyllysine (CML), were also analysed. Steaming did not affect CP content (native = 69, steamed = 67 g/kg dry matter, DM; p > 0.05), but it had an impact on the insoluble part of CP. Thus, NDICP increased by 57% (native = 27, steamed = 42 g/kg DM; p < 0.05) and piCP by 15% overall (native = 40, steamed = 46% of CP; p < 0.05). This could be a consequence of the heat damage and the associated increase in MRP. The content of furosine rose by 67% (native = 17.6, steamed = 29.4 mg/100 g DM; p < 0.05). The content of CML increased by 120% (native = 5.1, steamed = 11.3 mg/100 g DM; p < 0.05). We chose to analyse these two MRPs because they represent the reaction products with the limiting AA lysine. In contrast, the soluble fractions of CP declined, while PS as a percentage of CP decreased by 38% as a result of the treatment, and NDSCP was reduced by as much as 41% (p < 0.05). In line with this, the steaming process decreased the pcD of CP (native = 56%, steamed = 35%; p < 0.05) and pcdCP (native = 37.9, steamed = 22.5 g/kg DM; p < 0.05), respectively. The same effects were shown for selected AA; e.g., sulphuric AA pcd methionine plus pcd cysteine decreased by 45%, pcd threonine decreased by 41%, and the limited AA pcd lysine decreased by more than 50% (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the high temperatures generated during steaming lead to protein damage and consequently to a reduction in the pcD of CP and essential AA. Nevertheless, steaming successfully reduces viable microorganisms and binds dust particles. Therefore, steamed hay is still a proper and sometimes the only possible roughage for horses suffering from respiratory diseases such as equine asthma. Essentially, horse diets based on steamed hay should be balanced accordingly.
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20
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Rutledge JJ, Paegelow J, Ritchey J, Singh A, Rizzi T, Murray C, Gilliam L, Crisman E, Williams NJ, Holbrook TC. Nebulized glycosylated caffeic acid phenylether ester attenuation of environmental particulate-induced airway inflammation in horses. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:958567. [PMID: 36406065 PMCID: PMC9669659 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.958567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the extent that nebulized glycosylated caffeic acid phenylether ester-4-O-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (G-CAPE) attenuates particulate-induced airway inflammation in healthy horses. Our hypothesis was that nebulization with G-CAPE would result in improved respiratory scores, higher arterial oxygen partial pressure, and less inflammatory airway infiltrates in horses with induced airway inflammation, compared with untreated controls. Five healthy adult horses were housed inside a climate controlled, closed barn on straw bedding and fed ad lib moldy grass hay for 16 days to induce airway inflammation. An experimental crossover study was performed in which animals were treated with 200 mg G-CAPE dissolved in 45 mL of 10% triethanolamine (G-CAPE group) or 45 mL of 10% triethanolamine (CONTROL group), and clinical respiratory scoring, arterial blood gases, and bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) were collected at predetermined time points up to 24 h post nebulization. While the mean neutrophil percentage decreased in treated horses compared to controls (9.3 ± 2.0 and 16.9 ± 2.4, respectively) at 6 hours post treatment (t = 6 h), the difference did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.1154). Blood gas analysis did not differ significantly between groups. There was a significant difference in the mean respiratory scores of G-CAPE-treated horses between baseline and at 1-h post treatment (from 3.2 ± 0.7 to 1.6 ± 0.7, p = 0.0013). This study demonstrates that a single nebulized dose of G-CAPE decreased clinical respiratory scores 1 h post administration and decreased BAL percentage of neutrophils 6 h post administration in horses with particulate induced airway inflammation. This compound shows promise as an anti-inflammatory and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J. Rutledge
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Jillian Paegelow
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Jerry Ritchey
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Anuradha Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Theresa Rizzi
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Cynthia Murray
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK, United States
| | - Lyndi Gilliam
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Evan Crisman
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Natasha J. Williams
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Todd C. Holbrook
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
- *Correspondence: Todd C. Holbrook
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Gressler AE, Lübke S, Wagner B, Arnold C, Lohmann KL, Schnabel CL. Comprehensive Flow Cytometric Characterization of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cells Indicates Comparable Phenotypes Between Asthmatic and Healthy Horses But Functional Lymphocyte Differences. Front Immunol 2022; 13:896255. [PMID: 35874777 PMCID: PMC9296846 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.896255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Equine asthma (EA) is a highly relevant disease, estimated to affect up to 20% of all horses, and compares to human asthma. The pathogenesis of EA is most likely immune-mediated, yet incompletely understood. To study the immune response in the affected lower airways, mixed leukocytes were acquired through bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and the cell populations were analyzed on a single-cell basis by flow cytometry (FC). Samples of 38 horses grouped as respiratory healthy or affected by mild to moderate (mEA) or severe EA (sEA) according to their history, clinical signs, and BAL cytology were analyzed. Using FC, BAL cells and PBMC were comprehensively characterized by cell surface markers ex vivo. An increased percentage of DH24A+ polymorphonuclear cells, and decreased percentages of CD14+ macrophages were detected in BAL from horses with sEA compared to healthy horses or horses with mEA, while lymphocyte proportions were similar between all groups. Independently of EA, macrophages in BAL were CD14+CD16+, which contrasts the majority of CD14+CD16- classical monocytes in PBMC. Percentages of CD16-expressing BAL macrophages were reduced in BAL from horses with sEA compared to healthy horses. While PBMC lymphocytes predominantly contain CD4+ T cells, B cells and few CD8+ T cells, BAL lymphocytes comprised mainly CD8+ T cells, fewer CD4+ T cells and hardly any B cells. These lymphocyte subsets’ distributions were similar between all groups. After PMA/ionomycin stimulation in vitro, lymphocyte activation (CD154 and T helper cell cytokine expression) was analyzed in BAL cells of 26 of the horses and group differences were observed (p=0.01–0.11). Compared to healthy horses’ BAL, CD154+ lymphocytes from horses with mEA, and CD4+IL-17A+ lymphocytes from horses with sEA were increased in frequency. Activated CD4+ T helper cells were more frequent in asthmatics’ (mEA, sEA) compared to healthy horses’ PBMC lymphocytes. In summary, FC analysis of BAL cells identified increased polymorphonuclear cells frequencies in sEA as established, while macrophage percentages were mildly reduced, and lymphocyte populations remained unaffected by EA. Cytokine production differences of BAL lymphocytes from horses with sEA compared to healthy horses’ cells point towards a functional difference, namely increased local type 3 responses in sEA.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Elisabeth Gressler
