A Randomized Study Assessing the Effect of Diet in Cats with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background

Diet might influence progression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Objective

To investigate whether diet composition could alter clinical, biochemical, or echocardiographic variables in cats with HCM.

Animals

Twenty‐nine cats with HCM (International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council stage 1b) examined at a university teaching hospital.

Methods

Randomized, placebo‐controlled trial. After physical examination, echocardiogram, and blood collection, cats were randomized to 1 of 3 diets, which varied in carbohydrate and fat content and ingredients. Measurements were repeated after 6 months.

Results

There were no significant differences among the 3 groups at baseline. After 6 months, there were no significant changes in the primary endpoints, left ventricular free wall (Group A, P = .760; Group B, P = .475; Group C, P = .066) or interventricular septal thickness in diastole (Group A, P = .528; Group B, P = .221; Group C, P = .097). Group A had significant increases in BUN (P = .008) and cholesterol (P = .021), while Group B had significant increases in BUN (P = .008), cholesterol (P = .007), and triglycerides (P = .005), and significant decreases in NT‐proBNP (P = .013) and hs‐troponin I (P = .043). Group C had significant decreases in body weight (P = .021), left atrial dimension (P = .035), interventricular septal thickness in systole (P = .038), and liver enzymes (P = .034–.038).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

These data suggest that diet might influence some clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic variables in cats with HCM.     

Neutrophil Gelatinase–Associated Lipocalin in Dogs with Naturally Occurring Renal Diseases

Background

Neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL) is released from renal tubular cells after injury and serves in humans as a real‐time indicator of active kidney damage, including acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, NGAL concentrations in dogs with naturally occurring AKI or CKD rarely have been explored in detail.

Hypothesis/Objectives

The goal of this study was to evaluate whether NGAL can serve as a useful biomarker in dogs with naturally occurring renal disease.

Animals

Client‐owned dogs with renal disease (57) and control dogs without any disease (12) were examined.

Methods

Serum NGAL (sNGAL) and urine NGAL (uNGAL) concentrations were measured in each animal by a newly developed ELISA system. Demographic, hematologic, and serum biochemical data were recorded. Survival attributable to AKI and CKD was evaluated at 30 days and 90 days, respectively.

Results

Serum and urine NGAL concentrations in azotemic dogs were significantly higher than in nonazotemic dogs and were highly correlated with serum creatinine concentration (P < .05). Among CKD dogs, death was associated with significantly higher sNGAL and uNGAL concentrations compared with survivors. Receiver‐operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that sNGAL was better than serum creatinine concentration when predicting clinical outcomes for CKD dogs (P < .05). The best cutoff point for sNGAL was 50.6 ng/mL, which gave a sensitivity and a specificity of 76.9 and 100%, respectively. Furthermore, dogs that had higher concentrations of sNGAL survived for a significantly shorter time.

Conclusion

sNGAL is a useful prognostic marker when evaluating dogs with CKD.     

呋塞米冲击疗法在犬急性肾功能衰竭中的应用

呋塞米冲击疗法是指在肾衰治疗过程中采用大剂量的呋塞米进行静脉推注或者加入生理盐水中进行静脉滴注,达到利尿的作用,促进尿液的生成与排出,从而加速肌酐随尿液的排出,达到降低血清肌酐水平,促进肾衰治疗的作用。论文就冲击疗法与常规疗法对急性肾衰治疗效果进行了比较。以临床接诊肾衰治愈病例60例为研究对象,其中30例为对照组使用常规疗法治疗,另外30例为试验组使用常规疗法加冲击疗法治疗。结果表明,呋塞米冲击疗法平均治愈时间比常规疗法治愈时间提前近2 d,证明呋塞米冲击疗法可以有效缩短急性肾衰的治愈时间。     

