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Background: Prospective studies on maintenance treatment for Beagles with hereditary selective cobalamin (Cbl) malabsorption (Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome, IGS) are lacking. In our experience, measurement of methylmalonic acid (MMA), a Cbl-dependent metabolite, seems more helpful to monitor Cbl status as compared with serum Cbl concentrations. Objectives: To evaluate a standardized Cbl supplementation scheme in Beagles with IGS. We hypothesized that a single parenteral dose of 1 mg hydroxocobalamin (OH-Cbl) would maintain clinical and metabolic remission for up to 2 months. Animals: Six client-owned juvenile Beagles with genetically confirmed IGS and 28 healthy control dogs. Methods: Prospective study. Monthly IM OH-Cbl (1 mg) supplementation was done over a median of 9 months (range, 6-13) in 6 dogs, followed by bimonthly (every 2 months) injections in 5 dogs over a median of 6 months (range, 3-10). Health status was assessed by routine clinical examinations at injection time points and owner observations. Voided urine samples were collected immediately before OH-Cbl injections for measurement of MMA-to-creatinine concentrations using a gas-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Results: All dogs were clinically healthy while receiving monthly and bimonthly OH-Cbl supplementation. Urinary MMA results in healthy dogs ranged from 1.3 to 76.5 mmol/mol creatinine (median, 2.9). Median urinary MMA concentrations did not differ between dogs with IGS receiving monthly (n=49; 5.3 mmol/mol creatinine; range, 2.3-50.4) and bimonthly (n=31; 5.3 mmol/mol creatinine; range, 1.6-50) injections. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: A maintenance parenteral dose of 1 mg OH-Cbl monthly or bimonthly appears adequate in Beagles with IGS monitored by metabolic testing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic amyloidosis and loss of α and β cells have been shown to occur in cats with diabetes mellitus, although the number of studies currently available is very limited. Furthermore, it is not known whether pancreatic islet inflammation is a common feature. The aims of the present study were to characterize islet lesions and to investigate whether diabetic cats have inflammation of the pancreatic islets. Samples of pancreas were collected postmortem from 37 diabetic and 20 control cats matched for age, sex, breed, and body weight. Histologic sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Congo red; double labeled for insulin/CD3, insulin/CD20, insulin/myeloperoxidase, insulin/proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and glucagon/Ki67; and single labeled for amylin and Iba1. Mean insulin-positive cross-sectional area was approximately 65% lower in diabetic than control cats (P = .009), while that of amylin and glucagon was similar. Surprisingly, amyloid deposition was similar between groups (P = .408). Proliferation of insulin- and glucagon-positive cells and the number of neutrophils, macrophages, and T (CD3) and B (CD20) lymphocytes in the islets did not differ. The presence of T and B lymphocytes combined tended to be more frequent in diabetic cats (n = 8 of 37; 21.6%) than control cats (n = 1 of 20; 5.0%). The results confirm previous observations that loss of β cells but not α cells occurs in diabetic cats. Islet amyloidosis was present in diabetic cats but was not greater than in controls. A subset of diabetic cats had lymphocytic infiltration of the islets, which might be associated with β-cell loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important cause of renal damage, with glomerular lesions being predominant. In cats, although diabetes is a common endocrinopathy, it is yet unknown whether it leads to renal damage. The aim of the study was to compare renal histologic features and parameters of renal function in diabetic cats against a control population matched for age, gender, breed, and body weight. Thirty-two diabetic and 20 control cats were included. Kidney sections from paraffin-embedded kidney samples were stained and examined with optical microscopy to identify glomerular, tubulointerstitial, and vascular lesions and to assess their frequency and severity. Serum creatinine and urea concentrations were also compared. Glomerular lesions were observed in 29 cats overall, with mesangial matrix increase being more common (19 cats). Tubulointerstitial lesions were observed in 42 cats, including lymphocytic infiltration (29), fibrosis (22), or tubular necrosis (21). Vascular lesions were observed in 5 cases. The frequency and severity of histologic lesions did not differ between diabetic and control cats; however, among diabetics, those that