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sabrina Lübke
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bettina Wagner
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Corinna Arnold
- Department for Horses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katharina L Lohmann
- Department for Horses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christiane L Schnabel
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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22
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Janssen P, Tosi I, Hego A, Maréchal P, Marichal T, Radermecker C. Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Are Found in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids of Horses With Severe Asthma and Correlate With Asthma Severity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:921077. [PMID: 35911691 PMCID: PMC9326094 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.921077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthma encompasses a spectrum of heterogenous immune-mediated respiratory disorders sharing a similar clinical pattern characterized by cough, wheeze and exercise intolerance. In horses, equine asthma can be subdivided into severe or moderate asthma according to clinical symptoms and the extent of airway neutrophilic inflammation. While severe asthmatic horses are characterized by an elevated neutrophilic inflammation of the lower airways, cough, dyspnea at rest and high mucus secretion, horses with moderate asthma show a milder neutrophilic inflammation, exhibit intolerance to exercise but no labored breathing at rest. Yet, the physiopathology of different phenotypes of equine asthma remains poorly understood and there is a need to elucidate the underlying mechanisms tailoring those phenotypes in order to improve clinical management and elaborate novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we sought to quantify the presence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) of moderate or severe asthmatic horses and healthy controls, and assessed whether NETs correlated with disease severity. To this end, we evaluated the amounts of NETs by measuring cell-free DNA and MPO-DNA complexes in BALF supernatants or by quantifying NETs release by BALF cells by confocal microscopy. We were able to unequivocally identify elevated NETs levels in BALF of severe asthmatic horses as compared to healthy controls or moderate asthmatic horses. Moreover, we provided evidence that BALF NETs release was a specific feature seen in severe equine asthma, as opposed to moderate asthma, and correlated with disease severity. Finally, we showed that NETs could act as a predictive factor for severe equine asthma. Our study thus uniquely identifies NETs in BALF of severe asthmatic horses using three distinct methods and supports the idea that moderate and severe equine asthma do not rely on strictly similar pathophysiological mechanisms. Our data also suggest that NETs represent a relevant biomarker, a putative driver and a potential therapeutic target in severe asthma disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Janssen
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology, GIGA Institute, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Irene Tosi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Hego
- In Vitro Imaging Platform, GIGA Institute, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Pauline Maréchal
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology, GIGA Institute, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Thomas Marichal
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology, GIGA Institute, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Coraline Radermecker
- Laboratory of Immunophysiology, GIGA Institute, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Coraline Radermecker,
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23
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Kinnison T, McGilvray TA, Couëtil LL, Smith KC, Wylie CE, Bacigalupo SA, Gomez-Grau E, Cardwell JM. Mild-moderate equine asthma: A scoping review of evidence supporting the consensus definition. Vet J 2022; 286:105865. [PMID: 35817389 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2022.105865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Current consensus defines mild-moderate equine asthma (mEA; previously inflammatory airway disease) by a hierarchy of indicators of lung pathology: cough, poor performance, increased tracheobronchial mucus, inflammatory bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology and pulmonary dysfunction. Exclusion criteria include fever, systemic disease, or increased resting respiratory effort. The aim of this review was to inform future research by identifying gaps, strengths and weaknesses in the current body of evidence supporting this consensus-proposed definition. Objectives were to critique evidence supporting the inclusion of each diagnostic indicator in the case definition, by summarising and evaluating evidence for its association with higher-level indicators of lung inflammation. Searches of three databases identified 2275 articles relating to mEA or its diagnostic indicators, from which 298 full-text articles were screened and 45 reviewed in full. Studies (n = 44) had been performed worldwide in clinics, hospitals, racetracks, yards or research herds, in 6092 horses. Studies were predominantly opportunistic observational (n = 13/44: 29.5%) or cross-sectional (n = 11/44; 25%). The median number of horses per study was 74. Where breed and use were reported most were Thoroughbreds (58.2%; 2730/4688) and racehorses (72.8%; n = 3960/5439). Domains rated as high risk of bias in almost 50% of articles were 'study power' and 'masking'. Heterogeneity in clinical and laboratory measures precluded meta-analysis. Evidence was more consistent for certain pairwise relationships (e.g., between cough and tracheobronchial mucus) than others (e.g., BAL cytology and lung function). Findings highlight the need for increased standardisation of diagnostic methods and reporting to facilitate future systematic review and meta-analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kinnison
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK.
