Putative antimicrobial-associated phototoxicity in three dogs.

This case series describes putative doxycycline phototoxicity in three dogs, with one also undergoing a possible sulfamethoxazole phototoxic reaction.

Cette série de cas décrit la possible phototoxicité de la doxycycline chez trois chiens, à laquelle s'ajouterait une possible réaction phototoxique au sulfaméthoxazole chez l'un des chiens.

Está serie de casos describe una posible reacción de fototoxicidad en tres perros, junto con otro también sufriendo una posible reacción fototóxica por administración de sulfametoxazol.

Esta série de casos descreve a fototoxicidade putativa da doxiciclina em três cães, sendo que um também passou por uma possível reação de fototoxicidade por sulfametoxazol.

Accessible digital assessments of temporal, spatial, or movement concepts for profoundly motor impaired and non-verbal individuals: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: Here we present a study of two new Assistive Technology (AT) accessible digital assessments which were developed to address the current paucity of (English) spoken language comprehension assessments accessible to individuals who are both non-verbal and have profound motor impairments. Such individuals may rely heavily upon AT for communication and control. However, many assessments require that responses are given either verbally, by physical pointing or manipulating physical objects. A further problem with many assessments is their reliance upon static images to represent language components involving temporal, spatial or movement concepts. These new assessments aim to address some of these issues. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The assessments were used with 2 young people who are non-verbal and have profound motor impairments (GMFCS level IV/V) and who use eye gaze as their primary method of communication and access. One assessment uses static images and the other short video clips to represent concepts containing temporal, spatial or movement elements. The assessments were carried out with each participant, both before and after an intervention, as part of a larger study. RESULTS: The assessments were accessible using AT (eye gaze) for both participants, although assessment scores varied. The design of the assessments particularly suited one participant who scored near maximum, but they appeared less suitable for the other participant. CONCLUSIONS: Making assessments AT accessible removes a barrier to assessing aspects of the spoken language comprehension abilities of some. Video may be a better medium for representing certain concepts within assessments compared with static images.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe new assessments provided a deeper understanding of two members of a group who are traditionally difficult to assess, using two alternative physically accessible methods of assessing the spoken language comprehension of the target group;Accessible assessments are important for assessing complex individuals in order to identify knowledge limitations and set therapy (and education) goals;The alternative access features of communication software can provide a "wrapper" for providing accessibility features to assessments;Video clips may be a better means of representing certain concepts in assessments compared to their static equivalents;Ensuring that assessments are physically accessible is sufficient for the assessment of some individuals, but for some "cognitive" accessibility also needs to be considered.

Improved glucose control and reduced body weight in rodents with dual mechanism of action peptide hybrids.

Combination therapy is being increasingly used as a treatment paradigm for metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. In the peptide therapeutics realm, recent work has highlighted the therapeutic potential of chimeric peptides that act on two distinct receptors, thereby harnessing parallel complementary mechanisms to induce additive or synergistic benefit compared to monotherapy. Here, we extend this hypothesis by linking a known anti-diabetic peptide with an anti-obesity peptide into a novel peptide hybrid, which we termed a phybrid. We report on the synthesis and biological activity of two such phybrids (AC164204 and AC164209), comprised of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1-R) agonist, and exenatide analog, AC3082, covalently linked to a second generation amylin analog, davalintide. Both molecules acted as full agonists at their cognate receptors in vitro, albeit with reduced potency at the calcitonin receptor indicating slightly perturbed amylin agonism. In obese diabetic Lep(ob)/Lep (ob) mice sustained infusion of AC164204 and AC164209 reduced glucose and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) equivalently but induced greater weight loss relative to exenatide administration alone. Weight loss was similar to that induced by combined administration of exenatide and davalintide. In diet-induced obese rats, both phybrids dose-dependently reduced food intake and body weight to a greater extent than exenatide or davalintide alone, and equal to co-infusion of exenatide and davalintide. Phybrid-mediated and exenatide + davalintide-mediated weight loss was associated with reduced adiposity and preservation of lean mass. These data are the first to provide in vivo proof-of-concept for multi-pathway targeting in metabolic disease via a peptide hybrid, demonstrating that this approach is as effective as co-administration of individual peptides.

The clinical and histopathological effects of prednisone on acute radiation-induced dermatitis in dogs: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, prospective clinical trial.

