Primary hyperaldosteronism in the cat: a series of 13 cases

Thirteen cases of feline primary hyperaldosteronism were diagnosed based on clinical signs, serum biochemistry, plasma aldosterone concentration, adrenal imaging and histopathology of adrenal tissue. Two cases presented with blindness caused by systemic hypertension, whilst the remaining 11 cases showed weakness resulting from hypokalaemic polymyopathy. Elevated concentrations of plasma aldosterone and adrenocortical neoplasia were documented in all cases. Seven cases had adrenal adenomas (unilateral in five and bilateral in two) and six had unilateral adrenal carcinomas. Three cases underwent medical treatment only with amlodipine, spironolactone and potassium gluconate; two cases survived for 304 and 984 days until they were euthanased because of chronic renal failure, whilst the third case was euthanased at 50 days following failure of the owner to medicate the cat. Ten cases underwent surgical adrenalectomy following a successful stabilisation period on medical management. Five cases remain alive at the time of writing with follow-up periods of between 240 and 1803 days. Three cases were euthanased during or immediately following surgery because of surgical-induced haemorrhage. One cat was euthanased 14 days after surgery because of generalised sepsis, whilst the remaining cat was euthanased 1045 days after surgery because of anorexia and the development of a cranial abdominal mass. It is recommended that primary hyperaldosteronism should be considered as a differential diagnosis in middle-aged and older cats with hypokalaemic polymyopathy and/or systemic hypertension and should no longer be considered a rare condition.     

Effect of daily injections of ACTH on growth and on the adrenal and lymphoid tissues of two strains of immature fowls.

1. The effects of daily injections of ACTH (30 IU/kg) or physiological saline on growth and on adrenal and lymphoid tissues of Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Light Sussex (LS) chickens were compared at 1, 2 and 3 weeks of age. 2. Saline injections retarded skeletal growth in both strains during the 1st week but only affected weight gain in LS birds. 3. Injections of ACTH depressed growth rate, caused adrenal enlargement and deplenished adrenal cholesterol to the same extent in both strains. 4. ACTH caused a greater reduction in bursal size in RIR than in LS birds. Spleen size was reduced by ACTH only in RIR birds. 5. At 2 and 3 weeks the plasma concentrations of corticosterone of RIR birds were greater than those of LS birds. Plasma corticosterone concentrations were within the normal range 24 h after the last injection of ACTH in both strains. 6. Plasma concentrations of growth hormone was unaffected by ACTH treatment in RIR birds, but it was increased in LS birds after 3 weeks of treatment.     

Effect of active immunization against growth hormone releasing factor on concentrations of somatotropin and insulin-like growth factor I in lactating beef cows.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of immunoneutralization of growth hormone-releasing factor [GRF(1-29)-NH2] on concentrations of somatotropin (ST) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in lactating beef cows. In Experiment 1, multiparous Hereford cows were immunized against 2 mg GRF(1-29)-(Gly)4-Cys-NH2 conjugated to human serum albumin (GRFi, n = 3) or 2 mg human serum albumin (HSAi, n = 3) at 52 +/- 1 d prior to parturition. Boosters (1 mg) were administered on days 12, 40 and 114 postpartum (pp). Serum samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 5 hr on days 18, 46 and 120 pp, followed by administration (IV) of an opioid agonist (FK33-824; 10 micrograms/kg) and an antagonist (naloxone; .5 mg/kg) at hours 5 and 7, respectively. A GRF-analog ([desamino-Tyr1, D-Ala2, Ala15] GRF (1-29)-NH2; 3.5 micrograms/kg) and arginine (.5 g/kg) were administered at hour 10 on days 47 and 121, respectively. Percentage binding of [125I]GRF (1:100 dilution of serum) 28 d after primary immunization was greater in GRFi (14.3 +/- 4.9) than in HSAi (.7 +/- .3) cows. Binding increased to 29.3 +/- 6.5% after first booster in GRFi cows. Episodic release of ST was abolished by immunization against GRF; concentration and frequency of release of ST were lower (P less than .05) in GRFi than in HSAi cows on all days pp. Concentrations of IGF-I were lower in GRFi than in HSAi cows throughout lactation. Serum ST failed to increase following FK33-824 or arginine in GRFi; however, ST increased after both compounds in HSAi cows. Concentrations of ST following GRF-analog were greater (P less than .05) in HSAi than in GRFi cows. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine if a lower dose of antigen and a single booster would be sufficient to lower ST and IGF-I in lactating cows. Multiparous Hereford and Angus cows were assigned to GRFi (n = 6) or HSAi (n = 6). Primary (1.2 mg) and booster (.5 mg) immunizations were administered -14 and 8 d from calving, respectively. Cows were restricted to 60% of recommended intake of energy during lactation in order to elevate concentrations of ST. Serum samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 6 hr on days 26, 50, 73, 90 and 109 pp. Two of six GRFi cows had binding less than 10% (1:1,000 dilution of serum) and were omitted from further analyses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Growth hormone secretion in chicks during dietary calcium deficiency

