Intraobserver and interobserver repeatability of ocular biometric measurements obtained by means of B-mode ultrasonography in dogs

OBJECTIVE: To assess intra- and interobserver repeatability of ocular biometric measurements obtained by means of high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography in dogs. Animals-6 Beagles without ocular abnormalities. PROCEDURES: B-mode ultrasonography was performed bilaterally with a 10.5-MHz broadband compact linear array transducer. All measurements were made on 2 different occasions by 2 observers. The Bland-Altman method was used to assess agreement between measurements obtained by the 2 observers and between the 2 sets of measurements obtained by each observer. RESULTS: Intra- and interobserver repeatability was highest for larger measurements, such as depth of the eye and depth of the anterior chamber. When repeatability was examined, bias was significantly different from 0 for only a few measurements, but the percentage difference between observations was as high as 180% for some measurements. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that most measurements of intraocular distances and structures obtained by means of high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography have acceptable intra- and interobserver repeatability. However, the percentage difference between observations can be high for smaller measurements.     

Force plate analysis before and after dorsal decompression for treatment of degenerative lumbosacral stenosis in dogs

OBJECTIVE: Using force plate analysis (FPA), determine ground reaction forces in dogs with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis (DLS) and evaluate the effects of lumbosacral decompressive surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Twelve dogs with DLS. METHODS: DLS was diagnosed by clinical signs, radiography, computed tomography, and/or magnetic resonance imaging. FPA was performed before surgery, and 3 days, 6 weeks, and 6 months after surgery. The mean peak braking (Fy+), peak propulsive (Fy-), and peak vertical (Fz+) forces of 8 consecutive strides were determined. The ratio between the total Fy- of the pelvic limbs and the total Fy- of the thoracic limbs (P/TFy-), reflecting the distribution of Fy-, was analyzed to evaluate any changes in locomotion pattern postoperatively. Ground reaction force data for DLS dogs were compared with data derived from 24 healthy dogs (control). RESULTS: In dogs with DLS, the propulsive forces (Fy-) of the pelvic limbs were significantly smaller than those of controls. P/TFy- was significantly smaller in dogs with DLS than in control dogs, and increased during the follow-up period, reaching normal values 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Cauda equina compression in dogs with DLS decreases the propulsive force of the pelvic limbs and surgical treatment restores the propulsive force of the pelvic limbs in a 6-month period. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In dogs with DLS, FPA is an effective method in evaluating the response to surgical treatment. Normal propulsive force in the pelvic limbs was restored during 6 months after decompressive surgery.     

High pressure processing treatment prevents embryonation of eggs of Trichuris vulpis and Ascaris suum and induces delay in development of eggs

High hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) is an effective non-thermal treatment used to inactivate pathogens from a variety of food and food products. It has been extensively examined using prokaryotic organisms and protozoan's but has had limited study on metazoans. Treatment using HPP has been shown to be effective in inactivating nematode larvae in food and preventing embryonation of Ascaris suum eggs. We conducted experiments using eggs of the canine whipworm Trichuris vulpis collected from naturally infected dogs and A. suum eggs from naturally infected pigs. We observed a delay in development of eggs of T. vulpis in a preliminary experiment and conducted 2 experiments to test the hypothesis that appropriate HPP levels can induce a delay in embryonation of nematode eggs. In experiment 1, nonembryonated T. vulpis eggs in tap water were packaged in sealable bags and exposed to 138-600 megapascals (MPa; 1 MPa=10 atm=147 psi) for 60s in a commercial HPP unit. In a second experiment, nonembryonated eggs of A. suum were exposed to 138-600 MPa and treated for 60s in the same commercial HPP unit. Embyronation of T. vulpis eggs was delayed by 4 and 5 days for eggs treated with 207 and 241 MPa but eventually eggs developed and the numbers of embryonated eggs was similar to controls on day 55. Embryonation of T. vulpis eggs treated with 345 or 350 MPa was delayed by 9 days and never reached more than 5% of eggs embryonated. On day 55 post treatment, 95% of control nontreated T. vulpis eggs were embryonated, 100-65% of eggs treated with 138-276 MPa were embryonated, a maximum of 5% of eggs treated with 345-350 MPa were embryonated, and 0% of eggs treated with ≥ 400 MPa were embryonated. T. vulpis eggs treated with ≥ 400 MPa did not undergo cell division. Embryrnation of A. suum eggs was delayed by 4, 10, and 16 days for eggs treated with 207, 241, and 250MPa, respectively, compared to nontreated control eggs. A. suum eggs treated with 207 MPa eventually embryonated to similar % embryonation values as controls and 138 MPa treated eggs but eggs treated with 241 or 250 MPa were always <5% embryonated. A. suum eggs treated with ≥ 300 MPa did not undergo cell division. On the final day of examination at day 56 after treatment, the % of embryonated eggs was 92% nontreated controls, 94% treated with 138 MPa, 84% treated with 207 MPa, 2% treated with 241 or 250 MPa, and 0% treated with 276, 200, 345, 400, or 414 MPa, respectively.     

