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Ketogenic diets (KD) have been used in the treatment of epilepsy in humans for around a century and, more recently, they have been implanted for cancer patients, as well as in the treatment of obesity. This type of diet consists of high-fat levels, an adequate amount of protein and restricted carbohydrates, or high medium-chain triglycerides. Recently, the ketogenic diet has gained attention in veterinary medicine and studies were published evaluating the effects of KD in dogs with epilepsy. The objective of this review was to highlight recent studies about the application of KD in dogs and cats, to describe the neurobiochemical mechanisms through which KD improves epilepsy crisis, and their adverse effects. Studies were identified by a systematic review of literature available on PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. All cohort and case-control studies were included, and all articles were exported to Mendeley® citation manager, and duplicates were automatically removed. Seven articles and three conference abstracts conducted with dogs were included in the present study. There is evidence that the consumption of diets with medium-chain triglycerides increases the concentration of circulating ketone bodies and improves epilepsy signs, although these diets have higher carbohydrate and lower fat content when compared to the classic KD., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In this work, silica nanospheres were used as support for gold nanoparticles and applied for bisphenol A electrochemical detection. The development of new silica-supported materials has attracted increasing attention in the scientific world. One approach of interest is using silica nanospheres as support for gold nanoparticles. These materials have a variety of applications in several areas, such as electrochemical sensors. The obtained materials were characterized by solid-state UV-vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical techniques. The electrode modified with AuSiO 2 700/CHI/Pt was applied as an electrochemical sensor for BPA, presenting an oxidation potential of 0.842 V and a higher peak current among the tested materials. The AuSiO 2 700/CHI/Pt electrode showed a logarithmic response for the detection of BPA in the range of 1-1000 nmol L -1 , with a calculated detection limit of 7.75 nmol L -1 and a quantification limit of 25.8 nmol L -1 . Thus, the electrode AuSiO 2 700/CHI/Pt was presented as a promising alternative to an electrochemical sensor in the detection of BPA., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The present study evaluated the antidepressant-like effects of vilazodone using the tail suspension test in mice. We also investigated the contribution of kynurenine pathway and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors to this effect. For this purpose, we pretreated animals with sub-effective doses of L-kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine, or quinolinic acid. We then assessed the immobility time, an indicative measure of depressive-like behavior, in the tail suspension test. We also evaluated the possible effects of sub-effective doses of vilazodone combined with sub-effective doses of ketamine (N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist) in a separate group. Vilazodone (3mg/kg, intraperitoneal) significantly reduced immobility time in the tail suspension test. L-kynurenine (1.7 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), 3-hydroxykynurenine (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), and quinolinic acid (3 nmol/site, intracerebroventricular) significantly increased the immobility time in the tail suspension test. The antidepressant-like effects of vilazodone (3mg/kg, intraperitoneal) were inhibited by pre-treatment with non-effective doses of L-kynurenine (0.83 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3.33 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), or quinolinic acid (1 nmol/site, intracerebroventricular). Pretreatment of mice with sub-effective doses of ketamine (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) optimized the action of a sub-effective dose of vilazodone (0.3mg/kg, intraperitoneal) and reduced the immobility time in the tail suspension test. None of the drugs used in this study induced any changes in locomotor activity in the open field test. The results showed that vilazodone induced an antidepressant-like effect in the tail suspension test, which may be mediated through an interaction with the kynurenine pathway and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in dogs and it is associated with many comorbidities. Some obesity risk factors have already been established, however, the evaluation of the effect of different individual variables on weight loss induced by calorie restriction, although very important, is still poorly explored. The weight loss protocol can be updated and improved by more precise and adjusted equations throughout the weight loss program in the clinical routine practice. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze weight loss program dynamics in groups according to reproductive status, age, body size, and breed, as well as to define more accurately the amount of calories per target metabolic weight throughout the program. Data of 1,053 cases, presented between 2012 and 2019 at the Veterinary Hospital of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of São Paulo (FMVZ-USP) were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 77 obese dogs (body condition scores 8/9 or 9/9) of different ages, breeds, sizes, and reproductive status were selected. These dogs did not have any concomitant illnesses and successfully completed the weight loss program. Statistical analysis was performed and values of p≤0.05 were considered significant. The proposed weight loss program was based on an energy restriction protocol where daily energy intake (in kcal) was estimated as 70 kcal × target weight0.75. The target weight (TW) was defined as 80% of the animal's current weight. The average calorie intake for weight loss (calories x target weight0.75) was lower for spayed females (62.36), differing from intact males (66.14) and neutered males (65.41), while intact females (63.66) showed intermediate values without differing between groups (p = 0.015). There were no differences between weight loss calories according to age (p = 0.473) or body size (p = 0.084), allowing the use of the same mathematical equation for intact and neutered dogs; for dogs older than 1 year and of different body sizes. Regarding the breed, the average calorie intake was lower (p = 0.002) in mixed breed dogs (61.54xTW0.75) when compared to obesity-prone purebred dogs (64.17xTW0.75) and other purebreds (65.27xTW0.75). It was concluded that spayed females and mixed breed dogs have greater difficulty in losing weight, that is, they need fewer calories per metabolic body weight for the weight loss program to succeed. A more accurate equation for energy requirement for weight loss can improve chances of success, therefore improving compliance and helping clinical management of obesity in dogs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Canine obesity is associated with genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors, with the latter including both the behaviour of the dog and the owner. Knowledge about owner perception of canine obesity and its treatment can inform the development of new strategies to help prevent and manage this disease. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the opinions of dog owners regarding canine obesity and weight management. Dog owners residing in the city of Sao Paulo (Brazil) completed a questionnaire, either at home or in the waiting rooms of 3 veterinary hospitals. Owners determined their dog's body condition score (BCS), and this was compared with BCS determined by a veterinarian. Questionnaire findings from dogs that were in overweight (BCS 6-7/9) or obese (BCS (8-9/9) condition were compared with those in ideal weight (4-5/9) using chi-square tests and odds ratios. A total of 926 dogs were included, of which 480 (52%), 317 (34%) and 129 (14%) were in ideal, overweight and obese condition, respectively. Many owners under-estimated their dog's weight status, with the proportion increasing as the dog's weight status increased (ideal 60/480, 13%; overweight 174/317, 55%; obese 88/129, 68%; P<0.001). Although most owners (890/926, 96%) believed that canine obesity could pose health risks, the proportion that disagreed increased as weight status increased (ideal 12/480, 2%; overweight 14/317, 4%; 10/129, 8%; P = 0.006). Finally, although most owners (880/926, 95%) stated that they would let their dog undergo weight management, only a minority (182/926; 20%) believed that a trained professional was needed, and they had various misperceptions including potential cost and what the strategies that would be effective. Based on the findings of this study, it would be advisable for veterinarians to spend time addressing these misperceptions, in the hope of both improving awareness of obesity and the outcomes of weight management., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.