Developing veterinary basic clinical skill items based on Korean Veterinary Entrustable Professional Activity.

IMPORTANCE: Developing clinical skills is an essential element of veterinary education to ensure the competency of veterinary graduates. Although the Korean Veterinary Education Graduation Competencies were established in 2016, reflecting domestic needs and international trends in competency-based veterinary education, they have yet to be implemented in Korean veterinary education. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish the basic veterinary clinical skills required to ensure graduates of Korean veterinary universities have the day-one competency to independently perform their professional duties. METHODS: The Education Committee of the Korean Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges, composed of veterinary school professors and an experienced veterinarian in the clinic, reviewed domestic and international veterinary education-related materials to define basic clinical skills. RESULTS: The Korean Veterinarian Entrustable Professional Activities (KVEPA) was introduced, followed by the subsequent development of 54 essential clinical skills based on the KVEPA. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The veterinary basic clinical skills established through this study can be used as a specific guide for clinical education in Korean veterinary school, and is expected to play an important role in meeting the needs of the educational sector of the veterinary education accreditation standards.

Age-related changes in ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 immunoreactivity and protein level in the gerbil hippocampal CA1 region.

Microglia are evenly distributed throughout the brain parenchyma. They respond rapidly to a variety of alterations in the microenvironment of the brain and act as sensors for pathological events in the brain. In the present study, we investigated the age-dependent changes in the immunoreactivity and protein level of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), a microglial marker, in the CA1 region of the gerbil hippocampus. Iba-1 immunoreactive microglia were detected in the hippocampal CA1 region of the postnatal month 1 (PM 1) group. Iba-1 positive microglia were morphologically inactive between the PM 1 and PM 12 stages. Some Iba-1 immunoreactive microglia were present in the active form in the hippocampal CA1 region of the PM 18 and PM 24 groups. The Iba-1 protein levels in hippocampal CA1 homogenates were decreased in the PM 1 through PM 6 groups and increased in an age-dependent manner thereafter. These results suggest that Iba-1 immunoreactive microglia in the active form were detected in the hippocampal CA1 region in the PM 18 and PM 24 groups. This result may be associated with an age-dependent susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases associated with the hippocampus.

Immunohistochemical localization of calcium binding proteins and some neurotransmitters in myenteric plexus of goat stomach.

To understand the neurochemical properties of the gastric myenteric plexus of ruminants, the expression patterns of calbindin D-28k (CB), calretinin (CR), substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were explored in the Korean native goat. In gastric myenteric plexus, CB and SP immunoreactivity were observed in round- or oval-shaped neurons. CR and CGRP immunoreactivity were detected only in the nerve fibers. This immunohistochemical localization of CB, CR, CGRP and SP in the myenteric plexus of the goat stomach exhibited species-specific patterns. These findings suggest that these substances may be directly or indirectly related to the gastric functions of the goat stomach.

Changes in orexin-A and neuropeptide y expression in the hypothalamus of obese and lean Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats.

This study was carried out to investigate the changes of orexin-A (OXA) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in the hypothalamus of the obese and lean Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats which have a missense mutation in the leptin receptor gene. The mean body weights (MBW) between the obese and lean ZDF rats were significantly different at 28 and 70 postnatal days. However, at 14 postnatal day, there was no significant difference in the MBW between the obese and lean ZDF rats in both male and female. The OXA immunoreactivities were not significantly different between the obese and lean ZDF rats in both sexes at 14, 28, and 70 postnatal days, respectively. The NPY immunoreactivity was higher in the obese than in the lean ZDF rats in both male and female at 28 and 70 postnatal days, whereas there was no significant difference between the obese and lean ZDF rats at 14 postnatal day. These results indicate that both OXA and NPY might halt their roles for food intake in the obese phenotype of the male and female ZDF rats in the preweaning period of 14 postnatal day, whereas NPY might play a main role in the obesity of these rats in the weaning period of 28 and 70 postnatal days.

Changes in the expression of calbindin D-28k in the gerbil hippocampus following seizure.

Previous studies have reported that calbindin D-28k (CB), a calcium-binding protein, containing neurons in the hippocampus play an important role in hippocampal excitability in epilepsy, because CB modulates the free calcium ion during seizure. Hence, in the present study, we investigated changes of CB expression in the hippocampus and its association in the Mongolian gerbil to identify roles of CB in epileptogenesis. CB immunoreactivity in the hippocampus was significantly lower in the pre-seizure group of seizure sensitive (SS) gerbils as compared with those seen in the seizure resistant (SR) gerbils. The distribution of CB immunoreactivity in the hippocampus showed significant difference after seizure on-set in SS gerbils. CB immunoreactivity in the hippocampal CA1, CA2 areas, and subiculum was lowest at 3h after seizure on-set; thereafter, the immunoreactivity became to increase to 12h after seizure on-set. Mossy fibers, Schaffer collaterals and dentate granule cells showed the highest CB immunoreactivity at 3h after seizure on-set; thereafter, the immunoreactivity became to decrease. In the case of the intrinsic and output connections of the hippocampus, a rapid decrease of CB serves an inhibitory function, which regulates the seizure activity and output signals from the hippocampus.

