Evaluation of cystatin C as an endogenous marker of glomerular filtration rate in dogs

Cystatin C is a cysteine protease inhibitor produced by all nucleated cells. It is freely filtered by the glomerulus and is unaffected by nonrenal factors such as inflammation and gender. Because of greater sensitivity and specificity, cystatin C has been proposed to replace creatinine as a marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in humans. The aims of this study were to validate an automated assay in canine plasma and to evaluate the usefulness of cystatin C as a marker of GFR in dogs. Western blotting was used to demonstrate cross-reactivity of an anti-human cystatin C antibody. An immunoturbidimetric assay was used to detect cystatin C in 25 clinically healthy dogs and 25 dogs with renal failure. Mean cystatin C concentration in the healthy dogs and the dogs with renal failure was 1.08 +/- 0.16 mg/L and 4.37 +/- 1.79 mg/L respectively. Intra- and interassay variability was <5%. The assay was linear (r = .974) between 0.14 and 7.53 mg/L. Both cystatin C and creatinine concentrations were measured in banked, frozen serum from 20 remnant kidney model dogs and 10 volume-depleted dogs for which GFR measurements by exogenous creatinine clearance had been determined previously. In the remnant kidney model, cystatin C was better correlated with GFR than creatinine (r = .79 versus .54) but was less well correlated with GFR in volume-depleted dogs (r = .54 versus .95). GFR measurements were repeated in the remnant kidney model dogs 60 days after initial GFR measurements. At this time, cystatin C and creatinine concentrations correlated equally well with GFR (r = .891 versus .894, respectively). Cystatin C concentration is a reasonable alternative to creatinine for screening dogs with decreased GFR due to chronic renal failure.     

细胞钙超载与鸡柔嫩艾美耳球虫病损伤关系

为探讨鸡柔嫩艾美耳球虫（E．tenella）宿主细胞损伤与钙超载的关系，采用组织定量检测、Von Kossa钙染色、焦锑酸钾电镜细胞化学技术对使用和未使用钙离子阻断剂的E．tenella感染鸡盲肠组织的细胞沉积钙、ATP酶、磷脂酶A2（PLA2）、游离脂肪酸和盲肠上皮细胞游离Ca^2＋的含量与分布进行了动态测定和分析。结果表明：（1）鸡患柔嫩艾美耳球虫病过程中，宿主细胞内钙和游离Ca^2＋明显增多（P〈0．01），并随盲肠损伤加重而增加；（2）在发病过程中盲肠组织Na^＋-K^＋-ATP酶、Ca^2＋-Mg^2＋-ATP酶、总ATP酶活性均有不同程度的下降，在感染严重期显著低于不感染对照组（P〈0．01）；（3）钙超载盲肠组织的PLA2活性和游离脂肪酸含量明显升高（P〈0．01），表明钙超载是鸡柔嫩艾美耳球虫病的一个重要损伤机制；（4）硝苯地平可以阻止Ca^2＋内流，减少宿主细胞内游离Ca^2＋，减轻宿主细胞的损伤，在本病发生的早期盲肠损伤较轻时，对鸡有一定的保护力，但随着疾病的发展，其作用下降。     

QUANTITATIVE CONTRAST ULTRASOUND ANALYSIS OF RENAL PERFUSION IN NORMAL DOGS

Eight normal dogs with no evidence of renal disease, weighing between 8 and 25 kg were imaged using contrast harmonic ultrasound after injection of a microbubble contrast medium. All dogs received three separate bolus injections of 0.05 ml of commercial contrast medium (Definity). Time/mean pixel value (MPV) curves were generated for selected regions in the cortex and medulla of the left kidney in each dog. Upslope, downslope, baseline, peak intensity, and time to peak were calculated for each zone. For a bolus injection, within the renal cortex (averaging all subjects) the upslope was 7.4 +/- 1.5 MPV/s, downslope was -0.4 +/- .2 MPV/s, baseline was 66.8 +/- 9.3 MPV, peak was 103.6 +/- 8.2 MPV, time to peak (from injection) was 12.8 +/- 5.3 s and from time of contrast medium reaching the kidney was 5.1 +/- 2.0 s. Within the renal medulla (averaging all subjects), upslope was 2.8 +/- 1.7 MPV/s, downslope was -0.3 +/- .2 MPV/s, baseline was 39.3 +/- 6.0 MPV, peak was 65.2 +/- 14.3 MPV, time to peak from injection was 20.9 +/- 6.4 s and from time of contrast reaching the kidney was 11.6 +/- 4.1 s. These baseline data may prove useful in the evaluation of dogs with diffuse disease or vascular compromise.     

