Plasma humanin as a prognostic biomarker for canine myxomatous mitral valve disease: a comparison with plasma NT-roBNP.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is a cardiac condition commonly found in older dogs. The disease process can lead to heart failure (HF). In HF, an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and abnormal mitochondrial activity, as well as apoptosis, have been reported. Humanin (HN) is a polypeptide that has a cardioprotective effect against apoptosis and oxidative stress. The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the potential role of plasma HN as a cardiac biomarker to predict disease progression of MMVD, and (2) to compare plasma HN concentrations with plasma NT-pro BNP concentrations. Thirty-one dogs were included in the study. The dogs were separated into four groups: Group 1 was healthy dogs (n = 8), Group 2 was MMVD class B (n = 8), Group 3 was MMVD class C (n = 8), and Group 4 was MMVD class D (n = 7). All dogs were given a physical examination, thoracic radiography, echocardiography, and samples of their blood were collected for hematology and blood chemistry analysis. Levels of plasma HN and plasma NT-proBNP were also investigated. The results showed that plasma HN levels were lower in the dogs with MMVD and that lower plasma HN levels were associated with greater severity of MMVD-induced HF. It was possible to observe changes in plasma HN levels at a less severe disease stage than plasma NT-proBNP in dogs with MMVD. These findings sug- gest that a decreased plasma HN level can be used as a biomarker to identify dogs with MMVD-induced HF.

Estrogen deprivation induces lipid profile impairment but not cardiac dysfunction in ovariohysterectomized dogs.

Studies in human medicine have shown that in addition to affecting the reproductive system, the hormone estrogen also has cardioprotective effects. The present study hypothesized that ovariohysterectomized (OVH) dogs would have a higher incidence of cardiac dysfunction and impairment of lipid profiles compared to intact female dogs. Thirty healthy female dogs were divided into two groups, 15 intact female dogs and 15 OVH dogs. All the dogs underwent a physical examination, including investigation of physical parameters, blood collection for lipid profile measurement, thoracic radiography, electrocardiography and echocardiography. Physical examination parameters, electrocardiographic parameters, heart size and cardiac function in OVH dogs were not different when compared to intact female dogs. However, in the OVH dogs, triglyceride and very-low-density lipoprotein levels were increased, while high-density lipoprotein was significantly decreased compared to the intact female dogs (P⟨0.05). Differences between the groups in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein did not reach statistical significance. We concluded that estrogen deprivation in dogs can induce lipid profile impairment but not cardiac performance impairment 1 year after an ovariohysterectomy.

Short communication: The effect of centrifugation and resuspension on the recovery of Mycoplasma species from milk.

Low sensitivity of a single bulk tank milk culture is a major limitation for detection of mycoplasma organisms. We hypothesized that sedimentation of Mycoplasma spp. in a milk sample by centrifugation followed by resuspension in a small volume of fluid before agar plating would increase the ability to detect Mycoplasma spp. compared with direct conventional culture. The experiment was conducted to determine recovery of Mycoplasma spp. from milk as affected by 1) treatment (centrifugation vs. conventional method); 2) 2 species (Mycoplasma bovis and Mycoplasma californicum and 4 strains for each species); and 3) 4 different concentrations of Mycoplasma spp. (1,000, 100, 10, and 1 cfu/mL). A 5-mL portion of mycoplasma suspension from each strain was inoculated into 45 mL of fresh bulk tank milk to achieve concentrations of 1,000, 100, 10, and 1 cfu/mL. Treatment samples were vigorously mixed and centrifuged at 5,000 x g for 30 min. Control samples were vigorously mixed. All samples were plated on modified Hayflick agar. Plates were incubated at 37 degrees C and 5% CO(2) for 5 d. Mean (+/-SE) log(10) mycoplasma counts (cfu/mL) in the treatment groups (1.91 +/- 0.15) were higher than those in the control groups (1.70 +/- 0.16). Recovery of at least 1 mycoplasma colony on agar culture was 100% in both treatment and control groups at high, medium, and low concentrations. At the lowest concentration, recovery of at least 1 mycoplasma colony on agar culture in treatment and control groups was 75% (n = 12/16) and 18.75% (n = 3/16), respectively. Centrifugation of milk followed by suspension in a smaller volume of saline before conventional culture increased the ability to detect mycoplasma microorganisms in the milk sample compared with controls. Recovery by centrifugation appeared best at the lowest concentration where detection of a positive sample was 4 times more likely than when conventional methods were used.

Incidence and transmission of Mycoplasma bovis mastitis in Holstein dairy cows in a hospital pen: A case study.

The objective was to determine the incidence and transmission of mycoplasma mastitis in the hospital pen in a dairy herd of 650 lactating cows after a hospital pen was established following an outbreak of this disease. Mycoplasma mastitis status was monitored for 3 months through repeated collection of milk samples from cows with clinical mastitis (CM) and from bulk tank milk. During the outbreak 13 cows were diagnosed with Mycoplasma bovis CM, 1 cow with Mycoplasma sp. mastitis and 8 cows showed signs of arthritis, 3 of which were confirmed as having M. bovis arthritis. M. bovis isolates from cows with CM, arthritis and bulk tank milk had indistinguishable chromosomal digest pattern fingerprints. Incidence rates of M. bovis CM cases in the milking and hospital pens were 0.01 and 1.7 cases per 100 cow-days at risk. Approximately 70% of cows with M. bovis CM became infected within 12 days of entering the hospital pen. Transmission of M. bovis in the hospital pen occurred as 3 episodes. Each episode corresponded to the introduction of a cow with M. bovis CM from a milking pen. Evidence indicates that cows with M. bovis CM from milking pens were the source of transmission of the disease in the hospital pen and thus their presence in the hospital pen appeared to be a risk factor for transmission of M. bovis mastitis in this single case study herd.

Association between an outbreak strain causing mycoplasma bovis mastitis and its asymptomatic carriage in the herd: a case study from Idaho, USA.

The objective of this study was to determine the association between mycoplasma mastitis and colonization of mycoplasma organisms at body sites of asymptomatic carriers. The investigation was done in a dairy herd with a first outbreak of mycoplasma mastitis. Milk and swab solution specimens from accessible mucosal surfaces of body sites from cows and replacements were sampled at quarterly intervals (Herd Samplings 1-4). Samples were cultured and Mycoplasma spp. were isolated, speciated and fingerprinted. During Herd Sampling 1 two cows with mycoplasma bovis mastitis were identified and all swabbing solutions of body site samples from 18 of 84 cows and 36 of 77 replacements were positive to Mycoplasma bovis and fingerprinted as the same strain. A case of clinical M. bovis mastitis developed during Herd Sampling 3. During Herd Samplings 2-4, 4 lactating cows and 12 replacements were positive to M. bovis at various body sites with 4 different strains. Three isolates of Mycoplasma californicum were found from swabbing solutions of three cows during Herd Samplings 3 and 4. Only one strain of M. bovis caused mastitis although four strains were isolated from body sites of animals. Isolation of M. bovis from a body site never preceded mastitis. No lactating cow developed mastitis during Herd Sampling 4 although some animals were colonized with the organism. It appears that during the initial outbreak of M. bovis mastitis colonization of body sites by the outbreak strain may be common. However, the prevalence of colonization subsides and colonization does not appear to precede mastitis.