Serum cardiac troponin I concentration in dogs with precapillary and postcapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disease condition leading to right\u2010sided cardiac hypertrophy and, eventually, right\u2010sided heart failure. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a circulating biomarker of cardiac damage. Hypothesis: Myocardial damage can occur in dogs with precapillary and postcapillary PH. Animals: One hundred and thirty\u2010three dogs were examined: 26 healthy controls, 42 dogs with mitral valve disease (MVD) without PH, 48 dogs with pulmonary hypertension associated with mitral valve disease (PH\u2010MVD), and 17 dogs with precapillary PH. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Serum cTnI concentration was measured with a commercially available immunoassay and results were compared between groups. Results: Median cTnI was 0.10\u2003ng/mL (range 0.10\u20130.17\u2003ng/mL) in healthy dogs. Compared with the healthy population, median serum cTnI concentration was increased in dogs with precapillary PH (0.25\u2003ng/mL; range 0.10\u20131.9\u2003ng/mL; P < .001) and in dogs with PH\u2010MVD (0.21\u2003ng/mL; range 0.10\u20132.10\u2003ng/mL; P < .001). Median serum cTnI concentration of dogs with MVD (0.12\u2003ng/mL; range 0.10\u20131.00\u2003ng/mL) was not significantly different compared with control group and dogs with PH\u2010MVD. In dogs with MVD and PH\u2010MVD, only the subgroup with decompensated PH\u2010MVD had significantly higher cTnI concentration compared with dogs with compensated MVD and PH\u2010MVD. Serum cTnI concentration showed significant modest positive correlations with the calculated pulmonary artery systolic pressure in dogs with PH and some echocardiographic indices in dogs with MVD and PH\u2010MVD. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum cTnI is high in dogs with either precapillary and postcapillary PH. Myocardial damage in dogs with postcapillary PH is likely the consequence of increased severity of MVD

Evaluation of the cardiac toxicity of N-methyl-glucamine antimoniate in dogs with naturally occurring leishmaniasis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiotoxic effects of pentavalent antimonial compounds in dogs with leishmaniasis. Twenty-eight dogs with clinical disease due to natural infection with Leishmania infantum were treated with 75 mg/kg meglumine antimoniate SC every 12h for 60 days. Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations were determined and routine and 24h ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring was performed before the onset (T0) and at the end of treatment (T60). No abnormalities were found in routine and 24h electrocardiographic tracings before and after treatment. No statistical difference was found between serum cTnI concentrations or corrected QT intervals at T0 and T60. There was no evidence of laboratory or electrocardiographic features of cardiac toxicity in dogs with leishmaniasis treated with a therapeutic dose of meglumine antimoniate for 60 days

Evaluation of the Cardiac Toxicity of N-Methyl-Glucamine in Leishmaniotic dogs

N-methyl-glucamine (Glucantime®) is a first line drug used in anti-leishmania treatment. Several side-effects, including cardiac negative effects, have been described in patients treated with this drug. In particular, prolongation of the QT interval, ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death have been reported in humans. The aim of this study was to assess the possible negative cardiac effects of N-methyl-glucamine in dogs with spontaneous Leishmaniosis. Thirteen dogs naturally affected by Leishmaniosis were treated with Glucantime® at a dose of 75 mg/kg q12 h SC for 60 days. On each dog, evaluation of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration was carried out using an automated immunoassay method before the onset of the therapy (T0) and at the end of treatment (T60). Furthermore, 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring was performed at the same time interval and the QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) was calculated using a one-parameter logarithmic formula. Serum cTnI concentration and QTc values at T0 and T60 were compared using a Mann-Whitney u-test and a paired Student’s t-test, respectively. A value of P<0,05 was considered to be significant. Serum cTnI concentrations were normal either before and at the end of the study and no statistical differences were observed from T0 and T60. No cardiac arrhythmia was found in 24-hour ECG tracings before and after the treatment. Analysis of QTc values did not evidenced any statistical difference from T0 and T60. Results of the present study evidenced no laboratory and electrocardiographic features of cardiac toxicity in Leishmaniotic dogs treated with a therapeutic dose of N-methyl-glucamine for 60 days

Caffè espresso, moka, napoletano e americano. Parte 1. Influenza della tipologia di estrazione sulla composizione chimica e aromatica della bevanda.

Lo scopo del presente studio è stato quello di comparare la composizione chimica del caffè espresso, moka, napoletano e americano. Nonostante la somiglianza del principio di estrazione della macchinetta napoletana e quella americana, basato sulla percolazione di acqua calda attraverso il caffè macinato, le caratteristiche del caffè napoletano in termini di attività antiossidante, composti fenolici totali e solidi totali è risultato essere più simile al caffè moka. Il caffè espresso e moka hanno mostrato una maggiore attività antiossidante, mentre la caffeina, i fenoli totali ed i solidi totali sono risultati essere in concentrazione maggiore nel caffè espresso rispetto a tutte le altre tipologie considerate. L’aroma del caffè napoletano è caratterizzato da una maggiore concentrazione di esanale, b-damascenone e di alcune pirazine. La moka è risultata, invece, caratterizzata da un elevato contenuto di guaiacolo, mentre il caffè espresso da aldeidi e dall’acetato del 2-furanmetanolo

Ritmo idioventricolare accelerato nel cane: 9 casi clinici

The clinical, electrocardiographic and diagnostic tests findings, and outcome of 9 dogs with accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR) are described. Different systemic disorders including septicaemia of various origin, acute pancreatitis, lymphoblastic leukaemia, discospondilitis, and viper bite were diagnosed. One dog with seizures developed AIVR during anaesthesia to perform a CT scan. Elevated serum concentration of cTnI were found in all the five dogs in which this cardiac biomarker was determined. Conversion to sinus rhythm was obtained in all dogs following supportive therapy for the primary disorder. A specific antiarrhythmic drug (lidocaine) was employed in only 2 dogs