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Pathologic Conditions of the Nervous System in Horses. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2022; 38:427-443. [PMID: 35810149 DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The variety of neurologic diseases which affect horses makes pathologic examination of the nervous system a complex and lengthy process. An understanding of the common causes of neurologic disease, antemortem neurolocalization, and supplementation of the necropsy examination with ancillary testing will help to diagnose a large number of causes of neurologic disease. A general understanding of neuropathology and collaborative relationship with your local pathologists will aid in the definitive diagnosis of neurologic diseases.
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Gellman K, Ruina A. Standing horse posture: a longer stance is more stable. Biol Open 2022; 11:275381. [PMID: 35545924 PMCID: PMC9115912 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059139] [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: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Horses stand for most of each day. Although they can use various leg configurations (postures), they usually stand with vertical legs. Why? We addressed this question with a 2D quasi-static model having three rigid parts: a trunk, massless fore-limbs and massless rear limbs, with hinges at the shoulders, hips, and hooves. The postural parameter we varied was ℓg, the distance between the hooves. For a given ℓg, statics finds an equilibrium configuration which, with no muscle stabilization (i.e. using minimal effort) is unstable. We assume a horse uses that configuration. To measure the neuromuscular effort needed to stabilize this equilibrium, we added springs at the shoulder and hip; the larger the springs needed to stabilize the model (kmin), the more neuromuscular effort needed to stabilize the posture. A canted-in posture (small ℓg), observed habitually in some domestic horses, needs about twice the spring stiffness (representing twice the effort) as is needed with vertical or slightly splayed-out (large ℓg) legs. This relationship of posture and stability might explain the prevalence of vertical or slightly splayed-out legs in wild and healthy domestic horses and leaves as a puzzle why some horses stand canted-in.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andy Ruina
- Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Trimble AC, Delph KM, Perry ER, Valberg SJ. Sarcocystis myositis and vitamin E deficiency in a Gypsy Vanner stallion suspected of having equine motor neuron disease. EQUINE VET EDUC 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eve.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. C. Trimble
- Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - K. M. Delph
- Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - E. R. Perry
- Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - S. J. Valberg
- Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health Lansing Michigan USA
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Investigating the Risk of Equine Motor Neuron Disease in a Brazilian Stable and Successful Intervention. J Equine Vet Sci 2019; 77:132-138. [PMID: 31133307 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We carried out an investigation to identify the factors that predispose to the risk of equine motor neuron disease (EMND) and evaluated the long-term impact of an intervention. Data on several biomarkers, including antioxidants (α-tocopherols, β-carotenes, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx)), and superoxide dismutase (SOD1), neurofilaments, and other putative risk factors hypothesized to associate with the likelihood of EMND were collected. The data were analyzed for their significance of association with the condition. The EMND outbreak started in 1991 and continued until 1998. A total of 69 EMND cases and 64 control horses met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Most cases (74%) occurred in 1996 and 1997. Horses afflicted with EMND had significantly lower plasma levels of vitamin E than control horses (0.381 vs. 1.148 μg/mL). There were no significant differences in the levels of vitamin A, β-carotenes, GSHPx, or the activities of SOD1 between EMND cases and control horses. Horses afflicted with EMND had significantly higher serum levels of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy than controls (2.85 vs. 0.27 ng/mL). The probability of EMND diagnosis increased above 50% when the serum levels of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy increased beyond 2.54 ng/mL. Mixed and Brazilian breeds had a significantly higher risk of EMND in comparison to Standardbred horse among the study population. In 1997, there was a change in the diet where better quality green hay was used. The incidence of EMND dropped to 0 in 1 year after intervention and remained at that level for the past 20 years.
