Effect of phenobarbitone on the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and the urinary corticoid: creatinine ratio in dogs

OBJECTIVES: To investigate potential effects of phenobarbitone on the low-dose dexamethasone suppression (LDDS) test and urinary corticoid to creatinine ratio in dogs in a controlled prospective study and in a clinical setting. ANIMALS: Ten crossbreed experimental dogs and 10 client-owned dogs of mixed breeds treated chronically with phenobarbitone to control seizures. PROCEDURES: Experimental dogs were allocated to treatment (6 mg/kg oral phenobarbitone, n = 6) and control (n = 4) groups. LDDS tests (dexamethasone 0.01 mg/kg intravenously, cortisol concentration determined at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h) were conducted repeatedly over a 3-month period. Urinary corticoid to creatinine ratios were measured before LDDS tests. A single LDDS test was performed on 10 epileptic dogs. RESULTS: LDDS and urinary corticoid to creatinine ratios in dogs were not affected by treatment with phenobarbitone. CONCLUSIONS: Phenobarbitone does not interfere with LDDS testing regardless of dosage or treatment time. Urinary corticoid to creatinine ratios are also unaffected.     

Glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in the chickens with dexamethasone‐induced oxidative stress

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of long‐term treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) on the antioxidation and nutrition metabolism in broiler chickens. Broilers were placed on a high‐nutrient diet for 41 days, and half were given orally DEX‐supplemented water at 20 mg/L every other day from 19 to 41 days of age. DEX treatment downregulated superoxide dismutase activity as well as the mRNA expression of CuZn‐superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase with a decrease in GSH/GSSG ratio and an increase in malondialdehyde level in the liver of broilers. DEX treatment aggravated oxidative damage in the liver and, therefore, increased the sensitivity of broilers to ascites syndrome with higher mortality and reduced growth performance. Serum metabolomics analysis showed that DEX treatment significantly increased the levels of glucose, intermediates in protein metabolism (valine, proline, serine, threonine and urea) and lipid metabolism‐related products (palmitic acid, stearic acid and cholesterol) while decreasing the levels of β‐hydroxy butyric acid, succinic acid and malic acid, demonstrating that DEX treatment inhibited the Krebs cycle and the oxidation of fatty acids, and promoted the de novo synthesis of fatty acids as well as protein decomposition in the liver of broilers. Additionally, detection of metabolism‐related enzymes revealed that DEX treatment inhibited glycolysis and promoted glycogen decomposition. In summary, DEX treatment resulted in oxidative stress and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in the broilers.     

Influence of Dexamethasone on Some Cellular Aspects of the Immune System in Cats

In view of the frequent use of glucocorticoids in the treatment of cats, we studied the effect of dexamethasone on their immunological system. The phagocytic activity and oxidative burst of neutrophils and monocytes were evaluated by cytometric analysis using commercial kits and the subpopulations of lymphocytes were assessed. Neutrophilia and monocytosis reduced phagocytic activity, as shown from the number of phagocytized bacteria, and variations in the intensity of the oxidative burst in activated neutrophils and monocytes were observed. Dexamethasone also caused an increase in the number of B lymphocytes.     

The Effect of Mixing and Translocating Juvenile Ostriches (Struthio camelus) in Botswana on the Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratio

The possibility was investigated that translocation of juvenile ostriches from concrete-paved to sand-floored pens and mixing of batches of ostriches after such translocation constitute a stress strong enough to evoke changes in the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes. Blood smears were obtained from 15 ostriches out of a group of 25 birds 4 and 2 days before and then 2 and 4 days after translocation. The heterophil to lymphocyte ratio changed from 0.27 and 0.37 on days 4 and 2, respectively, before mixing and translocation to 0.53 and 0.84 on days 2 and 4, respectively, after translocation. Mixing and translocating juvenile ostriches appears to constitute stress. This information is important for the on-farm management of juvenile ostriches to enhance their welfare and productivity.     

Pharmacokinetics of Oleandomycin in Dogs After Intravenous or Oral Administration Alone and After Pretreatment With Metamizole or Dexamethasone

The pharmacokinetics of oleandomycin OLD) after intravenous and oral administration, both alone and after intramuscular pretreatment with metamizole or dexamethasone, were studied in healthy dogs. After intravenous injection of OLD alone 10 mg/kg as bolus), the elimination half-life t _1/2, volume of distribution V _{d, area}), body clearance CL_B) and area under the concentration-time curve AUC) were 1.60 h, 1.11 L/kg, 7.36 ml/kg)/min and 21.66 µg h/ml, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences following pretreatment with metamizole or dexamethasone. After oral administration of OLD alone, the t _frac12;, maximum plasma concentrations C _max), time of C _max t _max), mean absorption time MAT) and absolute bioavailability F _abs) were 1.68 h, 5.34 µg/ml, 1.5 h, 1.34 h and 84.29%, respectively. Pretreatment with metamizole caused a significantly decreased value for C _max 2.93 µg/ml) but the MAT value 2.23 h) was significantly increased. Statistically significant changes in the pharmacokinetic parameters of OLD following oral administration were also observed as a result of pretreatment with dexamethasone. The C _max was increased 8.24 µg/ml) and the t _max 0.5 h) and MAT 0.45 h) were lower.     

