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Canine thyroglobulin (cTg) was treated with trypsin at a ratio of trypsin to cTg of 1:100 (w/w). Tryptic peptides of cTg were analysed by Western immunoblotting for their reactivity to serum thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA) from patients with TgAA-positive hypothyroidism and normal individuals. The sera of patients with TgAA-positive hypothyroidism reacted with several peptides: 43, 32.5 and 31 kDa; the sera of normal individuals did not bind these tryptic peptides. Some of the TgAA-positive sera of patients reacted with 25 kDa peptide in addition to three tryptic peptides above. This experiment was the first report about antigenic epitopes of cTg. These small tryptic peptides recognized by TgAA may be related with the induction of TgAA and may be useful as markers for autoimmune thyroid diseases in dog. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The expression of MRNA of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in 65 surgically resected mammary adenocarcinomas from cats was investigated by in situ hybridisation. No expression of the receptor's mRNA was detectable in the mammary tissue of healthy cats, but it was expressed in areas adjacent to necrosis, surrounding blood vessels and cells infiltrating the lymphatics of 47 (72.3 per cent) of the 65 samples. There was a significant relationship between lymphatic infiltration by neoplastic cells and the expression of the receptor's MRNA (P<0.005), but there was no significant relationship between its expression and the one-year survival of the cats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A 5-year-old intact male mixed-breed cat weighing 4.5 kg was referred to our hospital with a left testicular mass. CT revealed mild heterogeneous contrast enhancement and calcification in the testicular mass. A well-defined, contrast-enhancing, multiloculated mass with fluid-filled areas was extended from the testicular mass in the scrotum to the caudal aspect of the left kidney. The abdominal mass extended to the right crus of the diaphragm, and the gastrointestinal tract was compressed dorsally. Histopathology was consistent with teratoma. Characteristic CT findings in a feline testicular teratoma may include calcification and cystic areas., (© 2024 The Authors. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Radiology.)

This study investigated oxidative stress biomarkers at 3 different oxygen concentrations in dogs under general anesthesia to determine whether high-concentration oxygen increases oxidative stress. Six healthy beagles were randomly assigned to receive 3 anesthesia protocols (inhalation of 40%, 60%, and 100% oxygen) during 3 hours of general anesthesia with sevoflurane, with at least one week in between each protocol. For each experiment, blood samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, and 24 hours after inhalation of oxygen. Derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites, biochemical antioxidant potential, superoxide dismutase, and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in the blood did not significantly differ among the 3 groups at any time point. This study is the first comparing high concentrations of oxygen with low concentrations of oxygen for anesthesia in dogs. According to our findings, 100% oxygen may not alter the oxidative stress level in dogs during general anesthesia with sevoflurane for 3 hours., (Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)

A 10 yr old intact female German shepherd dog presented with a large peripheral odontogenic fibroma and malignant melanoma on her lower jaw. The tumor was resected with a unilateral subtotal rostral hemimandibulectomy. After the mandible was removed, it was devitalized intraoperatively by freezing it in liquid nitrogen. It was subsequently reimplanted. New bone tissue formed in the gap between the frozen bone and the host bone. The regenerated bone contained osteocytes, osteoblasts, and blood vessels. The cosmetic appearance of the dog was preserved. The dog had normal mastication. The malignant melanoma recurred rostral of the left canine tooth at 159 days after the reconstruction surgery. A subtotal hemimandibulectomy was consequently performed. This is the first reported case of mandibular reconstruction using a liquid nitrogen-treated autograft in a dog with oral tumors.