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Fernández-Ruiz J. The biomedical challenge of neurodegenerative disorders: an opportunity for cannabinoid-based therapies to improve on the poor current therapeutic outcomes. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 176:1370-1383. [PMID: 29856067 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
At the beginning of the 21st century, the therapeutic management of neurodegenerative disorders remains a major biomedical challenge, particularly given the worldwide ageing of the population over the past 50 years that is expected to continue in the forthcoming years. This review will focus on the promise of cannabinoid-based therapies to address this challenge. This promise is based on the broad neuroprotective profile of cannabinoids, which may cooperate to combat excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, glia-driven inflammation and protein aggregation. Such effects may be produced by the activity of cannabinoids through their canonical targets (e.g. cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoid enzymes) and also via non-canonical elements and activities in distinct cell types critical for cell survival or neuronal replacement (e.g. neurons, glia and neural precursor cells). Ultimately, the therapeutic events driven by endocannabinoid signalling reflect the activity of an endogenous system that regulates the preservation, rescue, repair and replacement of neurons and glia. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on 8th European Workshop on Cannabinoid Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.10/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
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Fernández-Ruiz J, Gómez-Ruiz M, García C, Hernández M, Ramos JA. Modeling Neurodegenerative Disorders for Developing Cannabinoid-Based Neuroprotective Therapies. Methods Enzymol 2017; 593:175-198. [PMID: 28750802 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The increase in lifespan during the last 50 years, mainly in developed countries, has originated a progressive elevation in the incidence of chronic neurodegenerative disorders, for which aging is the key risk factor. This fact will definitively become the major biomedical challenge during the present century, in part because the expectation of a persisting elevation in the population older than 65 years over the whole population and, on the other hand, because the current lack of efficacious therapies to control these disorders despite years of intense research. This chapter will address this question and will stress the urgency of developing better neuroprotective and neurorepair strategies that may delay/arrest the progression of these disorders, reviewing the major needs to solve the causes proposed for the permanent failures experienced in recent years, e.g., to develop multitarget strategies, to use more predictive experimental models, and to identify early disease biomarkers. This chapter will propose the cannabinoids and their classic (e.g., endocannabinoid receptors and enzymes) and nonclassic (e.g., peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, transcription factors) targets as a useful strategy for developing novel therapies for these disorders, based on their broad-spectrum neuroprotective profile, their activity as an endogenous protective system, the location of the endocannabinoid targets in cell substrates critical for neuronal survival, and their ability to serve for preservation and rescue, but also for repair and/or replacement, of neurons and glial cells against cytotoxic insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Fernández-Ruiz
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
| | - María Gómez-Ruiz
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Concepción García
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariluz Hernández
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Ramos
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
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Díez de Castro E, Zafra R, Acevedo LM, Pérez J, Acosta I, Rivero JLL, Aguilera-Tejero E. Eosinophilic Enteritis in Horses with Motor Neuron Disease. J Vet Intern Med 2016; 30:873-9. [PMID: 27015868 PMCID: PMC4913563 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.13944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a neuromuscular disorder that affects adult horses. Although EMND has been linked to vitamin E deficiency, its etiopathogenesis is poorly understood. OBJECTIVES To describe clinical features, laboratory results, and postmortem findings in a series of young horses with motor neuron disease (MND). ANIMALS A herd of 15 young Andalusian horses with weakness, weight loss, muscle atrophy, and muscle fasciculations related to restricted intake of green forage. METHODS A case series is presented in which horses were subjected to a clinical examination and plasma vitamin E measurement. Five severely affected horses were euthanized for detailed postmortem examination. Muscle specimens were taken from the M. sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis and the M. gluteus medius for histopathologic and morphometric evaluation. RESULTS MND was diagnosed in 5 horses based on clinical signs, low serum levels of vitamin E (0.11 ± 0.05 mg/dL; normal range,: 0.3-1.5 mg/dL), changes in muscle histopathology (neurogenic atrophy), and spinal cord lesions (neuronal chromatolysis in ventral horns). An unexpected postmortem finding was the presence of intestinal inflammation (catarrhal enteritis, edema, and eosinophilic infiltrate) associated with the presence of giant ciliated protozoa in all of the horses. CONCLUSIONS Although a mechanistic link could not be established, it is hypothesized that intestinal inflammation may have been involved in the decreased absorption of vitamin E, thus favoring the development of MND.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Díez de Castro
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - R Zafra
