Evaluation of a point-of-care test for canine C-reactive protein

Background: In veterinary medicine, there is increasing interest in measuring C‐reactive protein (CRP) as a tool for diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory diseases. Reported CRP concentrations for healthy dogs have ranged from 0 to 8.9 mg/L. Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate a canine‐specific point‐of‐care (POC) lateral flow immunoassay for qualitative CRP measurement in healthy and diseased dogs and to compare results with those obtained by a quantitative ELISA. Methods: Blood samples from 73 client‐owned dogs were available for testing: 16 healthy dogs and 57 dogs with a variety of infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic diseases. CRP was measured in heparinized whole blood samples and serum with the TECOmedical Dog CRP‐visual POC test. A red line develops in the POC device if CRP is ≥5 mg/L, and results are scored as negative or positive. An ELISA validated previously for canine serum was used as the reference method. Results: For all dogs, serum CRP concentrations measured by the ELISA ranged from 0.1 to ≥350 mg/L (median=38 mg/L). Percentages of the CRP POC test results that agreed with the ELISA results were 98.6% for whole blood and 97.3% for serum samples. For serum samples, sensitivity of the POC test was 96.4% and specificity was 81.3%. For whole blood, sensitivity was 94.7% and specificity was 93.8%. Conclusions: The POC test had very good agreement with the ELISA test and had high sensitivity and specificity; therefore, it can be used as a qualitative test to screen for increases in CRP concentrations.     

Use of Anguilla anguilla for Biomonitoring Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Brackish and Riverine Waters in Central and Southern Italy

One of the aims of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/CE is to assess the ecological status of water bodies in Europe in relation to priority contaminants, including some persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Recognizing the benefits of measuring hydrophobic compounds in biota tissues rather than in water, we used the European eel Anguilla anguilla in the present study as a bioindicator species for monitoring POPs in freshwater/brackish environments. We present the results of a contamination analysis of eels carried out in three Italian sites representative of different pollution levels: the last part of Tevere River, which flows through a very urbanized and industrialized area, Caprolace Lake and Lesina Lagoon, inside two different protected national parks. A very high pollution variability was recorded within each group of eels, in particular for those caught at Caprolace Lake. Due to this high variability, inter-population comparisons were carried out only between eels collected in Tevere River and Lesina Lagoon. PCBs values in Lesina Lagoon were two orders of magnitude lower than those measured in Tevere River, while no significant differences were found for levels of DDT compounds. Our results confirm the suitability of the eel as an indicator of persistent bioaccumulative pollutants in brackish environments and rivers where it can be easily caught, but we are sceptical of its use in deep lakes where its capture might be problematic considering standard operation procedures for fish sampling.     

Treatment of haemoperitoneum secondary to ruptured granulosa cell tumours in two mares

This report describes two cases of successful surgical management of granulosa cell tumours (GCT) in mares presenting with haemoperitoneum (HP). Controlled abdominal drainage was initially attempted in Case 1 but was not successful. A ventral midline exploratory laparotomy allowed removal of a haemorrhaging 13 kg GCT. The mare made a full recovery and returned to normal work as a driving pony 11 months post-operatively. In Case 2 controlled abdominal drainage was followed by standing left flank laparoscopic visualisation of the bleeding ovary and transection of the ovarian pedicle by electrocautery. The GCT was then removed via a ventral midline incision due to its large size. Haemoperitoneum can be associated with GCTs and in some cases is severe enough to prompt emergency treatment. Stabilisation of the patient and removal of the haemorrhaging GCT can lead to a successful outcome.     

吉林省粘虫猖獗世代发生虫源的研究Ⅱ.虫源策源地的探讨

粘虫是吉林省粮食作物上最主要的猖獗性害虫,防治工作上迫切需要中、长期預测方法。为此,作者等研究了吉林省粘虫猖獗世代的虫源,已經查明粘虫在吉林省不能越冬,猖獗世代的虫源是由省外迁入的。通过国內粘虫主要发生地区的发生动态的整理和分析,初步認为吉林省猖獗世代虫源的主要策源地为皖北、苏北、魯南、豫东、豫南、鄂北等粘虫常发生的地区。同时認为不同年度各策源地的发生时期和数量的变化会影响吉林省春季成虫盛发期和数量。一般年分5月末、6月初的成虫与鄂北、豫南、皖北等地区的虫源有关;而6月上旬以后的成虫則与魯南、苏北、豫中的虫源有关。     

‘Pharmacokinetic’ and ‘pharmacodynamic’ design of lipophilic drugs based on a structural model for drug interactions with biological membranes

The pharmacokinetic profile a drug exhibits will ultimately depend on how the drug molecule interacts with the different cell membranes it encounters en route to its target site of action. Even if the drug molecule targets a soluble protein as its final site of action, there is a reasonable probability that it will interact with some cell membrane on its pathway to this biological target. In some cases, the final protein, lipid or sugar moiety target could be an integral part of the cell membrane architecture whereby the drug's interaction with the cell membrane could influence its pharmacodynamic profile as well, especially if the final site of action is an integral membrane-bound receptor protein. In either case, drug transport across a cell membrane or within the cell membrane lipid bilayer compartment can dictate partial or dominant control of the drug's bioavailability. A molecular understanding of the equilibrium membrane partition coefficient, the rates of drug partitioning into and out of a cell membrane and the equilibrium location of the drug within the cell membrane can provide critical chemical design strategies for altering overall drug bioavailability and optimal pharmacokinetics.