Effect of cattle and horse feces storage methods on Nematode egg viability and sensitivity for egg hatch test.

The aim of the present study was to validate methods of stool sample conservation for the egg hatch test (EHT). This study involved the use of a bovine naturally infected predominantly by Cooperia spp. and one equine naturally infected predominantly by cyathostomins characterized as susceptible to benzimidazoles in the EHT. Fecal samples were submitted to three treatments: aerobic methods (anaerobic storage in plastic bottles, anaerobic storage in vacuum-sealed bags or aerobic storage in plastic bags), under two temperature conditions (room temperature and refrigeration) analyzed at four different assessment times (48, 72, 96 and 120 h). As the standard test, an assay was also performed within 3 h. The tests were performed in triplicate for each drug concentration and with three experimental repetitions at one-week intervals. Two criteria were used for the storage methods: hatchability in the negative control group and sensitivity of the eggs to thiabendazole, comparing the EC50 and 95% confidence interval for each treatment to those of the standard test and the other repetitions. Bovine samples can be stored for up to 96 h and refrigerated vacuum storage can be used, ensuring hatchability of the negative control and sensitivity of the eggs to thiabendazole. For equine samples, no forms of storage were indicated due to the variation among the repetitions and the reduction in the sensitivity of the eggs to thiabendazole, which could result in a false positive detection of resistance.

Utilization of machine learning for dengue case screening.

Dengue causes approximately 10.000 deaths and 100 million symptomatic infections annually worldwide, making it a significant public health concern. To address this, artificial intelligence tools like machine learning can play a crucial role in developing more effective strategies for control, diagnosis, and treatment. This study identifies relevant variables for the screening of dengue cases through machine learning models and evaluates the accuracy of the models. Data from reported dengue cases in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais for the years 2016 and 2019 were obtained through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (SINAN). The mutual information technique was used to assess which variables were most related to laboratory-confirmed dengue cases. Next, a random selection of 10,000 confirmed cases and 10,000 discarded cases was performed, and the dataset was divided into training (70%) and testing (30%). Machine learning models were then tested to classify the cases. It was found that the logistic regression model with 10 variables (gender, age, fever, myalgia, headache, vomiting, nausea, back pain, rash, retro-orbital pain) and the Decision Tree and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) models achieved the best results in decision metrics, with an accuracy of 98%. Therefore, a tree-based model would be suitable for building an application and implementing it on smartphones. This resource would be available to healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses.

Biomarkers of gastrointestinal nematodes in beef cattle raised in a tropical area.

Biomarkers are specific molecular, histological, or physiological characteristics of normal or pathogenic biological processes and are promising in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs). Although some biomarkers have been validated for infection by Ostertagia sp. in cattle raised in temperate regions, there is a lack of information for tropical regions. The aim of this project was to assess potential biomarkers and validate the most promising. In the first study, 36 bovines (Nelore breed) naturally infected by GINs were distributed into two groups: infected (not treated with anthelmintic) and treated (treated with fenbendazole on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, and 56). The variables of interest were live weight, fecal egg count, hemogram, serum biochemical markers, phosphorus, gastrin, and pepsinogen. In the second step, pepsinogen was assessed in cattle of the Nelore breed distributed among three groups: infected (not treated with anthelmintic), MOX (treated with moxidectin), and IVM + BZD (treated with ivermectin + albendazole). In the first study, no difference between groups was found for weight, albumin, hematocrit (corpuscular volume [CV]), erythrocytes, or hemoglobin. Negative correlations were found between pepsinogen and both CV and albumin, and albumin was negatively correlated with the percentage of Haemonchus sp. in the fecal culture. Among the biomarkers, only pepsinogen differentiated treated and infected (beginning with the 28th day of the study). In the second study, a reduction in pepsinogen was found after anthelmintic treatment. Therefore, pepsinogen is a promising biomarker of worms in cattle naturally infected by the genera Haemonchus and Cooperia in tropical areas.

Adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire model with fractal extension.