The role of calcium in the secretion of growth hormone (GH) has been examined in vivo in immature domestic fowl. Chicks reared on a low calcium (0.16% calcium in the feed) diet showed a reduced growth rate, compared with those on a normal (0.86%) calcium diet and had lower basal levels of plasma GH 1, 5, 10 and 15 d after calcium deprivation, but not after 20, 25, 30 or 35 d of calcium deficiency. No consistent changes in the concentration of immunoreactive somatomedin C were observed during calcium restriction. In both the control and low calcium fed birds the plasma concentrations of GH were elevated by the intravenous administration of human pancreatic GH releasing factor (hpGRF) and by thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH). The GH responses to these provocative stimuli were not reduced in magnitude by calcium deficiency. It is suggested, therefore, that the effect of calcium deprivation on the secretion of GH is mediated via the reduced release of stimulatory hypophysiotrophic factors from the hypothalamus.

Pharmacological alterations in calcium status also suggest that calcium deprivation inhibits GH secretion. Plasma concentrations of GH were acutely depressed in young chicks following the administration of a calcium chelator (ethylene diaminotetraacetic acid) a calcium channel blocker (verapamil) and after calmodulin inhibition (by chlordiazapine and trifluorpenazine administration). These data therefore demonstrate the importance of calcium in the stimulation of GH secretion in the domestic fowl.     

Salinomycin and lasalocid effects on growth rate, mineral metabolism and ruminal fermentation in steers

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of salinomycin and lasalocid on metabolism and growth of growing steers. In Exp. 1, 80 Angus steers (228 kg) were assigned to the following treatments: 1) control, 2) 50 mg salinomycin.hd-1.d-1, 3) 100 mg salinomycin.hd-1.d-1 and 4) 250 mg lasalocid.hd-1.d-1. Steers were fed corn silage once daily with allotments based on the amount of silage that each pen of five steers would consume in a 24-h period. In addition, .81 kg/hd of a corn-soybean meal supplement was fed daily during the 112-d study. Daily gains were similar across treatments, but feed intake was lower (P less than .05) for steers fed ionophores. Molar proportions of ruminal acetate were lower (P less than .05) in steers fed ionophores at 28 and 90 d. Ruminal propionate was lower (P less than .05) in control steers at 28 d, but values were similar across treatments on d 90. Plasma copper (Cu) was lower (P less than .05) in control steers on both sampling days. In Exp. 2, 16 Hereford steers were allotted to two blocks of eight animals each and assigned to one of three treatments: 1) control (n = 6), 2) 11 mg salinomycin/kg diet (n = 6) and 3) 33 mg lasalocid/kg diet (n = 4). Following a 28-d adjustment period, apparent absorption and retention of macrominerals and nitrogen (N) were determined during a 5-d collection period. Apparent absorption and retention of N did not differ among treatments when data were analyzed using N intake as a covariate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)