| | - T A McGilvray
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
| | - L L Couëtil
- Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - K C Smith
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
| | - C E Wylie
- Rossdales Equine Hospital, Cotton End Road, Exning, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7NN, UK
| | - S A Bacigalupo
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
| | - E Gomez-Grau
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
| | - J M Cardwell
- Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
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24
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Höglund N, Koho N, Rossi H, Karttunen J, Mustonen AM, Nieminen P, Rilla K, Oikari S, Mykkänen A. Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles From the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Healthy and Asthmatic Horses. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:894189. [PMID: 35799843 PMCID: PMC9255554 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.894189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound particles that engage in inflammatory reactions by mediating cell–cell interactions. Previously, EVs have been isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of humans and rodents. The aim of this study was to investigate the number and size distribution of EVs in the BALF of asthmatic horses (EA, n = 35) and healthy horses (n = 19). Saline was injected during bronchoscopy to the right lung followed by manual aspiration. The retrieved BALF was centrifuged twice to remove cells and biological debris. The supernatant was concentrated and EVs were isolated using size-exclusion chromatography. Sample fractions were measured with nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) for particle number and size, and transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to visualize EVs. The described method was able to isolate and preserve EVs. The mean EV size was 247 ± 35 nm (SD) in the EA horses and 261 ± 47 nm in the controls by NTA. The mean concentration of EVs was 1.38 × 1012 ± 1.42 × 1012 particles/mL in the EA horses and 1.33 × 1012 ± 1.07 × 1012 particles/mL in the controls with no statistically significant differences between the groups. With Western blotting and microscopy, these particles were documented to associate with EV protein markers (CD63, TSG101, HSP70, EMMPRIN, and actin) and hyaluronan. Equine BALF is rich in EVs of various sizes, and the described protocol is usable for isolating EVs. In the future, the role of EVs can be studied in horses with airway inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Höglund
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- *Correspondence: Nina Höglund
| | - Ninna Koho
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heini Rossi
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni Karttunen
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anne-Mari Mustonen
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Petteri Nieminen
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kirsi Rilla
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Sanna Oikari
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anna Mykkänen
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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25
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Calzetta L, Pistocchini E, Cito G, Ritondo BL, Verri S, Rogliani P. Inflammatory and contractile profile in LPS-challenged equine isolated bronchi: Evidence for IL-6 as a potential target against AHR in equine asthma. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2022; 73-74:102125. [PMID: 35351641 DOI: 10.1016/j.pupt.2022.102125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) are pivotal characteristics of equine asthma. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may have a central role in modulating airway inflammation and dysfunction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to match the inflammatory and contractile profile in LPS-challenged equine isolated bronchi to identify molecular targets potentially suitable to counteract AHR in asthmatic horses. METHODS Equine isolated bronchi were incubated overnight with LPS (0.1-100 ng/ml). The contractile response to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and the levels of cytokines, chemokines, and neurokinin A (NKA) were quantified. The role of capsaicin sensitive-sensory nerves, neurokinin-2 (NK2) receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 receptors (TRPV1), and epithelium were also investigated. RESULTS LPS 1 ng/ml elicited AHR to EFS (+238.17 ± 25.20% P < 0.001 vs. control). LPS significantly (P < 0.05 vs. control) increased the levels of IL-4 (+36.08 ± 1.62%), IL-5 (+38.60 ± 3.58%), IL-6 (+33.79 ± 2.59%), IL-13 (+40.91 ± 1.93%), IL-1β (+1650.16 ± 71.16%), IL-33 (+88.14 ± 8.93%), TGF-β (22.29 ± 1.03%), TNF-α (+56.13 ± 4.61%), CXCL-8 (+98.49 ± 17.70%), EOTAXIN (+32.26 ± 2.27%), MCP-1 (+49.63 ± 4.59%), RANTES (+36.38 ± 2.24%), and NKA (+112.81 ± 6.42%). Capsaicin sensitive-sensory nerves, NK2 receptor, and TRPV1 were generally involved in the LPS-mediated inflammation. Epithelium removal modulated the release of IL-1β, IL-33, and TGF-β. Only the levels of IL-6 fitted with AHR to a wide range of EFS frequencies, an effect significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited by anti-IL-6 antibody; exogenous IL-6 induced significant (P < 0.05) AHR to EFS similar to that elicited by LPS. CONCLUSION Targeting IL-6 with specific antibody may represent an effective strategy to treat equine asthma, especially in those animals suffering from severe forms of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigino Calzetta
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Respiratory Disease and Lung Function Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Elena Pistocchini
- Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cito
- ASL Roma 2, UOC Tutela Igienico Sanitaria Degli Alimenti di Origine Animale, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Ludovica Ritondo
- Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Verri
- Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Rogliani
- Unit of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
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26
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Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Cavicchioli P, Stancari G, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Association between dynamic upper airway obstructions and fitness parameters in Standardbred racehorses during high-speed treadmill exercise. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2022; 260:1343-1350. [DOI: 10.2460/javma.22.02.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between the severity of dynamic upper airway obstruction (DUAO) and selected fitness parameters in Standardbred racehorses measured by treadmill test.
ANIMALS
191 Standardbred racehorses that underwent a standardized diagnostic protocol for poor performance evaluation between 2002 and 2021 at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Milan.
PROCEDURES
Horses underwent a diagnostic protocol including clinical examination, lameness evaluation, laboratory analyses, ECG, resting upper airway endoscopy, metabolic incremental treadmill test, high-speed treadmill endoscopy, postexercise tracheobronchoscopy, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology. On the basis of findings of the high-speed treadmill endoscopy, horses were divided into the following groups: no DUAO, mild DUAO (medial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds or epiglottic entrapment), severe DUAO (dorsal displacement of the soft palate, nasopharyngeal collapse, dynamic laryngeal collapse, or epiglottic retroversion), and multiple DUAOs (different forms of DUAO occurring concomitantly). Fitness parameters, measured by incremental treadmill test, included speed at a heart rate of 200 bpm (V200), speed and heart rate at a lactate concentration of 4 mmol/L (VLa4, HRLa4), peak lactate, maximum speed, maximum hematocrit, and minimum pH. Data were compared between groups by use of descriptive and statistical analyses.
RESULTS
Horses affected by severe or multiple DUAOs showed lower V200 and VLa4, compared to the no-DUAO group; horses with multiple DUAOs also had higher peak lactate concentrations compared to horses without DUAOs.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
While mild forms of DUAO do not affect athletic capacity, severe forms of DUAO and multiple DUAOs may lead to reduced fitness in Standardbred racehorses by impairing aerobic capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara M. Lo Feudo
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati,” Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Luca Stucchi
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Pietra Cavicchioli
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati,” Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stancari
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Bianca Conturba
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Enrica Zucca
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati,” Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferrucci
- Equine Sports Medicine Laboratory “Franco Tradati,” Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy
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27
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Holmes TQ, Brown AF. Champing at the Bit for Improvements: A Review of Equine Welfare in Equestrian Sports in the United Kingdom. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:1186. [PMID: 35565612 PMCID: PMC9100173 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Equestrian sports, including racing (e.g., flat, steeple-chasing, harness or donkey derby); show-jumping; cross-country; dressage; polo; polocrosse; endurance; carriage driving; vaulting and hunting; are hugely popular in the UK, and they involve a significant number of people, both as participants and spectators, and tens of thousands of equids. In this paper, we discuss animal welfare as a complex and disputed issue, clarifying what the term means and how it can be measured. We review many aspects of welfare risk to equids used for sport, addressing issues encountered throughout their lives, including housing, feeding, veterinary intervention, shoeing, handling, training, breeding and equipment. This is followed by a unique exploration of the institutions and social processes influencing equine welfare. The institutional components comprise the rules of competition, the equids, attributes of the stakeholders and the space where participants strive to achieve a common purpose. We endeavour to untangle the most significant elements that create barriers or provide opportunities for equine welfare improvement. We expose the challenges faced by a broad range of stakeholders with differing ethics, attitudes and values. Evidently, there are many welfare risks to which equids used in sports continue to be exposed. It is also evident that significant improvements have occurred in recent times, but there remains a barrier to reducing the risks to an acceptable level. We conclude with recommendations regarding a process for change, involvement of stakeholders and management of knowledge to improve equine welfare that involves identifying and prioritising the risk factors and ultimately leading to interventions, further research and/or education.
