Clinical Predictors of Severe Exacerbations in Pediatric Patients With Recurrent Wheezing.

Introduction Wheezing is common in preschool-aged children, affecting about half of all children within their first six years of life. Children who have recurrent wheezing experience disease-related morbidity, including increased emergency visits and hospitalizations. Early-life lower respiratory tract viral infections are linked to recurrent wheezing and eventual asthma onset. Identifying high-risk children is crucial, with the frequency and severity of wheezing episodes being good predictors of long-term outcomes. Aim To identify predictors of severe exacerbations in children with recurrent wheezing. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 168 pediatric patients with recurrent wheezing followed up at our outpatient clinic. The outcome of interest was the occurrence of a severe exacerbation, defined as any exacerbation requiring hospitalization and the need for supplemental oxygenation or ventilatory support. Results The median age of the first wheezing exacerbation was five months, with a predominance of the male gender. Approximately two-thirds of the patients had a family history of atopy. Comorbid allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis were present in 15.4% and 16.7% of patients, respectively. Twenty percent of patients had a severe wheezing exacerbation as the first form of presentation, and 30% presented at least one severe exacerbation from the first presentation to the last follow-up. Patients with severe exacerbations were younger at the first episode (median age 4 months, IQR 2-7, versus 7 months, IQR 4-12, p=0.027) and more frequently had a family history of atopy (71.7% versus 55.6%, p=0.050). In this cohort, patients who initially presented with a severe episode are at increased risk of incident severe exacerbations during follow-up, HR 2.24 (95%CI 1.01-4.95). Conclusions We know that the severity of exacerbations in children with recurrent wheezing correlates with the long-term outcomes of the disease. Therefore, preventing severe exacerbations can positively impact the prognosis of these patients. In this analysis, we found independent predictors of severe exacerbations to be the first clinical episode before the age of three months and a family history of atopy. We also found that patients whose initial presentation was severe have a higher risk of new severe exacerbations. Therefore, these subgroups of patients should be closely monitored by pediatricians.

Minimum conditions for accurate modeling of urea production via co-electrolysis.

Co-electrolysis of carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides promise to simultaneously help restore the balance of the C and N cycles while producing valuable chemicals such as urea. However, co-electrolysis processes are still largely inefficient and numerous knowledge voids persist. Here, we provide a solid thermodynamic basis for modelling urea production via co-electrolysis. First, we determine the energetics of aqueous urea produced under electrochemical conditions based on experimental data, which enables an accurate assessment of equilibrium potentials and overpotentials. Next, we use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to model various co-electrolysis reactions producing urea. The calculated reaction free energies deviate significantly from experimental values for well-known GGA, meta-GGA and hybrid functionals. These deviations stem from errors in the DFT-calculated energies of molecular reactants and products. In particular, the error for urea is approximately -0.25 ± 0.10 eV. Finally, we show that all these errors introduce large inconsistencies in the calculated free-energy diagrams of urea production via co-electrolysis, such that gas-phase corrections are strongly advised.

Carbon dioxide and nitrate co-electroreduction to urea on CuOxZnOy.

Urea is a commonly used nitrogen fertiliser synthesised from ammonia and carbon dioxide using thermal catalysis. This process results in high carbon dioxide emissions associated with the required amounts of ammonia. Electrocatalysis provides an alternative method to urea production with reduced carbon emissions while utilising waste products like nitrate. This manuscript reports on urea synthesis from the electroreduction of nitrate and carbon dioxide using CuOxZnOy electrodes under mild conditions. Catalysts with different ratios of CuO and ZnO, synthesised via flame spray pyrolysis, were explored for the reaction. The results revealed that all the CuOxZnOy electrocatalyst compositions produce urea, but the efficiency strongly depends on the metal ratio composition of the catalysts. The CuO50ZnO50 composition had the best performance in terms of selectivity (41% at -0.8 V vs RHE) and activity (0.27 mA/cm2 at -0.8 V vs RHE) towards urea production. Thus, this material is one of the most efficient electrocatalysts for urea production reported so far. This study systematically evaluates bimetallic catalysts with varying compositions for urea synthesis from carbon dioxide and nitrate.