- Department of Comparative Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - L M Acevedo
- Laboratory of Muscular Biopathology, Department of Comparative Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - J Pérez
- Department of Comparative Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - I Acosta
- Department of Animal Health, Parasitology Section, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - J L L Rivero
- Laboratory of Muscular Biopathology, Department of Comparative Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - E Aguilera-Tejero
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
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Bedford HE, Valberg SJ, Firshman AM, Lucio M, Boyce MK, Trumble TN. Histopathologic findings in the sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle of horses with vitamin E-responsive muscle atrophy and weakness. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013; 242:1127-37. [PMID: 23547678 DOI: 10.2460/javma.242.8.1127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize clinical findings, outcomes, muscle characteristics, and serum or muscle concentrations of α-tocopherol for horses with vitamin E-responsive signs of muscle atrophy and weakness consistent with signs of equine motor neuron disease (EMND). DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. ANIMALS 8 affected (case) adult horses with acute (n = 3) or chronic (5) gross muscle atrophy that improved with vitamin E treatment and 14 clinically normal (control) adult horses with adequate (within reference range; 8) or low (6) muscle concentrations of α-tocopherol. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed, serum and muscle concentrations of α-tocopherol were measured, and frozen biopsy specimens of sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle and gluteal muscle were histologically evaluated for pathological changes. Fiber type composition and fiber diameters were assessed in gluteal muscle specimens. RESULTS A myopathy that was histologically characterized by redistribution of mitochondrial enzyme stain (moth-eaten appearance) and anguloid atrophy of myofibers was evident in sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle fibers of the 8 affected horses that had low serum (6/8) or skeletal muscle (5/5) concentrations of α-tocopherol; these histopathologic changes were not found in muscle specimens of control horses with low or adequate muscle concentrations of α-tocopherol. All affected horses regained strength and muscle mass within 3 months after initiation of vitamin E treatment and dietary changes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A vitamin E-deficient myopathy characterized histologically by a moth-eaten appearance in the mitochondria and anguloid myofiber atrophy in frozen sections of sacrocaudalis dorsalis medialis muscle biopsy specimens was found in horses with clinical signs of EMND that were highly responsive to vitamin E treatment. This myopathy may be a specific syndrome or possibly precede the development of neurogenic muscle fiber atrophy typical of EMND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly E Bedford
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
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Autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA syndrome) in commercial sheep. Immunol Res 2013; 56:317-24. [DOI: 10.1007/s12026-013-8404-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Gröndahl G, Hanche-Olsen S, Bröjer J, Ihler CF, Jäderlund KH, Egenvall A. Acquired equine polyneuropathy in Norway and Sweden: a clinical and epidemiological study. Equine Vet J 2013:36-44. [PMID: 23447876 DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00679.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Acquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP, also known as 'Scandinavian knuckling syndrome'), is a serious disease of unknown aetiology, which emerged clustering in horse farms in Sweden, Norway and Finland in the 1990s. Clinical and epidemiological data regarding the syndrome are scarce. OBJECTIVES To describe the clinical and epidemiological findings and outcome in outbreaks of AEP and compare risk factors in affected and unaffected horses on affected farms in Norway and Sweden during 2007-2009. METHODS Neurological examinations were performed and data collected regarding demography, usage, turning-out, feeding, prophylactic strategies and long-term outcome. RESULTS Thirteen affected farms with 157 horses of various breeds, of which 42 were AEP cases, were studied. Typical digital extensor dysfunction and knuckling of pelvic limbs were noted in 34 definitive cases. Eight additional plausible cases had a severe, acute course of neurological disease. There were no signs of brain orcranial nerve dysfunction. Cases occurred from December to April, with new cases emerging within 100 days of the index case. Affected and unaffected horses were fed wrapped forage. Prevalence for AEP was 27% and case fatality 29%. The median duration of AEP in survivors was 4.4 months (1-17 months). Survivors returned to full work within 19 months (median 6.6 months). Acquired equine polyneuropathy was less prevalent in horses aged > 12 years and young horses had a higher chance of survival than older horses. Management factors did not differ between affected and unaffected horses. CONCLUSIONS Acquired equine polyneuropathy is a potentially fatal neurological disease characterised by pelvic limb knuckling. Surviving horses returned to normal function after a long period of rest. Cases were clustered in farms during the winter/spring season. Wrapped forage was used in all farms. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE The results provide valuable insights into the dinical examination, handling and prognosis of cases of AEP, an emerging neurological disease of unknown aetiology in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Gröndahl
- Department of Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies SVA, National Veterinary Institute, Sweden.