Anthracyclines are among the most effective and widely used anticancer drugs; however, their use is limited by serious cardiotoxicity. Early detection is necessary to prevent the high mortality rate associated with heart failure (HF). We evaluated cardiac function in 142 patients using conventional echocardiography and the phased tracking method (PTM), which was measured using the minute vibration and the rapid motion components, neither of which is recognized in standard M-mode nor in tissue Doppler imaging. For systolic function comparison, we compared left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in conventional echocardiography with the average velocity of ventricular septum myocytes (Vave ) in the PTM. The Vave of 12 healthy volunteers was 1.5 (m/s)/m or more. At baseline of 99 patients, there was a positive correlation between LVEF and Vave in all patients. There were no significant differences in baseline cardiac function between patients with and without HF. There was a negative correlation between the cumulative anthracycline dose and LVEF or Vave among all patients. We determined that Vave 1.5 (m/s)/m was equivalent to LVEF 60%, 1.25 (m/s)/m to 55%, and 1.0 (m/s)/m to 50%. During the follow-up period, there was a pathological decrease in LVEF (<55%) and Vave (<1.25 m/s/m) in patients with HF; decreases in Vave were detected significantly earlier than those in LVEF (P < 0.001). When Vave declined to 1.5 (m/s)/m or less, careful continuous observation and cardiac examination was required. When Vave further declined to 1.0 (m/s)/m or lower, chemotherapy was postponed or discontinued; thus, serious drug-induced cardiomyopathy was avoided in patients who did not relapse. The PTM was superior to echocardiography for early, noninvasive detection and intermediate-term monitoring of left ventricle systolic function associated with anthracycline chemotherapy, among patients with hematologic malignancies. The PTM was an effective laboratory procedure to avoid the progression to serious cardiomyopathy., (© 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To document the trochlear depth (TD) and clinical outcome after kite shield-shaped wedge (K-wedge) recession trochleoplasty in toy-breed dogs with medial patellar luxation (MPL)., Study Design: Case series., Animals: Seven toy-breed dogs (<5 kg) with uni- or bilateral grades II-IV MPL (10 stifles)., Methods: A K-wedge recession trochleoplasty was performed in all dogs in combination with other surgical procedures as treatment for MPL. The TD, the ratio of the proximal TD to patella thickness, and the presence of osteophytes were determined from computed tomography images taken pre-, and 1 and 12 months postoperative. Lameness scores and MPL grade were also recorded., Results: The TD and the ratio of proximal TD to patella thickness increased significantly immediately postoperative and remained increased at 1 and 12 months postoperative. The osteophyte score was significantly higher at 12 months postoperative than preoperative. All dogs had a reduction in MPL grade and improvement in lameness postoperative., Conclusion: K-wedge recession trochleoplasty was successful in treating MPL in a series of toy-breed dogs and offers an alternate to other trochlear recession techniques., (© Copyright 2015 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.)

The pathogenesis of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is not fully understood. The biomolecular signaling pathways involved in the IVD degeneration require further investigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of NG2 proteoglycan in the degenerated IVD. IVD samples were obtained from 16 Dachshunds that were confirmed to have IVD herniation and subsequently underwent hemilaminectomy. The samples were subjected to histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) examinations. IHC revealed positive results for the expression of NG2 proteoglycan in all examined samples. The results showed the expression of NG2 proteoglycan by the degenerated IVDs.

Objective: To establish a simplified single-blood-sample method (SBSM) involving iodixanol to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in dogs and compare data provided by that procedure with data provided by a conventional multiple-blood-sample method (MBSM) involving inulin., Animals: 26 healthy dogs and 36 dogs with naturally occurring renal disease., Procedures: Dogs were used in various preliminary experiments to establish protocols for the SBSM and the MBSM of GFR estimation. To evaluate the relationship between GFRs obtained by the SBSM and the MBSM each involving iodixanol, iodixanol (40 mg of I/kg) was administered IV to 26 healthy dogs and 36 dogs with renal disease; blood sample collection was performed before and at 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the injection. To evaluate the relationship between GFRs obtained by the SBSM involving iodixanol and the MBSM involving inulin, iodixanol (40 mg of I/kg) and inulin (50 mg/kg) were coadministered IV to 22 healthy dogs and 3 dogs with renal disease, followed by blood sample collection 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes later. Serum iodixanol and inulin concentrations were separately determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography., Results: Findings revealed a correlation (r = 0.99) between GFR estimated by the SBSM and MBSM each involving iodixanol. Likewise, GFR estimated by the SBSM involving iodixanol was correlated (r = 0.89) with that estimated by the MBSM involving inulin., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Results indicated that the SBSM involving iodixanol can be applied to estimate GFR in dogs, instead of use of an MBSM.

