Phosphocalcic metabolism and its potential association with biomarkers of kidney disease in dogs with spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism.

The pathogenesis of increased serum phosphate concentration and proteinuria in dogs with spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) is unclear. A potential link between proteinuria and calcium/phosphate metabolism has never been studied in dogs with HAC. The aims of the study were: (1) To evaluate calcium/phosphate metabolism in dogs with spontaneous HAC and compare to healthy dogs as well as to dogs with non-HAC illness; (2) to look for associations between markers of calcium/phosphate metabolism and biomarkers of kidney disease in dogs with HAC. Fifty-four dogs were included in the study, classified as HAC (n=27), non-HAC disease (n=17), and healthy (n=10). Serum calcium, phosphate, 25(OH)Vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D, plasma intact parathyroid hormone concentration (iPTH), FGF23, and urinary fractional excretion of calcium and phosphate were evaluated in all dogs at diagnosis and compared between each group. The correlation between these variables and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC) and urinary N-acetylglucosaminidase-to-creatinine ratio (uNAG/C) was evaluated in the HAC group. Medians [range] of serum phosphate concentration, urinary fractional excretion of calcium (FE(Ca)), and iPTH were significantly higher in dogs with HAC than in dogs with non-HAC illness (P<0.01) and healthy dogs (P<0.01). Increased 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D/25(OH)Vitamin D was also observed (P<0.001). In HAC group, UPC was significantly negatively correlated with 25(OH)Vitamin D (r(s): -0.54; P<0.01). Urinary NAG/C was significantly positively correlated with serum phosphate (r(s): 0.46; P=0.019). Increased serum phosphate, urinary excretion of calcium, and hyperparathyroidism were observed in dogs with HAC. Vitamin D metabolism may be shifted towards increased 1-alpha hydroxylation.

Influence of the severity of illness measured by the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) on occurrence of nosocomial infections in ICU patients.

To evaluate the ability of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) to predict the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, we conducted a cohort study in an eight-bed combined ICU. From January 1991 to December 1992, 690 patients were admitted in the ICU and 656 stayed at least 48 h. Patients' severity of illness was estimated within the first 24 h of the ICU stay using the SAPS. Nosocomial infection rates were compared between the high SAPS group (> 10 points) and the low SAPS group (< or = 10 points), with the cut-off point chosen according to a ROC curve. One hundred (15.2%) patients developed hospital-acquired infections during their ICU stay. The mean SAPS of infected patients was significantly higher than the mean SAPS of noninfected patients (15.4 +/- 4.3 vs. 12.0 +/- 5.9 points, P < 0.0001). Significantly more infections occurred in the patients with a SAPS > 10 points (20.9% vs. 5.1%, P < 0.0001). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for a SAPS > 10 points were 88, 40, 21, and 95%, respectively. Our results suggest that 95% of patients at low risk for developing hospital-acquired infections could be identified on admission with the use of severity scoring systems such as SAPS < or = 10 points.

[Determination of phenobarbital, mephenytoin and diphenylhydantoin in the surveillance of anticonvulsant treatment]. / Dosage du phénobarbital, de la méphénytoïne et de la diphénylhydantoïne dans la surveillance du traitement des anticonvulsivants

The authors describe a method of simultaneous estimation of phenobarbitone, mephenytoin and diphenylhydantoin in the blood. After extraction with ether, the methylation of these substances by trimethylanilinium hydroxide permits their rapid separation by gas chromatography. Heptabarbitone is used as internal standard and the chromatograph used is supplied with a thermoionic detector. The technique used is simple and rapid. Its reproducibility and sensitivity are satisfactory, permitting daily application to the supervision of anticonvulsant treatment, especially in Pediatrics.

[Paraplegia after aorto-bifemoral prosthesis: systematized dysautonomic symptoms should evoke spinal cord damage]. / Paraplégie après pontage aorto-bifémoral: des troubles neurovégétatifs systématisés doivent faire évoquer l'accident médullaire.

We report a case of paraplegia following aorto-bifemoral by-pass surgery for infrarenal aortic occlusive disease. The first symptoms of spinal cord damage were systematized dysautonomic symptoms including mottled skin and sudation. Such symptoms, occurring during recovery from anaesthesia are an indication for checking the status of the spinal cord.

Elevated amh gene expression in the brain of male tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) during testis differentiation.

Anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) is expressed in male embryos and represses development of müllerian ducts during testis differentiation in mammals, birds and reptiles. Amh orthologues have been identified in teleosts despite them lacking müllerian ducts. Previously we found sexually dimorphic aromatase activity in tilapia brains before ovarian differentiation. This prompted us to search for further dimorphisms in tilapia brains during sex differentiation and see whether amh is expressed. We cloned the tilapia amh gene and found that it contains 7 exons but no spliced forms. The putative protein presents highest homologies with Amh proteins of pejerrey and medaka as compared to other Perciformes. We analysed amh expression in adult tissues and found elevated levels in testes, ovary and brain. Amh expression was dimorphic with higher levels in XY male brains at 10-15 dpf, when the gonads were still undifferentiated and gonadal amh was not dimorphic. Male brains had 2.7-fold higher amh expression than gonads. Thereafter, amh levels decreased in the brain while they were up-regulated in differentiating testes. Our study indicates that amh is transcribed in male brains already at 10 dpf, suggesting that sexual differentiation may be occurring earlier in tilapia brain than in gonads.

Furosemide, mithramycin, and salmon calcitonin in hypercalcemia.

Twenty-nine patients with acute hypercalcemia secondary to carcinoma, myeloma and parathyroid adenoma have been treated with large doses of furosemide, mithramycin, or salmon calcitonin perfusion. With furosemide administration the treatment was successful in 6 of 10 patients. Furosemide was injected intravenously at the rate of 125 mg every 3 hours. With mithramycin perfusion only 2 of 8 patients have a return of the serum calcium levels to normal. With salmon thyrocalcitonin 3 of 10 patients obtained a good result. It can be interesting to suggest the association of furosemide and salmon calcitonin infusion to treat hypercalcemia of myeloma.

Development and use of microsatellite markers in sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes: Serrandidae).

The first microsatellite markers in sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, are described. Microsatellite-containing clones were isolated from a genomic library, their DNA sequences determined, and polymerase chain reaction primers designed for seven dinucleotide microsatellite loci. All microsatellites were shown to be highly polymorphic: six unrelated individuals displayed 86% observed heterozygosity and an average of 7.6 alleles per locus. Inheritance was shown to be Mendelian by analysis of genotypic ratios in F1 offspring. An analysis of 97 mass-reared offspring of a complete diallel cross between three males and three females showed that the parentage of all individuals could be determined unambiguously after scoring one locus in all individuals, followed by scoring a second locus in 24 individuals. The results suggest that microsatellites will be valuable tools in studies of sea bass for genetic tagging, marker-assisted selection programs, and identification of natural stocks.