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28
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Araneda OF. Horse Racing as a Model to Study the Relationship between Air Pollutants and Physical Performance. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091139. [PMID: 35565565 PMCID: PMC9103629 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Ambient air contains a mixture of pollutants, the effects of which on animal and human health have been widely described. In contrast, the effects on physical performance are poorly understood, largely due to the difficulty of implementing an experimental model to study this problem. Thoroughbred horse racing involves many animal athletes, of similar genetics, environmental exposure, training, and diet, who participate by breathing varying mixtures of ambient air. This paper presents an analysis strategy based on the homogeneity of the races, the distance, and the design of the track. This paper presents a preliminary analysis in which we observe that the level of performance is decreased by concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, NO, and CO in the air. Thus, we note that this natural experiment may constitute a model of interest to advance the understanding of the problem. Abstract This study proposes the theoretical principles for the selection of a sample of horse races to study the relationship between air pollutants and performance. These criteria were then applied to an original dataset comparing the correlations between these variables obtained in “Handicap” versus “Conditional” type races. Methods: The mean concentration of pollutants during the six hours prior to the race and the speed of the test were determined in 441 official races at a racecourse in Santiago, Chile, during the summer and winter months of 2012. Using layout, track condition and distance (1000, 1100 and 1200 m) as criteria, a homogeneous group of races (“Handicap”; n = 214) versus a heterogeneous group (“Conditional”; n = 95) were compared using simple correlations (Spearman’s test). Results: Race speed was related to greater levels of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, NO and SO2 and it was positively related to O3, a trend that was observed in the 1000, 1100 m races and in the total “Handicap” group. Similar results were observed only in 1000 m for the “Conditional” group with lower Rho, except for PM10 and PM2.5. The total races of the conditional group showed lower Rho values and significant associations of the same trend for CO, NO2, NO and SO2. Conclusions: Horse races between 1000 and 1200 m of the “Handicap” type appear to be an interesting group to study the relationship between air pollutants and the performance of racehorses. In the future, our observations should be expanded to other distances and other types of races.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar F Araneda
- Integrative Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Effort, LIBFE, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago 8320000, Chile
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29
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Training associated alterations in equine respiratory immunity using a multiomics comparative approach. Sci Rep 2022; 12:427. [PMID: 35013475 PMCID: PMC8748960 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04137-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophilic airway inflammation is highly prevalent in racehorses in training, with the term mild to moderate equine asthma (MMEA) being applied to the majority of such cases. Our proposed study is largely derived from the strong association between MMEA in racehorses and their entry into a race training program. The objectives of this study are to characterise the effect of training on the local pulmonary immune system by defining the gene and protein expression of tracheal wash (TW) derived samples from Thoroughbred racehorses prior to and following commencement of race training. Multiomics analysis detected 2138 differentially expressed genes and 260 proteins during the training period. Gene and protein sets were enriched for biological processes related to acute phase response, oxidative stress, haemopoietic processes, as well as to immune response and inflammation. This study demonstrated TW samples to represent a rich source of airway cells, protein and RNA to study airway immunity in the horse and highlighted the benefits of a multiomics methodological approach to studying the dynamics of equine airway immunity. Findings likely reflect the known associations between race-training and both airway inflammation and bleeding, offering further insight into the potential mechanisms which underpin training associated airway inflammation.
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30
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Could Interleukin-33 (IL-33) Govern the Outcome of an Equine Influenza Virus Infection? Learning from Other Species. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122519. [PMID: 34960788 PMCID: PMC8704309 DOI: 10.3390/v13122519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are important respiratory pathogens of horses and humans. Infected individuals develop typical respiratory disorders associated with the death of airway epithelial cells (AECs) in infected areas. Virulence and risk of secondary bacterial infections vary among IAV strains. The IAV non-structural proteins, NS1, PB1-F2, and PA-X are important virulence factors controlling AEC death and host immune responses to viral and bacterial infection. Polymorphism in these proteins impacts their function. Evidence from human and mouse studies indicates that upon IAV infection, the manner of AEC death impacts disease severity. Indeed, while apoptosis is considered anti-inflammatory, necrosis is thought to cause pulmonary damage with the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), such as interleukin-33 (IL-33). IL-33 is a potent inflammatory mediator released by necrotic cells, playing a crucial role in anti-viral and anti-bacterial immunity. Here, we discuss studies in human and murine models which investigate how viral determinants and host immune responses control AEC death and subsequent lung IL-33 release, impacting IAV disease severity. Confirming such data in horses and improving our understanding of early immunologic responses initiated by AEC death during IAV infection will better inform the development of novel therapeutic or vaccine strategies designed to protect life-long lung health in horses and humans, following a One Health approach.
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31
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Bessonnat A, Hélie P, Grimes C, Lavoie JP. Airway remodeling in horses with mild and moderate asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2021; 36:285-291. [PMID: 34877706 PMCID: PMC8783337 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a remodeling of the central airways in horses with severe asthma but whether a similar process occurs in horses with the mild or moderate asthma (MMA) is unknown. Objectives To evaluate lesions affecting the central airways of horses with MMA. Animals Twelve horses with MMA and 8 control horses. Methods Case‐control retrospective study of horses classified as MMA affected or controls based on history and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology. Endobronchial biopsies were analyzed using histomorphometry and a semiquantitative histologic scoring system. Results Histomorphometry identified epithelial hyperplasia (47 μm2/μm [34‐57 μm2/μm]; P = .02), a thickened lamina propria (166 μm [73‐336 μm]; P = .04), and smooth muscle fibrosis (42% [33%‐78%]; P = .04) in horses with MMA when compared to controls horses (24 μm2/μm [21‐80 μm2/μm]; 76 μm [36‐176 μm]; and 33% [26%‐52%], respectively). The semiquantitative score results indicated, in horses with MMA, the presence of epithelial hyperplasia (7 of the 12 horses with MMA and only 1 of the 8 control horses had a score of 1/1), and submucosal inflammatory leucocytes in the central airway (11 of the 12 horses with MMA and only 4 of the 8 control horses had a score ≥ 1/2). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Tissue remodeling of the bronchial lamina propria, epithelium, and smooth muscle was present in horses with MMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Bessonnat
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pierre Hélie
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Carolyn Grimes
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavoie
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
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Tumlin K, Liu S, Park JH. Framing Future of Work Considerations through Climate and Built Environment Assessment of Volunteer Work Practices in the United States Equine Assisted Services. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph181910385. [PMID: 34639685 PMCID: PMC8508050 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The foundation of healthy workplace design is an understanding of work practices. Volunteers comprise the majority of the workforce in care centers using horses to address human health issues. Documentation is lacking on protections for worker well-being in equestrian microenvironments which are known to have the potential for dust exposures. Climate acts as a master variable in equestrian facility design and ventilation usage to address dust and temperature concerns. Using climate as an independent variable, our objective was to characterize space usage, safety, environmental control, and organizational practices through a national survey of equine assisted programs. We found that more fully enclosed indoor arena spaces were in cold/very cold and mixed-humid climates (p = 0.0114). Annually more volunteers (p = 0.0073) work in these two climate groups averaging 100 volunteers per location. A total of 34% of all facilities, regardless of climate, do not use mechanical ventilation systems (e.g., fans). As volunteer worker time in the arena increased, time in the barn microenvironment tended to decrease (p = 0.0538). We identified facility designs, ventilation usage, and worker arrangements to refine the scalability of future air contaminant monitoring and to provide frameworks for education, workplace design, and prevention of exposure to dust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Tumlin
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Sa Liu
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (S.L.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Jae-Hong Park
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (S.L.); (J.-H.P.)
