Association of hyponatremia and hyperglycemia with outcome in dogs with congestive heart failure

Objective: To evaluate plasma sodium and glucose concentrations in dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) prior to treatment and evaluate the differences between survivors and non‐survivors. Design: Retrospective study. Animals: Fifty‐nine dogs with CHF prior to receiving cardiac medication. Interventions: None. Measurements and main results: The mean plasma sodium concentration in dogs with CHF was below the reference range (144–156 mmol/L) and significantly lower (P=0.009) in non‐survivors (141±6 mmol/L) compared with survivors (147±4 mmol/L). The mean plasma glucose concentration was above the reference range (76–117 mg/dL) and significantly higher (P=0.004) in non‐survivors (128±52 mg/dL) compared with survivors (100±13 mg/dL). Forty‐four percent of non‐survivors had concurrent low plasma sodium and high plasma glucose concentrations, whereas no survivors had both abnormalities (P<0.0001). Conclusions: Lower plasma sodium and higher plasma glucose are associated with a worse outcome in dogs with CHF.     

C-reactive protein concentrations in canine acute pancreatitis

Objective: To determine if C‐reactive protein (CRP) concentration is elevated in spontaneously occurring canine acute pancreatitis (AP), and to measure changes in CRP during the course of hospitalization. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Foster Hospital for Small Animals. Animals: Sixteen client‐owned dogs with AP and 16 healthy controls. Interventions: Blood samples were obtained from the AP group on the day of diagnosis (Day 1), and on Days 3 and 5, unless the dog died or was discharged from the hospital. Blood was obtained from the control dogs once. Measurements and main results: Serum CRP was measured using a commercial immunoassay for each dog with AP and for healthy controls. Day 1 CRP concentrations were significantly higher in the AP group (56.1±12.7 μg/mL) compared with controls (2.8±1.3 μg/mL; P<0.001). For the 7 dogs that had samples collected on all 3 days, the mean CRP concentrations decreased significantly (P=0.043) over the 5 days of measurement. Of the 16 dogs with AP, 14 were discharged from the hospital and 2 were euthanized. Conclusions: Serum CRP concentrations were elevated in this group of 16 dogs with spontaneously occurring AP. In the 7 dogs that had measurements on all 3 days, the mean CRP concentration decreased from the day of diagnosis to the measurement made 5 days later.     

Hypernatremia secondary to homemade play dough ingestion in dogs: a review of 14 cases from 1998 to 2001

Objective: To correlate the sodium chloride dosage and the serum sodium concentration to clinical signs, to determine if the dosage of homemade play dough (and, therefore, sodium chloride) is the most reliable way to predict clinical signs and prognosis, and to review previously reported treatment options. Design: Retrospective case series. Animals: Fourteen dogs with a history of homemade play dough ingestion. Procedure: Cases were examined for each animal's signalment including body weight, age, approximate amount of play dough ingested, the estimated sodium chloride dosage, clinical signs, serum sodium concentration, and outcome when available. The literature was reviewed to determine pathophysiology and treatment regimens. Results: Twelve of 14 dogs (86%) that ingested homemade play dough showed clinical signs. Vomiting (9 of 14, 64%), polydipsia, and seizures (4 of 14 each, 29%) were the most common signs followed by polyuria, tremors (3 of 14 each, 21%), and hyperthermia (2 of 14, 14%). The lowest calculated dosage associated with objective clinical signs was 1.9 g/kg. Seizures were reported in all animals with serum sodium levels greater than 180 mEq/L. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Homemade play dough ingestion can be a serious and life‐threatening problem. Many factors can contribute to the toxicity of homemade play dough. This study indicates that the serum sodium concentration is a more reliable indicator of the clinical course of the toxicity rather than the amount of play dough and, therefore, the dosage of sodium chloride ingested. Treatment should be based on a clinical evaluation of the patient and laboratory results, and consists of controlling seizures, reducing serum sodium concentrations slowly, and supportive care.     

An indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of bovine antibodies to multiple Leptospira serovars

An indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the detection of bovine antibodies to multiple pathogenic Leptospira serovars, including canicola, copenhageni (represents icterohaemorrhagiae), grippotyphosa, hardjobovis, pomona, and sejroe. The antigen utilized in this assay was a sonicated mixture of equal parts of killed whole cells of each of the 6 serovars named above. A mouse monoclonal antibody against bovine immunoglobulin (Ig)G₁ that was conjugated with horseradish peroxidase was used for detection of bound antibodies. This assay was evaluated with sera (n = 3107) that were microscopic agglutination test (MAT)-negative (at a 1:100 dilution) for each of the 6 serovars listed above and sera (n = 601) that were MAT-positive (at a 1:100 dilution) for 1, or any combination of the 6 listed serovars. In addition, sera from serial weekly bleedings of cows, which were individually experimentally infected with serovars hardjobovis, copenhageni, grippotyphosa, or canicola, were also tested in this assay.