Expressional changes of neuropeptide Y and cholecystokinin in the arcuate and paraventricular nuclei after capsaicin administration.

Despite its toxicity, a great deal of attention has been paid to the anorexic effect of capsaicin in the treatment of obesity-related neurotransmitters/neuromodulators. To determine if capsaicin has any effects on the orexigenic or anorexigenic peptides, the neuropeptide Y (NPY)- and cholecystokinin (CCK)-immunoreactivities were demonstrated in the rat hypothalamus by immunohistochemistry after capsaicin administration. There was a significantly lower concentration of NPY immunopositive cells in the arcuate and paraventricular nuclei of the capsaicin treated rats. In contrast, the CCK expressions level was higher in the paraventricular nucleus of the capsaicin treated rats than in the control rats. These results suggest that capsaicin influence neuropeptides such as orexigenic NPY and anorexigenic CCK related to control food intake.

Left costocervical vein malformation with anomalous ramification of aortic arch in a dog.

This report describes coexistence of anomalous branches of the aortic arch and the costocervical vein malformation in a German shepherd dog. The first branch of the aortic arch was a bicarotid trunk that divided into the left and right common carotid arteries. The next branch to leave the aortic arch was a common trunk for the right and left subclavian arteries, a bisubclavian trunk, which was immediately bifurcated. The right subclavian artery passed over the esophagus forming a deep groove, so-called incomplete vascular ring on the dorsal wall of the esophagus. Although the esophagus was constricted by the right subclavian artery dorsally and by the trachea ventrally, no clinical symptoms of esophageal obstruction and dysphagia were observed. The left costocervical vein coursed caudoventrally, passed over the aortic arch, and entered the left ventricle. This vessel was much smaller than the right costocervical vein and was partially occluded at its origin.

Changes in orexin-A and neuropeptide Y expression in the hypothalamus of the fasted and high-fat diet fed rats.

This study was aimed to investigate the changes of orexin-A (OXA) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in the hypothalamus of the fasted and high-fat diet fed rats. For the experiments, the male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used as the model of high-fat diet-induced obesity. The mean loss of body weight (MLBW) did not show the linear pattern during the fasting; from 24 h to 84 h of fastings, the MLBW was not significantly changed. The numbers of OXA-immunoreactive (IR) neurons were decreased at 84 h of fasting compared with those in other five fasting subgroups. The NPY immunoreactivities in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) observed at 84 h of fasting were higher than that observed at 24 h of fasting. The number of OXA-IR neurons of the LHA (lateral hypothalamic area) in the high-fat (HF) diet fed group was more increased than that of the same area in the normal-fat (NF) diet fed group. The NPY immunoreactivities of the ARC and the SCN were higher in HF group than those observed in the same areas of NF group. Based on these results, it is noteworthy that the decrease of the body weight during the fast was not proportionate to the time-course, implicating a possible adaptation of the body for survival against starvation. The HF diet might activate the OXA and the NPY in the LHA to enhance food intake.

Anatomical and neuropeptidergic properties of the duodenal neurons projecting to the gallbladder in the golden hamster.

This study investigated the anatomical and neuropeptidergic properties of the duodenal neurons projecting to the gallbladder in the golden hamster. Fast blue (FB) was injected into the subserosa of the gallbladder in order to identify by retrograde tracing the duodenal neurons that project to the gallbladder. Subsequently, immunofluorescence microscopy was employed to see whether these duodenal neurons contained putative peptidergic neurotransmitters such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), galanin (GAL) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). The FB-labeled cells were only found in the duodenal region adjacent to the major duodenal papilla where the biliary duct opens. On the other hand, there was no difference within this duodenal region in the numbers of FB-labeled cells between the mesenteric and antimesenteric portions, suggesting that these two portions of the duodenum equally contribute neuronal projections to the gallbladder. Double-immunofluorescence microscopy clearly demonstrated that a small population of FB-positive duodenal neurons contained putative neurotransmitters CGRP, GAL and VIP. Our data suggest that duodenal neurons around the major duodenal papilla in the golden hamster project to the gallbladder and exert their influence on the gallbladder via neuropeptides such as CGRP, GAL and VIP.