MAGNETIC RESONANCE, ULTRASOUND AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC CORRELATION OF ACUTE AND HEALING EQUINE TENDON INJURIES

Ultrasonography and MRI have become valuable tools for imaging of tendon injuries. The current study examines the histopathologic basis for the imaging abnormalities. Five injured equine forelimbs and two normal contralateral limbs were studied with high resolution real time ultrasound and MRI. Histologic sections were made and correlated with the diagnostic images. All lesions were readily seen by both modalities. Lesions characterized by hemorrhage, edma, and cellular infiltration were sonolucent on ultrasound and bright on MRI images. MRI returned to normal as fibrogenesis ensued. Ultrasound images remained abnormal until fibrillar reallgnment occured with completion of the healing process. High resolution real time ultrasound and MRI both accurately reflect the tissue abnormalities in acute tendon injuries. The injured horse does appear to be an effective model for correlative imaging studies of tendon injuries.     

Use of 64Copper Measurements to Diagnose Canine Copper Toxicosis

Inherited canine copper toxicosis is a serious problem in Bedlington terriers and West Highland White terriers, and may also be a problem in other less-studied breeds. Affected dogs become ill at midlife with progressive and ultimately fatal liver disease. Treatments for removal of copper and prevention of copper accumulation are available, but are most effective if begun before the dog becomes ill. Until recently diagnosis has not been available until the dog is 1 year of age, and then only by an invasive liver biopsy with determination of liver copper concentration. The authors studied the use of 64copper for early diagnosis of canine copper toxicosis. Two procedures were evaluated. The first involved measuring the concentration of 64copper in blood 24 hours after oral administration of the radioisotope. At this time, 64copper was associated primarily with ceruloplasmin secreted into the blood by the liver. This procedure is useful in the diagnosis of the human counterpart, Wilson's disease. However, the authors found it to be nondiscriminatory between affected and unaffected dogs. In contrast, the second procedure, which involved measuring 64copper excreted in stool during 48 hours after an intravenous dose of radioisotope, yielded results that differentiated most affected and unaffected dogs.     

USE OF 123IODINE METAIODOBENZYLGUANIDINE SCINTIGRAPHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF A PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA IN A DOG

A 13-year-old neutered female Yorkshire terrier presented with a history of progressive episodic weakness and disorientation of 4 months duration. Physical and neurologic examinations were normal at presentation. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a mass involving the right adrenal gland. Standard planar scintigraphy was performed at 4, 18, and 24 hours after intravenous injection 185 MBq (5mCi) of ¹²³I-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (¹²³I-MIBG). An area of focal intense uptake was identified in the area of the right adrenal gland. A pheochromocytoma was confirmed histologically after surgical excision.     

Evaluation of Transmittance and Reflectance Pulse Oximetry in a Canine Model of Hypotension and Desaturation

Ten, anesthetized dogs were instrumented with three pulse oximeter probes; two lingual transmittance probes and one rectal reflective probe. Arterial oxygen desaturation was produced by decreasing the inspired oxygen concentration. Hypotension was produced with an infusion of nitroprusside. Simultaneous pulse oximeter readings (SpO₂) were compared to co-oximeter measured arterial saturation (SaO₂) collected over a range of SaO₂ (50–100%) and mean arterial pressures (40–100mmHg). Each of the monitors and means of evaluating SpO₂ studied provided accurate SpO₂ measurements over a range of mean arterial pressure from 40–100mmHg. All of the monitors tested tended to overestimate the SaO₂ when the arterial saturation was less than 70%.     

Atopy.

Atopy should be considered an immunological disorder that may result in several clinical conditions including respiratory disease, allergic dermatitis, food allergy dermatitis, and perhaps flea allergy dermatitis. The clinical course of the disease tends to fluctuate from season to season, which makes objective evaluation of injection therapy difficult. The disease is subject to both familial and environmental influences, and dogs maintain the atopic state throughout their life. The disease cannot be cured; however, a combination of symptomatic and specific injection therapy usually provides adequate control of the clinical signs. Owners of atopic dogs should appreciate that their pet has inherently itching skin, a cure for which is unlikely to be found.     

