Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infection in epileptic dogs.

OBJECTIVES: Studies in humans have demonstrated the role of Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, in epileptic seizures. This study aimed to investigate the serological correlation between T. gondii and N. caninum and epilepsy in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical record database of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Perugia, was searched for dogs serologically tested by IFAT for T. gondii and N. caninum and following specific inclusion criteria. Dogs were stratified by having a clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or suffering different conditions. RESULTS: One-hundred and twenty-eight dogs were included, 64 with epilepsy and 64 without clinical signs of epilepsy. Seventeen of the 64 epileptic dogs (26.6%; 95% CI: 15.7% to 37.4%) and twenty-one of the 64 non-epileptic dogs (32.8%; 95% CI: 21.3% to 44.3%) tested positive for T. gondii. Eight of the epileptic dogs (12.5%; 95% CI: 4.4% to 20.6%) and three of the non-epileptic dogs (4.7%; 95% CI: 0% to 9.9%) tested positive for N. caninum. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of T. gondii or N. caninum seroreactivity between epileptic and non-epileptic dogs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results obtained do not seem to support the role of T. gondii and N. caninum as causative agents of dog epilepsy.

Transthoracic echo-guided pacemaker implantation reduces fluoroscopic use in dogs.

Echocardiographic guidance provides an alternative method when fluoroscopy is unavailable, equipment or power failure of fluoroscopic equipment during a procedure occurs or to decrease radiation risk. Recently, transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography were reported as an alternative method to guide interventional procedures in dogs. Therefore, we hypothesized that TTE could be used as an alternative method to visualize endocardial leads during pacemaker implantation in dogs, largely avoiding the use of fluoroscopy. A prospective consecutive case series of pacemaker implantation was performed using TTE guidance. The endocardial lead was imaged by TTE during its intracardiac advancement until the lead tip was positioned at the right ventricular apex. Echocardiographic right parasternal views, optimized to visualize the pacing lead, were used, starting with a short axis image of the right atrium and ending with a long axis view of the right ventricle (RV) optimized to image the RV apex. Proper lead placement was confirmed by both capture threshold, impedance and fluoroscopy. Twenty-one pacemaker implantation procedures by TTE monitoring were successfully performed. The TTE guidance provided images of a quality sufficient to clearly monitor implantation in real-time and allowed for immediate corrections to pacing lead malpositioning or excessive looping. Fluoroscopy was used to confirm the correct placement of the lead that was guided echocardiographically in the initial three procedures, after which a single radiographic image (no cine-mode) was used to identify lead placement and redundancy in the remaining eighteen cases. Static imaging (radiography using the fluoroscope) was used to assess the proper lead redundancy in all procedures because this cannot be evaluated echocardiographically. Pacemaker leads were successfully implanted in the RV of dogs using TTE monitoring. A larger cases series is needed for validation of safety and effectiveness of TTE during this interventional procedure in dogs.

Nuclear Glycogen Inclusions in Canine Parietal Cells.

Nuclear glycogen inclusions occur infrequently in pathologic conditions but also in normal human and animal tissues. Their function or significance is unclear. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no reports of nuclear glycogen inclusions in canine parietal cells exist. After initial observations of nuclear inclusions/pseudoinclusions during routine histopathology, the authors retrospectively examined samples of gastric mucosa from dogs presenting with gastrointestinal signs for the presence of intranuclear inclusions/pseudoinclusions and determined their composition using histologic and electron-microscopic methods. In 24 of 108 cases (22%), the authors observed various numbers of intranuclear inclusions/pseudoinclusions within scattered parietal cells. Nuclei were characterized by marked karyomegaly and chromatin margination around a central optically empty or slightly eosinophilic area. The intranuclear inclusions/pseudoinclusions stained positive with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and were diastase sensitive, consistent with glycogen. Several PAS-positive/diastase-sensitive sections were further examined by transmission electron microscopy, also using periodic acid-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate (PA-TCH-SP) staining to identify polysaccharides. Ultrastructurally, the nuclear inclusions were composed of electron-dense particles that were not membrane bound, without evidence of nuclear membrane invaginations or cytoplasmic organelles in the nuclei, and positive staining with PA-TCH-SP, confirming a glycogen composition. No cytoplasmic glycogen deposits were observed, suggesting that the intranuclear glycogen inclusions were probably synthesized in loco. Nuclear glycogen inclusions were not associated with gastritis or colonization by Helicobacter-like organisms ( P > .05). Our findings suggest that nuclear glycogen inclusions in canine parietal cells could be an incidental finding. Nevertheless, since nuclear glycogen is present in several pathologic conditions, further investigations could be warranted to determine their true significance.