Formate Over-Oxidation Limits Industrialization of Glycerol Oxidation Paired with Carbon Dioxide Reduction to Formate.

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction processes are generally coupled with the oxidation of water. Process economics can greatly improve by replacing the water oxidation with a more valuable oxidation reaction, a process called paired electrolysis. Here we report the feasibility of pairing CO2 reduction with the oxidation of glycerol on Ni3 S2 /NF anodes to produce formate at both anode and cathode. Initially we optimized the oxidation of glycerol to maximize the Faraday efficiency to formate by using design of experiments. In flow cell electrolysis, excellent selectivity (up to 90 % Faraday efficiency) was achieved at high current density (150 mA/cm2 of geometric surface area). Then we successfully paired the reduction of CO2 with the oxidation of glycerol. A prerequisite for industrial application is to obtain reaction mixtures with a high concentration of formate to enable efficient downstream separation. We show that the anodic process is limited in formate concentration, as Faraday efficiency to formate greatly decreases when operating at 2.5 M formate (∼10 w%) in the reaction mixture due to over-oxidation of formate. We identify this as a major bottleneck for the industrial feasibility of this paired electrolysis process.

Near-Unity Electrochemical CO2 to CO Conversion over Sn-Doped Copper Oxide Nanoparticles.

Bimetallic electrocatalysts have emerged as a viable strategy to tune the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) for the selective production of valuable base chemicals and fuels. However, obtaining high product selectivity and catalyst stability remain challenging, which hinders the practical application of eCO2RR. In this work, it was found that a small doping concentration of tin (Sn) in copper oxide (CuO) has profound influence on the catalytic performance, boosting the Faradaic efficiency (FE) up to 98% for carbon monoxide (CO) at -0.75 V versus RHE, with prolonged stable performance (FE > 90%) for up to 15 h. Through a combination of ex situ and in situ characterization techniques, the in situ activation and reaction mechanism of the electrocatalyst at work was elucidated. In situ Raman spectroscopy measurements revealed that the binding energy of the crucial adsorbed *CO intermediate was lowered through Sn doping, thereby favoring gaseous CO desorption. This observation was confirmed by density functional theory, which further indicated that hydrogen adsorption and subsequent hydrogen evolution were hampered on the Sn-doped electrocatalysts, resulting in boosted CO formation. It was found that the pristine electrocatalysts consisted of CuO nanoparticles decorated with SnO2 domains, as characterized by ex situ high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. These pristine nanoparticles were subsequently in situ converted into a catalytically active bimetallic Sn-doped Cu phase. Our work sheds light on the intimate relationship between the bimetallic structure and catalytic behavior, resulting in stable and selective oxide-derived Sn-doped Cu electrocatalysts.

Trophic factor BDNF inhibits GABAergic signaling by facilitating dendritic enrichment of SUMO E3 ligase PIAS3 and altering gephyrin scaffold.

Posttranslational addition of a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) moiety (SUMOylation) has been implicated in pathologies such as brain ischemia, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and neurodegeneration. However, nuclear enrichment of SUMO pathway proteins has made it difficult to ascertain how ion channels, proteins that are typically localized to and function at the plasma membrane, and mitochondria are SUMOylated. Here, we report that the trophic factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates SUMO proteins both spatially and temporally in neurons. We show that BDNF signaling via the receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B facilitates nuclear exodus of SUMO proteins and subsequent enrichment within dendrites. Of the various SUMO E3 ligases, we found that PIAS-3 dendrite enrichment in response to BDNF signaling specifically modulates subsequent ERK1/2 kinase pathway signaling. In addition, we found the PIAS-3 RING and Ser/Thr domains, albeit in opposing manners, functionally inhibit GABA-mediated inhibition. Finally, using oxygen-glucose deprivation as an in vitro model for ischemia, we show that BDNF-tropomyosin-related kinase B signaling negatively impairs clustering of the main scaffolding protein at GABAergic postsynapse, gephyrin, whereby reducing GABAergic neurotransmission postischemia. SUMOylation-defective gephyrin K148R/K724R mutant transgene expression reversed these ischemia-induced changes in gephyrin cluster density. Taken together, these data suggest that BDNF signaling facilitates the temporal relocation of nuclear-enriched SUMO proteins to dendrites to influence postsynaptic protein SUMOylation.

