Effect of Cranberry Extract on the Frequency of Bacteriuria in Dogs with Acute Thoracolumbar Disk Herniation: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Dogs with spinal cord injury are at increased risk of developing bacteriuria due to increased residual urine volume. Cranberry extract inhibits binding of E. coli to uroepithelial cells, potentially reducing risk of bacteriuria. HYPOTHESIS: Cranberry extract reduces risk of bacteriuria in dogs after acute TL-IVDH. ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs with acute onset TL-IVDH causing nonambulatory status. METHODS: Randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded, prospective clinical trial. Dogs with acute TL-IVDH were recruited 48 hours postoperatively and randomized to receive cranberry extract or placebo in a masked fashion. Urine cultures and neurological examinations were performed 2, 4, and 6 weeks postoperatively. The number of dogs with bacteriuria (all bacterial species) and bacteriuria (E. coli) were primary and secondary outcome measures and were evaluated using chi-squared test. Urine antiadhesion activity (AAA) was measured in a subset (N = 47) and examined in a secondary analysis evaluating additional risk factors for bacteriuria. RESULTS: Bacteriuria was detected 17 times in 94 dogs (6 placebo, 11 cranberry, P = .12). There were 7 E. coli. positive cultures (1 placebo, 6 cranberry, P = .09). Dogs in both groups had positive urine AAA (14/21: placebo, 16/26: cranberry), and dogs with urine AAA had significantly fewer E. coli positive cultures (n = 1) than dogs without it (n = 4) (P = .047). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This clinical trial did not show a benefit of oral cranberry extract but had low power. Cranberry extract supplementation did not impact urine AAA, but a possible association between urine AAA and lower risk of E. coli bacteriuria was identified. Other doses could be investigated.

Adrenalectomy for treatment of hyperadrenocorticism in cats: 10 cases (1988-1992).

Outcome of and complications associated with bilateral adrenalectomy in 8 cats with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia and outcome of and complications associated with unilateral adrenalectomy in 2 cats with adrenocortical tumor (adrenocortical adenoma, 1 cat; adrenocortical carcinoma, 1 cat) and unilateral adrenomegaly were determined. Glucocorticoids were administered to all cats at the time of surgery, and mineralocorticoids were administered to the 8 cats that underwent bilateral adrenalectomy. A ventral midline celiotomy was performed in all cats. Intraoperative complications did not develop in any cat. Postoperative complications developed in all cats and included abnormal serum electrolyte concentrations (n = 8), skin lacerations (n = 5), pancreatitis (n = 3), hypoglycemia (n = 2), pneumonia (n = 1), and venous thrombosis (n = 1). Three cats died within 5 weeks after surgery of complications associated with sepsis (n = 2) or thromboembolism (n = 1). Clinical signs and physical abnormalities caused by hyperadrenocorticism resolved in the remaining 7 cats 2 to 4 months after adrenalectomy. Insulin treatment was discontinued in 4 of 6 cats with diabetes mellitus. Median survival time for these 7 cats was 12 months (range, 3 to > 30 months). Two cats died of acute adrenocortical insufficiency 3 and 6 months after bilateral adrenalectomy, 2 cats were euthanatized because of chronic renal failure 3 and 12 months after bilateral (n = 1) or unilateral (n = 1) adrenalectomy, and 2 cats were alive 9 and 14 months after bilateral adrenalectomy. In the remaining cat, clinical signs recurred 10 months after the cat had undergone unilateral adrenalectomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of hyperthermia on cisplatin and carboplatin disposition in the isolated, perfused tumour and skin flap.

The effect of hyperthermia on the disposition of platinum (Pt) from cisplatin (CDDP) and carboplatin (CBDCA) in the isolated, perfused tumour and skin flap (IPTSF) was evaluated. Flaps (n = 4/treatment) were perfused with 3.0 micrograms CDDP or 15 micrograms CBDCA/ml perfusion medium at a rate of 1 ml/min for 3 h. Two-hour (CDDP experiments) or 3 h (CBDCA experiments) washout phases were then performed. The disposition kinetics of free Pt were characterized using a four-compartment, physiologically relevant, pharmacokinetic model. Hyperthermia (HT) may have enhanced the mobility of Pt but it did not increase total Pt mass in the tissue compartments in CDDP experiments. Conversely, HT significantly increased Pt mass in the fixed, non-tumour tissue compartment (p < 0.05) in CBDCA experiments. While a similar trend was noted in the fixed, tumour tissue compartment of CBDCA-treated flaps, the difference was not significant (p = 0.17). Total tissue Pt mass was significantly greater in CDDP compared with CBDCA experiments (p < 0.05). In conclusion, HT alters the disposition of Pt from CDDP and CBDCA under conditions of constant rate infusion. Further characterization of factors influencing drug disposition to non-tumour and tumour tissues can be systematically accomplished using the IPTSF.