Investigating novel anatomical predictors for endotracheal tube selection in dogs.

The selection of an appropriate endotracheal tube (ET) for orotracheal intubation in dogs is based largely on experience, with no well-established guidelines available. This study examined relationships between several novel and published methods for selecting endotracheal tubes in a heterogenous population of 79 adult dogs. The following measurements were included: left and right nare width, nasal septum width, sum of left and right nares width plus the nasal septum width, total nose width and height, tracheal width, metacarpal and digital footpad width and height, and body mass. Using the Bland and Altman ratio method, the calculation of Cube Root Mass provided the greatest accuracy and precision, predicting actual ET size use within 3 to 4 tube sizes. A simpler to calculate, but less precise method was Width of Nose/3. The majority of published methods for estimating ET size performed poorly, including nasal septum and tracheal width.

Résumé ­Étude de nouveaux prédicateurs anatomiques pour la sélection de tube endotrachéal chez les chiens. La sélection d'un tube endotrachéal (TE) approprié pour intubation orotrachéale chez les chiens est basée largement sur l'expérience, sans qu'il n'y ait de directives bien établies de disponibles. La présente étude a examiné les relations entre plusieurs méthodes nouvelles et publiées pour sélectionner les tubes endotrachéaux dans une population hétérogène de 79 chiens adultes. Les mesures suivantes étaient incluses : largeur des narines droite et gauche, largeur du septum nasal, somme de la largeur des narines droite et gauche plus la largeur du septum nasal, largeur totale du nez et hauteur, largeur de la trachée, largeur et hauteur des coussinets plantaires métacarpiens et digitaux, et masse corporelle. Utilisant la méthode de ratio de Bland et Altman, le calcul de la racine cubique de la masse a fourni la meilleure exactitude et précision, prédisant la dimension actuelle du TE utilisé à l'intérieur de trois à quatre dimensions de tubes. Une méthode de calcul plus simple, mais moins précise, était Largeur du Nez/3. La majorité des méthodes publiées pour estimer la dimension du TE performait pauvrement, incluant celles utilisant la largeur du septum nasal et la largeur de la trachée.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

BfpI, BfpJ, and BfpK Minor Pilins Are Important for the Function and Biogenesis of Bundle-Forming Pili Expressed by Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.

UNLABELLED: Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) remains a significant cause of infant diarrheal illness and associated morbidity and mortality in developing countries. EPEC strains are characterized by their ability to colonize the small intestines of their hosts by a multistep program involving initial loose attachment to intestinal epithelial cells followed by an intimate adhesion phase. The initial loose interaction of typical EPEC with host intestinal cells is mediated by bundle-forming pili (BFP). BFP are type 4b pili (T4bP) based on structural and functional properties shared with T4bP expressed by other bacteria. The major structural subunit of BFP is called bundlin, a T4b pilin expressed from the bfpA gene in the BFP operon, which contains three additional genes that encode the pilin-like proteins BfpI, BfpJ, and BfpK. In this study, we show that, in the absence of the BFP retraction ATPase (BfpF), BfpI, BfpJ, and BfpK are dispensable for BFP biogenesis. We also demonstrate that these three minor pilins are incorporated along with bundlin into the BFP filament and contribute to its structural integrity and host cell adhesive properties. The results confirm that previous findings in T4aP systems can be extended to a model T4bP such as BFP. IMPORTANCE: Bundle-forming pili contribute to the host colonization strategy of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. The studies described here investigate the role for three minor pilin subunits in the structure and function of BFP in EPEC. The studies also suggest that these subunits could be antigens for vaccine development.

Short communication: Expression of transcripts for proglucagon, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, peptide YY, and their cognate receptors, in feline peripheral tissues.

Gastrointestinal hormone based therapies are being investigated for treating diabetes in cats; however, the tissue distribution of these hormones and their cognate receptors remain largely understudied. We determined the distribution of transcripts for the gut hormones proglucagon (Gcg), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (Gip), peptide YY (Pyy), and their receptors (Glp1r, Gipr, Npy2r), in feline peripheral tissues. The Gcg, Gip and Pyy mRNA were expressed in the gut, with higher Gcg and Pyy abundance in the lower gut. Interestingly, Glp1r and Npy2r mRNA were expressed in multiple peripheral tissues including the gut, pancreas and liver, whereas, Gipr mRNA was restricted to the stomach and adipose tissues. The localized mRNA expression of Gcg and Pyy in the gut, but the extensive distribution of Glp1r and Npy2r in several peripheral tissues suggests that these hormones may have pleiotropic physiological functions in cats.