The description of neuronal activity has been of great importance in neuroscience. In this field, mathematical models are useful to describe the electrophysical behavior of neurons. One successful model used for this purpose is the Adaptive Exponential Integrate-and-Fire (Adex), which is composed of two ordinary differential equations. Usually, this model is considered in the standard formulation, i.e., with integer order derivatives. In this work, we propose and study the fractal extension of Adex model, which in simple terms corresponds to replacing the integer derivative by non-integer. As non-integer operators, we choose the fractal derivatives. We explore the effects of equal and different orders of fractal derivatives in the firing patterns and mean frequency of the neuron described by the Adex model. Previous results suggest that fractal derivatives can provide a more realistic representation due to the fact that the standard operators are generalized. Our findings show that the fractal order influences the inter-spike intervals and changes the mean firing frequency. In addition, the firing patterns depend not only on the neuronal parameters but also on the order of respective fractal operators. As our main conclusion, the fractal order below the unit value increases the influence of the adaptation mechanism in the spike firing patterns.

What is the optimal timing to initiate strategic control of Rhipicephalus microplus in taurine cattle in a tropical region?

Cattle tick control poses a significant challenge for livestock in tropical and subtropical regions. The objective of this study was to determine the most suitable timing to initiate a strategic tick control program and to identify the ideal number of acaricide treatments for adult taurine cattle (Bos taurus taurus) in a tropical region throughout the year. Three groups with 10 bovines each were performed: T01 (strategic treatment in late autumn/winter/late spring, every 28 days), T02 (strategic treatment to act in the "first tick generation" - early spring/summer/early autumn, every 28 days) and T03 (control). Tick counts (females 4-8 mm) were conducted every 14 days. If the tick burden in any group reached 30 or more during these counts, we applied an additional treatment. Over the course of a year, T02 required significantly fewer (p < 0.05) acaricide treatments than T01, with nine treatments for T02 and eleven for T01. Furthermore, during the tick counts, animals in T02 showed a lower tick burden compared to those in T01. Initiating the strategic tick control program in early spring, corresponding to the first tick generation, proved more effective than starting in autumn. This approach not only required fewer acaricide treatments but also resulted in a reduced tick burden. These benefits are particularly valuable in terms of animal welfare and managing acaricide resistance issues.

Effects of pasture management and supplementation on the productive performance of recently lambed ewes.

The hypothesis was tested that the performance of lactating ewes is affected by the supplementation level and pasture management. Two supplementation levels (0.5 and 1.0% of body weight, BW) and two pasture managements (mowed and non-mowed) were tested. Forty adult ewes (2 years old) with an average weight at lambing of 62.97 ± 7.0 kg (day 0) and an average the body condition score of 2.5 points (day 0) were evaluated. Verminosis was monitored with periodic deworming. The number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG) of ewes at lambing was used as a covariate for performance assessments. Ewes lost an average of 7.5 kg over the 90 days post-partum (12% BW). The weaning rate was 53%. The body condition of the ewes was influenced by the post-partum period. The ewes mobilized their body reserves in the first 30 days of lactation. Mowing management negatively affected the nutritive value of the forage. Supplementation with 0.5% BW was sufficient for nutritional management post-partum. Pasture management (mowed vs. not mowed) cannot prevent post-partum weight loss. Supplementation levels and pasture management altered the morphological and chemical components of the pasture.

Anaplasmosis outbreaks in taurine and zebu cattle in Brazil: causes, treatments, and Anaplasma marginale genetic diversity.

