Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Gabapentin after Oral and Subcutaneous Administration in Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).

In veterinary and human medicine, gabapentin (a chemical analog of γ-aminobutyric acid) is commonly prescribed to treat postoperative and chronic neuropathic pain. This study explored the pharmacokinetics of oral and subcutaneous administration of gabapentin at high (80 mg/kg) and low (30 mg/kg) doses as a potential analgesic in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus; n = 24). The doses (30 and 80 mg/kg) and half maximal effective concentration (1.4 to 16.7 ng/mL) for this study were extrapolated from pharmacokinetic efficacy studies in rats, rabbits, and cats. Gabapentin in plasma was measured by using an immunoassay, and data were evaluated using noncompartmental analysis. The peak plasma concentrations (mean ±1 SD) were 42.6 ±14.8 and 115.5 ±15.2 ng/mL, respectively, after 30 and 80 mg/kg SC and 14.5 ±3.5 and 20.7 ±6.1 ng/mL after the low and high oral dosages, respectively. All peak plasma concentrations of gabapentin occurred within 5 h of administration. Disappearance half-lives for the low and high oral doses were 7.4 ± 6.0 h and 5.0 ± 0.8 h, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate that oral administration of gabapentin at low (30 mg/kg) doses likely would achieve and maintain plasma concentrations at half maximum effective concentration for 12 h, making it a viable option for an every 12-h treatment.

Sterile field contamination from powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) versus contamination from surgical masks.

BACKGROUND: Currently, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) are not recommended for usage in close proximity to sterile fields owing to concerns that exhaled, unfiltered air potentially may cause contamination; however, this has not been confirmed by experimental study. METHODS: After establishing background levels of airborne contamination, our team placed settling plates in a sterile field and collected contamination from participants who were performing particulate-generating actions. Participants performed the actions while wearing various forms of respiratory protection, including: (1) a full facepiece PAPR, (2) a full facepiece PAPR with a shoulder-length hood, (3) a surgical mask, and (4) no facial covering (as a positive control to determine contamination-reduction effectiveness). Specimens were collected at the end of a 10-minute sampling time frame. After incubation at 36.5˚C for 72 hours, we tabulated colony forming units as a marker of contamination. RESULTS: Surgical masks and the 2 PAPR configurations all drastically reduced aerosolized droplet contamination. Surgical masks reduced contamination by 98.48%, and both PAPRs reduced contamination by 100% (compared with the usage of no facial covering). There was no statistical difference between their effectiveness (surgical mask vs both PAPRs, P value = .588 and no hood PAPR vs hood PAPR, P value >.999). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, the tested PAPR configurations are effective at reducing aerosolized droplet contamination into a sterile field, and further testing is warranted to assess other PAPR configurations as well as PAPR suitability in an operating room.

Development of an Occupational Risk Assessment Tool for Laboratory Animal Facilities.

Introduction: Laboratory animal facilities aim to provide excellence in animal care and welfare and support scientific research. Critical to these goals is to ensure a safe work environment for personnel comprising veterinary and animal care, laboratory research, and maintenance staff. Objective: Thus, performing occupational risk assessments allows for evaluation of risks from identified hazards associated with a variety of tasks ongoing in laboratory animal facilities. Methods: Herein, we present the development of an occupational risk assessment tool purposed to capture the dynamics of work performed in laboratory animal facilities, calculate and prioritize identified risks associated with procedures and processes, and inform and evaluate risk mitigations. Results: We also discuss a risk assessment for refining sharps use in nonhuman primate husbandry and care to demonstrate the utility of this tool to improve occupational safety in our animal facility. Conclusion: This tool and framework evolve into a holistic occupational risk management system that identifies, evaluates, and mitigates occupational risks; determines risk acceptability; consistently ensures communication and consultation with frontline personnel, stakeholders, senior leadership, and subject matter experts in biosafety, science, and animal care and welfare; and continuously strives to improve and enhance the operations of laboratory animal facilities.

Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Meloxicam and Sustained-release Buprenorphine in Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).