Translocation of intrauterine-infused bacterial lipopolysaccharides to the mammary gland in dexamethasone-treated goats

Our previous study showed that intrauterine-infused lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can be translocated to the mammary gland to induce weak inflammation. This study aimed to determine whether dexamethasone treatment facilitated the translocation of LPS from the uterus to the mammary gland to induce a heavy inflammatory response. Sixteen goats were divided into control and LPS groups, subjected to daily dexamethasone administration before saline or LPS infusion. Milk and blood samples were collected before and after LPS infusion to determine the milk yield and somatic cell count (SCC) and blood leucocyte count (BLC), cytokines, antimicrobial peptides and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations. Mammary gland tissues were collected from two goats before and 24 hr after LPS infusion for immunohistochemical analysis of LPS. The mean SCC in the LPS group was significantly higher, whereas the milk yield was significantly lower than that in the control group after LPS infusion. The mean BLC in the LPS group was significantly lower than in the control group after LPS infusion. Furthermore, milk concentrations of IL-1β, S100A8 and lactoferrin were higher in the LPS group than in the control group after infusion. LPS was detected in the connective tissues and inner alveolar spaces of the mammary glands 24 hr after LPS infusion. We concluded that dexamethasone administration facilitated the translocation of intrauterine-infused LPS to the mammary gland, where it induced an inflammatory response. Therefore, LPS translocated from other organs, such as the uterus, can induce heavy inflammation in the mammary gland under immunosuppressive conditions.     

Prevention of shedding and re-shedding of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in experimentally infected cats treated with oral Clindamycin: a preliminary study

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of preventive oral Clindamycin in cats infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Twelve short hair cats were divided into two groups (group 1 and group 2). No titres of T. gondii antibodies were detected in these cats before the experiment. The animals from group 1 were infected with tissue cysts of T. gondii and group 2 were infected and treated with Clindamycin (20 mg/kg/day). The infection was done with almost 40-50 tissue cysts for each cat on day 0. The cats from group 2 were treated with Clindamycin by oral rout for 24 days (from day -3 to day 21). At day 45, the groups 1 and 2 were divided into two subgroups with three animals each. Subgroups 1A and 2A were immunosuppressed with dexamethasone (1 mg/kg/day) for30 days and subgroups 1B and 2B were not immunosuppressed. Faecal exam looking for oocyst shedding was made by 30 days after T. gondii infection, and for 30 days after immunosuppression. All kittens from group 1 shedding oocysts after infection, while animals from group 2 did not shed. After immunosuppression period, all animals from group 1A re-shed oocysts and animals from group 2A remained without shed. However, 2 (66.6%) of the kittens from subgroup 2B shed oocysts 19-20 days after re-challenge. Based on this preliminary study, Clindamycin had a complete inhibitory effect on shedding of oocysts by cats, even under severe immunosuppression, which is a new finding not reported elsewhere.     

桦木酸对地塞米松致氧化应激小鼠血清指标的影响

本试验旨在研究桦木酸(BA)对地塞米松(Dex)诱导氧化应激小鼠血清指标的影响。将40只健康雄性昆明小鼠随机分为5组,即对照(NC)组、Dex组、0.25 mg/kg BA组、0.50 mg/kg BA组、1.00 mg/kg BA组,每组8只。NC组和Dex组灌服1%的可溶性淀粉,其余各组灌服混悬于1%可溶性淀粉溶液中不同剂量的BA,连续灌服14 d后,除NC组注射生理盐水外,其余4组均腹腔注射25 mg/kg Dex诱导氧化应激模型。15 h后,眼眶采血,收集血清。检测血清谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)和碱性磷酸酶(ALP)活性,总蛋白(TP)、白蛋白(ALB)、总胆固醇(TC)、甘油三酯(TG)、总胆红素(T-Bil)、钙离子(Ca~(2+))、细胞色素C(CytC)含量,总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)、抑制羟自由基能力、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、谷胱甘肽(GSH)和丙二醛(MDA)含量。结果显示:BA预处理后,能够显著或极显著降低Dex诱导氧化应激小鼠血清ALP活性及TG、T-Bil、CytC含量(P0.05或P0.01),且呈量效关系;低剂量BA(0.25、0.50 mg/kg)显著或极显著降低了血清MDA含量(P0.01或P0.05),但高剂量BA(1.00 mg/kg)反而极显著升高了其含量(P0.01);能够显著或极显著升高血清Ca2+和GSH含量、SOD的活性、T-AOC和抑制羟自由基能力(P0.05或P0.01),并呈量效关系;降低了血清ALT和AST活性,但影响不显著(P0.05),对血清TP和ALB含量无显著影响(P0.05)。由此可见,BA能够改善Dex引起的小鼠血清指标的变化,对Dex诱导的氧化损伤有预防性的保护作用。