This study aimed to investigate seven outbreaks of A. marginale infection in two regions of Brazil, affecting taurine, zebu, and crossbred cattle. We assessed the possible causes, treatment measures, and genetic diversity of A. marginale. These outbreaks occurred in two states (Goiás: outbreaks 1-7; Mato Grosso do Sul: outbreak 3), breeds (Holstein, Nellore, and crossbreed), age groups (beef cattle: 18-25 days old and 7-8 months; dairy cattle: 18-25 days old, 13-14 months, and cow after the first birth) and rearing systems (feedlot, pasture, pen in a wood shaving bedding system and compost bedded-pack barns). Metaphylactic or prophylactic treatments varied according to outbreak (imidocarb dipropionate: outbreaks 1-4 and 6; enrofloxacin: outbreaks 5 and 7; diminazene diaceturate: outbreak 5). In outbreaks 6 and 7, the packed cell volume was monitored. In all outbreaks, the practice of needle/syringe sharing was discontinued. For outbreaks 1-3, clinical signs and mortality (range, 4.8-13.3%) occurred 36-45 days after entry into the feedlot. In outbreak 4, A. marginale was diagnosed in 66.2% of the calves (bacteremia, 0-4.5%), with a mortality of 8.6%. Among nursing calves aged 60 days during outbreak 5, 53.8% were infected with A. marginale, with average bacteremia of 2.7% (range, 0-21.3%), and a mortality of 13.8%. In dairy heifers aged 14 months, raised in paddocks lacking vegetation cover and infested with R. microplus, then transitioned to a rotational grazing system also infested with R. microplus, the A. marginale bacteremia ranged from 3.2 to 6.7%, with a mortality of 20%. Before monitoring during outbreak 7, the mortality was 17.9%, but no further deaths were observed after monitoring initiation. In conclusion, possible causes triggering the outbreaks included primary tick infestation, needle/syringe sharing, and stress factors which may have affected the immunological statues of animals in the feedlots. Control measures performed in all outbreaks were effective. The partial msp4 gene sequences of A. marginale generated herein belonged to two haplotypes, but further research would be needed to investigate if this finding has any clinical significance.

Characterizing the Molecular Architecture of Hydrogels and Crosslinked Polymer Networks beyond Flory-Rehner. II: Experiments.

We previously [Borges, F. T. P. Biomacromolecules 2020, 21(12), 5104-5118] introduced a novel methodology for the characterization of the dimensions and architecture of hydrogel networks that provides more detailed information than the classical Flory-Rehner theory [Canal, T.; Peppas, N. A. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 1989, 23, 1183-1193]. In this article, we illustrate our methodology by applying it to the phototerpolymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP), ethylene glycol methyl ether acrylate (EGA), and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). The experimental design includes 120 formulations using different fractions of the three monomers. Experimental measurements determined the mass swelling ratio and were coupled with theory to compute the internal dimensions of the network. Results demonstrate how the use of a macromeric crosslinker leads to unique network architectures not predicted by classical F-R theory, e.g., the figure shows that the mass between crosslinks predicted by F-R is actually distributed between branches and the backbone. The methodology presented offers a path toward optimizing/customizing hydrogel properties to suit the size and shape of the specific therapeutic targeted for drug delivery.

Synergism of macrocyclic lactones against Haemonchus contortus.

A possible synergistic effect of macrocyclic lactones' (MLs) combination has been previously described against resistant gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle. In addition to synergism, drug-drug interactions between MLs can also result in additive or antagonistic effect, considering the different MLs pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and interactions with molecular mechanisms of resistance. Therefore, the aim of the current work was evaluated the effect of different MLs combinations against Haemonchus contortus. Infecting larvae of two isolates (one susceptible and one resistant to ivermectin) were used in the larval migration inhibition test. After estimating the half maximal effective concentration of abamectin (ABA), eprinomectin, (EPR), ivermectin (IVM), and moxidectin (MOX) for both isolates, combinations were delineated by a simplex-centroid mixture experiment, and the mixture regression analysis was applied to the special cubic model. A synergistic effect was found for the EPR + MOX against the susceptible isolate as well as the EPR + MOX, IVM + MOX, and ABA + EPR + IVM against the resistant isolate. An antagonistic effect of ABA + IVM + MOX was found against the susceptible isolate. For the susceptible isolate, a higher inhibition was found with greater proportions of EPR and lower proportions of the other drugs compared to the reference mixture. For the resistant isolate, inhibition greater than that of the reference mixture was found with higher proportions of IVM as well as lower proportions of the other drugs. The synergistic and antagonistic effects were dependent on the following: (a) parasite drug resistance profile, (b) the composition of the combination, and (c) the proportions used, with EPR and IVM exerting a greater impact on these effects.

Analyzing bursting synchronization in structural connectivity matrix of a human brain under external pulsed currents.

