Single layer cystotomy closure of excised porcine bladders with barbed versus smooth suture material.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which of 2 suture materials would be superior in terms of closure time and leakage pressure in open single-layer cystotomy closure. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. ANIMALS: Twenty-four freshly harvested porcine urinary bladders. METHODS: A cystotomy was performed and the incision closed with a single layer simple continuous suture pattern with barbed (n = 12) or smooth (n = 12) suture. Time required for closure was measured. Each bladder was connected to a system for monitoring intraluminal pressure while inflated with saline until leakage occurred. Intraluminal pressure at time of initial leakage and leakage site were recorded. Two-sample t tests were used to compare maximum leakage pressure and closure time between the 2 groups. P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: All bladders were sutured successfully with no difference in mean closure time (barbed suture 296 ± 46 seconds; smooth suture 293 ± 26 seconds) (P = .821). There was no difference in mean leakage pressure of porcine urinary bladder incisions closed in a single layer with barbed suture (28.8 ± 10.4 mm Hg) compared with smooth suture (30.6 ± 8.8 mm Hg) (P = .642). CONCLUSIONS: Barbed suture provides comparable cystotomy repair to smooth suture, and no benefit to its use was identified in an open procedure. Barbed suture closure should be evaluated for adequate tensile strength in the presence of urine, satisfactory in vivo healing of cystotomies, and lack of long-term urolith formation in dogs and cats.

Ectodomain shedding by ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17) in canine neutrophils.

ADAM17 is a transmembrane protease expressed by most cells in humans and mice that cleaves cell surface substrates primarily in a cis manner, a process referred to as ectodomain shedding. ADAM17 has numerous substrates and plays a broad role in various physiological processes, including as a key regulator of inflammation. At this time, little is known about ADAM17 expression and function in dogs. A well-established ADAM17 substrate is the leukocyte adhesion protein CD62L (L-selectin). We show that a selective inhibitor of ADAM17, but not an inhibitor of its most closely related family member ADAM10, blocks CD62L shedding upon canine neutrophil activation. We also tested several anti-human ADAM17 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for staining canine neutrophils. Although most did not recognize canine neutrophils, the mAbs MEDI3622 and D1(A12) did. They also blocked the downregulation of CD62L upon neutrophil activation. MEDI3622 is a human IgG antibody and we found that a canine chimeric version of this mAb also blocked CD62L shedding by canine leukocytes. Taken together, our findings provide the first direct evidence of ADAM17 expression and sheddase activity in dogs, establishing a potential therapeutic target for various inflammatory disorders.

Comparison of complications and outcome following unilateral, staged bilateral, and single-stage bilateral ventral bulla osteotomy in cats.

OBJECTIVE: To compare complications and outcome following unilateral, staged bilateral, and single-stage bilateral ventral bulla osteotomy (VBO) in cats. ANIMALS: 282 client-owned cats treated by VBO at 25 veterinary referral and academic hospitals from 2005 through 2016. PROCEDURES: Medical records of cats were reviewed to collect information on signalment, clinical signs, diagnostic test results, surgical and postoperative management details, complications (anesthetic, surgical, and postoperative), and outcome. Associations were evaluated among selected variables. RESULTS: Unilateral, staged bilateral, and single-stage bilateral VBO was performed in 211, 7, and 64 cats, respectively, representing 289 separate procedures. Eighteen (9%), 2 (29%), and 30 (47%) of these cats, respectively, had postoperative respiratory complications. Cats treated with single-stage bilateral VBO were significantly more likely to have severe respiratory complications and surgery-related death than cats treated with other VBO procedures. Overall, 68.2% (n = 197) of the 289 procedures were associated with Horner syndrome (19.4% permanently), 30.1% (87) with head tilt (22.1% permanently), 13.5% (39) with facial nerve paralysis (8.0% permanently), and 6.2% (18) with local disease recurrence. Cats with (vs without) Horner syndrome, head tilt, and facial nerve paralysis before VBO had 2.6, 3.3, and 5.6 times the odds, respectively, of having these conditions permanently. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Findings suggested that staged bilateral VBO should be recommended over single-stage bilateral VBO for cats with bilateral middle ear disease. Cats with Horner syndrome, head tilt, and facial nerve paralysis before surgery were more likely to have these conditions permanently following surgery than were cats without these conditions.