survived longer after diagnosis had more glomerular and vascular lesions. Serum creatinine and urea concentrations were similar between groups; in diabetic cats median creatinine was 109 μmol/l (range, 51–1200) and urea was 12 mmol/l (range, 4–63), and in controls creatinine was 126 μmol/l (range, 50–875) and urea 11 mmol/l (range, 3–80). The results suggest that DM in cats does not lead to microscopically detectable kidney lesions or clinically relevant renal dysfunction. The authors hypothesize that the short life expectancy of diabetic cats may be the main reason for the difference from human diabetics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Clinical remission is frequent in cats with well-controlled diabetes mellitus, but few studies explored predictors of this phenomenon. Data retrieved from medical records at admission might be valuable to identify likelihood of remission and its duration in diabetic cats. Ninety cats with newly diagnosed diabetes, followed-up until death or remission. Retrospective cohort study. Data were collected from records at admission, including history, signalment, physical examination, haematology, and biochemical profile, and the occurrence and duration of remission, defined as normoglycemia without insulin for ≥4 weeks. Predictors of remission were studied with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Factors associated with remission duration were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard models. Forty-five (50%) cats achieved remission, after a median time of 48 days (range: 8-216). By study end, median remission duration was 114 days (range: 30-3,370) in cats that died and 151 days (range: 28-1,180) in alive cats. Remission was more likely with higher age (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.04-1.46; P= .01) and less likely with increased serum cholesterol (OR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.11-0.87; P= .04). Remission was longer with higher body weight (HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.42-0.99; P= .04) and shorter with higher blood glucose (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02; P= .02). Age, body weight, cholesterol, and glucose levels are suggested for prediction of remission or its duration in diabetic cats. Older cats developing diabetes may have a better outcome, possibly suggesting a slower disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinary catecholamines and metanephrines are used for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma (PHEO) in dogs. Hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) is an important differential diagnosis for PHEO. Objectives: To measure urinary catecholamines and metanephrines in dogs with HAC. Animals: Fourteen dogs with HAC, 7 dogs with PHEO, and 10 healthy dogs. Methods: Prospective clinical trial. Urine was collected during initial work-up in the hospital; in dogs with HAC an additional sample was taken at home 1 week after discharge. Parameters were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography and expressed as ratios to urinary creatinine concentration. Results: Dogs with HAC had significantly higher urinary epinephrine, norepinephrine and normetanephrine to creatinine ratios than healthy dogs. Urinary epinephrine, norepinephrine, and metanephrine to creatinine ratios did not differ between dogs with HAC and dogs with PHEO, whereas the urinary normetanephrine to creatinine ratio was significantly higher ( P= .011) in dogs with PHEO (414, 157.0–925.0, median, range versus (117.5, 53.0–323.0). Using a cut-off ratio of 4 times the highest normetanephrine to creatinine ratio measured in controls, there was no overlap between dogs with HAC and dogs with PHEO. The variables determined in urine samples collected at home did not differ from those collected in the hospital. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Dogs with HAC might have increased concentrations of urinary catecholamines and normetanephrine. A high concentration of urinary normetanephrine (4 times normal), is highly suggestive of PHEO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adrenal glands of 30 dogs with primary adrenal insufficiency (hypoadrenocorticism) were measured ultrasonographically and compared with those of 14 healthy dogs and those of 10 dogs with diseases mimicking hypoadrenocorticism. Thickness and length of the adrenals were measured on abdominal ultrasonography and the results for each group were compared. Dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism had significantly thinner adrenals compared with the other two groups, and their left adrenal glands were also significantly shorter than those of healthy dogs. Adrenal ultrasonography may be of diagnostic