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RENAL HYPOECHOIC SUBCAPSULAR THICKENING AND LYMPHOSARCOMA IN CATS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between renal hypoechoic subcapsular thickening observed ultrasonographically and the presence of renal lymphosarcoma in cats. The ultrasonography database was retrospectively searched for cats that underwent ultrasound examination and ultrasound guided needle renal aspirate, renal biopsy, or necropsy. One radiologist unaware of the final diagnosis evaluated the images for the presence of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening and other abnormal findings. Fifty-four cats met the inclusion criteria. Hypoechoic subcapsular thickening was found in 21 cats of which 17 had lymphosarcoma; the remaining four cats had a different diagnosis. Eleven out of 33 cats without hypoechoic subcapsular thickening were positive for lymphosarcoma, and the rest had a different diagnosis. There was a significant association between hypoechoic subcapsular thickening and renal lymphosarcoma (P = 0.001). The positive predictive value of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening for lymphosarcoma was 80.9% and the negative predictive value was 66.7%. The sensitivity and specificity of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening for the diagnosis of renal lymphosarcoma were 60.7% and 84.6%, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the presence of hypoechoic subcapsular thickening in feline kidneys is associated with renal lymphosarcoma.     

贵德县常牧乡切扎村毒草危害状况调查

通过对贵德县常牧乡切扎村毒草危害状况的调查,毒草危害面积为0.63×104hm2,基本摸清了其分布情况及危害程度,并提出了防治建议,对于今后开展防治工作具有指导意义。     

灵芝组方保肝的研究

按照国家保健食品审批标准，对灵芝组方后提取有效部份，进行保肝实验，研究结果表明．以0.67、2．00、6．00g／kgBw剂量的灵芝益甘粉灌胃给予小鼠30d，并以四氯化碳造成急性肝损伤模型．灵芝益甘粉067、6．00g／kgBW剂量组的AST，6．00g／kgBW剂量组肝细胞坏死病变程度均低于模型对照组．差异有显著性（P〈0．05）．灵芝益甘粉对化学性损伤有保护功能．     

Renal cell carcinoma with bone metaplasia in a horse

A case of renal tubular carcinoma with bone metaplasia is reported in a 20-year-old male, mixed breed horse having a history of weight loss and hematuria. This report includes the clinical signs, macroscopic and microscopic lesions, and the immunohistochemical findings of this neoplasm.     

Canine renal failure syndrome in three dogs

Three dead dogs were brought to the College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University for study. Clinically, all the dogs showed emaciation, anorexia, depression, hemorrhagic vomiting and diarrhea for 7~10 days before death. All the clinical signs were first noted for about one month after feeding the dogs with commercial diets. At necropsy, all 3 dogs had severe renal damage with the same green-yellowish colored nephroliths in the renal pelvis. They also showed systemic hemorrhage and calcification of several organs, which might have been induced by uremia. Microscopically, necrosis, calcification and calculi were detected in the renal tubules, and especially in the proximal convoluted tubules and collecting ducts of the kidney. These findings were supportive of a mycotoxic effect, and especially on their kidneys. However, the precise cause of the toxic effect in these cases of canine renal failure could not be determined.     

枇杷果实采后质地的变化与调控

 以枇杷果实为材料, 通过1 - 甲基环丙烯(1-MCP) 和温度处理, 探索其对采后枇杷果实衰老过程质地的影响。结果表明, 枇杷果实采后在20℃贮藏过程中, 脂氧合酶(LOX) 活性、超氧自由基(O·2 ) 积累和苯丙氨酸解氨酶( PAL) 活性均呈峰型变化, 果肉组织相对电导率持续增加, 果实硬度趋于增大, 果肉渐趋粗糙少汁, 具有组织木质化的特征。12MCP可以显著抑制PAL和LOX活性, 减缓O·2 生成, 延缓组织衰老进程和硬度的增加。1℃低温贮藏可以有效延缓果实的衰老进程, 但会导致果实出现冷害, 其典型症状也表现出了组织木质化。采后枇杷果实衰老过程中的硬度增加与冷害胁迫下的果实组织木质化具有相似的基本特征, 但其内在机制可能不同。     

黄瓜苗期热害症状及其发生发展规律研究

为了确定黄瓜苗期热害程度,以耐热品种Poinsett97和热敏品种BoothbylsBlonde为试验材料,采用42℃高温处理黄瓜幼苗24h,观察子叶、幼叶、心叶、下胚轴及整株幼苗的热害症状,并记载热处理后不同时间热害症状的变化。提出了明确的黄瓜幼苗热害症状的分级标准,对于田间热害的诊断及黄瓜耐热性的鉴定与评价具有良好的实用价值。