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Secombe CJ, Lester GD. The role of diet in the prevention and management of several equine diseases. Anim Feed Sci Technol 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2011.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Finno CJ, Eaton JS, Aleman M, Hollingsworth SR. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis due to Neospora hughesi and equine motor neuron disease in a mule. Vet Ophthalmol 2010; 13:259-65. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2010.00790.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Mohammed HO, Divers TJ, Summers BA, de Lahunta A. Vitamin E deficiency and risk of equine motor neuron disease. Acta Vet Scand 2007; 49:17. [PMID: 17605810 PMCID: PMC1950518 DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-49-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2007] [Accepted: 07/02/2007] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a spontaneous neurologic disorder of adult horses which results from the degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem. Clinical manifestations, pathological findings, and epidemiologic attributes resemble those of human motor neuron disease (MND). As in MND the etiology of the disease is not known. We evaluated the predisposition role of vitamin E deficiency on the risk of EMND. METHODS Eleven horses at risk of EMND were identified and enrolled in a field trial at different times. The horses were maintained on a diet deficient in vitamin E and monitored periodically for levels of antioxidants--alpha-tocopherols, vitamins A, C, beta-carotene, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and erythrocytic superoxide dismutase (SOD1). In addition to the self-control another parallel control group was included. Survival analysis was used to assess the probability of developing EMND past a specific period of time. RESULTS There was large variability in the levels of vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, GSH-Px, and SOD1. Plasma vitamin E levels dropped significantly over time. Ten horses developed EMND within 44 months of enrollment. The median time to develop EMND was 38.5 months. None of the controls developed EMND. CONCLUSION The study elucidated the role of vitamin E deficiency on the risk of EMND. Reproducing this disease in a natural animal model for the first time will enable us to carry out studies to test specific hypotheses regarding the mechanism by which the disease occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussni O Mohammed
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Thomas J Divers
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Brian A Summers
- Currently, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Fatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Alexander de Lahunta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, USA
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Palencia P, Quiroz-Rothe E, Rivero JLL. New insights into the skeletal muscle phenotype of equine motor neuron disease: a quantitative approach. Acta Neuropathol 2005; 109:272-84. [PMID: 15616793 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-004-0940-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2004] [Revised: 10/05/2004] [Accepted: 10/06/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a neurodegenerative disorder similar to the sporadic form of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This study was conducted to quantify myofiber plasticity in response to EMND. Deep M. gluteus medius biopsy samples from eight horses with an ante mortem diagnosis of EMND, which in five cases was later confirmed by post mortem examination of spinal cord and peripheral nerves, were examined by combined methodologies of electrophoresis of myosin heavy chains (MyHC), muscle enzymes and substrate biochemistry, immunohistochemistry of MyHCs and sarcoendoplasmic Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) isoforms, quantitative histochemistry of succinic dehydrogenase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, periodic acid-Schiff and capillaries, and photometric image analysis. The data were compared with muscle biopsies from healthy controls. Histopathological findings of EMND were observed in muscle biopsy specimens from all cases, but the severity and intra-biopsy extent varied from case to case. Compared with controls, muscle biopsy samples from EMND horses had a lower percentage of MyHC type I fibers, higher percentages of hybrid IIAX and pure IIX fibers, significant atrophy of all muscle fiber types, reduced oxidative capacity, increased glycolytic capacity, diminished intramuscular glycogen, lower capillary-to-fiber ratio, a higher ratio of myofibers expressing SERCA1a to SERCA2a isoforms, and a lower percentage of fibers expressing phospholamban. Objective discrimination of muscle biopsy specimens according to their healthy status (EMND vs controls) was possible on the basis of their muscular characteristics. A coordinated shift from slow to fast muscle characteristics in contractile and metabolic features of muscle fiber types, together with generalized myofiber atrophy, occurs in EMND and the extent of this change seems to be related to the duration of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Palencia
- Laboratory of Muscular Biopathology, Department of Comparative Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Cordoba, Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Córdoba, Spain
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Portiansky EL, Barbeito CG, Goya RG, Gimeno EJ, Zuccolilli GO. Morphometry of cervical segments grey matter in the male rat spinal cord. J Neurosci Methods 2004; 139:217-29. [PMID: 15488235 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2004.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2003] [Revised: 04/30/2004] [Accepted: 04/30/2004] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The cervical portion of the spinal cord is an area frequently affected by alterations of medical and veterinary importance. Since there is scarce quantitative anatomical data on this region, we undertook a morphometric study of the grey matter of all segments of the rat cervical spinal cord of male rats in order to generate reference patterns to be used in future experimental studies. Using image analysis software, the total spinal cord length and grey and white matter area of each segment was recorded. The morphometric characteristics of the neurones populating the laminae of the grey matter of the cervical segments was also recorded. Neurones were classified into small, medium and large sizes for each lamina and statistically compared. The present data fill an anatomical information gap by providing quantitative data about the normal anatomical features of the rat cervical cord. The anatomical data found could be used to better understand the physiological relevance of that region in the rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Leo Portiansky
- School of Veterinary Sciences, Institute of Pathology, National University of La Plata (UNLP), Calle 60 y 118, CC 296, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
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Abstract
The most common causes of back pain and their medical treatment are discussed. These include: dermatologic problems and conditions resulting from saddle trauma; discomfort and stiffness owing to injured paraspinal muscles; pain associated with supraspinous ligament damage; osseous pain and nerve dysfunction related to the spine and sacroiliac area; and neurologic diseases that can manifest as back pain. Bitting problems, cervical pain, and coexisting lameness are also considered.
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