Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy associated with severe left ventricular involvement in a cat.

An 8-year-old, 4 kg, intact female, domestic shorthaired cat was referred for tachypnea and pleural effusion. A 24-h Holter recording showed numerous polymorphic ventricular premature complexes with left and right bundle branch block morphology. Echocardiographic examination revealed right atrial and ventricular dilation. The right ventricular free wall was thin and aneurysmal. The cat died 10 days after initiation of antiarrhythmic therapy. Gross and histopathological findings were consistent with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) associated with severe left ventricular involvement

Aquaporin 1 (Aqp1) expression in healthy dog tears

Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of thirteen membrane proteins that play an essential role in the transport of fluids across the cell plasma membrane. Recently, the expression of AQPs in dierent ocular tissues and their involvement in the pathophysiology of eye diseases, have garnered attention. Considering that literature on AQP expression in the lacrimal glands and their secretion is scarce, we aimed to characterise AQP1 expression in the tears of healthy dogs using two tear collection methods (Schirmer tear strips (STS) and ophthalmic sponges (OS)). Fifteen healthy dogs, free of ophthalmic diseases, were included in the study. Tear collection was performed by using STS in one eye and OS in the other. After the extraction of proteins from the tears, the expression of AQP1 was analysed by Western blotting. AQP1 was expressed as a band of 28 kDa. In addition, dierences were observed in the expression of AQP1 and in the correlation between tear volume and protein concentration, in tears collected by the two dierent methods. Our results suggest that AQP1 has a specific role in tear secretion; further research is required to assess its particular role in the function of the ocular surface in eye physiology and pathology

Plasma disposition, concentration in the hair, and anthelmintic efficacy of eprinomectin after topical administration in donkeys

Objective-To investigate plasma disposition, concentration in the hair, and anthelmintic efficacy of eprinomectin after topical administration in donkeys. Animals-12 donkeys naturally infected with strongyle nematodes. Procedures-The pour-on formulation of eprinomectin approved for use in cattle was administered topically to donkeys at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg. Heparinized blood samples and hair samples were collected at various times between 1 hour and 40 days after administration. Samples were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Fecal strongyle egg counts were performed by use of a modified McMaster technique before and at weekly intervals for 8 weeks after treatment. Results-Plasma concentration and systemic availability of eprinomectin were relatively higher in donkeys, compared with values reported for other animal species. Concerning the anthelmintic efficacy against strongyle nematodes, eprinomectin was completely effective (100%) on days 7 and 14 and highly effective (> 99%) until the end of the study at 56 days after treatment. No abnormal clinical signs or adverse reactions were observed for any donkeys after treatment. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Eprinomectin had excellent safety. The relatively high plasma concentration after topical administration could result in use of eprinomectin for the control and treatment of parasitic diseases in donkeys

Cardiac biomarkers in clinical practice of dog and cat - a review

A biomarker is an indicator of a normal or pathologic process, or a pharmacologic response to a therapeutic intervention. Nowadays, in veteriary cardiology, the most used biomarkers for assessing the pathological status of the cardio-vascular system, are B-type natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponins. These biomarkers have been very well studied in cardiac pathology in order to assess their diagnostic potential. The aim of the present paper was to discuss the structure, metabolism, function, applicability, reference values and variations in different diseases and to review some practical aspects of the two cardiac biomarkers, used nowadays in small animal cardiology

Leptin system in obese dog skin: A pilot study

Obesity predisposes to several health problems including skin diseases. However, information on the relationship between obesity and skin disorders in pets is very scarce. Leptin (LEP) is mainly produced by adipose tissue and has a prominent role in skin biology. This study evaluated the LEP system in the skin of obese dogs compared to normal-weight animals. The investigation was carried out on 10 obese (Obese group) and 10 normal-weight (Normal-weight group) dogs through Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Cells of skin associated immune system were also evaluated. No differences were evidenced between the two groups as well as skin inflammation. LEP differences were no significant, while LEPR transcript appeared 10-fold higher in obesedogs than in normal-weight ones. Immunostaining for both molecules was observed in several skin structures such as the epidermis, hair follicles, and glands. No differences appeared in the skin associated immune system composition. This study is a preliminary report showing that LEP system changes in obese dog skin. The increased LEPR expression observed in the obese group suggests that the receptor plays a modulating role in the system control. However, the exact role of LEPin the skin under obesity conditions needs further elucidation

Effects of obesity on adiponectin system skin expression in dogs: A comparative study

Obesity is an important health issue in dogs since it influences a plethora of associated pathologies, including dermatological disorders. Considering the scarcity of information in pets, this work aimed to evaluate the localization and expression of adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and its two receptors (ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2) in the skin of 10 obese dogs, compared with serum ADIPOQ level. Through immunohistochemistry, ADIPOQ and ADIPOR2 were observed in the adipose tissue, sweat and sebaceous glands, endothelium, and some connective cells. Both receptors were observed in the epidermis and the hair follicles, other than in the sweat and sebaceous glands. Real-time PCR evidenced that the ADIPOQ and ADIPOR2 transcripts were expressed 5.4-fold (p < 0.01) and 2.3-fold less (p < 0.01), respectively, in obese than in normal weight dogs, while ADIPOR1 expression did not change. Obese dogs showed lower serum ADIPOQ levels than the normal weight group. Accordingly, ADIPOQ and ADIPOR2 expression in the skin appear negatively correlated with obesity in the same way as the serum ADIPOQ level. These findings evidence that ADIPOQ system changes in the skin of obese dogs and suggest that the ADIPOQ effect on the skin is at least in part regulated by the reduced expression of ADIPOR2

HOME-BIO (sHOtgun MEtagenomic analysis of BIOlogical entities): a specific and comprehensive pipeline for metagenomic shotgun sequencing data analysis

Background: Next-Generation-Sequencing (NGS) enables detection of microorganisms present in biological and other matrices of various origin and nature, allowing not only the identification of known phyla and strains but also the discovery of novel ones. The large amount of metagenomic shotgun data produced by NGS require comprehensive and user-friendly pipelines for data analysis, that speed up the bioinformatics steps, relieving the users from the need to manually perform complex and time-consuming tasks. Results: We describe here HOME-BIO (sHOtgun MEtagenomic analysis of BIOlogical entities), an exhaustive pipeline for metagenomics data analysis, comprising three independent analytical modules designed for an inclusive analysis of large NGS datasets. Conclusions: HOME-BIO is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that can be run also by users with limited computational expertise. It allows in-depth analyses by removing low-complexity/ problematic reads, integrating the analytical steps that lead to a comprehensive taxonomy profile of each sample by querying different source databases, and it is customizable according to specific users’ needs