Assessment of Vascular Perfusion Kinetics Using Contrast‐enhanced Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Prostatic Disease in Dogs

Vascular perfusion was assessed in 10 dogs without prostatic abnormalities and 26 dogs with prostatic disease using contrast‐enhanced ultrasound. The time to reach peak contrast intensity (TTP) and peak perfusion intensity (PPI) were measured, and histological biopsies were collected from each dog. Biopsies confirmed normal prostate (n = 10), benign prostatic hyperplasia (n = 11), mixed benign pathology (n = 9), prostatitis (n = 1), prostatic malignancy [adenocarcinoma (n = 4); leiomyosarcoma (n = 1)]. In normal dogs, mean PPI was 16.8% ± 5.8 SD, and mean TTP was 33.6 ± 6.4 s. Benign conditions overall were not statistically different from normal dogs (p > 0.05); for benign prostatic hyperplasia, mean PPI was 16.9 ± 3.8%, and mean TTP was 26.2 ± 5.8 s; for mixed benign pathology mean PPI was 14.8 ± 7.8%, and mean TTP was 31.9 ± 9.7 s; for prostatitis, PPI was 14.2%, and TTP was 25.9 s. The malignant conditions overall had perfusion values that differed from the normal dogs (p < 0.05), although evaluation of the data for individual malignancies did not demonstrate a consistent trend; for adenocarcinomas, the PPI was numerically higher with a mean of 23.7 ± 1.9%, and the mean TTP was 26.9 ± 4.8 s, whilst for the dog with leiomyosarcoma values were numerically lower with a PPI of 14.1% and TTP of 41.3 s. Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound appears to offer some ability to document differences in perfusion that may differentiate between malignant and benign lesions, although studies with larger numbers of animals are required to confirm this contention.     

Determination of Feeder Cell‐Based Cellular Niches Supporting the Colonization and Maintenance of Spermatogonial Stem Cells from Prepubertal Domestic Cat Testes

Recently, isolation and in vitro culture of putative spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the domestic cat have been conducted. However, the cellular niche conditions that facilitate the establishment and long‐term maintenance of feline SSCs (FSSCs) have not been described. Therefore, we investigated the type of feeder cells used to stimulate colony formation and growth of FSSCs among the various factors in the FSSC niche. Spermatogonial stem cells isolated from feline testes were cultured on mitotically inactivated testicular stromal cells (TSCs) derived from cats, dogs and mice, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). The formation and growth of colonies derived from SSCs cultured on each type of feeder cell were identified at passage 0, and the morphology, alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and expression of SSC‐specific genes in surviving colonies were investigated at passage 4. Among these diverse feeder cells, TSCs from cat showed the greatest colony formation, growth and maintenance of FSSCs, and SSC colonies cultured by passage 4 showed a typical dome‐shaped morphology, AP activity and expression of SSC‐specific genes (NANOG, OCT4, SOX2 and CD9). Accordingly, these results demonstrate that feline TSCs could be used as feeder cells to support the establishment and maintenance of SSCs from domestic cats.     