Cognitive tasks in the human brain are performed by various cortical areas located in the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is separated into different areas in the right and left hemispheres. We consider one human cerebral cortex according to a network composed of coupled subnetworks with small-world properties. We study the burst synchronization and desynchronization in a human neuronal network under external periodic and random pulsed currents. With and without external perturbations, the emergence of bursting synchronization is observed. Synchronization can contribute to the processing of information, however, there are evidences that it can be related to some neurological disorders. Our results show that synchronous behavior can be suppressed by means of external pulsed currents.

Fractal and fractional SIS model for syphilis data.

This work studies the SIS model extended by fractional and fractal derivatives. We obtain explicit solutions for the standard and fractal formulations; for the fractional case, we study numerical solutions. As a real data example, we consider the Brazilian syphilis data from 2011 to 2021. We fit the data by considering the three variations of the model. Our fit suggests a recovery period of 11.6 days and a reproduction ratio (R0) equal to 6.5. By calculating the correlation coefficient (r) between the real data and the theoretical points, our results suggest that the fractal model presents a higher r compared to the standard or fractional case. The fractal formulation is improved when two different fractal orders with distinguishing weights are considered. This modification in the model provides a better description of the data and improves the correlation coefficient.

Serotonergic Modulation of the Excitation/Inhibition Balance in the Visual Cortex.

Serotonergic neurons constitute one of the main systems of neuromodulators, whose diffuse projections regulate the functions of the cerebral cortex. Serotonin (5-HT) is known to play a crucial role in the differential modulation of cortical activity related to behavioral contexts. Some features of the 5-HT signaling organization suggest its possible participation as a modulator of activity-dependent synaptic changes during the critical period of the primary visual cortex (V1). Cells of the serotonergic system are among the first neurons to differentiate and operate. During postnatal development, ramifications from raphe nuclei become massively distributed in the visual cortical area, remarkably increasing the availability of 5-HT for the regulation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity. A substantial amount of evidence has demonstrated that synaptic plasticity at pyramidal neurons of the superficial layers of V1 critically depends on a fine regulation of the balance between excitation and inhibition (E/I). 5-HT could therefore play an important role in controlling this balance, providing the appropriate excitability conditions that favor synaptic modifications. In order to explore this possibility, the present work used in vitro intracellular electrophysiological recording techniques to study the effects of 5-HT on the E/I balance of V1 layer 2/3 neurons, during the critical period. Serotonergic action on the E/I balance has been analyzed on spontaneous activity, evoked synaptic responses, and long-term depression (LTD). Our results pointed out that the predominant action of 5-HT implies a reduction in the E/I balance. 5-HT promoted LTD at excitatory synapses while blocking it at inhibitory synaptic sites, thus shifting the Hebbian alterations of synaptic strength towards lower levels of E/I balance.

Extruded urea levels in lamb supplementation in rainy tropical savanna conditions: the triad host-gastrointestinal nematodes-environment.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of increasing levels of extruded urea (EU, Amireia®) in the diet of lambs naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes on the interactions in the host-pasture-soil components in edaphoclimatic conditions of the tropical rainy savanna. A total of 60 Texel lambs with a mean initial weight of 20.7 ± 0.87 and mean age of 2.5 ± 0.70 months were distributed in a completely randomized design, in five treatments consisting of different levels of EU supplementation viz., 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 g 100 kg-1 live weight (LW). The performance of lambs, parasitological variables, gastrointestinal nematodes (NGIs), and larvae recovery in pasture and soil were evaluated. The highest animal performance was observed in animals that received 0 to 18 g kg-1 LW (146.0 g day-1) and the lowest in animals supplemented with 24 g kg-1 LW (81.0 g day-1) of EU. The body condition score (BCS) was similar in the animals (P > 0.05). Parasitic infection did not differ as a function of EU level (P > 0.05). Eggs of Haemonchus spp., Trichostrongylus spp., Cooperia spp., and Oesophagostomum spp. were found. The largest amount of larvae in the L1/L2 and L3 stages was recovered in the pastures occupied by the animals that received supplementation 0 g kg-1 LW of EU (750 larvae), the smallest in those that the animals received 6 g 100 kg-1 LW of EU (54 larvae). The presence of larvae in the L1/L2 stages changed significantly (P < 0.05) in the soil; in the other stages, it did not differ in the soil. Increasing levels of extruded urea do not influence the eggs per gram of feces (EPG) count. The 0 to 18 g 100 kg-1 LW level maintains animal performance, BCS and FAMACHA©. There is less dispersal of NGI larvae in pasture and soil when EU levels increase in the edaphoclimatic conditions of the rainy tropical savannah, which suggests that this supplement can be implemented in the diet of beef lambs, in addition to to be a lower cost nitrogen source.