value in dogs with clinical signs suggestive of primary hypoadrenocorticism, as a left adrenal gland measuring less than 3.2 mm in thickness is strongly suggestive of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 12-year-old Rottweiler cross Labrador was presented with anorexia and weakness. Adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed with hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia and undetectable resting and post-ACTH cortisol and aldosterone concentrations. The only abnormal diagnostic imaging result was bilateral adrenomegaly. Cytologic findings of liver, spleen and peripheral lymph nodes were normal. The dog responded initially to standard replacement therapy but relapsed shortly afterwards. The owners opted for euthanasia and allowed only removal of both adrenal glands. Microscopically, infiltrative polymorphic proliferations of densely packed tumour cells arranged as nests, intermingled with multifocal areas of necrosis and inflammatory cells were found. Silver staining revealed a few non-neoplastic adrenomedullary cells, whereas neoplastic cells did not stain. Immunohistochemistry was negative for neuron-specific enolase, vimentin, cytokeratin, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, S-100 protein, CD 56, 79 and 3. The final diagnosis was highly anaplastic bilateral adrenal neoplasia. This is the first report of bilateral adrenal malignancy presenting as clinical hypoadrenocorticism in a dog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measurement of salivary cortisol is a useful diagnostic test for hypercortisolism (HC) in humans. Objectives: To determine whether measurement of salivary cortisol concentration is a practical alternative to plasma cortisol to diagnose HC, to validate the use of salivary cortisol, and to examine the effect of time of day and sampling location on salivary cortisol. Animals: Thirty healthy dogs and 6 dogs with HC. Methods: Prospective, observational clinical trial including healthy volunteer dogs and dogs newly diagnosed with HC. Salivary and plasma cortisol concentrations were measured with an immunoassay analyzer. Intra- and interassay variability, linearity, and correlation between salivary and plasma cortisol concentrations were determined. Results: The required 300 μL of saliva could not be obtained in 88/326 samples from healthy dogs and in 15/30 samples from dogs with HC. The intra-assay variability for measurement of salivary cortisol was 5–17.7%, the interassay variability 8.5 and 17.3%, and the observed to expected ratio 89–125%. The correlation ( r) between salivary and plasma cortisol was 0.98. The time of day and location of collection did not affect salivary cortisol concentrations. Dogs with HC had significantly higher salivary cortisol values than healthy dogs (10.2 ± 7.3 nmol/L versus 1.54 ± 0.97 nmol/L; P < .001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The ROCHE Elecsys immunoassay analyzer correctly measured salivary cortisol in dogs. However, a broad clinical application of the method seems limited, because of the large sample volume required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary adrenaline (epinephrine), noradrenaline, dopamine, metadrenaline (metanephrine) and normetadrenaline to creatinine ratios were measured from spot samples of seven clientowned dogs with a histologically confirmed phaeochromocytoma. Urine was collected on day 0 in the hospital in six dogs, and additionally on days 2, 6 and 7 after discharge in two of these dogs. In one dog, urine was sampled on day 7 only. Samples were also collected from 10 healthy control dogs on days 0, 1 and 7. In dogs with phaeochromocytomas, normetadrenaline:creatinine ratios at all time points ranged from 103 to 6430 nmol/mmol. From day 0, ratios of samples taken at the hospital (range 157 to 925 nmol/mmol) were significantly higher (P<0.0012) compared with control samples (range 14 to 91 nmol/mmol). The highest normetadrenaline:creatinine ratios were found in two dogs with bilateral phaeochromocytomas. Adrenaline:creatinine and noradrenaline:creatinine ratios were also significantly increased (P<0.016) in dogs with a phaeochromocytoma at day 0 compared with controls, although the difference was less pronounced than that between controls and dogs with a phaeochromocytoma for the normetadrenaline:creatinine ratio. Urine normetadrenaline:creatinine ratios may be useful in the diagnosis of canine phaeochromocytomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In people, hypercortisolism (HC) has been associated with acalculous cholecystitis and biliary dyskinesia, which may potentiate ascending biliary infections. In dogs, an association between HC and gallbladder disease recently has been documented, although