In this study, we evaluated the pharmacokinetic profiles of meloxicam and sustained-release (SR) buprenorphine in prairie dogs. The 4 treatment groups were: low-dose meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg SC), high-dose meloxicam (4 mg/kg SC), low-dose buprenorphine SR (0.9 mg/kg SC), and high-dose buprenorphine SR (1.2 mg/kg SC). The highest plasma concentrations occurred within 4 h of administration for both meloxicam treatment groups. The therapeutic range of meloxicam in prairie dogs is currently unknown. However, as compared with the therapeutic range documented in other species (0.39 - 0.91 µg/mL), the mean plasma concentration of meloxicam fell below the minimal therapeutic range prior to 24 h in the low-dose group but remained above therapeutic levels for more than 72 h in the high-dose group. These findings suggest that the current meloxicam dosing guidelines may be subtherapeutic for prairie dogs. The highest mean plasma concentration for buprenorphine SR occurred at the 24-h time point (0.0098 µg/mL) in the low-dose group and at the 8-h time point (0.015 µg/mL) for the high-dose group. Both dosages of buprenorphine SR maintained likely plasma therapeutic levels (0.001 µg/mL, based on previous rodent studies) beyond 72 h. Given the small scale of the study and sample size, statistical analysis was not performed. The only adverse reactions in this study were mild erythematous reactions at injection sites for buprenorphine SR.

Assessment of Domestic Goats as Models for Experimental and Natural Infection with the North American Isolate of Rickettsia slovaca.

Rickettsia slovaca is a tick-borne human pathogen that is associated with scalp eschars and neck lymphadenopathy known as tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA) or Dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy (DEBONEL). Originally, R. slovaca was described in Eastern Europe, but since recognition of its pathogenicity, human cases have been reported throughout Europe. European vertebrate reservoirs of R. slovaca remain unknown, but feral swine and domestic goats have been found infected or seropositive for this pathogen. Recently, a rickettsial pathogen identical to R. slovaca was identified in, and isolated from, the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. In previous experimental studies, this organism was found infectious to guinea pigs and transovarially transmissible in ticks. In this study, domestic goats (Capra hircus) were experimentally inoculated with the North American isolate of this R. slovaca-like agent to assess their reservoir competence-the ability to acquire the pathogens and maintain transmission between infected and uninfected ticks. Goats were susceptible to infection as demonstrated by detection of the pathogen in skin biopsies and multiple internal tissues, but the only clinical sign of illness was transient fever noted in three out of four goats, and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. On average, less than 5% of uninfected ticks acquired the pathogen while feeding upon infected goats. Although domestic goats are susceptible to the newly described North American isolate of R. slovaca, they are likely to play a minor role in the natural transmission cycle of this pathogen. Our results suggest that goats do not propagate the North American isolate of R. slovaca in peridomestic environments and clinical diagnosis of infection could be difficult due to the brevity and mildness of clinical signs. Further research is needed to elucidate the natural transmission cycle of R. slovaca both in Europe and North America, as well as to identify a more suitable laboratory model.

Natural infection of Burkholderia pseudomallei in an imported pigtail macaque (Macaca nemestrina) and management of the exposed colony.

Identification of the select agent Burkholderia pseudomallei in macaques imported into the United States is rare. A purpose-bred, 4.5-y-old pigtail macaque (Macaca nemestrina) imported from Southeast Asia was received from a commercial vendor at our facility in March 2012. After the initial acclimation period of 5 to 7 d, physical examination of the macaque revealed a subcutaneous abscess that surrounded the right stifle joint. The wound was treated and resolved over 3 mo. In August 2012, 2 mo after the stifle joint wound resolved, the macaque exhibited neurologic clinical signs. Postmortem microbiologic analysis revealed that the macaque was infected with B. pseudomallei. This case report describes the clinical evaluation of a B. pseudomallei-infected macaque, management and care of the potentially exposed colony of animals, and protocols established for the animal care staff that worked with the infected macaque and potentially exposed colony. This article also provides relevant information on addressing matters related to regulatory issues and risk management of potentially exposed animals and animal care staff.