In the present study, we compare a new carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbent, Yabashi lime(®) with a conventional CO2 absorbent, Sodasorb(®) as a control CO2 absorbent for Compound A (CA) and Carbon monoxide (CO) productions. Four dogs were anesthetized with sevoflurane. Each dog was anesthetized with four preparations, Yabashi lime(®) with high or low-flow rate of oxygen and control CO2 absorbent with high or low-flow rate. CA and CO concentrations in the anesthetic circuit, canister temperature and carbooxyhemoglobin (COHb) concentration in the blood were measured. Yabashi lime(®) did not produce CA. Control CO2 absorbent generated CA, and its concentration was significantly higher in low-flow rate than a high-flow rate. CO was generated only in low-flow rate groups, but there was no significance between Yabashi lime(®) groups and control CO2 absorbent groups. However, the CO concentration in the circuit could not be detected (≤5ppm), and no change was found in COHb level. Canister temperature was significantly higher in low-flow rate groups than high-flow rate groups. Furthermore, in low-flow rate groups, the lower layer of canister temperature in control CO2 absorbent group was significantly higher than Yabashi lime(®) group. CA and CO productions are thought to be related to the composition of CO2 absorbent, flow rate and canister temperature. Though CO concentration is equal, it might be safer to use Yabashi lime(®) with sevoflurane anesthesia in dogs than conventional CO2 absorbent at the point of CA production.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of concurrent measurement of serum phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit (pNF-H) concentration and intramedullary T2W hyperintensity in paraplegic to paraplegic dogs. Our hypothesis was that concurrent measurement of these would provide a more accurate prediction of functional outcome in dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH). A prospective case-control clinical study was designed using 94 dogs with acute onset of thoracolumbar IVDH. The association of serum pNF-H concentration, T2W hyperintensity on sagittal MRI (T2H/L2), deep pain perception and surgical outcome were evaluated with logistic regression analysis after three months for all 94 surgically treated dogs. Sensitivity to predict non-ambulatory outcome was compared among pNF-H and T2H/L2 and combination of both. Logistic regression analysis indicated that serum pNF-H concentration and T2H/L2 were significantly correlated with surgical outcome (P<0.05); however, deep pain perception was not (P=0.41). The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that the odds ratios of unsuccessful long-term outcome were 2.6 for serum pNF-H concentration, 1.9 for T2H/L2 and 2.3 for deep pain sensation. The sensitivity and specificity to predict non-ambulatory outcome for using serum parameter pNF-H>2.6 ng/ml, using T2H/L2 value of>0.84 and using both serum pNF-H and T2H/L2, were 95% and 75.7%, 65% and 86.5%, and 90.0% and 97.5%, respectively. Therefore, combined measurements of serum pNF-H and T2H/L2 might be useful for predicting long-term outcome in dogs with thoracolumbar IVDH.

Tacrolimus (Tac) is a core immunosuppressive drug in human organ transplantation. In feline kidney transplantation, however, the cost of Tac therapy is a significant obstacle. Clarithromycin (CLM) increases the blood trough level of Tac, effectively reducing the Tac dosage in human transplant patients. The interaction between CLM and Tac in cats has not been reported. In this study, the effect of multiple CLM dosing on the pharmacokinetics of Tac in three healthy cats was investigated. The treatments included Tac at 0.3 mg/kg and Tac at 0.3 mg/kg + multiple-dose CLM at 10 mg/kg. Co-administration of CLM and Tac resulted in significant increases in the oral bioavailability of Tac. These preliminary findings suggest that administration of multiple doses of CLM may decrease the required Tac dosage in Tac-based immunosuppressive therapy used as an alternative to the classic cyclosporine-based protocol for feline renal transplantation.