the role of bacteria remains controversial. Furthermore, there is no information on the gallbladder bile microbial flora in healthy dogs. Objectives: To investigate the microbial flora in gallbladder bile in healthy dogs, the relationship between iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism and bactibilia and possible changes in biliary microbial flora after cortisol withdrawal in dogs. Animals: Six control dogs and 6 dogs treated with hydrocortisone. Methods: Gallbladder bile obtained by percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis was cultured aerobically and anaerobically and examined cytologically before (d0), during (d28, d56, d84), and after (d28p, d56p, d84p) administration of hydrocortisone (8 mg/kg PO q12h). Results: In the control group, 2/42 bile cultures yielded bacterial growth ( Enterococcus sp.; Escherichia coli on d0) and 1/42 bile smears had cytological evidence of bacteria (d28). In the HC group, 2/42 bile cultures yielded bacterial growth ( Enterococcus sp. on d28; Bacillus sp. on d28p) and 3/42 bile smears had cytological evidence of bacteria (d84, d84, d28p). All dogs remained healthy throughout the study period (168d). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Based on the results of conventional bacterial culture techniques, gallbladder bile of healthy dogs periodically may harbor bacteria, which do not appear to be clinically relevant. A 3-month period of iatrogenic HC was not associated with bactibilia. A higher prevalence of bactibilia may be detected with micromolecular techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Guardian REAL-Time is a continuous glucose-monitoring system (CGMS) recently developed to provide instantaneous interstitial glucose concentrations; the system does not require a monitor being fixed to the animal. Hypothesis: The CGMS provides accurate and reproducible real-time readings of glucose concentration in cats. Animals: Thirty-two diabetic cats, 2 cats with suspected insulinoma, and 5 healthy cats. Methods: Prospective, observational study. CGMS accuracy was compared with a reference glucose meter at normal, high, and low blood glucose concentrations using error grid analysis. Reading variability of 2 simultaneously used CGMS was determined in diabetic cats by calculating correlation and percentage of concordance of paired data at different glycemic ranges. The time interval between increasing glycemia and a rise in interstitial fluid glucose measured by the CGMS was assessed in healthy cats receiving glucose IV; the time point of maximal increase in interstitial glucose concentrations was calculated. Results: The CGMS was 100, 96.1, and 91.0% accurate at normal, high, and low blood glucose concentrations. Measurements deviated from reference by −12.7 ± 70.5 mg/dL at normal, −12.1 ± 141.5 mg/dL at high, and −1.9 ± 40.9 mg/dL at low glucose concentrations. Overall, paired CGMS readings correlated significantly ( r= 0.95, P < .0001) and concordance was 95.7%. The median delay after IV administration of glucose to an increase in interstitial glucose was 11.4 minutes (range: 8.8–19.7 minutes). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Although some readings substantially deviated from reference values, the CGMS yields reproducible results, is clinically accurate in cats with hyperglycemia and euglycemia, and is slightly less accurate if blood glucose concentrations are low. Rapidly increasing interstitial glucose after a glycemic rise suggests that the CGMS is suitable for real-time measurement under clinical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A commercial immunoassay for antibodies to the C6 antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi was evaluated against an IgG in-house ELISA in combination with a Western blot assay to examine 104 samples of serum from 53 healthy Bernese mountain dogs, which were suspected to have a breed predisposition to Lyme borreliosis, and 55 samples from 30 healthy large-breed longhair dogs. The two test methods correlated in 125 (79 per cent) of the samples with an agreement of kappa=0·571 (P<0·001). In comparison with the in-house ELISA in combination with a Western blot, the sensitivity and specificity of the C6 test were 81 per cent and 77 per cent respectively. The agreement between the tests was better with the samples from the Bernese mountain dogs (k=0·681) than with the samples from the control dogs (k=0·347). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Various protocols using different doses of recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) in TSH stimulation testing have been described. However, the influence of TSH dosage on thyroxine (T4) concentration has not yet been evaluated in suspected hypothyroid dogs. