Venous drainage of the heart of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes).

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to reveal the coronary venous system of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) heart. The hearts used in the study were obtained from six red foxes that were brought to the Kafkas University Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre after serious injuries due to firearms or traffic accidents and could not be saved despite all interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Latex was injected from the cranial vena cava and caudal vena cava to expose the coronary vasculature. Hearts were photographed after dissection. RESULTS: It was determined that venous drainage of the red fox heart was provided by the great cardiac vein, middle cardiac vein, right cardiac veins, and the smallest cardiac veins. The strongest of these veins was determined to be the paraconal interventricular vein with a diameter of 3.03 ± 0.44 mm. It was determined that the paraconal interventricular vein was accompanied by a strong vein with a diameter of 2.09 ± 0.43 mm in five of six fox hearts examined. It was observed that left atrial oblique vein participated in the formation of the coronary sinus in four hearts, and the great cardiac vein, middle cardiac vein, and the left marginal ventricular vein were seen to be drained into the coronary sinus in the other two hearts. It was determined that the paraconal interventricular vein and middle cardiac vein collected the venous blood of septum interventriculare via septal veins in all hearts. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the smallest cardiac veins were clearly identified for the first time, and the myocardial bridge was revealed in a wild animal for the first time.

Efficacy of mepyramine maleate treatment in dogs with angioedema.

Twenty-seven dogs with angioedema, were enrolled in this clinical study. The cases were randomly assigned to the treatment group (n=15) and untreated placebo control group (n=12). It was concluded that mepyramine maleate has the potential to be helpful for dogs with angioedema.

Investigation of oral selegiline and rasagiline administration on QT interval in conscious rabbits.

Rasagiline (RSG) and selegiline (SEL) are potent selective monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors and used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Selegiline is metabolized in vivo to I-methamphetamine and I-amphetamine which effect cardiovascular system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate and to compare the effects of long-term use of these drugs on QT interval in conscious rabbits. The study involved 17 New Zealand rabbits of both sexes, aged between 7 and 14 months. Control group (CG, n = 6) was orally given isotonic saline solution at dose of 0.5 cc/per rabbit. The SEL group (SG, n = 6) received 5 mg/per rabbit SEL orally twice daily (09:00 am and 09:00 pm) for 14 days. The RSG group (RG, n = 5) was orally given of RSG at 1 mg/per rabbit daily for 14 days. Electrocardiographic records were taken before the experiment (baseline) and at 1st, 7th, and 14th days of experiment by direct writing electrocardiograph for two groups. Heart rate (HR), QT and QTc values were determined from ECG records. HR did not significantly differ in both treatment groups through the experimental period when compared to baseline values. The significant prolongation of QT and QTc values were observed at 7th, and 14th day (p < 0.01) in SG and 1st day of experiment in RG (p < 0.05) as compared to baseline values. In conclusion, the results obtained suggest a statistically significant effect of SEL on QTc prolongation when compared to RAS. QTc prolongations should be taken into account in Parkinson's disease where autonomic system is involved.

Effects of therapeutic doses of Pregabalin on QTc interval in conscious rabbits.

Pregabalin (PRG) is a new antiepileptic drug that has been used as supportive therapy for partial seizures in patients. Although many neuro-psychiatric and non-cardiac drugs are known to prolong ventricular repolarization as manifested by QTc prolongation on ECG of which provokes torsades de pointes, there is limited data available regarding the characteristics of QT interval in conscious laboratory animals after PRG administration. For that purpose, effects of different therapeutic doses of oral PRG administration on Heart Rate (HR), QT and QTc values in rabbits were evaluated at a predefined time interval in this research. The study involved 28 New Zealand rabbits of both sexes, aged between 8 and 12 months. Animals were divided into four equal groups. Rabbits in control group (CG) received saline 0.5 ml/per animal orally. Group I, II and III were orally given single dose of PRG at 1.25 mg/kg, 2.5 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg, respectively. ECG records were taken before experiment (baseline) and at 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th hour (h) of experiment by direct writing electrocardiograph. HR, QT and QTc values were determined from ECG records. Heart rates increased in all groups when compared to baseline values. The increases were evident at 4th h in group II (p < 0.001), at 2nd h (p < 0.05) and 4th h (p < 0.001) in group III compared with CG. After application of PRG, QTc began to prolong at 1st h through the 4th of experiment and then turned to baseline values at 6th h of the experiment. The QTc values obtained at 2nd h in Group II and III (p < 0.05) and 4th h (p < 0.001) of application in group III were significantly different from CG. Changes obtained in HR, QT and QTc values in PRG treated rabbits were time and dose dependent (p < 0.001). Increase in HR and QTc prolongation determined in PRG given rabbits may implied that clinicians should take care of these changes when using this drug and further studies are required to fully understand the mechanism involved.