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of a new formulation of omeprazole in the horse.

A new formulation of omeprazole in gastro-resistant granules was tested with regard to its pharmacokinetics and tolerability. Twenty-four horses were randomly divided into three groups (8 horses/group) and treated, according a parallel study design, as follows: Group A untreated (control group), Group B received 4 mg/kg of omeprazole, and Group C received 12 mg/kg of omeprazole, both of which were treated orally once a day for 90 days. Blood samples, taken from Group B subjects during the 1st and the 29th day of treatment at pre-established time points, were used to determine the concentration-time curves of omeprazole. The treatments were found to be safe and well tolerated by the horses. The serum hematological and biochemical values were within reference ranges for the entire observational time. No accumulation of the drug was found after 29 days of treatment. Lower Cmax and AUCs were obtained at the 29th day of treatment.

Naproxen in the horse: pharmacokinetics and side effects in the elderly.

It is well-known that old animals show physiologic and/or pathologic variation that could modify the pharmacokinetics of drugs and the related pharmacodynamic response. In order to define the most appropriate therapeutic protocol in old horses, pharmacokinetic profile and safety of naproxen were investigated in horses aged over 18 years after oral administration for 5 days at the dose of 10 mg/kg b.w./day. After the first administration, the maximum concentration (Cmax 44.21 ± 9.21 µg/mL) was reached at 2.5 ± 0.58 h post-treatment, the harmonic mean terminal half-life was 6.96 ± 1.73 h, AUC0-24h was 459.71 ± 69.95 h µg/mL, MRT was 7.44 ± 0.74 h and protein binding was 98.47 ± 2.72%. No drug accumulation occurred with repeated administrations. No clinical and laboratory changes were detected after administration of naproxen. Gastric endoscopies performed after the treatment did not show pathological changes of the gastric mucosa.

A case of primary papillary disseminated adenocarcinoma of canine lung.

Primary lung tumors are rare in dogs, whereas pulmonary metastatic neoplastic involvement is common. We describe a case of a 12-year-old male, mixed-breed dog with a 3-month history of coughing and dyspnea. The investigating protocol, which also includes transcutaneous pulmonary biopsy, allowed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma that necroscopic findings confirmed as a primary neoplasia. The tumor exhibited a nodular-disseminated growth, mimicking the metastatic involvement of the lung, instead of the single-mass appearance that has been observed by other authors. The present report indicates that, although the incidence of canine primary lung neoplasms is markedly low, this condition must be considered in the differential diagnosis of lung diseases that cause coughing and dyspnea in older dogs.

Cancer antigen 15/3: possible diagnostic use in veterinary clinical oncology. Preliminary study.

The cancer antigen 15/3 is a mucin that is associated with the cell membrane, encoded by the MUC1 gene, and recognized by the monoclonal-clone DF3 antibody. The latter antigen was discovered to be specific for both the identification of human mammary neoplasia and during patient follow-up evaluations. The aim of this study is to report and compare the results of the application of direct chemiluminescence in canine blood sera and the kit utilized in human medicine for the determination of Ca 15/3 to verify the diagnostic efficiency of the kit in cases presenting mammary tumors. Specifically, CA 15/3 has proven to be measurable in all samples assayed to distinguish clinically healthy subjects from those with mammary neoplasia.