Efficacy and tolerance of oral versus parenteral cyanocobalamin supplement in hypocobalaminaemic dogs with chronic enteropathy: a controlled randomised open-label trial.

OBJECTIVES: Determine comparative tolerance of daily oral and weekly parenteral cobalamin supplementation, in hypocobalaminaemic dogs with chronic enteropathy. Determine whether oral is as effective as parenteral supplementation at achieving eucobalaminaemia, in hypocobalaminaemic dogs with protein-losing enteropathy, severe hypocobalaminaemia or high canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index at inclusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven client-owned dogs with hypocobalaminaemia and clinical signs of chronic enteropathy were prospectively enrolled in three UK referral centres. Dogs were randomly allocated to daily oral for 12 weeks or weekly parenteral cobalamin supplementation for 6 weeks and one additional dose 4 weeks later. Serum cobalamin, body condition score, canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index and bodyweight were assessed at inclusion, weeks 7 and 13. Serum methylmalonic acid concentration was evaluated at inclusion and at week 13. Owners completed treatment adherence, palatability, tolerance and satisfaction questionnaires at week 13. RESULTS: Nineteen dogs completed the study. All dogs orally supplemented achieved normal or increased cobalaminaemia at weeks 7 and 13. There was no statistical difference in cobalamin concentration at week 13 in dogs treated with oral or parenteral supplementation, regardless of presence of protein-losing enteropathy, severity of hypocobalaminaemia or canine inflammatory bowel disease activity index at inclusion. Serum methylmalonic acid concentration was not significantly different between oral and parenteral groups, neither were treatment adherence, satisfaction, and tolerance scores at week 13. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Oral is as effective and as well-tolerated as parenteral cobalamin supplementation in hypocobalaminaemic dogs with chronic enteropathy and severe clinical or biochemical phenotypes, and should be considered as a suitable treatment option regardless of disease severity.

Effect of melatonin, curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol on acute ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA)-induced renal oxidative damage in rats.

The influence of melatonin, curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol pretreatment on ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA)-induced oxidative renal damage was studied. Male Wistar rats were treated orally once daily for 3 days with melatonin (10 mg/kg), curcumin (50 mg/kg), quercetin (15 mg/kg), and resveratrol (10 mg/kg). One hour after the last dose of antioxidants, a single dose of Fe-NTA was administered (8 mg of Fe/kg body weight, i.p.) to pre-treated animals. Twenty-four hours after Fe-NTA administration, the lipid peroxidation (LP), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were estimated in kidney homogenates. Iron, zinc, and copper concentrations were estimated in kidney tissue. Administration of Fe-NTA to rats induced renal LP (170%, P < 0.001) and inhibited catalase (78%, P < 0.05) in the kidney. The oral pretreatment with melatonin, curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol each one was effective in decreasing the Fe-NTA-induced LP (P < 0.001); however, it did not influence the FeNTA-induced inhibition of renal CAT activity. No changes were found in renal GSH level and GSH-Px activity compared to control animals. The pretreatment with antioxidants did not affect the increase in renal iron content, blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio, and relative kidney weight of FeNTA-intoxicated rats. The results indicate that the pretreatment with natural antioxidants, curcumin, melatonin, quercetin, and resveratrol, significantly and equally suppressed lipid peroxidation induced by Fe-NTA but had no effect on other markers of FeNTA nephrotoxicity and iron deposition in kidneys.

Salivary gland hyaluronidase in various species of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: psychodidae).

Hyaluronidase activity was detected and partially characterized in salivary gland extracts of females of six sand fly species. In Phlebotomus papatasi and Lutzomyia longipalpis the enzyme was active over a broad pH range; the pH optimum was 5.0. Besides high cleaving activity towards hyaluronic acid, it hydrolyzed chondroitin sulfates A and C. Hyaluronidases of various sand fly species differed in structure and sensitivity to reducing conditions. In the subgenera Phlebotomus (P. papatasi and P. duboscqi) and Adlerius (P. halepensis) the predominant active form of the enzyme was monomeric with the same apparent molecular weight under nonreducing and reducing conditions (around 65 kDa for P. papatasi and P. duboscqi and 110 kDa for P. halepensis). In P. sergenti the enzyme occurred as a putative homodimer but remained active under reducing conditions when separated into 60 kDa subunits. In L. longipalpis and P. perniciosus the activity was detectable under non-reducing conditions only. In P. duboscqi, low enzyme activity was found also in males. Salivary gland hyaluronidases of sand flies share characteristics with endo-N-acetyl-hexosaminidases of mammalian sperm cells and corresponding venom enzymes of Hymenoptera. Hypothetically, they facilitate blood meal acquisition but also may modulate immune reactions of the host and promote pathogen transmission.

Contribution to histochemical distribution of non-specific cholinesterase activity in sensory ganglia of some mammals.

The activity of non-specific cholinesterase was demonstrated histochemically in satellite cells of the spinal ganglia from adult rat, cat, rabbit and baboon. The spinal ganglia of newborn rats displayed distinct intraneuronal reactivity for non-specific cholinesterase while a low reactivity was observed in satellite cells. The spinal and trigeminal ganglia of adult mice contained satellite cells with non-specific cholinesterase reactivity only sporadically. Most of reaction product for non-specific cholinesterase activity (from low to high intensity) was found in perikarya of the neurons. Spinal and trigeminal ganglia of the same mice embryo exhibited diffuse staining for non-specific cholinesterase activity remaining in the spinal ganglia of newborn mice. The trigeminal ganglia of newborn mice exhibited, however, more differentiated pattern of the positive reaction for non-specific cholinesterase like adult animals. The pattern of histochemical distribution of non-specific cholinesterase activity in trigeminal and spinal ganglia from mice of various ages corresponds with morphological differentiation and maturation undergoing in a rostrocaudal wave. Intraneuronal presence of non-specific cholinesterase activity in sensory ganglia during development and in adult animals gives a new possibilities for explanation of the functional involvement of this enzyme in the nervous system.