Serum sialic acid and oxidative stress parameters changes in cattle with leptospirosis.

This study was designed to disclose some indicators of oxidative stress and inflammation in natural cases of bovine leptospirosis. For this purpose, 12 bulls exhibiting clinical signs of leptospirosis and 10 healthy bulls were used. Animals were subjected to thorough clinical examination and the clinical signs were recorded. All animals were blood sampled in order to determine serum total sialic acid (TSA), lipid bound sialic acid (LBSA), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), uric acid (UA), total protein (TP), albumin and glucose. Urine samples were collected from each animal and examined under dark-field microscope to observe spirochetes. Diseased animals exhibited clinical signs suggesting leptospirosis and the diagnosis was supported by positive dark-field microscope examination. Mean TSA (mmol/L), LBSA (mmol/L), TP (g/dl), albumin (g/dl), glucose (mg/dl), MDA (micromol/L), GSH (mg/dl), NO (nmol/ml), and UA (mg/L) levels were 1.63 +/- 0.02, 0.40 +/- 0.10, 7.18 +/- 0.24, 3.23 +/- 0.5, 64.96 +/- 1.88, 5.71 +/- 0.11, 78.68 +/- 0.72, 7.94 +/- 0.34, and 8.75 +/- 0.41 in healthy bulls, and 2.50 +/- 0.05, 0.70 +/- 0.2, 9.27 +/- 0.17, 2.55 +/- 0.62, 107.93 +/- 2.52, 8.82 +/- 0.14, 47.85 +/- 1.85, 14.57 +/- 0.63 and 15.85 +/- 0.80 in leptospirosis cases, respectively. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Increased TSA, LBSA, MDA, NO, UA, TP, glucose and decreased GSH and albumin concentrations were suggestive of inflammation and oxidative stress in diseased bulls. The results obtained may suggest that oxidative damage along with other mechanisms might have taken part in the pathogenesis of bovine leptospirosis and further detailed studies are needed to fully understand the mechanism(s) of the disease.

QT interval prolongation and decreased heart rates after intravenous bolus oxytocin injection in male and female conscious rabbits.

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in heart rate (HR), QT and RR intervals and corrected QT (QTc) values in conscious male and female New Zealand rabbits which intravenously received oxytocin (OXT) at different dosages. Animals were divided into 6 equal groups: group I (n = 6 male, received 0.75 U OXT per animal); group II (n = 6 male, received 1.5 U OXT per animal); group III (n = 6 male, received 3 U OXT per animal); group IV (n = 6 female, received 0.75 U OXT per animal); group V (n = 6 female, received 1.5 U OXT per animal); group VI (n = 6 female, received 3 U OXT per animal). ECG recording were taken from all animals before injection and then at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15 and 20 min of OXT administration. QT and RR intervals obtained at 2 min of OXT administration were significantly prolonged in all groups (p < 0.05) with one exception that is the 1.5 U OXT injected female group where only QT interval did not change. The prolongation of QT and RR intervals persisted for 20 min in 1.5 U OXT injected male group while only QT interval prolongation was obvious for 20 min in 3 U OXT injected female group as for the other groups the prolonged interval were observed for 8-10 min and then returned to baseline values. Generally, a significant prolongation of QTc was noticed in both male and female rabbits at the 2 and 4 min in all groups and bradycardia was noticed at 2 min of OXT administration in all groups. Heart beats returned to normal values in all groups after 8 min of OXT administration. The change of HR, RR, QT and QTc was gender- but not dose-dependent (p < 0.001). The male rabbits were more sensitive to OXT effect then female rabbits. In conclusion, OXT used in therapeutic dosages decreased heart rate and prolonged QT and QTc intervals. Although cardiovascular effect of OXT are of short duration, its use in patient with risk factors for malignant arrhythmias requires more attention.