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Dupuis-Dowd F, Lavoie JP. Airway smooth muscle remodelling in mild and moderate equine asthma. Equine Vet J 2021; 54:865-874. [PMID: 34529300 DOI: 10.1111/evj.13514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Airway smooth muscle remodelling in severe equine asthma includes both thickening of airway smooth muscle, resulting from hyperplasia and hypertrophy, and changes in contractility. However, airway smooth muscle changes have not been studied in milder forms of the disease. OBJECTIVES To investigate bronchial smooth muscle remodelling in horses with mild and moderate asthma (MEA). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. METHODS The endobronchial biopsies from 18 horses with MEA referred to the Equine Hospital of the Université de Montréal and from seven healthy age-matched control horses were studied. The diagnosis was based on clinical signs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology. Airway smooth muscle cell proliferation was measured by quantifying the expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) using immunohistochemistry and histomorphometry. The expression of the (+)insert smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (SMMHC) isoform, an hypercontractile protein, was assessed by RT-qPCR. RESULTS Expression of the (+)insert SMMHC isoform in airway smooth muscle was approximately 1.5 times greater in horses with MEA compared with controls (P = .02, mean difference 0.01). Although there were no differences between groups in the proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells (P = .4) or myocyte density (P = .3, mean difference -0.6), the percentage of proliferating myocytes was correlated to pulmonary neutrophilia in horses with neutrophilic inflammation (P = .01, r = .80) and to the expression of the (+)insert SMMHC isoform in asthmatic horses (P = .03, r = .66). MAIN LIMITATIONS Small cohorts of horses were studied, and conclusions are limited to the central airways. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm the presence of bronchial smooth muscle remodelling in mild forms of equine asthma and pave the way for the development of biomarkers to measure asthma progression and response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Dupuis-Dowd
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavoie
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
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Taylor SD, Ivester KM, Stewart C, Page AE, Horohov DW, Couetil LL. The effect of lower airway inflammation on inflammatory cytokine gene expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and whole blood in racing Thoroughbreds. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2021; 237:110266. [PMID: 33991760 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2021.110266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of mild to moderate equine asthma (MEA) are not completely understood. There are limited data on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood inflammatory cytokine profiles in racehorses with MEA, and the effect of racing on inflammatory cytokines is unknown. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that inflammatory cytokine gene expression in BALF and resting blood would be higher in racehorses with lower airway inflammation compared to healthy controls, and that gene expression in blood collected immediately post-race would be increased compared to resting blood in racehorses with lower airway inflammation. ANIMALS 38 racing Thoroughbreds (samples: 30 resting blood, 22 post-race BALF, 41 post-race blood). METHODS Prospective observational study. Inflammatory cytokine gene expression was determined in resting blood, post-race BALF and post-race blood from racehorses with lower airway inflammation and controls. RESULTS Lower airway inflammation was diagnosed in 79 % of racehorses (23 % neutrophilic, 67 % mastocytic, and 10 % mixed). There was no difference in gene expression in BALF or resting blood between racehorses with lower airway inflammation and controls. IL-8 gene expression was higher in post-race blood compared to resting peripheral blood, regardless of disease (p = 0052). BALF neutrophil proportions increased with increasing IL-1β gene expression in all sample types (p = 0.0025). BALF mast cell proportions increased with increasing TNF-α gene expression in post-race blood (p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Lower airway inflammation was common in a population of racehorses without respiratory signs or exercise intolerance. Exercise alone increased peripheral blood IL-8 gene expression. Inflammatory cytokine gene expression was not increased in BALF or resting blood in horses with subclinical lower airway inflammation, precluding its diagnostic utility in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra D Taylor
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Kathleen M Ivester
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Craig Stewart
- Gluck Equine Research Center, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Allen E Page
- Gluck Equine Research Center, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - David W Horohov
- Gluck Equine Research Center, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Laurent L Couetil
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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Payette F, Charlebois A, Fairbrother J, Beauchamp G, Leclere M. Nicoletella semolina in the airways of healthy horses and horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2021; 35:1612-1619. [PMID: 33942932 PMCID: PMC8163135 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nicoletella semolina was identified in the airways of horses and its low prevalence could be because of its difficult differentiation from other Pasteurellaceae. Objectives To develop a molecular method for the identification of N. semolina and to evaluate its prevalence in the mouth and the airways of healthy and severe asthmatic horses. Animals Six healthy and 6 severely asthmatic horses in phase I, 10 severely asthmatic horses in phase II, and 10 healthy horses in phase III. Methods Cohort (phases I and II) and cross‐sectional (phase III) studies. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction primers targeting the sodA gene were optimized. N. semolina was quantified in oral and nasal washes and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF; phase I, sampled twice), in nasal washes and BALF (phase II, sampled twice), and in nasal washes (phase III). Results N. semolina was found in the nose of 5, 10, and 9 horses in phases I, II, and III, respectively (first sampling for phases I and II). Six BALF from 5 different horses were positive for N. semolina in phase II. In phase I, there was no significant difference in the nasal loads of healthy horses (median (range): 2.04 × 104 copies/mL (0‐2.44 × 105)) and asthmatic horses in exacerbation (3.75 × 102 (0‐4.84 × 106); Wilcoxon's rank sum test, P = .57). Conclusions and Clinical Importance N. semolina is commonly found in the airways of horses. The potential pathogenicity of N. semolina remains to be elucidated, but the molecular technique we developed will facilitate future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavie Payette