This study evaluated and compared the clinical and histopathological effects of prednisone on acute radiation-induced dermatitis (ARID) in dogs treated with 48 Gray of fractionated irradiation targeted to the skin surface. The study was designed as a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled prospective clinical trial. Twenty-two otherwise healthy companion dogs completed the clinical study. Three dogs were excluded from complete histopathological analysis because the owner declined one (one dog) or both (two dogs) biopsies. The study duration for each dog was 36 days from the start of radiation therapy (RT) to the first re-examination post RT. Dogs were treated with either oral prednisone at 0.5 mg kg(-1) or sugar pill, daily. All dogs received 48 Gray of fractionated, standardized RT, beginning 2 weeks after tumour excision. Acute Radiation Morbidity Scores, Cutaneous Toxicity Extent and Severity scores, digital images, and impression cytology were carried out on days 1, 8, 15, 22 and 36. Four-millimetre skin specimens from days 15 (RT-11) and 36 (2 weeks after the last RT dose) were scored by a pathologist and a dermatologist, blind to specimen identity. A one-way analysis of variance for longitudinal data was used to compare scores between groups. Spearman's rho correlation coefficient was used to measure strength of association between clinical and histopathology scores (HPS). There was no significant difference in CUTES, AMS or HPS scores between groups. There was a strong correlation between clinical and HPS scores. Prednisone did not decrease ARID severity clinically or histopathologically.

Use of lufenuron for treatment of generalized demodicosis in dogs.

Abstract The efficacy of lufenuron for treatment of generalized demodicosis in dogs was investigated. Eleven dogs with generalized demodicosis received either low-dose lufenuron (mean 13.3 mg kg-1 once a day on the first 5 days of the month) or high-dose lufenuron (mean 15.8 mg kg-1 three times a week) orally for 2 or 3 months. None of the dogs showed a decrease in mite numbers on monthly examination of deep skin scrapings. To determine levels of orally administered lufenuron in the skin (epidermis and dermis), three adult dogs were each given lufenuron orally at a mean dose of 19.3 mg kg-1 once a day for 5 days. Lufenuron was measured in samples of blood and skin collected on days 0, 1, 6, 16, 30, 44 and 60 after administering the drug. Mean skin levels of lufenuron were 10 times the corresponding blood levels. Lufenuron was ineffective as a treatment for generalized demodicosis in these dogs despite the fact that high drug levels were achieved in the skin. Résumé- L'efficacitée du Lufénuron dans le traitement de la démodécie généralisée du chien a étéévaluée 11 chiens présentant une démodécie généralisée ont reçu soit du lufeAnuron à dose faible (en moyenne 13, 3 mg kg-1 , 1 fois par jour les 5 premiers jours de chaque mois) ou à dose élevée (en moyenne 15, 8 mg kg-1 fois par semaine) par voie orale pendant 2 à 3 mois. Aucun des chiens traités ne montre une diminution du nombre de parasites determine à partir de raclages cutanés profonds mensuels. Afin de déterminer les taux de lufénuron dans la peau (épiderme et derme), trois chiens adultes ont reçu chacun du lufénuron par voie orale à une dose moyenne de 19, 3 mg kg-1 , une fois par jour pendant 5 jours. Le lufénuron a été mesuré dans des échantillons sanguins et cutanés à JO, J1, J6, J16, J30, J44 et J60 après administration. Les taux moyens dans la peau sont 10 fois supérieurs aux taux sanguins correspondants. Le lufénuron est inefficace dans le traitement de la démodécie généralisée en dépit des concentrations élévées dans la peau. [Schwassmann, M., Kunkle, G. A., Hepler, D. I., Lewis, D. T. Use of lufénuron for treatment of generalized demodicosis in dogs. (Utilisation du Lufénuron pour le traitement de la démodécie généralisée du chien.) Veterinary Dermatology 1997; 8: 11-18.] Resumen Se investigó la eficacia de lufénuron para el tratamiento de la demodicosis generalizada en perros. Once perros con demodicosis generalizada recibieron o bien una dosis baja de lufénuron (medía 13.3 mg kg-1 una vez al día en los primeros 5 meses del mes) o una dosis alta de lufénuron (medía 15.8 mg kg-1 3 veces a la semana) oralmente durante 2 o 3 meses. Ninguno de los perros mostró dismunición en el número de ácaros en los exámenes mensuales de raspados cutáneos profundos. Para detectar en la piel (epidermis y dermis) los niveles de lufénuron administrado oralmente, a tres perros adultos se les administró a cada uno lufénuron oral a una dosis medía de 19.3 mg kg-1 una vez al día durante 5 días. Se cuantificó el lufénuron en muestras de sangre y piel tomadas a días 0, 1, 6, 16, 30, 44 y 60 después de la administración del fármaco. Los valores cutáneos medios de lufénuron fueron 10 veces los valores sanguineos correspondientes. Lufénuron no tuvo efecto como tratamiento de la demodicosis generalizada en estos perros a pesar de los altos niveles farmacológicos alcanzados a nivel cutáneo. [Schwassmann, M., Kunkle, G. A., Hepler, D. I., Lewis, D. T. Use of lufénuron for treatment of generalized demodicosis in dogs. (Uso de lufénuron para el tratamiento de la demodicosis generalizada en perros.) Veterinary Dermatology 1997; 8: 11-18.] Zusammenfassung- Die Wirksamkeit von Luferunon in der Behandlung von generalisierter Demodikose wurde untersucht. Elf Hunde mit generalisierter Demodikose erhielten entweder eine niedrige (durchschnittlich 13.3 mg kg-1 täglich an den ersten fünf Monatstagen) oder hohe Dosis Lufénuron (durchschnittlich 15.8 mg kg-1 dreimal wöchentlich) oral für 2-3 Monate. Bei keinem Hund zeigte die monatliche Untersuchung von tiefen Hautgeschabseln eine Verminderung der Milbenanzahl. Um den Hautspiegel (Epidermis und Dermis) des oral verabreichten Lufénurons zu bestimmen, erhielten drei Hunde jeweils oral Lufénuron in einer Durchschnittsdosis von 19.3 mg kg-1 täglich für 5 Tage. Lufénuron wurde in Serum-und Hautproben gemessen die vor und 1, 6, 16, 30, 44 und 60 Tage nach Beginn der Medikamenteneinnahme genommen wurden. Durchschnittliche Hautspiegel von Lufénuron waren zehn Mai so hoch wie die korrespondierenden Blutspiegel. Die Behandlung der generalisierten Demodikose mit Lufénuron war trotz der hohen Medikamentenkonzentration in der Haul unwirksam. [Schwassmann, M., Kunkle, G. A., Hepler, D. I., Lewis, D. T. Use of lufénuron for treatment of generalized demodicosis in dogs. (Die Verwendung von Lufénuron für die Behandlung der generalisierten Demodikose beim Hund.) Veterinary Dermatology 1997; 8: 11-18.].