At an optimal cut-off point determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the relative sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 93.5% (95% confidence interval = 91.2% to 95.3%) and 94.7% (95% confidence interval = 93.9% to 95.5%), respectively. This assay was able to detect antibody in the sera of animals experimentally infected with serovar hardjobovis as early as 1 week postinoculation

     

Adherence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 to swine buccal epithelial cells involves fibronectin

The swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 was investigated for its ability to adhere to swine, rat, and human buccal epithelial cells (BEC). The highest number of bacteria adhered was to swine BEC. This binding ability was affected by heating, extreme pH, treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, ethylenediamine tetraacetate, or periodate, and proteolysis, suggesting that cell-surface glycoproteins participate in adherence and that adherence is based mostly on ionic interactions. Mannose and swine fibronectin may play a direct role in this interaction. Convalescent-phase serum from naturally infected pigs inhibited the adhesion. There was a correlation between bacterial pathogenicity as well as host specificity and the capacity for adherence to swine BEC. Adhesion to swine BEC provides a convenient method to study in vitro the adherence of A. pleuropneumoniae and other pathogens of the pig respiratory tract.     

A computer program for calculation of doses and prices of injectable medications based on body weight or body surface area

A computer program (CalcAnesth) was developed with Visual Basic for the purpose of calculating the doses and prices of injectable medications on the basis of body weight or body surface area. The drug names, concentrations, and prices are loaded from a drug database. This database is a simple text file, that the user can easily create or modify. The animal names and body weights can be loaded from a similar database. After typing the dose and the units into the user interface, the results will be automatically displayed. The program is able to open and save anesthetic protocols, and export or print the results. This CalcAnesth program can be useful in clinical veterinary anesthesiology and research. The rationale for dosing on the basis of body surface area is also discussed in this article.     

山东地方鸡种遗传距离与聚类分析方法比较研究

选用5个多态性较好的微卫星标记，检测了山东省仅存的5个地方鸡种：寿光鸡、日照麻鸡、莱芜黑鸡、济宁百日鸡、鲁西斗鸡，以及一个外来鸡种——安卡黄鸡和一个外省地方鸡种——广西黄鸡共7个鸡种的遗传多样性。根据测试结果计算了每个等位基因的频率，并以基因频率为基础计算了Nei氏标准遗传距离(Ds)和DA遗传距离，发现日照麻鸡与济宁百日鸡的距离最近，而鲁西斗鸡与其他6个鸡种距离都较远。根据两种遗传距离分别进行了NJ法和UPGMA法聚类，得到4个聚类图。结果表明：DA遗传距离的UPGMA聚类图比较可靠。     

瘦肉型猪(PIC344)精液碱性磷酸酶的分离纯化及部分性质研究

用正丁醇抽提、硫酸铵分级沉淀、DEAE SepharoseFF和SephacrylS 200柱层系,从瘦肉型猪(PIC344)精液中提取出碱性磷酸酶。纯化倍数11 46,比活为81 23U/mg蛋白。提取液经PAGE和SDS PAGE检测,呈现一条带。该酶相对分子质量为90 12KD,亚基分子质量为48 41KD,该酶为两个相同亚基组成。等电点为8 19,最适pH值9 5,最适温度为40℃,以磷酸苯二钠为底物测得Km值为3 98×10-4mol/L。经分析,Cu2 、Cd2 为酶的抑制剂,Ni2 、Ca2 、Mg2 为该酶的激活剂。选用CuSO4、Cd(NO3)2作酶的抑制类型判断,结果表明,CuSO4为非竞争性抑制,抑制常数为1 32×10-3mol/L,Cd(NO3)2为竞争性抑制,抑制常数为3 33×10-4mol/L。     

马立克氏病病毒pp38基因启动子和增强子的克隆和序列分析

参考GeneBank发表的马立克氏病病毒(MDV)国际标准强毒株GA的基因序列，设计合成一对引物，分别以RBIB，814，GD2(广东分离株)，J-1-E(北京分离株)，Md11，Md5，CV1988等不同毒株的MDV基因组DNA为模板，通过PCR扩增，获得了预期大小的PCR产物。该产物经pGEM-T-easy克隆后测序，将所得序列进行比较分析。结果发现：不同毒株间pp38基因的启动子和增强子序列间有缺失突变，序列的同源性大于95．9％，其中大多数的突变发生在MDV复制的原点附近。     

仙居鸡染色体G带和Ag-NORs的研究

运用改进的鸡外周血淋巴细胞培养——空气干燥法，分析了仙居鸡染色体G带和Ag—NORs。G带研究结果表明：前10对大型染色体可分为30个区，144条带，同时对G带带型特征进行了具体描述，并绘制了G带模式图。Ag—NORs处理发现：仙居鸡的Ag—NORs常分布于1p、3p、4p、Zp、2q上，均数为3．26，众数为3。不同个体间以及同一个体的不同细胞间。Ag—NORs数目存在多态性；此外研究还发现Ag—NORs联合现象。