A genetically encoded sensor for in vivo imaging of orexin neuropeptides.

Orexins (also called hypocretins) are hypothalamic neuropeptides that carry out essential functions in the central nervous system; however, little is known about their release and range of action in vivo owing to the limited resolution of current detection technologies. Here we developed a genetically encoded orexin sensor (OxLight1) based on the engineering of circularly permutated green fluorescent protein into the human type-2 orexin receptor. In mice OxLight1 detects optogenetically evoked release of endogenous orexins in vivo with high sensitivity. Photometry recordings of OxLight1 in mice show rapid orexin release associated with spontaneous running behavior, acute stress and sleep-to-wake transitions in different brain areas. Moreover, two-photon imaging of OxLight1 reveals orexin release in layer 2/3 of the mouse somatosensory cortex during emergence from anesthesia. Thus, OxLight1 enables sensitive and direct optical detection of orexin neuropeptides with high spatiotemporal resolution in living animals.

Waste-Derived Copper-Lead Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction.

It remains a real challenge to control the selectivity of the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (eCO2R) reaction to valuable chemicals and fuels. Most of the electrocatalysts are made of non-renewable metal resources, which hampers their large-scale implementation. Here, we report the preparation of bimetallic copper-lead (CuPb) electrocatalysts from industrial metallurgical waste. The metal ions were extracted from the metallurgical waste through simple chemical treatment with ammonium chloride, and CuxPby electrocatalysts with tunable compositions were fabricated through electrodeposition at varying cathodic potentials. X-ray spectroscopy techniques showed that the pristine electrocatalysts consist of Cu0, Cu1+ and Pb2+ domains, and no evidence for alloy formation was found. We found a volcano-shape relationship between eCO2R selectivity toward two electron products, such as CO, and the elemental ratio of Cu and Pb. A maximum Faradaic efficiency towards CO was found for Cu9.00Pb1.00, which was four times higher than that of pure Cu, under the same electrocatalytic conditions. In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that the optimal amount of Pb effectively improved the reducibility of the pristine Cu1+ and Pb2+ domains to metallic Cu and Pb, which boosted the selectivity towards CO by synergistic effects. This work provides a framework of thinking to design and tune the selectivity of bimetallic electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction through valorization of metallurgical waste.

Convergence of adenosine and GABA signaling for synapse stabilization during development.

During development, neural circuit formation requires the stabilization of active γ-aminobutyric acid­mediated (GABAergic) synapses and the elimination of inactive ones. Here, we demonstrate that, although the activation of postsynaptic GABA type A receptors (GABAARs) and adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) stabilizes GABAergic synapses, only A2AR activation is sufficient. Both GABAAR- and A2AR-dependent signaling pathways act synergistically to produce adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate through the recruitment of the calcium­calmodulin­adenylyl cyclase pathway. Protein kinase A, thus activated, phosphorylates gephyrin on serine residue 303, which is required for GABAAR stabilization. Finally, the stabilization of pre- and postsynaptic GABAergic elements involves the interaction between gephyrin and the synaptogenic membrane protein Slitrk3. We propose that A2ARs act as detectors of active GABAergic synapses releasing GABA, adenosine triphosphate, and adenosine to regulate their fate toward stabilization or elimination.

The (pro)renin receptor (ATP6ap2) facilitates receptor-mediated endocytosis and lysosomal function in the renal proximal tubule.