Bilirubin excretion and bile flow in fed and fasted Brazilian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Fasted Brazilian squirrel monkeys (BrSMs) exhibited slightly higher serum bilirubin levels (0.30±0.05 mg/dl) than others in the fed state (0.13±0.01). The mean liver weight was 50% lower following a 22 h fast. The rate of bile flow was unaffected by fasting and averaged 13.8 l/min/kg and 47.5 l/min/100g liver in six BrSMs. No significant difference in mean bilirubin excretion/min was observed on a body weight basis following fasting. When the mean rate of bilirubin excretion was calculated as a function of liver weight, a two-fold higher rate was present in fasted monkeys, but only at the p=0.06 level of statistical significance. From data collected in this and earlier studies, it would appear that BrSMs represent the best animals studied to date to serve as experimental controls in comparative studies with Bovilian squirrel monkeys which exhibit a Gilbert-like syndrome.     

Effectiveness and retention of thiamine and its analogs administered to steelhead and landlocked Atlantic salmon

We investigated the feasibility of enhancing the reproduction of steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss and landlocked Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in lakes where the consumption of alewives Alosa pseudoharengus and other forage fishes containing thiaminase can cause them to become thiamine deficient and thereby reduce the survival of their fry. We evaluated feeding fingerling steelhead excess thiamine hydrochloride (THC1) for 1 or 2 weeks or equimolar amounts of thiamine mononitrate, thiamine-tetrahydrofurfuryl-disulfide, benfotiamine, or dibenzoyl thiamine (DBT). We found minimal internal reserves of thiamine after 6 months. We also compared the ability of injections of thiamine and its analogs to prevent mortality in thiamine-deficient steelhead and Atlantic salmon sac fry and found all forms to be effective, although benfotiamine was the least effective on an equimolar basis. Further, we injected yearling steelhead and found that DBT was tolerated at approximately 11,200 nmol/g of body weight, about 10 times more than thiamine in any other form. When yearling steelhead were injected with near-maximal doses of thiamine hydrochloride and several analogs and then fed a thiamine-deficient diet, DBT was retained for approximately 2 years--in contrast to other forms, which were retained for less than about 6 months. Therefore, these results suggest that neither feeding nor injecting young hatchery salmonids with DBT is likely to enhance their reproduction for more than 2 years after stocking. However, injecting DBT in nearly mature fish (either cultured fish from hatcheries or wild fish captured in lakes) may provide them with enough thiamine to successfully spawn within 2 years even though they consume mainly thiaminase-containing forage fishes.     

Surgical amputation of a digit and vacuum-assisted-closure (V.A.C.) management in a case of osteomyelitis and wound care in an eastern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli)

A 14-yr-old female eastern black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis michaeli) presented with progressive suppurative osteomyelitis in her left hind lateral toe. beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus sp. was isolated. The animal was treated with multiple systemic antibiotics, and topical wound cleansing. Repeated debridements and nail trimmings were performed for 5 mo prior to electing amputation. The toe was surgically amputated under general anesthesia between the first and second phalanges. Analgesia was diffused into the wound topically via a catheter and elastomeric pump. The open amputation site was covered with adherent drapes and a negative-pressure wound therapy device provided vacuum-assisted closure (V.A.C.) for 72 hr. Three months later this animal developed a deep dermal ulcer on the lateral aspect of the right hind limb, at the level of the stifle. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated. The wound was managed by initial daily lavage, followed by 1 mo of V.A.C. therapy, with 72 hr between dressing changes. Clinically, this therapy expedited the formation of healthy granulation tissue and overall healing was accelerated. The animal tolerated the machine and bandage changes well via operant conditioning. The use of negative-pressure wound therapy appeared to shorten time to resolution of slow-healing wounds in black rhinoceros.