Effect of wilting,silage additive,PEG treatment and tannin content on the distribution of N between different fractions after ensiling of three different sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) varieties

Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) is a tanniniferous, leguminous plant that has potentially beneficial effects on protein utilization in ruminants. As ensiling causes protein breakdown and elevated levels of buffer soluble N (BSN), we studied the distribution of N before and after ensiling sainfoin. Three varieties of sainfoin were either direct‐cut and frozen directly or wilted and frozen before later ensiling in mini‐silos with and without acidification with Promyr (PM; an acidifying commercial mixture of propionic and formic acid) and with or without polyethylene glycol (PEG). Extractable tannins (ET) and protein‐bound tannins (PBT) were measured with an HCl/butanol method in an attempt to correlate tannin levels to N fractions. The sainfoin silages showed good ensiling characteristics and had relatively high concentrations of undegraded protein. The effect of wilting on BSN levels (g/kg N) was dependent on sainfoin variety (P < 0·001). PEG increased and PM decreased the level of BSN in the silages (P < 0·001). PM treatment also produced less non‐protein N and ammonia‐N (P < 0·05) as compared with no additive. Addition of PEG to the silage increased the BSN‐proportion 1·8‐ and 2·6‐fold for both DM stages. A strong tannin‐protein binding effect is, therefore, confirmed in sainfoin. However, correlations between tannin levels (ET and PBT) and BSN were poor in the (non‐PEG) silages, indicating either that the HCl/butanol method is unsuitable for measuring tannin in silages or that qualitative attributes of tannins are more relevant than quantitative. The HCl/butanol method seems therefore not to be useful to predict degradation of protein in sainfoin silages.     

Profile of Steroid Receptors and Increased Aromatase Immunoexpression in Canine Inflammatory Mammary Cancer as a Potential Therapeutic Target

Canine inflammatory mammary cancer (IMC) has been proposed as a model for the study of human inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). The aims of this study were to compare the immunohistochemical expression of aromatase (Arom) and several hormone receptors [estrogen receptor α (ERα), estrogen receptor β (ERβ), progesterone receptor (PR) and androgen receptor (AR)], in 21 IMC cases vs 19 non‐IMC; and to study the possible effect of letrozole on canine IMC and human inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in vitro using IPC‐366 and SUM‐149 cell lines. Significant elevations of the means of Arom Total Score (TS), ERβ TS and PR TS were found in the IMC group (p = 0.025, p = 0.038 and p = 0.037, respectively). Secondary IMC tumours expressed higher levels of Arom than primary IMC (p = 0.029). Non‐IMC PR‐ tumours contained higher levels of Arom than non‐IMC PR+ tumours (p = 0.007). After the addition of letrozole, the number of IMC and IBC cells dropped drastically. The overexpression of Arom found and the results obtained in vitro further support canine IMC as a model for the study of IBC and future approaches to the treatment of dogs with mammary cancer, and especially IMC, using Arom inhibitors.     

The aetiology of generalized alopecia in young calves

The objective of this study was to test for correlations between alopecia and ruminal drinking in young calves. 331 calves up to an age of 31 days were tested for evidence of generalized hair loss daily during their stay in the clinic. Incidence of diarrhoea and the results of ruminal fluid and blood analysis were compared between the groups with and without alopecia. Calves with alopecia showed a significantly higher incidence of diarrhoea and of ruminal acidosis persisting for at least 24 hours. Blood analysis revealed significant differences in degree of acidosis, in concentrations of D-lactate, urea, and creatinine in serum as well as in the activities of glutathione peroxidase, aspartate amino transferase, and creatine kinase. Alopecia in calves is correlated to longer periods of diseases, which are known to be accompanied by the production of D-lactate in the gastrointestinal tract, such as diarrhoea and ruminal drinking. The question, whether alopecia is due to formation of toxic substances or to deficiency of essential substances can not be answered.     

Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil and Vegetation in the Vicinity of Industries in Bangladesh

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution - A study was conducted to investigate the heavy metal contamination of soil and vegetation in the vicinity of industries around Dhaka city in Bangladesh....