TRANSTHORACIC LUNG ULTRASOUND IN NORMAL DOGS AND DOGS WITH CARDIOGENIC PULMONARY EDEMA: A PILOT STUDY

Pulmonary edema is the most common complication of left‐sided heart failure in dogs and early detection is important for effective clinical management. In people, pulmonary edema is commonly diagnosed based on transthoracic ultrasonography and detection of B line artifacts (vertical, narrow‐based, well‐defined hyperechoic rays arising from the pleural surface). The purpose of this study was to determine whether B line artifacts could also be useful diagnostic predictors for cardiogenic pulmonary edema in dogs. Thirty‐one normal dogs and nine dogs with cardiogenic pulmonary edema were prospectively recruited. For each dog, presence or absence of cardiogenic pulmonary edema was based on physical examination, heartworm testing, thoracic radiographs, and echocardiography. A single observer performed transthoracic ultrasonography in all dogs and recorded video clips and still images for each of four quadrants in each hemithorax. Distribution, sonographic characteristics, and number of B lines per thoracic quadrant were determined and compared between groups. B lines were detected in 31% of normal dogs (mean 0.9 ± 0.3 SD per dog) and 100% of dogs with cardiogenic pulmonary edema (mean 6.2 ± 3.8 SD per dog). Artifacts were more numerous and widely distributed in dogs with congestive heart failure (P < 0.0001). In severe cases, B lines increased in number and became confluent. The locations of B line artifacts appeared consistent with locations of edema on radiographs. Findings from the current study supported the use of thoracic ultrasonography and detection of B lines as techniques for diagnosing cardiogenic pulmonary edema in dogs.     

小型震损水库溃坝风险分析研究

为研究小型震损水库溃坝风险,对水库的溃坝路径、溃坝概率、溃坝后果进行分析,建立风险评价模型,最终确定其风险指数。在简单介绍此模型的基础上,通过实例说明其在水库风险分析中的应用,确定模型的实用性及便捷性。     

山东栖霞苹果产业发展研究——基于对栖霞苹果滞销问题的调查与思考

苹果产业的迅速发展带动了栖霞经济的崛起,然而近几年来苹果价格的巨大波动,影响了栖霞经济的发展。该研究通过实地调查,采用系统分析法分析了栖霞苹果滞销的原因,进而提出了解决栖霞苹果滞销问题的方案,希望通过市场的完善、新技术的运用和政府的大力扶持,可以提高栖霞苹果的产量与质量,降低苹果滞销给农民造成的损失。     

木质基直柱型点阵夹芯结构的平压和弯曲性能研究

利用一种简单的插入-胶合方法,以杨木单板层积材和桦木圆棒榫制备了一种新型的木质基柱型点阵夹芯结构;采用正态测试方法和无损检测方法分别对圆棒榫和面板进行优选以降低木材变异性对试验结果的影响;对由2种不同圆棒榫尺寸制备的夹芯结构的平压和弯曲性能进行了研究.结果表明,运用理论模型来预测该种夹芯结构的平压强度和平压弹性模量试验结果表明,理论预测值大于实测值;平压试验的主要失效模式是圆棒榫的剪切破坏,与此同时该种夹芯结构在平压试验中表现出较好的能量吸收能力,而这一性能对其在木结构中应用的安全性极为重要;该种夹芯结构的弯曲性能与相对密度存在一定的线性关系.     

中国罗非鱼养殖产业发展及市场前景

罗非鱼是联合国粮农组织极力推荐的养殖品种,20世纪50年代被移植于中国,历经试验养殖阶段（1957 ～1980年）、规模养殖阶段（1981 ～1990年）和全面养殖阶段（1991年至今）,如今已发展成规模性养殖产业.罗非鱼淡水养殖区域几乎遍及全国,主要产区为广东、海南和广西.进入21世纪,海外对罗非鱼的需求非常旺盛,为中国罗非鱼产业创造了必要的市场条件,加之国内内陆省份的广域性需求,罗非鱼养殖产业已成为很有“钱”途的养殖业,其市场前景非常广阔.