The effect of hoof angle variations on dorsal lamellar load in the equine hoof

Reasons for performing study: In the treatment of laminitis it is believed that reducing tension in the deep digital flexor tendon by raising the palmar angle of the hoof can reduce the load on the dorsal lamellae, allowing them to heal or prevent further damage. Objective: To determine the effect of alterations in hoof angle on the load in the dorsal laminar junction. Methods: Biomechanical finite element models of equine hooves were created with palmar angles of the distal phalanx varying from 0–15°. Tissue material relations accounting for anisotropy and the effect of moisture were used. Loading conditions simulating the stages in the stance where the vertical ground reaction force, midstance joint moment and breakover joint moment were maximal, were applied to the models. The loads were adjusted to account for the reduction in joint moment caused by increasing the palmar angle. Models were compared using the stored elastic energy, an indication of load, which was sampled in the dorsal laminar junction. Results: For all loading cases, increasing the palmar angle increased the stored elastic energy in the dorsal laminar junction. The stored elastic energy near the proximal laminar junction border for a palmar angle of 15° was between 1.3 and 3.8 times that for a palmar angle of 0°. Stored elastic energy at the distal laminar junction border was small in all cases. For the breakover case, stored elastic energy at the proximal border also increased with increasing palmar angle. Conclusions and potential relevance: The models in this study predict that raising the palmar angle increases the load on the dorsal laminar junction. Therefore, hoof care interventions that raise the palmar angle in order to reduce the dorsal lamellae load may not achieve this outcome. See also correspondence by Redden See also correspondence by Curtis     

Biomechanical characterisation of equine laryngeal cartilage

Reasons for performing the study: Upper airway obstruction is a common problem in the performance horse as the soft tissues of the larynx collapse into the airway, yet there is a paucity of information on biomechanical properties for the structural cartilage components. Objective: To measure the geometry and compressive mechanical properties of the hyaline cartilage to improve understanding of laryngeal function and morphology. Methods: A total of 11 larynges were harvested from Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses. During gross dissection, linear dimensions of the cricoid were obtained. From both the cricoid and arytenoid, specimens were cored to obtain 6 mm disc samples from 3 sites within the dorsal cricoid (caudal, middle and rostral) and 2 central sites in the arytenoids (inner, outer). The specimens were mechanically tested using radial confined compression to calculate the aggregate modulus and permeability of the tissue. The biomechanical data were analysed using a nested mixed effects model. Results: Geometrically, the cricoid has relatively straight walls compared to the morphology of human, ovine and canine larynges. There were significant observations of higher modulus with increasing age (0.13 MPa per year; P = 0.007) and stiffer cricoid cartilage (2.29 MPa) than the arytenoid cartilage (0.42 MPa; P<0.001), but no difference was observed between the left and right sides. Linear contrasts showed that the rostral aspect (2.51 MPa) of the cricoid was 20% stiffer than the caudal aspect (2.09 MPa; P = 0.025), with no difference between the arytenoid sites. Conclusions: The equine larynx is a well supported structure due to both the geometry and material properties of the cricoid cartilage. The hyaline structure is an order of magnitude higher in compressive modulus compared to the arytenoids and other hyaline‐composed tissues. Potential relevance: These characterisations are important to understand the biomechanics of laryngeal function and the mechanisms involved with surgical interventions.     

A preliminary study on the changes in some potential markers of muscle-cell degradation in sub-maximally exercised horses supplemented with a protein and amino acid mixture

In this preliminary study, time-dependent changes in plasma CK and AST activity, tyrosine (Tyr), 3-methyl-histidine (3mHis), glucose and lactate concentrations were analysed in nine horses under two different conditions. Furthermore, intramuscular concentrations of Tyr, 3mHis and activities of cathepsin B, acid phosphatase (ACP), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and mRNA expression of ubiquitin were determined at the same time. After studying the effects of exercise alone, the effects of exercise and feeding of an experimental protein/amino acid (AA) supplement were analysed. Horses were submitted to a total of four standardised exercise tests (SETs) of high intensity. Potential markers of muscle break down were determined prior to, immediately after, 4 and 18 h after exercise. The experiment was subdivided into two consecutive periods of 3 weeks. In each period, two SETs were performed. In the second period, horses were fed with the protein/AA supplement within 1 h after exercise. Significant changes in plasma, intramuscular Tyr levels and mRNA expression of ubiquitin were caused both by time in relation to exercise and by treatment with the protein/AA supplement. The experimental supplement significantly decreased the 4-h post-exercise expression of ubiquitin mRNA in muscle. Only a borderline increase of markers of lysosomal involvement was seen and CK and AST activity generally showed their normal post-exercise patterns. A clear post-exercise reduction of this CK activity, however, was not observed after supplementation with the protein/AA mixture. The current findings indicate that horses might benefit from protein and AA supplementation directly after training by decreasing post-exercise proteolysis. The results support that further studies should be performed to characterize changes in equine protein metabolism caused by exercise including underlying molecular mechanisms.     

