Post-operative outcomes of surgical and chemical castration with zinc gluconate in dogs presenting to veterinary field clinics.

The objective of this study was to characterize post-operative outcomes of chemical castration as compared to surgical castration performed by existing municipal field clinics. Fifty-four healthy adult male dogs underwent chemical castration with zinc gluconate solution and 55 healthy adult male dogs underwent surgical castration in veterinary field clinics. Dogs in each group were evaluated for swelling, inflammation, and ulceration (chemical castration) or dehiscence (surgical castration) at Days 3, 7, and 14 following castration. More surgically castrated dogs required medical intervention than chemically castrated dogs (P=0.0328); the number of dogs requiring surgical repair within each group did not differ (P=0.3421). Seven chemically castrated dogs and 22 surgically castrated dogs experienced swelling, inflammation, and/or ulceration; all were managed medically. Two chemically castrated dogs experienced scrotal ulceration requiring surgical castration at Days 3 and 7. One surgically castrated dog experienced partial incisional dehiscence requiring surgical repair at Day 3. Our results suggest that chemical castration of dogs in field clinics is a feasible alternative to surgical castration, but proper follow-up care should be ensured for at least 7days post-procedurally.

Ovarian 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11ßHSD) activity is suppressed in women with anovulatory polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): apparent role for ovarian androgens.

CONTEXT: Altered hepatic cortisol-cortisone metabolism by type 1 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11ßHSD1) has previously been linked with polycystic ovary (PCO) syndrome (PCOS). OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to establish whether ovarian 11ßHSD activities are also altered in PCOS and to determine whether any changes in ovarian cortisol metabolism might reflect exposure to elevated concentrations of insulin or androgens. DESIGN: Cortisol and cortisone concentrations were measured in follicular fluid aspirated from size-matched follicles dissected from normal, ovulatory, and anovulatory PCOs. Human granulosa-lutein cells, recovered during oocyte retrieval for assisted conception, were maintained in primary culture for 4 days, after which 11ßHSD1 activities were measured as the net oxidation of [(3)H]cortisol (100 nmol/L) in the absence and presence of insulin (100 nmol/L) with or without metformin (1 µmol/L) or a range of androgens/oxy-androgen metabolites (0.01-10 µmol/L). RESULTS: Intrafollicular cortisol to cortisone ratios were elevated in anovulatory PCOs (2.1 ± 0.4, P < .05, n = 13) but did not differ between follicles from ovulatory PCOs (1.6 ± 0.1, n = 24) and normal ovaries (1.2 ± 0.1, n = 14). 11ßHSD1 activities were lower in granulosa-lutein cells recovered from patients with PCOS compared with all other causes of infertility (median = 5.8 vs 14.9 pmol cortisone/4 h, respectively; P < .05). Cortisol oxidation was unaffected by insulin with or without metformin, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenedione, but was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by testosterone, 11ß-hydroxyandrostenedione, and 7α- and 7ß-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: There is decreased inactivation of cortisol in follicles from anovulatory PCOS. This may reflect inhibition of 11ßHSD1 by androgens and their 7/11-oxy-metabolites, local concentrations of which are increased in PCOS, and may contribute to the block to folliculogenesis seen in PCOS.

Cross-reactivity of 12 recombinant insulin preparations in the Beckman Unicel DxI 800 insulin assay.

BACKGROUND: Insulin analogues used in the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes may result in hypoglycaemia; however, these preparations show variable cross-reactivity in many insulin assays. In order to investigate a suspected insulin overdose, it is therefore essential to characterize the cross-reactivity of these preparations in insulin assays. METHODS: The cross-reactivity of 12 commercial insulin preparations was assessed on the Beckman DxI analyser, by comparison with the insulin calibration curve corresponding to the midpoint of the dose-response curve. This was achieved by manually plotting the relative light units generated by the analyser for each preparation. RESULTS: All 12 insulin preparations examined showed significant cross-reactivity with the Beckman DxI insulin assay, with 11 of the insulin preparations demonstrating cross-reactivity of 83% or greater. The lowest cross-reactivity was observed with detemir with a value of 47.6%. CONCLUSION: When investigating hypoglycaemia it is important to be aware of the cross-reactivity of the recombinant insulin analogues in insulin assays. This study has established the cross-reactivity of 12 preparations in the Beckman DxI insulin assay.

Effect of hemolysis on insulin determination by the Beckman Coulter Unicell DXI 800 immunoassay analyzer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of hemolysis on the measurement of insulin using the Beckman Coulter Unicell DXI 800 immunoassay analyzer. DESIGN AND METHODS: Insulin concentrations were measured using the Beckman Coulter Unicell DXI 800. Interference studies were conducted by mixing plasma of known insulin concentrations with hemolysates of increasing hemoglobin concentration. Hemolysates were prepared by osmotic shock. A change of >10% from baseline results was taken as evidence of significant interference. RESULTS: Hemolysates mediated a concentration-dependent reduction in insulin concentration. CONCLUSIONS: A concentration-dependent negative bias in the measurement of insulin is associated with increasing degrees of hemolysis on the Beckman Coulter Unicell DXI 800.

Obstructive sleep apnea associated with cerebral hypoxemia and death.

An increase in the arousal threshold may predispose critically ill patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to prolonged apneas and death during sleep. We report two cases in whom polysomnographically documented OSA resulted in EEG changes compatible with cerebral hypoxemia with subsequent respective transient encephalopathy in one instance and death in the other.

Measurement of attitudes toward obese people among a Canadian sample of men and women.

A new scale for examining attitudes toward obese people had 44 items selected from previously published scales designed to indicate attitudes toward obese people. Reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach coefficient alpha of .92 for the total sample. A factor analysis yielded four factors. Employing the Body Mass Index as an indicator of obesity, the attitudes of 239 men and women were examined. Women were significantly more positive than men in their attitude toward obese people. When examining Body Mass Index as a factor, comparisons of obese and nonobese women indicated obese women were more positive on the Diet and Exercise factor of the scale. Suggestions for improvement and research are offered.