Clinical and macroscopic morphological features of canine tungiasis.

Tungiasis is a public health problem in endemic resource-poor communities, where dogs are important reservoirs of Tunga spp., contributing significantly to the process of transmission of this zoonosis. In order to optimize the diagnosis of canine tungiasis, macroscopic morphological characteristics and clinical signs of the lesions were investigated, based on the inspection of 40 dogs infested by T. penetrans from an endemic rural community in northeastern Brazil. Of the 1546 lesions found in these dogs, including all stages of development of the parasite, 89.1% (1378) were located on the paw pads. Dogs aged up to 5 years had the greatest number of lesions. Dark pigmentation and hyperkeratosis of the paw pads made it difficult to identify the lesions. Among all the clinical signs observed were hyperemia (38; 95%), pain (32; 80%), fissure (11; 27.5%), onychogryphosis (29; 72.5%), cluster of lesions (26; 65%), hyperkeratosis (25; 62.5%), lameness (15; 37.5%), and fissure (11; 27.5%). Ectopic lesions were found especially in the nipples (64; 4.1%) and abdomen (51; 3.3%). The maximum diameter of the stage III neosomes was 6 mm. Dogs with a higher number of lesions had a higher degree of hyperkeratosis. Age over 1 year was associated with a higher rate of dispersion of the parasite in the environment (p = 0.04). The identification of the initial stages of tungiasis can guarantee a more effective control of the disease in dogs, which will mainly depend on the treatment of adult animals and the application of continuous preventive actions based on One Health in these communities.

Effects of supplementation on production and age anticipation at first mating of ewe lambs in tropical pastures.

Studies on the rearing of ewe lambs in the Cerrado are scarce, so the objective was to evaluate the effects of protein-energy supplementation with 1.6 and 2.4% BW on the productive and reproductive performance of ewe lambs raised on pastures of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu. Twenty-four Texel ewe lambs, with a mean age of 5 months, were distributed in two treatments with provision of energy protein supplementation at levels of 1.6 and 2.4% BW, formulated for average daily gains of 150 and 200 g/day for ewe lambs weighing 20 kg, respectively. The experimental delineation adopted was the completely randomized design, with fifteen repetitions per treatment. The performance of the ewe lambs was evaluated by weight at the beginning and end of the breeding season (BS), average daily gain (ADG), and total weight gain (TWG). The count of fecal eggs was performed monthly. The evaluation of the ewe lambs reproductive organs took place at 8 months of age. The fertility of the ewe lambs was detected by transrectal ultrasonography at the end of the BS. The supplementation level of 2.4% BW was higher for ADG and TWG; however, it did not influence the other performance characteristics. There was no effect of supplementation on the reproductive characteristics, parasite load, and nutrients of the pasture. Pasture nutrients were influenced by the month of use. Supplementation levels were not effective to ensure the reproductive success of 8-month-old ewe lambs.

Characterizing the Molecular Architecture of Hydrogels and Crosslinked Polymer Networks beyond Flory-Rehner-I. Theory.

In the early 1940s, Paul Flory and John Rehner published a series of papers on the properties of swellable polymeric networks. Originally intended for vulcanized rubber, their development has since been extensively used and extended to much more complex systems, such as hydrogels, and used to estimate the mesh size of such networks. In this article, we take a look at the development of the Flory-Rehner equation and highlight several issues that arise when using such a theory for the described hydrogel networks. We then propose a new approach and equations to accurately calculate the backbone molecular weight in-between crosslinks while explicitly accounting for the molecular mass of the crosslinker and branch segments. The approach also provides more applicable mesh dimensions, for complex networks with macromeric crosslinkers and/or a high degree of branching, as is the case of biocompatible hydrogels. The approach is finally illustrated by a case study comparing the values obtained with our proposed approach to those using the state-of-the-art approach.