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of 2 doses of rhTSH. Animals: Fifteen dogs with clinical signs consistent with hypothyroidism and abnormal stimulation results with 75 μg rhTSH and 18 clinically healthy dogs. Methods: All dogs were stimulated with 75 and 150 μg rhTSH IV in a 1st and 2nd stimulation test, respectively. Blood samples were taken before and 6 hours after rhTSH administration for determination of total T4 concentration. Results: Using the higher dose led to a normal test interpretation in 9 of the 15 dogs, in which stimulation had been abnormal using the lower dose. Based on follow-up information, hypothyroidism was excluded in 7 of these 9 dogs. In all 6 dogs with a blunted response to the higher dose, hypothyroidism could be confirmed. Healthy dogs showed significantly higher post-TSH T4 concentrations with the higher compared with the lower dose. Post-TSH T4 concentrations after TSH stimulation were not related to dogs' body weight in either healthy or diseased dogs. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: TSH dose significantly influenced test interpretation in suspected hypothyroid dogs. Differentiation between primary hypothyroidism and nonthyroidal disease was improved with 150 μg rhTSH. Because this effect was independent of the dogs' body weight, the higher dose is recommended in dogs that have concurrent disease or are receiving medication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) has long been considered a key clinical feature of type-1 diabetes mellitus (DM) in humans although. An increasing number of cases of ketoacidosis have been reported in people with type-2 DM. Hypothesis/Objectives: Cats initially diagnosed with DKA can achieve remission from diabetes. Cats with DKA and diabetic remission are more likely to have been administered glucocorticoids before diagnosis. Animals: Twelve cats with DKA and 7 cats with uncomplicated DM. Methods: Retrospective case review. Medical records of cats presenting with DKA or DM were evaluated. Diabetic remission was defined as being clinically unremarkable for at least 1 month after insulin withdrawal. The cats were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) cats with DKA and diabetic remission; (2) cats with DKA without diabetic remission; and (3) cats with DM and diabetic remission. Results: Seven cats with DKA had remission from diabetes. These cats had significantly higher concentrations of leukocytes and segmented neutrophils, and significantly lower concentrations of eosinophils in blood and had pancreatic disease more often than did cats with uncomplicated DM and diabetic remission. With regard to pretreatment, 3/7 cats in group 1, 1/5 cats in group 2, and 1/7 cats in group 3 had been treated with glucocorticoids. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Remission of DM in cats presenting with DKA is possible. Cats with DKA and remission have more components of a stress leucogram, pancreatic disease, and seemed to be treated more often with glucocorticoids than cats with uncomplicated DM and diabetic remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serum concentrations of cortisol and cortisone were measured in 19 healthy dogs and in 13 dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) before and one hour after an injection of synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACm). In the dogs with PDH, the cortisol and cortisone concentrations were measured before and after one to two weeks and three to seven weeks of treatment with trilostane. The dogs with PDH had significantly higher baseline and poststimulation concentrations of cortisol and cortisone, and higher baseline cortisol:cortisone ratios than the healthy dogs. During the treatment with trilostane, the poststimulation cortisol, the baseline and poststimulation cortisone concentrations, and the baseline and poststimulation cortisol:cortisone ratios decreased significantly. The decrease in poststimulation cortisone was significantly smaller than the decrease in cortisol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serum concentrations of cortisol, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, 21 -deoxycortisol and 11 -deoxycortisol were measured in 19 healthy dogs, 15 dogs with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (PDH) and eight dogs with other diseases before and one hour after an injection of synthetic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). At both times the dogs with PDH had significantly higher concentrations of cortisol, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and 21-deoxycortisol than the healthy dogs. Basal 11 -deoxycortisol concentrations were also significantly higher in dogs with PDH