Laparoscopic‐assisted diagnosis of anomalous unilateral abdominal cryptorchidism

This report describes an unusual case of unilateral abdominal cryptorchidism in a Shetland pony. On the cryptorchid side, no testicular structures were present in the inguinal area but testicular/epididymal remnants at the distal end of a pedunculated structure could be discerned in the abdomen at laparoscopic examination. Furthermore, the deferent duct was disconnected from the epididymal remnants and the deferent duct was visible at the caudal aspect of the bladder, traversing over the lateral ligament of the bladder into the vaginal ring where it ended blindly in the vaginal process. After laparoscopic removal of the testicular/epididymal remnants and castration of the contralateral normally descended testicle, the hCG stimulation test was negative and the pony no longer exhibited masculine behaviour.     

Ultrasonographic findings post laryngoplasty in the horse

Laryngoplasty is commonly used to treat laryngeal hemiplegia in Thoroughbred racehorses. Evaluation of the success of the laryngoplasty is traditionally determined using endoscopy. Laryngeal ultrasonography and normal ultrasonographic appearance have been reported in the standing horse, but post‐laryngoplasty and ventriculectomy ultrasonographic evaluation has limited literature coverage. A prospective case series of 10 Thoroughbred racehorses with left laryngeal hemiplegia was examined ultrasonographically and endoscopically prior to 3‐10 days, 30‐50 days, and 6‐12 months after laryngoplasty and ventriculectomy. Anatomical structures and Plica vocalis movements were described and measurements and gradings analyzed by repeated means analysis of variance (P < .05). Postsurgical ultrasonographic visualization of Ventriculus laryngis entrances was possible. The distance between Plica vocalis in exhalation was significantly larger than that during inhalation (P < .05). Pre‐ and postsurgical caudal Basihyoideum and rostral Cartilago thyroidea depth was significantly different in some instances (P < .05). No significant differences in the Muscularis cricoarytenoideus lateralis measurements were found. Complications in the extra‐luminal structures were found in seven horses including soft tissue swelling, seroma, and hematoma. A luminal Plica vocalis abscess and Plica vocalis granuloma were also detected ultrasonographically. Ultrasonography can be used to evaluate the post‐laryngoplasty horse for assessing the success of the procedure, monitoring healing, and detecting complications.     

MicroRNA fingerprints in serum and whole blood of sarcoid‐affected horses as potential non‐invasive diagnostic biomarkers

Serum and whole blood microRNA (miRNA) fingerprints have been proposed as a new class of non‐invasive human cancer biomarkers. In this study, we compared equine sarcoid (ES) disease‐specific serum and whole blood miRNA fingerprints and correlated them to miRNA expression in sarcoid tissue. After high throughput sequencing, miRNA differential expression analysis between six ES‐affected and five control horses was carried out in serum and whole blood using a DESeq algorithm, accounting for the influence of hemolysis and the white blood cell count. Target gene, pathway prediction and enrichment analyses were conducted using TarBase, mirPath and GeneCodis. After exclusion of 4 hemolyzed out of a total of 11 serum samples, 9 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in serum of ES vs control horses. In whole blood, all 11 samples showed normal white blood cell counts and 19 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed. A total of 2/9 serum and 7/19 whole blood differentially expressed miRNAs were also highly expressed at the tissue level and their predicted target genes were associated with cancer pathways. Serum and whole blood miRNA expression allowed discrimination between ES and control horses and merits further validation in a larger study cohort. The use of whole blood might be superior because it has higher miRNA content and is less influenced by pre‐analytical variables compared to serum. Concurrent dysregulation of single miRNAs in tissue and blood suggests a possible biological function of circulating miRNAs.