The significance of ozone therapy has been increasingly realised in recent times particularly in equine medicine. The beneficial effects of ozone therapy are basically engendered by the mild oxidative stress it creates upon interacting with the extra-cellular and intracellular components. However therapeutic benefits of treatment could be obtained only when it is used within the therapeutic window. Higher doses may be counterproductive and lower doses ineffective. It is now well proved that it up regulates the antioxidant system of the patient and may provide relief from many chronic degenerative diseases upon prolonged use. Ozone therapy has shown encouraging results in the treatment of wide spectrum of diseases and disorders in equines including bacterial and viral infections. Obvious benefits of ozone therapy have been reported in Equine infectious anemia, chlamydial abortions, lymphomas and equine ehrlichiosis. This article provides an insight into the mechanism of action involved in ozone therapy and reviews various conditions which could be treated with the use of ozone therapy in equines.

Background: In this study the chemotherapeutic effects of docetaxel and gene expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) during regression of mammary tumour in canines were evaluated.Methods: Sixteen dogs suffering from canine mammary tumour were randomly divided into two groups viz. I and II and subjected to Docetaxel @ 30mg/m2 weekly, four consecutive cycles, (Group I) and surgical excision of tumour followed by chemotherapy with Docetaxel @ 30mg/m2 weekly, four consecutive cycles, (Group II). The therapeutic efficacy was assessed by clinical, radiological, ultrasonography, haemato-biochemical and histopathological evaluation including gene expression profiling of EGFR using Real-time PCR analysis.Result: On the basis of the above parameters studied it was concluded that combination of surgery and chemotherapy using docetaxel is an effective treatment for the regression of mammary tumour and can be used safely by the field veterinarian. Real-time PCR analysis also revealed down-regulation of EGFR gene in group II.

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Background: Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is the most important viral pathogen of equines, causing respiratory illness, abortion, neonatal foal mortality and neurologic disorders. Large numbers of commercial EHV-1 vaccines are available to protect equines from the disease, but they provide only partial protection. Despite immunization with inactivated and modified live virus vaccine, mares show abortions. Present study was aimed to investigate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of EHV-1 recombinant glycoprotein B (rgB) and gB expressing plasmid DNA against EHV-1 infection in BALB/c mice model.Methods: About 3-4 weeks old 225 female BALB/c mice were selected for the comparative study of immunization followed by challenged with EHV-1/India/Tohana/96-2 strain virus in 5 different groups of 45 animals each.Result: Following immunization, rgB vaccinated mice showed optimal stimulation of EHV-1 gB specific cell mediated and humoral mediated immunity (HMI and CMI). The gB expressing plasmid DNA vaccinated mice developed only CMI while inactivated whole virus vaccinated mice had only HMI. Upon EHV-1 challenge, all infected mice displayed variable levels of clinical signs with changes in body weight, however, vaccinated mice showed very rapid recovery with optimal protection. Positive control group mice showed severe pulmonary lesions along with persistence virus infection till 5 days post challenge (dpc) whereas vaccinated mice had less pulmonary lesion only up to 3dpc. Minimal lung lesions and early virus clearance was observed in the rgB immunized mice in comparison to the gB plasmid DNA and inactivated EHV-1 vaccine immunized mice. It has been concluded that immunization with rgB elicits optimum protective immune response against EHV-1 infection in mice model. The rgB could be a potential vaccine candidate against EHV-1 infection in equine in the future.