Serum vascular endothelial growth factor in dogs with various proliferative diseases

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the proliferation and metastasis mechanisms of malignant tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a group of cytokines that contribute to angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the serum VEGF-A concentrations in dogs with various proliferative diseases. A total of 202 dogs that were histopathologically diagnosed with proliferative diseases were included in the study. Serum VEGF-A concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Median serum VEGF-A concentrations in dogs were as follows: healthy dogs, 4 pg/ml [0–21 pg/ml]; hepatocellular carcinoma, 30 pg/ml [0–158 pg/ml, P=<0.001]; hepatocellular adenoma, 32 pg/ml [0–49 pg/ml, P=0.003]; hepatic nodular hyperplasia, 18 pg/ml [0–51 pg/ml, P=0.595]; adrenal pheochromocytoma, 32 pg/ml [0–187 pg/ml, P=<0.001]; adrenocortical carcinoma, 32 pg/ml [3–161 pg/ml, P=0.002]; adrenocortical adenoma, 27 pg/ml [0–106 pg/ml, P=0.005]; colorectal adenocarcinoma, 36 pg/ml [0–75 pg/ml, P=0.002]; colorectal adenoma, 43 pg/ml [0–48 pg/ml, P=0.144]; inflammatory colorectal polyps, 37 pg/ml [0–111 pg/ml, P=<0.001]; pulmonary adenocarcinoma, 35 pg/ml [4–107 pg/ml, P=0.002]; pulmonary histiocytic sarcoma, 35 pg/ml [0–131 pg/ml, P=0.016]; and follicular thyroid carcinoma, 35 pg/ml [0–106 pg/ml, P=0.009]. The serum VEGF-A concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with neoplastic lesions compared to healthy dogs, except for colorectal adenoma. High serum VEGF-A concentrations were observed in dogs with proliferative diseases. The present study suggests that angiogenesis-inhibiting therapy, which targets VEGF-A, may be useful for canine neoplastic diseases.     

Genetic drift in a hatchery and the maintenance of genetic diversity in hatchery-wild systems

ABSTRACT:   Loss of within-population genetic diversity by genetic drift is related to stocking. In order to reduce it, selective use of wild-born individuals for hatchery broodstock is proposed. Its effectiveness is evaluated by the analytical method and numerical simulation. Results indicated that it is effective, especially when the ratio of released hatchery-produced individuals is high in the natural population. Loss of within-population genetic diversity by a few other strategies of broodstock preparation is also analyzed by numerical simulation and the effectiveness of these is also discussed.     

American eel, Anguilla rostrata, growth in fresh and salt water: implications for conservation and aquaculture

Abstract  Growth of American eels, Anguilla rostrata (Lesueur), sampled in saltwater bays and adjacent freshwater ponds in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, was estimated by otolith annulus back-calculation, and related to salinity of growth habitat as determined using otolith strontium:calcium ratios. Eels resident in salt water grew on average in length 2.2 times faster than freshwater residents and increased in weight 5.3 times faster than freshwater residents. Previous findings of superior American eel growth rate in brackish water are thus extended to full-strength salt water. Freshwater residents took an estimated 2.4 times longer than saltwater residents to reach the silver eel stage. The extended time to maturation of eels reared in fresh water increases their vulnerability to fisheries and to bio-accumulation of contaminants. Freshwater eel populations should be managed more conservatively than those in saline waters. The increase in eel growth with salinity suggests that rearing in brackish or salt water could improve growth rates in eel aquaculture.     

Context-sensitive half-time of fentanyl in dogs

Context-sensitive half-times (CSHTs) of fentanyl in dogs were determined using pharmacokinetic models reported by Murphy et al. and Sano et al., and compared with a human model. The CSHT was defined as the time required for a 50% decrease in drug concentration in the central compartment after the termination of infusion. Although CSHTs increased gradually as the infusion time increased, the CSHTs in dogs were shorter than those in humans. The CSHTs at steady-state were 31.3 and 69.2 min in dogs, and 306.5 min in humans. The CSHTs of fentanyl in dogs are apparently shorter than those in humans; therefore, a continuous infusion of fentanyl may be a rational regimen in dogs, even if duration of infusion is extended.     

Utility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in differential diagnosis of adrenal tumors in dogs

This prospective case study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the differential diagnosis of canine adrenal tumors. Forty-three client-owned dogs with adrenal tumors were included. All dogs underwent CEUS, which was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. The peak signal intensity (PI), time to peak signal intensity (TPI), mean transit time (MTT), upslope, and downslope were calculated for each time-intensity curve. The histopathological diagnosis of each resected mass was compared with the CEUS findings and parameters. Enhancement distribution, vascularity, tortuous nourishing vessels, enhancement pattern, and late-phase enhancement did not differ significantly between adrenal cortical adenoma (CA), adenocarcinoma (CAC), and pheochromocytoma (PHEO) in qualitative assessment. In PHEO, the TPI was significantly more rapid compared with that in CA (P=0.0287) and CAC (P=0.0404). The MTT in PHEO was significantly shorter than that in CA (P=0.0016) and CAC (P=0.0003). Upslope in PHEO was larger than that in CAC (P=0.0406). Downslope in PHEO was significantly larger than that in CA (P=0.0048) and CAC (P=0.0018). A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the MTT curve yielded 0.91 for distinguishing PHEO from adrenocortical tumors in dogs; an MTT cut-off value less than 6,225 msec yielded a sensitivity of 69%, specificity of 94%, and likelihood ratio of 12.46. CEUS appears to be clinically applicable for the differential diagnosis between cortical and medullary origins of primary adrenal tumors in dogs.