The ATP6ap2 (Pro)renin receptor protein associates with H+-ATPases which regulate organellar, cellular, and systemic acid-base homeostasis. In the kidney, ATP6ap2 colocalizes with H+-ATPases in various cell types including the cells of the proximal tubule. There, H+-ATPases are involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis of low molecular weight proteins via the megalin/cubilin receptors. To study ATP6ap2 function in the proximal tubule, we used an inducible shRNA Atp6ap2 knockdown rat model (Kd) and an inducible kidney-specific Atp6ap2 knockout mouse model. Both animal lines showed higher proteinuria with elevated albumin, vitamin D binding protein, and procathepsin B in urine. Endocytosis of an injected fluid-phase marker (FITC- dextran, 10 kDa) was normal whereas processing of recombinant transferrin, a marker for receptor-mediated endocytosis, to lysosomes was delayed. While megalin and cubilin expression was unchanged, abundance of several subunits of the H+-ATPase involved in receptor-mediated endocytosis was reduced. Lysosomal integrity and H+-ATPase function are associated with mTOR signaling. In ATP6ap2, KO mice mTOR and phospho-mTOR appeared normal but increased abundance of the LC3-B subunit of the autophagosome was observed suggesting a more generalized impairment of lysosomal function in the absence of ATP6ap2. Hence, our data suggests a role for ATP6ap2 for proximal tubule function in the kidney with a defect in receptor-mediated endocytosis in mice and rats.

Stabilization effects in binary colloidal Cu and Ag nanoparticle electrodes under electrochemical CO2 reduction conditions.

Nanoparticle modified electrodes constitute an attractive way to tailor-make efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction catalysts. However, the restructuring and sintering processes of nanoparticles under electrochemical reaction conditions not only impedes the widespread application of nanoparticle catalysts, but also misleads the interpretation of the selectivity of the nanocatalysts. Here, we colloidally synthesized metallic copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (<10%) and utilized them in electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions. Monometallic Cu and Ag nanoparticle electrodes showed severe nanoparticle sintering already at low overpotential of -0.8 V vs. RHE, as evidenced by ex situ SEM investigations, and potential-dependent variations in product selectivity that resemble bulk Cu (14% for ethylene at -1.3 V vs. RHE) and Ag (69% for carbon monoxide at -1.0 V vs. RHE). However, by co-deposition of Cu and Ag nanoparticles, a nanoparticle stabilization effect was observed between Cu and Ag, and the sintering process was greatly suppressed at CO2 reducing potentials (-0.8 V vs. RHE). Furthermore, by varying the Cu/Ag nanoparticle ratio, the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) selectivity towards methane (maximum of 20.6% for dense Cu2.5-Ag1 electrodes) and C2 products (maximum of 15.7% for dense Cu1-Ag1 electrodes) can be tuned, which is attributed to a synergistic effect between neighbouring Ag and Cu nanoparticles. We attribute the stabilization of the nanoparticles to the positive enthalpies of Cu-Ag solid solutions, which prevents the dissolution-redeposition induced particle growth under CO2RR conditions. The observed nanoparticle stabilization effect enables the design and fabrication of active CO2 reduction nanocatalysts with high durability.

Electrocatalytic synthesis of organic carbonates.

Organic carbonates are considered environmentally benign alternatives for various fossil-derived compounds used in the chemical industry. Replacing current costly and toxic production methods by greener alternatives offers opportunities to cover the increasing demand for these intermediates in a more sustainable manner. In this feature article, the prospect of electrochemical synthesis of organic carbonates is presented as an approach to use carbon dioxide and green electricity to arrive at such compounds. We explore the strengths and limitations of the different methods by looking into the electrode and electrolyte composition effects and operating conditions with a focus on the synthesis of dimethylcarbonate from methanol and either carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. The proposed mechanisms are discussed in an effort to understand the underlying steps and their challenges. This review concludes with a perspective on the broader developments needed to turn the basic chemistry into a practical application.

Thymus Inception: Molecular Network in the Early Stages of Thymus Organogenesis.