Use of pentoxifylline in the treatment of allergic contact reactions to plants of the Commelinceae family in dogs.

The effects of pentoxifylline (10 mg kg-1 orally [PO] twice daily) in three dogs with a confirmed contact allergy to plants of the Commelinceae family are described. Pentoxifylline inhibited the development of clinical signs in all three dogs despite extensive challenge with the offending plants. The protective effect was evident after 2 days of treatment and appeared to be dose related in one dog. The immunomodulatory properties of pentoxifylline are reviewed.

Experimental Reproduction of Feline Mycobacterium fortuitum Panniculitis.

Resumen- Con el fin de lograr un modelo experimental de la infección por Mycobacterium fortuitum, causante de paniculitis en condiciones naturales en el gato, se inoculóM. fortuitum en el cojinte plantar de ratones o en el tejido adiposo inguinal de conejos y gatos. Los ratones manifestaron una dermatitis crónica y una linfadenitis granulomatosa necrotizante con localizatión intracelular del microorganismo. Los conejos manifestaron inflamaciones granulomatosas supurativas necrotizantes con microrganismos en vacuolas adiposas rodeadas por heterófilos macrófagos epitelioides y/o zonas de necrosis. Los cinco gatos adultos y una de las tres crias mostraron fistulas supurativas, úlceras puntuales o nódulos en el paniculo adiposo de la zona inguinal. La lesión en la región inguinal de estos seis animales consistia en una paniculitis granulomatosa; las otras dos crias presentaban una paniculitis piogranulomatosa necrotizante. Se identificaron bacilos en los cortes histológicos teñidos con Hematoxilina y Eosina en cuatro gatos adultos y en una de las crias. Se aislóMycobacterium fortunitum a partir del tejido adiposo en todos los gatos adultos y en una de las tres crias. La inoculación de 1.4 × 1010 M.fortuitum en el tejido adiposo subcutáneo inguinal en los gatos con grandes masas grasas en esas zonas causó una infección microbacteriana idéntica a la enfermedad felina en condiciones naturales. [Lewis, D. T., Hodgin, E. C, Foil, C. S., Cox, H. U., Roy, A. F., Lewis, D. D. Experimental reproduction of feline Mycobacterium fortuitum panniculitis. (Reproductión experimental de la paniculitis felina por Mycobacterium fortuitum). Abstract- In order to establish an animal model of the naturally occurring feline Mycobacterium fortuitum panniculitis an inoculum of M. fortuitum organisms was injected into the hindlimb footpad of mice or subcutaneous fat of the inguinal area of rabbits and cats. Mice developed chronic dermatitis and necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis with intracellular localization of the organism. Rabbits developed necrotizing suppurative granulomatous inflammation with organisms in heterophil-lined fat vacuoles, epithelioid macrophages and/or necrotic areas. All five adult cats and one of three kittens developed draining tracts, punctate ulcers or nodules in the panniculus adiposus of the inguinal area. A pyogranulomatous panniculitis characterized the inguinal region in these six animals; a necrotizing pyogranulomatous panniculitis was present in the remaining two kittens. Rod-shaped bacilli were present on hematoxylin and eosin stained tissue sections in four adult cats and one kitten. Mycobacterium fortuitum was isolated from the inguinal subcutaneous fat in all five adult cats and one of three kittens. Injection of 1.4 × 1010 M. fortuitum organisms into the subcutaneous fat of the inguinal area of cats with extensive inguinal fatpads produced a mycobacterial infection identical to the naturally occurring feline disease.