compared with healthy dogs. When compared with the dogs with other diseases, the dogs with PDH had significantly higher basal and post-ACTH cortisol and basal 21-deoxycortisol, and significantly lower post-ACTH 11-deoxycortisol concentrations. The dogs with other diseases had significantly higher post-ACTH cortisol, 11-hydroxyprogesterone and 11-deoxycortisol concentrations than the healthy dogs. In general, the post-ACTH concentrations of 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, 17αhydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol and 21-deoxycortisol were more variable than the post-Acm concentrations of cortisol, resulting in large overlaps of the concentrations of these hormones between the three groups. A two-graph receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to maximise the sensitivity and specificity of each hormone for diagnosing hypercortisolism; it showed that the post-ACTH concentration of cortisol had the highest sensitivity and specificity. The overlaps between the healthy dogs, the dogs with PDH and the dogs with other diseases suggested that the individual precursor hormones would not be useful as a screening test for hypercortisolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension and proteinuria are commonly recognized in dogs with spontaneous hypercortisolism. There is, however, little information regarding the effect of exogenous glucocorticoids on blood pressure (BP) and proteinuria and whether these changes are reversible. Hypothesis: Hydrocortisone administration increases systemic BP and urinary protein excretion, and these effects are reversible after hydrocortisone withdrawal. Animals: Six control dogs and 6 dogs treated with hydrocortisone. Methods: BP, urine protein : creatinine ratio (UPC), microalbuminuria (MALB), urine albumin : creatinine ratio (UAC), and urine gel electrophoresis were evaluated before, during, and after administration of hydrocortisone (8 mg/kg PO q12h for 12 weeks) or placebo. Results: BP and UPC increased substantially during hydrocortisone administration from 123 mmHg (range 114–136 mmHg) and 0.17 (0.15–0.28) to a maximum of 143 mmHg (128–148 mmHg) and 0.38 (0.18–1.78), respectively, on day 28. MALB developed in 4 dogs and UAC significantly increased in all dogs during hydrocortisone administration with the maximum on day 84. Both increases in BP and proteinuria were reversible and completely resolved within 1 month after stopping hydrocortisone administration. SDS-AGE revealed the proteinuria to be primarily albuminuria with a pronounced increase during hydrocortisone treatment. Furthermore, a protein of 25–30 kDa was found in male dogs, identified by mass spectrometry to be arginine esterase, the major secretory prostatic protein. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Long-term hydrocortisone treatment results in significant but only mild increases in systemic BP and urinary protein excretion, which are both reversible within 1 month after discontinuation of hydrocortisone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effect of an adaptation period on systemic blood pressure readings, systolic blood pressure was measured in 12 young adult untrained beagles over several weeks by means of a Doppler flow detector and oscillometric devices. The pressure decreased gradually and significantly, and levelled out after 14 days. The median (range) of values obtained by Doppler were 166 (149 to 200) mmHg initially, 145 (119 to 176) mmHg on day 9, 138(118 to 165) mmHg on day 10, 127 (111 to 139) mmHg on day 35, 124(115 to 143) mmHg on day 94 and 127 (114 to 142) mmHg on day 161. All the later measurements were significantly lower than the initial measurement. Male dogs had higher blood pressures than females on each occasion. The blood pressure readings obtained with one of the oscillometric devices and the Doppler device were comparable and correlated significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lesions in the adrenal glands of seven dogs with hyperadrenocorticism that had been treated with trilostane were studied histologically. The glands of the six dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism had moderate to severe cortical hyperplasia that was either diffuse or nodular. The lesions were more pronounced in the zona fasciculata than in the zona reticularis, and the zona glomerulosa was normal. In the dog with a functional adrenal tumour the non-tumour bearing adrenal gland showed mild nodular hyperplasia. Five of the seven dogs had variable degrees of adrenal necrosis, which was severe in two of them. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) reaction specified areas of cell death as apoptosis in three of the dogs, and was positive in one of the dogs without visible areas of cell death. There were variable degrees of cortical haemorrhage in three of the dogs. In some of the dogs the lesions were severe enough to lead to hypoadrenocorticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) and growth hormone were measured in 25 cats with untreated diabetes mellitus (11 of which were used for follow-up measurements, one to three, four to eight, nine to 12 and 13 to 16 weeks after their treatment with insulin began), 14 diabetic cats that had previously been treated with insulin, and seven diabetic cats that also had hypersomatotropism, two of which had not previously been treated with insulin; 18 healthy cats were used as controls. In the untreated diabetic cats the concentration of IGF-1 ranged from 13.0 to 433.0 ng/ml (median 170.5 ng/ml), which was significantly lower than the concentrations in the control cats (196.0 to 791.0 ng/ml, median 452.0 ng/ml). Their IGF-1 concentrations increased significantly when they were treated with insulin and after four to eight weeks were not different from those in the control cats. In the diabetic cats that had previously been treated with insulin the IGF-1 concentrations were 33.0 to 476.0 ng/ml (median 316.0 ng/ml), which was significantly lower than the concentrations in the control cats, but significantly higher than in the untreated diabetic cats. The IGF-1 concentrations in the two previously untreated diabetic cats with hypersomatotropism were low and low-normal but increased markedly after treatment with insulin. In the five previously treated cats with hypersomatotropism the concentration of IGF-1 was above the normal range. The concentrations of growth hormone in the treated and untreated diabetic cats without hypersomatotropisms were not significantly different and there was an overlap in its concentrations in the diabetic cats with and without hypersomatotropism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of various pathological conditions on fructosamine levels in normoglycaemic dogs and cats was investigated. The most frequent and most pronounced deviations were found in animals with hypoproteinaemia, in which fructosamine was significantly lower than in the controls. In 66 per cent of the dogs and 67 per cent of the cats with hypoproteinaemia the levels were below the reference range. In the dogs the concentration of fructosamine was correlated with the level of albumin, but in the cats it was correlated with the level of total protein. Dogs with hyperlipidaemia and azotaemia also had significantly lower levels of fructosamine; 38 per cent of those with hyperlipidaemia and 47 per cent of those with azotaemia had fructosamine levels outside the reference range. No significant changes in fructosamine were detected in dogs or cats with hyperproteinaemia or hyperbilirubinaemia, or in cats with hyperlipidaemia or azotaemia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The use of non-viral DNA vectors to topically treat skin diseases has demonstrated a high potential. However, vectors applied on the skin face extracellular barriers including the stratum corneum and intracellular barriers such as the endosomal escape and the nuclear targeting of the plasmid DNA. The aim of this study was to develop a formulation suitable for dermal application and effective for delivering plasmid DNA into cells. Different formulations were prepared using different cationic lipids (DOTAP, DC-Chol, DOTMA) and co-lipids (DOPE, DSPE). Lipoplexes were produced by complexing liposomes with plasmid DNA at different pDNA/CL (w/w) ratios. Our results showed that appropriate pDNA/CL ratios allowing total complexation of plasmid DNA differed depending on the structure of the lipid used. The transfection rates showed that (i) higher rates were obtained with DOTMA lipoplexes, (ii) DC-Chol lipoplexes provided a transfection twice as important as DOTAP lipoplexes and (iii) when DSPE was added, the cytotoxicity decreased while transfection rates were similar. We found that formulations composed of DC-Chol:DOPE:DSPE or DOTMA:DOPE were appropriate to complex plasmid DNA and to transfect human primary dermal fibroblasts with efficacy and limited cytotoxicity. Therefore, these formulations are highly promising in the context of gene therapy to treat skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study which determines how hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) is a common endocrine disorder in dogs. The study findings suggest that some dogs with HAC may have false negative low-dose dexamethasone suppression test results. In the study researchers demonstrate large individual differences in circulating dexamethasone concentrations after administration of the same dose of dexamethasone.