The thymus generates central immune tolerance by producing self-restricted and self-tolerant T-cells as a result of interactions between the developing thymocytes and the stromal microenvironment, mainly formed by the thymic epithelial cells. The thymic epithelium derives from the endoderm of the pharyngeal pouches, embryonic structures that rely on environmental cues from the surrounding mesenchyme for its development. Here, we review the most recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in early thymic organogenesis at stages preceding the expression of the transcription factor Foxn1, the early marker of thymic epithelial cells identity. Foxn1-independent developmental stages, such as the specification of the pharyngeal endoderm, patterning of the pouches, and thymus fate commitment are discussed, with a special focus on epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.

Isolation of Embryonic Tissues and Formation of Quail-Chicken Chimeric Organs Using The Thymus Example.

The capacity to isolate embryonic tissues was an essential step for establishing the quail-chicken chimera system, which in turn has provided undisputed contributions to unveiling key processes in developmental biology. Herein is described an optimized method to isolate embryonic tissues from quail and chickens by microsurgery and enzymatic digestion while preserving its biological properties. After isolation, tissues from both species are associated in an in vitro organotypic assay for 48 h. Quail and chicken tissues can be discriminated by distinct nuclear features and molecular markers allowing the study of the cellular cross-talk between heterospecific association of tissues. This approach is, therefore, a useful tool for studying complex tissue interactions in developmental processes with highly dynamic spatial modifications, such as those occurring during pharyngeal morphogenesis and the formation of the foregut endoderm-derived organs. This experimental approach was first developed to study the epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during early-stages of thymus formation. In this, the endoderm-derived prospective thymic rudiment and mesoderm-derived mesenchyme, were isolated from quail and chicken embryos, respectively. The capacity of the associated tissues to generate organs can be further tested by grafting them onto the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of a chicken embryo. The CAM provides nutrients and allows gas exchanges to the explanted tissues. After 10 days of in ovo development, the chimeric organs can be analyzed in the harvested explants by conventional morphological methods. This procedure also allows studying tissue-specific contributions during organ formation, from its initial development (in vitro development) to the final stages of organogenesis (in ovo development). Finally, the improved isolation method also provides three-dimensionally (3D) preserved embryonic tissues, that can also be used for high-resolution topographical analysis of tissue-specific gene-expression patterns.

Influence of Biological Therapeutics, Cytokines, and Disease Activity on Depression in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

PURPOSE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an often debilitating autoinflammatory disease. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are often troubled by co-occurring depression or other psychological manifestations. RA patients have a variety of treatment options available, including biologicals that inhibit cytokines or immune cells. If these cytokines influence the psychological symptoms, then the use of cytokine inhibitors should modulate these symptoms. METHODS: A cohort of 209 individuals was recruited. This group included 82 RA patients, 22 healthy subjects, 32 depressed control subjects, and 73 subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus. Of the RA patients, 51% were on a biological therapeutic. ELISA was used to measure cytokine levels. A variety of psychological assessments were used to evaluate depression, anxiety, sleep, fatigue, and relationship status. Clinical values were obtained from medical records. RESULTS: IL-10 concentration was associated with depressive symptoms in the RA patients, healthy controls, and the lupus patients. In the patients with primary depression, depressive symptoms were associated with IL-6 and TNF-alpha. In RA patients, Tocilizumab use was associated with decreased depressive symptoms. 14 RA patients who were not using biologicals began using them by a one-month follow-up. In these patients, there was no significant change to any value except for fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of both biological and social factors influences depressive symptoms in RA. IL-10 and IL-6 are likely to be involved, since IL-10 concentration was associated with depression and Tocilizumab decreased depressive symptoms in the RA patients. The roles of these cytokines are different in RA and lupus, as high IL-10 in RA is associated with increased depressive symptoms, but high IL-10 in the lupus patients is associated with decreased depression. IL-6 was also associated with depressive symptoms in the patients with primary depression. These results strongly indicate that disease activity, including cytokine levels, has a strong impact on depressive symptoms.

Depression and anxiety in systemic lupus erythematosus: The crosstalk between immunological, clinical, and psychosocial factors.