- Clinical Sciences Department, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Audrey Charlebois
- Clinical Sciences Department, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Julie‐Hélène Fairbrother
- Bacteriology Diagnostic Laboratory, Complexe de Diagnostic et d'Épidémiosurveillance Vétérinaires du Québec, Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec and Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Guy Beauchamp
- Veterinary Biomedicine Department, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Mathilde Leclere
- Clinical Sciences Department, Faculté de Médecine VétérinaireUniversité de MontréalMontrealQuebecCanada
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36
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Couetil L, Ivester K, Barnum S, Pusterla N. Equine respiratory viruses, airway inflammation and performance in thoroughbred racehorses. Vet Microbiol 2021; 257:109070. [PMID: 33865081 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2021.109070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Equine asthma is a common cause of poor performance in racehorses but it is unclear if respiratory viruses contribute to its etiology. The objective of the study was to determine if respiratory viruses were associated with clinical signs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine herpesviruses (EHV-1, 2, 4, 5) and equine rhinitis A and B viruses (ERBV, ERAV) genomes were quantified by qPCR in nasopharyngeal, tracheal, and BALF samples collected after racing. The relationships between virus detection and load and clinical signs, performance, BALF cytology, and environmental exposures were examined with generalized linear mixed models. Ninety-two samples were collected from 31 horses. EHV-1 and ERAV were not found; EHV-4 was detected in only one sample. EHV-2, EHV-5 and ERBV were more likely to be detected in upper airway samples than in BALF (P < 0.0001). Neither respiratory virus detection nor load was associated with clinical signs or performance. Nasopharyngeal detection and load of ERBV and tracheal detection and load of EHV-5 were associated with increased proportions of neutrophils in BALF (P < 0.003). However, nasopharyngeal detection and load of EHV-5 was not (P = 0.11). Nasopharyngeal detection and load of EHV-2 were associated with decreased BALF mast cell proportions. Respirable dust exposures were significantly higher in horses with detection of ERBV when compared to horses with no detectable ERBV (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that ERBV, EHV-2 and EHV-5 are commonly present in upper airways of healthy racehorses; however, the role they play in the etiology of equine asthma remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Couetil
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Kathleen Ivester
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Samantha Barnum
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Nicola Pusterla
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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37
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Davis KU, Sheats MK. Differential gene expression and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage cells from horses with mild/moderate neutrophilic or mastocytic inflammation on BAL cytology. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2021; 234:110195. [PMID: 33588285 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2021.110195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Mild to moderate equine asthma syndrome (mEAS) affects horses of all ages and breeds. To date, the etiology and pathophysiology of mEAS are active areas of research, and it remains incompletely understood whether mEAS horses with different immune cell 'signatures' on BAL cytology represent different phenotypes, distinct pathobiological mechanisms (endotypes), varied environmental conditions, disease severity, genetic predispositions, or all of the above. In this descriptive study, we compared gene expression data from BAL cells isolated from horses with normal BALF cytology (n = 5), to those isolated from horses with mild/moderate neutrophilic inflammation (n = 5), or mild/moderate mastocytic inflammation (n = 5). BAL cell protein lysates were analyzed for cytokine/chemokine levels using Multiplex Bead Immunoassay, and for select proteins using immunoblot. The transcriptome, determined by RNA-seq and analyzed with DEseq2, contained 20, 63, and 102 significantly differentially expressed genes in horses with normal vs. neutrophilic, normal vs. mastocytic, and neutrophilic vs. mastocytic BALF cytology, respectively. Pathway analyses revealed that BAL-isolated cells from horses with neutrophilic vs. normal cytology showed enrichment in inflammation pathways, and horses with mastocytic vs. normal cytology showed enrichment in pathways involved in fibrosis and allergic reaction. BAL cells from horses with mastocytic mEAS, compared to neutrophilic mEAS, showed enrichment in pathways involved in alteration of tissue structures. Cytokine analysis determined that IL-1β was significantly different in the lysates from horses with neutrophilic inflammation compared to those with normal or mastocytic BAL cytology. Immunoblot revealed significant difference in the relative level of MMP2 in horses with neutrophilic vs. mastocytic mEAS. Upregulation of mRNA transcripts involved in the IL-1 family cytokine signaling axis (IL1a, IL1b, and IL1R2) in neutrophilic mEAS, as well as KIT mRNA in mastocytic mEAS, are novel, potentially clinically relevant, findings of this study. These findings further inform our understanding of inflammatory cell subtypes in mEAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Uchiumi Davis
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, United States; Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, United States
| | - M Katie Sheats
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, United States; Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, United States.