Creatine supplementation in Walker-256 tumor-bearing rats prevents skeletal muscle atrophy by attenuating systemic inflammation and protein degradation signaling.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of creatine supplementation on muscle wasting in Walker-256 tumor-bearing rats. METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly assigned into three groups (n = 10/group): control (C), tumor bearing (T), and tumor bearing supplemented with creatine (TCr). Creatine was provided in drinking water for a total of 21 days. After 11 days of supplementation, tumor cells were implanted subcutaneously into T and TCr groups. The animals' weight, food and water intake were evaluated along the experimental protocol. After 10 days of tumor implantation (21 total), animals were euthanized for inflammatory state and skeletal muscle cross-sectional area measurements. Skeletal muscle components of ubiquitin-proteasome pathways were also evaluated using real-time PCR and immunoblotting. RESULTS: The results showed that creatine supplementation protected tumor-bearing rats against body weight loss and skeletal muscle atrophy. Creatine intake promoted lower levels of plasma TNF-α and IL-6 and smaller spleen morphology changes such as reduced size of white pulp and lymphoid follicle compared to tumor-bearing rats. In addition, creatine prevented increased levels of skeletal muscle Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1, key regulators of muscle atrophy. CONCLUSION: Creatine supplementation prevents skeletal muscle atrophy by attenuating tumor-induced pro-inflammatory environment, a condition that minimizes Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1-dependent proteolysis.

Basin of attraction for chimera states in a network of Rössler oscillators.

Chimera states are spatiotemporal patterns in which coherent and incoherent dynamics coexist simultaneously. These patterns were observed in both locally and nonlocally coupled oscillators. We study the existence of chimera states in networks of coupled Rössler oscillators. The Rössler oscillator can exhibit periodic or chaotic behavior depending on the control parameters. In this work, we show that the existence of coherent, incoherent, and chimera states depends not only on the coupling strength, but also on the initial state of the network. The initial states can belong to complex basins of attraction that are not homogeneously distributed. Due to this fact, we characterize the basins by means of the uncertainty exponent and basin stability. In our simulations, we find basin boundaries with smooth, fractal, and riddled structures.

Spike-burst chimera states in an adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire neuronal network.

Chimera states are spatiotemporal patterns in which coherence and incoherence coexist. We observe the coexistence of synchronous (coherent) and desynchronous (incoherent) domains in a neuronal network. The network is composed of coupled adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire neurons that are connected by means of chemical synapses. In our neuronal network, the chimera states exhibit spatial structures both with spike and burst activities. Furthermore, those desynchronized domains not only have either spike or burst activity, but we show that the structures switch between spikes and bursts as the time evolves. Moreover, we verify the existence of multicluster chimera states.

Biomarkers and renal arterial resistive index in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis frequently causes glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial nephritis, nephropathies for which diagnosis has been limited by the low sensitivity of traditional tests. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum cystatin C and urinary gamma-glutamyltransferase (uGGT) levels and the urinary GGT/urinary creatinine ratio (uGGT/uCR) and to measure the renal arterial resistive index (RARI) in dogs with leishmaniasis with varying degrees of renal injury based on the urine protein: creatinine ratio (UP/C) and serum creatinine (SCr) level. We tested 59 untreated adult dogs of both sexes and undefined breeds naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. The dogs were grouped into four groups based on UP/C and SCr level: group 1 (n = 15), dogs with SCr levels < 1.4 mg/dL and UP/C < 0.5; group 2 (n = 13), dogs with SCr levels < 1.4 mg/dL and UP/C of 0.5-1.0; group 3 (n = 16), dogs with SCr levels < 1.4 and UP/C > 1.0; and group 4 (n = 15), dogs with SCr levels > 1.4. A fifth group of healthy dogs (n = 10) was the control. uGGT concentrations and uGGT/uCR were higher in dogs with proteinuria and SCr < 1.4 mg/dL, whereas the serum cystatin C concentrations and RARI were higher only in dogs with SCr levels > 1.4. In conclusion, uGGT and uGGT/uCR may be useful tools for early detection and assessment of renal lesions associated with leishmaniasis; however, cystatin C is useful for monitoring the progression of kidney disease when measured sequentially.