Depression and anxiety cause severe loss of quality of life for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The causes and factors that contribute to these psychological manifestations in lupus are difficult to disentangle. This study compared clinical, psychological, and demographic factors between lupus patients, depressed patients, and rheumatoid arthritis patients to discover lupus-specific contributors to depression. Lupus-specific manifestations of depression were also investigated.Physiological, clinical, and psychosocial data were collected from 77 patients. ELISA was used to measure cytokine levels. Univariate and Multivariate analyses were used to compare the patient populations and identify correlations between key physical and psychological indicators.The prevalence of depression in the SLE cohort was 6 times greater than the healthy control subjects. Pain, IL-6, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index values were all significantly higher in SLE patients compared with the healthy control group (P < .001, P = .038, and P = .005, respectively). Anxiety levels were significantly higher in SLE patients compared to healthy and RA control patients (P = .020 and .011, respectively). Serum IL-10 concentrations, relationship assessment scale, and fatigue severity scale values were found to be correlated with depression among the SLE patients (P = .036, P = .007, and P = .001, respectively). Relationship assessment and fatigue severity scale scores were found to be the best indicators of depression for the SLE patients (P = .042 and .028, respectively).Fatigue Severity, relationship satisfaction, and IL-10 concentrations are indicators of depression in lupus patients. Despite also suffering from the pain and disability that accompanies chronic autoimmune disease, the rheumatoid arthritis patients had less anxiety and better relationship scores.

Two-step Approach to Explore Early- and Late-stages of Organ Formation in the Avian Model: The Thymus and Parathyroid Glands Organogenesis Paradigm.

The avian embryo, as an experimental model, has been of utmost importance for seminal discoveries in developmental biology. Among several approaches, the formation of quail-chicken chimeras and the use of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) to sustain the development of ectopic tissues date back to the last century. Nowadays, the combination of these classical techniques with recent in vitro methodologies offers novel prospects to further explore organ formation. Here we describe a two-step approach to study early- and late-stages of organogenesis. Briefly, the embryonic region containing the presumptive territory of the organ is isolated from quail embryos and grown in vitro in an organotypic system (up to 48 h). Cultured tissues are subsequently grafted onto the CAM of a chicken embryo. After 10 days of in ovo development, fully formed organs are obtained from grafted tissues. This method also allows the modulation of signaling pathways by the regular administration of pharmacological agents and tissue genetic manipulation throughout in vitro and in ovo developmental steps. Additionally, developing tissues can be collected at any time-window to analyze their gene-expression profile (using quantitative PCR (qPCR), microarrays, etc.) and morphology (assessed with conventional histology and immunochemistry). The described experimental procedure can be used as a tool to follow organ formation outside the avian embryo, from the early stages of organogenesis to fully formed and functional organs.

Acute phase proteins and antioxidant responses in queens with pyometra.

Acute phase proteins (APP) and biomarkers of oxidative status have proved to be clinically useful biomarkers of pyometra in different species. Despite pyometra is considered one of the most important feline reproductive diseases, information about the APP response and the oxidative status in queens with pyometra is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the APP and the antioxidant responses at diagnosis and in the post-operative period in feline pyometra. Serum concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), albumin, total serum thiols (Thiol) and total antioxidant capacity determined by different assays, including trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assessed by two different methodologies (TEAC1 and TEAC2), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), were determined in 23 queens with pyometra at diagnosis and in 13 healthy control queens submitted to elective ovariohysterectomy. The APP and antioxidants were also evaluated in 11 queens of the pyometra group at days two and 10 after surgery. At diagnosis, queens with pyometra had serum concentrations of SAA, Hp, and FRAP significantly higher (P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively), and of albumin, Thiol, CUPRAC and TEAC2 significantly lower (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) than controls. Moreover, concentrations of APP and antioxidants were significantly different (with a tendency to return to physiologic levels) at day 10 after surgery than before surgery. Significant associations were found between APP and antioxidants. According to these results, an APP response and the development of oxidative stress were detected in queens with pyometra. In addition, APP and antioxidants tended to return to physiologic values after surgery in the queens that recovered from the disease. Therefore, our results suggest that APP and selected antioxidants, such as Thiol and CUPRAC, could be potentially useful biomarkers in diagnosis and assessment of the post-operative period in feline pyometra.