Lúcia Maia Cavalcanti Ferreira

Aerobic exercise produces changes in plasma IL-6 but not IL-1b in four-beat gaited horses

Exercise is an important stressor and is correlated with cytokine production in several tissues. There is little information about changes in interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1b in four-beat gaited horses during a typical aerobic exercise challenge. The objective of this research was to characterise changes in plasma IL-6, IL-1b, cortisol and other blood biomarkers in four-beat gaited horses after a marcha simulation test. We subjected 12 fit horses (approximately 5 years old and 390 kg) to the marcha simulation test (MST) (i.e. a 10 min warm-up, 30 min at marcha and 15 min cool down). Blood samples were collected before the MST, immediately after the MST and 15 and 120 min after the MST (i.e. recovery). Results were analysed with One Way Repeated Measures ANOVA and a Tukey tests with P≤0.05 and Pearson correlation test. The highest value of plasma IL-6 was observed immediately after MST (6.85 pg/ml) (P≥0.05). IL-1 and cortisol did not change (P≥0.05). However, creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase...

Testicular measurements in Campolina stallions

Evaluation of the reproductive characteristics of Brazilian stallions is very important to the development of the national equine industry; however, breeders and breeders associations have more interest in methods to evaluate biometric or gait characteristics. Testicular evaluations are important to choose stallions and to develop local reproductive management. Knowledge of normal morphology is essential to recognize clinical problems and to develop a comprehensive breeding management program. When testicular measurements are evaluated, researchers get important information about daily spermatic production. 1,2, Testicular sizes and dimensions can be assessed manually by calipers or with ultrasound. These characteristics vary according to age, season of the year, nutrition and other factors. Allen 1 has observed that the size of the testes is roughly proportional to the size of the horse. Little and Holyoak 4 have found that sexual experience of breeding farm stallions also may be an important factor in determining the size of the testicles. This is because sexual stimulation alters the production of prolactic and gonadotropin-releasing hormone. In the mature horse, the testes are round, long, and of a size that would fill a cupped hand. The testes start life in the abdominal cavity and drop into the scrotum permanently by the time the animal is 12 months old or near puberty. Allen 1,4 determined that the onset of puberty happens between 12 and 18 months of age when the stallions ejaculate contains a minmum of 100 x 106 sperm. Other researchers have developed studies about testicular size in different horse breedsJ ,3,5 Allen I studied testicular size in Thoroughbred horses and obtained a mean of 10.0 cm for length and 6.0 for width. These results are similar to that of Rossdale and Ricketts. 5 In Brazil, Ribeiro Filho, Dantas, Lopes et al., 3 have studied testicular size in Quarter Horse stallion. Their results for testicutar size were similar to the results found by other researchers. They documented the correlation between age, length and width as more than 0.55. Another important aspect of the evaluation of testicular