Pyometra-associated insulin resistance assessment by insulin binding assay and tyrosine kinase activity evaluation in canine muscle tissue.

Diestrus is associated with insulin resistance in bitches and pyometra can further impair insulin sensitivity. This study aimed to compare insulin sensitivity, insulin binding, and tyrosine kinase activity in bitches in anestrus, diestrus, or with pyometra. Patients submitted to elective ovariohysterectomy were divided into anestrus (n = 11) or diestrus (n = 13) according to reproductive history, vaginal cytology, and uterine histology. The group pyometra (n = 8) included bitches diagnosed with the disease based on clinical presentation and abdominal ultrasound findings and further confirmed by uterine histopathology. All patients were submitted to an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) before ovariohysterectomy, and rectus abdominis muscle samples were collected during surgery for plasmatic membrane suspension preparation. Muscle-membranes were submitted to cold saturation insulin binding assay for dissociation constant (Kd) and maximum binding capacity (Bmax) determination, as well as exogenous substrate Poly (Glu: Tyr 4:1) phosphorylation assay for basal tyrosine kinase evaluation. Bitches with pyometra showed higher basal insulin (P < 0.001) and higher area under the curve (AUC) for insulin (P = 0.01) and glucose (P < 0.001) response during the IVGTT in comparison with bitches in anestrus or diestrus. Diestrus (P < 0.0001) and pyometra (P = 0.001) were associated with reduced tyrosine kinase activity in comparison with anestrus. No differences were documented in Kd and Bmax results for the low-affinity/high-capacity insulin receptors; however, high-affinity/low-capacity insulin receptors showed higher Kd and Bmax results in bitches in diestrus or with pyometra (P < 0.05) in comparison with anestrus. Despite the pyometra group showed the highest Kd values (P < 0.01), its Bmax results did not differ from the diestrus group (P > 0.05). Diestrus' higher Kd values and reduced tyrosine kinase activity in muscle tissue were compensated by increased total insulin binding capacity. Absent differences in IVGTT results between diestrus and anestrus bitches corroborate this finding. However, in bitches with pyometra, the highest Kd values were not compensated by increased total insulin binding capacity. This finding was associated with insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in IVGTT results. Moreover, pyometra resolution restored insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. These features can play a key role in pyometra-associated CDM, as well as in diabetic remission after pyometra resolution.

Scrapie diagnosis in a goat and four Santa Inês sheep from the same herd in Brazil / Diagnóstico de scrapie em um caprino e quatro ovinos Santa Inês de um mesmo rebanho no Brasil

Scrapie is a fatal and progressive transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of natural occurrence in sheep and goats. The suspicion of scrapie may be based on clinical signs; however, the detection of pathological features of the prionic protein (PrP) in target tissues is necessary to diagnose the disease. The presence of an abnormal protein form (PrPSc) in lymphoreticular and nervous tissues is an important characteristic in diagnosis. This paper reports a case of scrapie in a flock of 55 Suffolk crossbred sheep, 19 Santa Inês sheep and 21 goats in the Mato Grosso state, midwestern Brazil. The animals were euthanized after the confirmation of a scrapie case with clinical signs in a Suffolk sheep in the same farm...

Scrapie é uma encefalopatia espongiforme transmissível (EET) progressiva e fatal de ocorrência natural em ovinos e caprinos. A suspeita de scrapie é baseada nos sinais clínicos, porém a manifestação patológica da proteína priônica (PrP) nos tecidos-alvo é necessária para a confirmação da doença. A presença de uma forma anormal da proteína (PrPSc) em tecido linforreticular e tecido nervoso constitui uma característica importante para o diagnóstico. Este trabalho é o relato de um foco de scrapie ocorrido em rebanho com 55 ovinos mistos Suffolk, 21 caprinos e 19 ovinos Santa Inês, na região Centro-Oeste do Brasil. Os animais foram eutanasiados após a confirmação de um caso de scrapie com sinais clínicos em um ovino Suffolk nessa propriedade...

Excimer photorefractive keratectomy for low myopia and astigmatism with the Coherent-Schwind Keratom.

PURPOSE: To summarize the initial results of excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in 114 eyes of 89 patients using the Coherent-Schwind system and assess its safety, efficacy, and predictability. SETTING: Hospital San Jose de Monterrey-ITESM, Mexico. METHODS: The Coherent-Schwind Keratom excimer laser was used to correct low myopia (manifest spherical equivalent from -1.00 to -6.00 diopters [D], with manifest cylinder of -1.00 D or less) or myopic astigmatism (manifest spherical equivalent from -2.75 to -6.75 D, with manifest cylinder from -1.00 to -4.50 D) with standard settings. Ablation zone diameters were from 5.9 to 6.3 mm (low myopia) and 5.9 to 8.2 mm (astigmatism) with a repetition rate of 12 Hz. Follow-up was from 1 month (low myopia, n = 71; astigmatism, n = 35) to 6 months (low myopia, n = 36; astigmatism, n = 17). RESULTS: Six months after PRK, uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 94% of the low myopia eyes (n = 36) and 77% of the astigmatism eyes (n = 17). Intended correction was within 1.00 D of the target spherical equivalent in 81 and 88% of eyes, respectively. No eyes in the low myopia group lost two lines of best corrected visual acuity, although 12% in the astigmatism group did. CONCLUSION: The Coherent-Schwind excimer laser appears to be effective in the treatment of low myopia and astigmatism, with results comparable to those of other laser systems after 6 months of follow-up. Further study of best corrected visual acuity loss after treatment of compound myopic astigmatism with this laser is warranted.