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Couetil L, Cardwell JM, Leguillette R, Mazan M, Richard E, Bienzle D, Bullone M, Gerber V, Ivester K, Lavoie JP, Martin J, Moran G, Niedźwiedź A, Pusterla N, Swiderski C. Equine Asthma: Current Understanding and Future Directions. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:450. [PMID: 32903600 PMCID: PMC7438831 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2019 Havemeyer Workshop brought together researchers and clinicians to discuss the latest information on Equine Asthma and provide future research directions. Current clinical and molecular asthma phenotypes and endotypes in humans were discussed and compared to asthma phenotypes in horses. The role of infectious and non-infectious causes of equine asthma, genetic factors and proposed disease pathophysiology were reviewed. Diagnostic limitations were evident by the limited number of tests and biomarkers available to field practitioners. The participants emphasized the need for more accessible, standardized diagnostics that would help identify specific phenotypes and endotypes in order to create more targeted treatments or management strategies. One important outcome of the workshop was the creation of the Equine Asthma Group that will facilitate communication between veterinary practice and research communities through published and easily accessible guidelines and foster research collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Couetil
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Jacqueline M Cardwell
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Renaud Leguillette
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Melissa Mazan
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Grafton, MA, United States
| | - Eric Richard
- LABÉO (Frank Duncombe), Normandie Université, UniCaen, Caen, France
| | - Dorothee Bienzle
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Michela Bullone
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Vinzenz Gerber
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institut Suisse de Médecine Équine (ISME), University of Bern and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kathleen Ivester
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavoie
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - James Martin
- Meakins Christie Laboratories, McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriel Moran
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Artur Niedźwiedź
- Department of Internal Diseases With Clinic for Horses, Dogs and Cats, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Nicola Pusterla
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Cyprianna Swiderski
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
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The Relationship between Lung Inflammation and Aerobic Threshold in Standardbred Racehorses with Mild-Moderate Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10081278. [PMID: 32727062 PMCID: PMC7459439 DOI: 10.3390/ani10081278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Horses can be affected by equine asthma, a disease that shares several similarities with human asthma. Young racehorses can be affected by a mild form of equine asthma, which can have a negative impact on racing performance. In this study, we evaluated the relation between the increase in inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of horses affected by poor performance due to equine asthma and the speed at which the horse blood lactate reaches the value of 4 mmol/L, which is a parameter of athletic capacity. With this aim, we evaluated the results of a treadmill test with blood lactate analysis of 30 horses that had a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology consistent with a mild form of equine asthma. The results showed a significant relation between the increase in the differential count of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage and the decrease in the speed at 4 mmol/L of lactate. This confirm the negative impact of neutrophilic lung inflammation in the presence of equine asthma on athletic capacity and, consequently, on racing performance. Abstract Mild–moderate equine asthma (MEA) is a common disease of young racehorses characterized by inflammation of the lower airways diagnosed by cytological examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and it is considered an important cause of poor performance. The most common parameter of athletic capacity associated with horse performance is the speed at 4 mmol/L of lactate (VLA4). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the relation between the different BALF inflammatory cells and VLA4 in racehorses affected by MEA. A population of Standardbred racehorses that underwent an accurate protocol for poor performance evaluation was collected for a retrospective study. Horses with any other alteration potentially influencing performance were excluded, thus considering only subjects with BALF cytology consistent with MEA. A sample of 30 horses (3.4 ± 1.0 years old) was selected. The relationship between BALF inflammatory cell differential count and VLA4 was evaluated by means of linear regression. Statistical analysis showed a significant relation (p = 0.015, r2 = 0.19) between the increase in the differential count of neutrophils in BALF and the decrease in VLA4. The results obtained suggested that the accumulation of neutrophils in the airways of MEA horses may have a direct impact on athletic capacity, possibly due to impaired alveolar blood-gas exchanges during strenuous exercise.
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Millares-Ramirez EM, Picotte K, Lavoie JP. Pulmonary response of severely asthmatic horses after intra-articular administration of methylprednisolone. Equine Vet J 2020; 53:78-84. [PMID: 32348605 DOI: 10.1111/evj.13272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intra-articular (IA) administration of corticosteroids is performed routinely in equine practice. The lung function of severe asthmatic horses has recently been shown to be improved by IA triamcinolone acetonide (TA). We therefore hypothesised that IA methylprednisolone acetate (MPA), another commonly used corticosteroids, would also decrease the airway obstruction in severe asthmatic horses. OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of intra-articular (IA) and intramuscular (IM) methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) administration on lung function and serum cortisol levels in horses with severe asthma. STUDY DESIGN Randomised and controlled experiments on severe asthmatic research animals. METHODS Severe asthmatic horses in exacerbation were administered 200 mg of MPA either intramuscularly (n = 6) or via intra-articular injections in the tarsocrural joints (n = 6; 100 mg/joint). Serum cortisol concentration and pulmonary function was measured for 8 days. RESULTS A significant decrease in pulmonary resistance in the IA group (P = .003, mean diff 1.14) on day 1 in comparison with baseline was observed. A significant decrease from baseline was also observed on serum cortisol values in the IA group 6 hours after injection (P = .001, mean diff 44.5), and at day 1 (P = .003, mean diff 45.1). MAIN LIMITATIONS Joint health was not evaluated in the current study and the physiological response of the severe asthmatic horses might deviate from that of the milder forms of asthma. CONCLUSIONS MPA IA administration improves the lung function of severe asthmatic horses. However, this effect was mild and of a short duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther M Millares-Ramirez
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Khristine Picotte
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Lavoie
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
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Brankston G, Greer AL, Marshall Q, Lang B, Moore K, Hodgins D, Hennessey JTG, Beeler-Marfisi J. Increased Weekly Mean PM 2.5, and NO 2 Are Associated With Increased Proportions of Lower Airway Granulocytes in Ontario Horses. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:185. [PMID: 32432128 PMCID: PMC7214617 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ambient pollution is associated with the development and exacerbation of human asthma, but whether air pollution exposure is associated with lower airway inflammation in horses has not been fully evaluated. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is an online tool used by asthmatic Ontarians to modify their outdoor activity when ambient pollution is high. A single AQHI value, falling on a scale from 1 to 10+, is calculated from measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3). Increased AQHI values predict an increased risk for presenting to a health care provider for assessment of asthma exacerbation, with a time lag of 0-9 days after an increase. Whether ambient air pollution is a risk factor for identifying increased lower airway inflammatory cells on cytologic evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses has not yet been explored. To investigate this relationship, case data including BALF cytology preparations from horses across southern Ontario, Canada, were retrieved from the Guelph Animal Health Laboratory's archives. Spanning the years 2007-2017, 154 cases were identified within a 41- by 30-km area surrounding the cities of Guelph and Kitchener. In 78 of 154 cases, cytologic reevaluation identified increased proportions of one or a combination of BALF neutrophils (mean 5%, range 0-15%), eosinophils (mean 2%, range 0-31%), and mast cells (mean 4%, range 0-10%). To assess the effect of lagged pollutant and temperature exposures in these 78 cases, weekly mean values of AQHI, PM2.5, NO2, O3, and temperature were recorded for the 4 weeks prior to the date of the horse's presentation for respiratory tract evaluation. The relationship between ambient exposures and increased proportions of lower airway granulocytes was evaluated using a case-crossover design. Single unit increases in 2-, and 3-week lagged weekly mean PM2.5 and NO2, were associated, respectively, with an 11% (p = 0.04, 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.01-1.22), and 24% (p = 0.03, 95% CI = 1.08-1.43) greater risk of identifying increased lower airway granulocytes. These findings suggest that exposure to increased ambient pollutants is associated with lower airway inflammation in Guelph and Kitchener area horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Brankston
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Amy L Greer
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Quinn Marshall
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Brittany Lang
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Kai Moore
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Douglas Hodgins
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Janet Beeler-Marfisi
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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42
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Couetil LL, Thompson CA. Airway Diagnostics: Bronchoalveolar Lavage, Tracheal Wash, and Pleural Fluid. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2020; 36:87-103. [PMID: 32145836 DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Indications for bronchoalveolar lavage, tracheal wash, and thoracocentesis for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases are discussed. Each technique is described in detail and illustrated by videos. Sample handling, preparation and evaluation are reviewed. The advantages and limitations of bronchoalveolar lavage and tracheal wash procedures as well as a critical comparison between the 2 techniques for equine asthma diagnosis are presented. Finally, validated cut-off values for equine asthma diagnosis are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent L Couetil
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2026, USA.