Graft perfusion with cold heparinized saline has known to induce ischemia and reperfusion injury in feline kidney transplantation. In this study, the effects of phosphate-buffered sucrose solution and heparinized saline solution on early kidney graft function were compared in feline kidney autotransplantation. Perfusion of grafts with or without hypothermic storage with chilled phosphate-buffered sucrose solution prevented ischemia and reperfusion injury despite a very short ischemic time. The results of our study suggest that phosphate-buffered sucrose perfusion and storage solution should be effective to reduce ischemia and reperfusion injury despite a very short ischemic time in feline kidney transplantation., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phosphate-buffered sucrose (PBSc) solution is effective for short-term hypothermic preservation of tissue during feline kidney transplantation. A high-molecular-weight polyethylene glycol (35,000 Da, PEG35) reportedly enhanced the protective effects against cold-induced tubular injuries in animal kidney transplantation models. We investigated the ability of PBSc solution containing PEG35 to preserve cultured feline kidney cells using in vitro WST-8 cell proliferation assays. PEG35 significantly improved cell viability during 24 hr of cold preservation. PBSc containing 20 g/l PEG35 achieved an effect almost equal to that of University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, the gold standard preservation solution used in human clinical kidney transplantation, for up to 24 hr of preservation. Our results suggest that PBSc containing PEG35 provides an excellent medium for graft cold storage during feline kidney transplantation.

Clarithromycin (CLM) has been known to increase the cyclosporine (CsA) trough level in human and feline organ transplant patients. However, the interaction of CLM with CsA has not been reported in dogs. In this study, the effects of multiple dosing of CLM on the pharmacokinetics of CsA in three healthy beagles were investigated. The treatments included CsA 10 mg/kg alone and CsA 10 mg/kg + multiple-dose of CLM 10 mg/kg. Co-administration of CLM with CsA resulted in significant increases of oral bioavailability of CsA. The results of our study suggest that administration of multiple therapeutic doses of CLM may decrease the required CsA dosage in CsA-based immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplanted dogs.

To compare glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated by a single blood sample method, the non-ionic contrast medium iodixanol (40 mg I/kg) and the standard GFR tracer inulin (50 mg/kg) were co-administered as a bolus intravenous injection to 12 cats, followed by blood collection 60 and 90 mins later. Serum iodixanol and inulin concentrations were measured separately by high-performance liquid chromatography and colourimetric assay. A correlation (r = 0.90, P <0.01) was noted between GFR values estimated by the single-blood-sample method using iodixanol and inulin, indicating that this procedure can apply to feline GFR estimates, even if different GFR tracers are used. In a feline kidney transplantation study, the GFR was monitored subsequently by this simplified iodixanol method throughout a 750-day observation period with no adverse reactions. The results demonstrate that the simplified method, including the volume of distribution, can be used as an alternative or expedient tool in a clinically relevant situation.

Methylxanthine derivatives increase cAMP and are known to have diuretic, cardiac, and central nervous system stimulatory effects. Moreover, caffeine inhibits the development of tumors induced by various carcinogens. The aim of this work was to elucidate the anticancer effects on apoptosis of xanthine derivatives alone and with doxorubicin in canine hemangiosarcoma cells. Xanthine derivatives with or without doxorubicin were administered to cells, and the effects were investigated by measuring tumor cell proliferation, cell death (cytotoxicity) induction, and apoptosis by the expression of annexin V or caspase 3/7. Both caffeine and theophylline induced apoptosis, and the treated cells expressed annexin V and caspase 3/7. Both drugs enhanced doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity; however, hypoxanthine showed no effect. These results indicate that theophylline is similar to caffeine; both drugs may enhance doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity by inhibiting ATM/ATR kinases. Our data suggest that caffeine and theophylline have anticancer effects and can improve the treatment effect in canine hemangiosarcoma patients., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In humans, increased levels of GFAP in the CSF and blood have been reported with various neural diseases. However, there has been no study describing the usefulness of GFAP in the blood for disease of the spinal cord in dogs. The aim of this study was to describe the utility of GFAP in serum for a diagnosis of progressive myelomalacia. Fifty-six dogs with acute thoracolumbar IVDD diagnosed by computed tomography with myelography or MRI were included. Serum specimens were collected at initial presentation from all cases and at follow-up examinations from some cases. Serum samples were assayed for GFAP concentrations using a commercially available GFAP ELISA Kit. Progressive myelomalacia was the final diagnosis in 8/51 cases (15.6%). Eight dogs had clinical signs suggestive of progressive myelomalacia, of which 6 were positive and 2 were negative by GFAP. Seven dogs had a detectable level of serum GFAP, of which 6 had the onset of progressive myelomalacia. The sensitivity and specificity of the GFAP to progressive myelomalacia were 75% and 97.7%, respectively. The results suggest the utility of GFAP in serum in the diagnosis of progressive myelomalacia.