Correlation between clinical efficacy on pruritus and serum interleukin-31 levels in dogs with atopic dermatitis treated with lokivetmab.

Studies on serum interleukin (IL)-31 levels in dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD) and their correlation with disease severity are limited. To the author's knowledge, there are no studies that measured serum IL-31 in dogs treated with lokivetmab injections, a selective inhibitor of this key cytokine in pruritus. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum IL-31 levels in dogs treated with lokivetmab and correlate it with the severity of canine atopic dermatitis using the pruritus visual analog scale (pVAS) and canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index (CADESI-04). Ten client-owned dogs diagnosed with AD received two injections of lokivetmab four weeks apart. Disease severity was assessed using the pVAS and CADESI-04 scores before and after both injections. In addition, canine serum IL-31 levels were measured at the same moments. Serum IL-31 was detected in all dogs in the study. There was a significant reduction in pVAS scores and serum IL-31 after administrations. However, there was no difference in CADESI-04 scores, and there was no significant correlation between CADESI-04 scores and serum IL-31 in dogs diagnosed with AD. Nonetheless, a significant positive correlation was observed between the pVAS scores and serum IL-31 levels with lokivetmab therapy, which reinforces the role of IL-31 in the pathogenesis of pruritus in dogs with AD. The data presented here provide further evidence that IL-31 is directly involved in pruritus pathogenesis in dogs with AD. In addition, blocking IL-31 has a significant antipruritic effect, but has no influence on skin lesion severity and extension.

Synthesis of (Ca,Nd)TiO3 powders by complex polymerization, Rietveld refinement and optical properties.

Neodymium calcium titanate, (Ca(0.99)Nd(0.01))TiO(3) powders were synthesized by the complex polymerization method and heat treated at different temperatures for 2 h under air atmosphere. The structural evolution of these powders as a function of heat treatment temperature was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and micro-Raman (MR) spectroscopy. The optical properties were investigated by Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy and Photoluminescence (PL) measurements. XRD patterns, Rietveld refinement and MR spectra indicated that the powders heated treated at 750 degrees C for 2 h present an orthorhombic structure without secondary phases. UV-vis measurements suggested the presence of intermediary energy in disordered (Ca(0.99)Nd(0.01))TiO(3) powders. Broad and narrow bands were observed in the PL spectra of these powders when excited with 350 nm wavelength. The broad bands were associated to the structural defects and/or p-d electronic transitions while, the narrow bands were ascribed to f-f transitions arising from Nd(3+) ions.

Efeito de diferentes protocolos de superovulação sobre a concentração plasmática de progesterona e de metabólitos lipídicos de vacas Nelore / Effect of different superovulation protocols on plasma progesterone concentration and lypidic metabolites in Nelore cows

Avaliaram-se as concentrações plasmáticas de triglicérides, colesterol, aspartato transaminase (AST) e progesterona (P4) em vacas Nelore não lactantes com elevado escore corporal, superovuladas com diferentes protocolos. Foram utilizados três grupos de animais, G1 (n=11), G2 (n=8) e G3 (n=5), superovulados com 500UI de FSH, 200mg e 180mg de FSH (hormônio folículo estimulante), respectivamente, em doses decrescentes, duas vezes ao dia, durante quatro dias. As amostras de sangue foram coletadas antes da superovulação (A), no terceiro dia da superovulação (B), no momento da inseminação artificial (C) e na coleta dos embriões (D). As concentrações de triglicérides, AST e colesterol foram verificados por espectrofotometria, e a de progesterona (P4) por radioimunoensaio. Não houve alteração (P>0,05) na concentração de triglicérides, AST e colesterol entre as amostras. Não houve efeito (P>0,05) do protocolo de superovulação sobre a concentração de triglicérides, AST e P4 nas diferentes amostras. O G2 apresentou menor concentração de colesterol (P<0,05) nas amostras A e B, possivelmente em razão da grande instabilidade dessa variável.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the concentration of tryglicerides, cholesterol, aspartate transaminase (AST) and progesterone (P4) in embryo donor Nelore cows superovulated with different protocols. Twenty four donors were randomly distributed in three groups: group 1 (n=11), donors superovulated with 500UI of FSH and group 2 (n=8) and group 3 (n=5) respectively with 200mg and 180mg of FSH, in decreasing doses, twice a day, during four consecutive days. Blood samples were collected before superovulation (A), in the third day of superovulation (B), at the artificial insemination time (C) and at the embryo collection time (D). The concentrations of tryglicerides, aspartate transaminase (AST) and cholesterol were measured by spectrophotometry and progesterone (P4) by radioimmunoassay. There was no alteration (P<0.05) in the concentration of tryglicerides, AST and cholesterol among the samples. There was no effect (P>0.05) of the superovulation protocol on the concentration of tryglicerides, AST and P4 in the samples. In the samples A and B of group 2 the concentration of cholesterol was lower (P<0.05) than in groups 1 and 3, probably due to the instability of the parameter.