Dirofilaria immitis in Dog Imported from Venezuela to Chile.

We report a case of Dirofilaria immitis nematode infection in a dog imported from Venezuela that had been living for 2 years in Santiago, Chile, where this parasite had not been reported before. Our findings warrant surveillance for all dogs imported to Chile, given that suitable conditions exist for establishing this parasite.

Molecular Detection of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Rural Dogs and Associated Ctenocephalides felis Fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in Easter Island (Chile).

The presence of vector-borne pathogens of veterinary and public health interest have received little attention in Chile. In Easter Island, in particular, a Chilean territory in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, no information is available. To fill this gap, 153 rural dogs were inspected for ectoparasites during a sterilization campaign carried out in 2016. Fleas were observed in 46% of the dogs, and Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1835) was the only species present. Morphological identification of fleas was genetically confirmed using conventional polymerase chain reaction targeting the cox2 gene. No tick was observed in any dog. The presence of DNA of Rickettsia sp. (gltA and ompA fragment genes), Anaplasmataceae (16S rRNA), and Bartonella sp. (16S-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer) was investigated in blood samples of 70 of the dogs and in 126 fleas analyzed in 68 pools that included 1-5 fleas. Rickettsial DNA was detected in 97% (n = 66) of the flea pools. Of these, 57 showed between 99 and 100% identity for both genes with published sequences of Candidatus Rickettsia asemboensis (CRa), six with Rickettsia felis, and one with Candidatus Rickettsia senegalensis. For two pools, gltA amplicons were identical to CRa but ompB amplicions showed 99-100% identity with R. felis. Anaplasmataceae DNA was detected in 16% (n = 11) pools. Sequenced amplicons showed highest identity with the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis. Bartonella DNA, showing 99% identity to Bartonella clarridgeiae, was detected in one pool (1.4%). No positive reaction was observed for any dog. This is the first detection of members of the 'R. felis-like' group other than R. felis in Chile.

Renal Decapsulation Prevents Intrinsic Renal Compartment Syndrome in Ischemia-Reperfusion-Induced Acute Kidney Injury: A Physiologic Approach.

OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury is a serious complication with unacceptably high mortality that lacks of specific curative treatment. Therapies focusing on the hydraulic behavior have shown promising results in preventing structural and functional renal impairment, but the underlying mechanisms remain understudied. Our goal is to assess the effects of renal decapsulation on regional hemodynamics, oxygenation, and perfusion in an ischemic acute kidney injury experimental model. METHODS: In piglets, intra renal pressure, renal tissue oxygen pressure, and dysoxia markers were measured in an ischemia-reperfusion group with intact kidney, an ischemia-reperfusion group where the kidney capsule was removed, and in a sham group. RESULTS: Decapsulated kidneys displayed an effective reduction of intra renal pressure, an increment of renal tissue oxygen pressure, and a better performance in the regional delivery, consumption, and extraction of oxygen after reperfusion, resulting in a marked attenuation of acute kidney injury progression due to reduced structural damage and improved renal function. CONCLUSIONS: Our results strongly suggest that renal decapsulation prevents the onset of an intrinsic renal compartment syndrome after ischemic acute kidney injury.

The renal compartment: a hydraulic view.

BACKGROUND: The hydraulic behavior of the renal compartment is poorly understood. In particular, the role of the renal capsule on the intrarenal pressure has not been thoroughly addressed to date. We hypothesized that pressure and volume in the renal compartment are not linearly related, similar to other body compartments. METHODS: The pressure-volume curve of the renal compartment was obtained by injecting fluid into the renal pelvis and recording the rise in intrarenal pressure in six anesthetized and mechanically ventilated piglets, using a catheter Camino 4B® inserted into the renal parenchyma. RESULTS: In healthy kidneys, pressure has a highly nonlinear dependence on the injected volume, as revealed by an exponential fit to the data (R (2) = 0.92). On the contrary, a linear relation between pressure and volume is observed in decapsulated kidneys. We propose a biomechanical model for the renal capsule that is able to explain the nonlinear pressure-volume dependence for moderate volume increases. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented experimental evidence and a theoretical model that supports the existence of a renal compartment. The mechanical role of the renal capsule investigated in this work may have important implications in elucidating the role of decompressive capsulotomy in reducing the intrarenal pressure in acutely injured kidneys.