| | - Craig A Thompson
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, 725 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2027, USA
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43
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Secombe CJ, van Eps AW, Bruce M, Lester GD. The relationship between bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology and airway hyper-reactivity in a population of Australian horses presented for poor performance. Aust Vet J 2019; 97:343-350. [PMID: 31286483 DOI: 10.1111/avj.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology, particularly mast cells, and airway hyper-reactivity in athletic horses presented for poor performance that included a respiratory tract evaluation in two disparate locations in Australia. DESIGN Multi-centre, retrospective and prospective cross-sectional study METHODS: Eighty four adult horses underwent both pulmonary function testing and histamine bronchoprovocation with a commercial flowmetric plethysmography system. A bronchoalveolar lavage was performed four to twelve hours later. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology was categorised using two differing classification systems to define mild equine asthma. Statistical analysis was used to assess associations between bronchoalveolar lavage fluid relative inflammatory cell percentages, and airway hyper-reactivity and their associated categorisations. RESULTS Sixty four percent (54/84) of horses displayed airway hyper-reactivity, as defined by PC35 < 6 mg/ml of histamine. A relative mastocytosis was the most common bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytological abnormality. Horses with a sole mast cell response of ≥ 5% within their bronchoalveolar lavage fluid displayed airway hyper-reactivity at a lower dose of nebulized histamine than horses with normal bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology. Horses with mixed cell responses (relative mast cell percentage > 2% and/or relative neutrophil percentage > 5% and/or eosinophil relative cell percentage ≥ 1%) displayed airway hyper-reactivity at a lower dose of nebulized histamine than horses with normal bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology. CONCLUSION In the Australian context, recently revised increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology relative cell percentage cut offs appear appropriate for sole mast cell responses. The historical lower cut offs appear to be appropriate for mixed inflammatory cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Secombe
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - A W van Eps
- Equine Specialist Hospital, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - M Bruce
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - G D Lester
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
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44
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Davis KU, Sheats MK. Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology Characteristics and Seasonal Changes in a Herd of Pastured Teaching Horses. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:74. [PMID: 30923711 PMCID: PMC6426765 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Equine asthma syndrome (EAS) is a common problem that affects horses of any age. Severe EAS is reported to affect 10-20% of adult horses in the northern hemisphere, while mild/moderate EAS is reported to affect 60-100% of adult horses, depending on the population and geographic region. For both severe and mild/moderate EAS, the presence of lower airway inflammation is attributed to airborne "triggers" such as dust, mold, and bacterial components that horses encounter in hay and stable-environments; and treatment recommendations for horses with EAS often include full-time pasture turnout. The caveat to this recommendation is horses with summer-pasture associated EAS (SP-EAS), who experience allergic lower airway inflammation when exposed to summer pasture. The prevalence of EAS in horses on pasture that do not have SP-EAS has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to use bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology to determine the prevalence of EAS in a herd of pastured, adult research horses with no history of respiratory disease. The horses were members of a teaching animal herd housed on pasture in the southeastern United States and fed round-bale Bermuda-grass hay. BAL fluid (BALF) cytology was analyzed in both summer (May-August 2017) and winter (November 2017-February 2018). Similar to previous reports, the prevalence of severe EAS in our study population was 10% in summer and 4.3% in winter. The prevalence of mild/moderate EAS was 60% in summer and 87% in winter. The high prevalence of mild/moderate EAS in this population was unexpected, given the 24-h, year-round pasture environment and the lack of history of respiratory disease. Additionally, 61.1% of horses with both summer and winter data had a different BALF cytology profile between the two seasons. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to use BAL cytology to diagnose, and monitor changes in, EAS phenotype in pastured adult horses. These results help to inform discussions regarding prevalence of EAS in pastured, adult horses in the southeastern region of North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Uchiumi Davis
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Mary Katherine Sheats
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.,Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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Ivester KM, Couëtil LL, Moore GE. An observational study of environmental exposures, airway cytology, and performance in racing thoroughbreds. J Vet Intern Med 2018; 32:1754-1762. [PMID: 30222207 PMCID: PMC6189343 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mild equine asthma is presumed to arise in response to environmental exposures but the relative impact of differing inflammatory phenotypes upon performance are largely unexplored. Hypotheses: Airway inflammation negatively affects performance and cytological phenotype varies with environmental exposure. Animals Thoroughbred racehorses in active training and racing. Methods Thoroughbreds were recruited 24‐48 hours before racing. Each horse was eligible for re‐enrollment with each race entry. Within one hour of race completion, physical examination, respiratory endoscopy, and BAL were performed. Respirable and inhalable dust, respirable endotoxin, and respirable β‐glucan exposures were measured at the breathing zone within one week after racing. Controlling for age, trainer, and pulmonary hemorrhage, the relationship between performance, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology, and measures of exposure were modeled. Results Performance and BALF data were collected on 64 individual horses from 8 stables for a total of 98 race performances and 79 dust exposure assessments. Evidence of mild equine asthma was found in 80% (78/98) of BALF samples from 52/64 horses. For each percent increase in BALF mast cell and neutrophil proportions, speed figures were reduced by 2.9 (P = .012) and 1.4 (P = .046) points, respectively. Respirable dust concentration was associated with BALF neutrophil proportions (P = .015). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid mast cell proportions were only associated with respirable β‐glucan exposures (P = .030). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Mild equine asthma is common in racing horses and negatively impacts performance. The data support that respirable, rather than inhalable, dust exposure measures are pertinent to equine airway health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Ivester
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Laurent L Couëtil
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - George E Moore
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, Indiana
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