RESUMO
The assessment of diastolic function has received great interest in order to comprehend its crucial role in the pathophysiology of heart failure and for the early identification of cardiac events. Silent changes in the intraventricular flow (IVF) dynamics occur before the deterioration of the cardiac wall, although they cannot be detected using conventional echocardiography. Collective information on left ventricular (LV) pressures throughout the cardiac cycle has great value when dealing with patients with altered hemodynamics. Accurate pressure measurement inside the ventricle can be obtained by invasive methods to determine the LV diastolic pressures, which reflect the myocardial relaxation and compliance. However, catheterization is only feasible in the laboratory setting and is not suitable for clinical use due to its disadvantages. In contrast, echocardiography is simple, safe, and accessible. Color M-mode echocardiography (CMME) is an advanced cardiac evaluation technique that can measure the intraventricular pressure differences (IVPDs) and intraventricular pressure gradients (IVPGs) based on the Doppler shift of the IVF. Recently, the assessment of IVPD and IVPG has gained growing interest in the cardiovascular literature in both animal and human studies as a non-invasive method for the early diagnosis of cardiac dysfunctions, especially diastolic ones. The usability of IVPD and IVPG has been reported in various surgically induced heart failure or pharmacologically altered cardiac functions in rats, dogs, cats, and goats. This report aims to give an overview of the current studies of CMME-derived IVPD and IVPG in animal studies and its feasibility for clinical application in veterinary practice and to provide the prospects of the technique's ability to improve our understanding.
RESUMO
From a clinical point of view, the establishment of laboratory variables during the first few months of an animal's life helps clinicians to make sure they base their medical decisions on laboratory values for the specific breed and age group. The present study aimed to investigate the monthly dynamics in some plasma elements, hematology, reproductive hormones, and oxidative stress marker profiles during the first five months of age (neonatal and peri-puberty stage) in male Shiba goat's kids. Sixteen kids were investigated from the first to the fifth month (M1 to M5), and the data were presented as the statistical difference between them. Whole blood and plasma samples were collected monthly for analysis of basal hematology, plasma elements concentration (trace elements: Cu, Zn, Se, Fe, and Cr; macroelements: Ca and Mg), circulating hormones (cortisol, FSH, LH, IGF1, immunoreactive inhibin, testosterone, T3, and T4), and oxidative stress markers (MDA, CAT, SOD, and GPX). The results showed age-related changes in the observed parameters. The fifth month recorded the lowest level of almost all investigated minerals, except for Cr. Plasma hormone levels revealed age-dependent increases in IGF-1 and testosterone, age-related decreases in T3 and T4, and non-significant changes in cortisol and FSH. Besides, the concentrations of inhibin and LH were significantly higher at M1-M3 compared with M4-M5. Plasma SOD, GPX, and CAT were increased with age. In conclusion, age-related changes and a distinction of age in months was found necessary to interpret the laboratory results, specifically in terms of age in months and the peri-puberty stage in young goats, which are important to follow up the age-specific diseases, reproductive status, and treatment follow-ups in this stage.