Tooth brushing inhibits oral bacteria in dogs

In this study, scaling, polishing and daily tooth brushing were performed in 20 beagle dogs, and the number of oral bacteria was determined using a bacterial counter. The dogs were randomized into the scaling (S), scaling + polishing (SP), scaling + tooth daily brushing (SB) and scaling + polishing + tooth daily brushing (SPB) groups. Samples were collected from the buccal surface of the maxillary fourth premolars of the dogs immediately after scaling and every week thereafter from weeks 1 to 8. Throughout the study, the number of bacteria was significantly lower in the SB and SPB groups compared with the S group. The findings suggest that daily tooth brushing inhibited oral bacterial growth in the dogs.     

Measurement of intestinal mucosal permeability in dogs with lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis

Lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis (LPE) is a type of canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). One of its most probable causes is a defect in the mucosal permeability barrier. In the present study, intestinal permeability in LPE dogs was examinated to evaluate its clinical value. Twenty-nine dogs with LPE diagnosed by clinical and histological examinations were included in this study. Intestinal permeability was evaluated by measuring the ratio of the concentrations of two sugars (lactulose (L) and rhamnose (R)) with different molecular weights in urine samples after oral administration of a solution containing them. Biopsy specimens of duodenum were evaluated according to histological criteria. The urinary L:R ratio in the 29 LPE dogs (1.68 +/- 1.17, mean +/- SD) was significantly higher than that in the 10 healthy control dogs (0.75 +/- 0.38, P<0.01). In the LPE dogs, a weak correlation was observed between the histopathological grading score of the duodenum and the urinary L:R ratio (r=0.408, P<0.05). The urinary L:R ratio in the 20 dogs showing hypoalbuminemia (< 2.5 g/dl) was significantly higher than that in the 9 dogs with normal serum albumin levels > 2.5 g/dl (P<0.01). In conclusion, permeability of the intestinal mucosa as determined by the urinary L:R ratio could be a useful laboratory parameter for evaluating intestinal damage in LPE dogs.     

Prognostic factors associated with survival in dogs with lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis

Prognostic factors associated with survival in dogs with lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis (LPE) were investigated through a retrospective study. Using case records, 48 dogs diagnosed with LPE were classified as survivors (n = 32) or non-survivors (n = 16), and the clinical and clinicopathological parameters were reviewed between the 2 groups by using univariate and multivariate prognostic analysis. Compared to the hospital population, non-survivors had an overrepresentation of the Shiba breed. Results of univariate analysis indicated that anorexia, severe weight loss, packed cell volume, and total protein were significantly associated with survival for 6 months after diagnosis. In multivariate analysis, anorexia and hypoproteinemia were significantly associated with survival. Furthermore, initial response to treatment was strongly associated with poor prognosis. Based on these clinical and laboratory parameters such as anorexia, hypoproteinemia and initial response to treatment, it may be possible to predict poor prognosis in canine LPE.     

Continuous plasma outflows from the edge of a solar active region as a possible source of solar wind

The Sun continuously expels a huge amount of ionized material into interplanetary space as the solar wind. Despite its influence on the heliospheric environment, the origin of the solar wind has yet to be well identified. In this paper, we report Hinode X-ray Telescope observations of a solar active region. At the edge of the active region, located adjacent to a coronal hole, a pattern of continuous outflow of soft-x-ray-emitting plasmas was identified emanating along apparently open magnetic field lines and into the upper corona. Estimates of temperature and density for the outflowing plasmas suggest a mass loss rate that amounts to approximately 1/4 of the total mass loss rate of the solar wind. These outflows may be indicative of one of the solar wind sources at the Sun.     

Chromospheric anemone jets as evidence of ubiquitous reconnection

The heating of the solar chromosphere and corona is a long-standing puzzle in solar physics. Hinode observations show the ubiquitous presence of chromospheric anemone jets outside sunspots in active regions. They are typically 3 to 7 arc seconds = 2000 to 5000 kilometers long and 0.2 to 0.4 arc second = 150 to 300 kilometers wide, and their velocity is 10 to 20 kilometers per second. These small jets have an inverted Y-shape, similar to the shape of x-ray anemone jets in the corona. These features imply that magnetic reconnection similar to that in the corona is occurring at a much smaller spatial scale throughout the chromosphere and suggest that the heating of the solar chromosphere and corona may be related to small-scale ubiquitous reconnection.