Short-term and long-term PQ, QT and R-R intervals' variability at the resting condition and after exercise testing in healthy Anglo-Arabian horses

The duration of electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters: PQ, QT and R-R intervals change during long-term and short-term observation as the consequence of the fluctuations in autonomic nervous system activity among others dependent on the exercise and resting. There is no data of horse breed influence on these parameters. The aim of the study was to assess the duration and the variability of the PQ, QT and R-R intervals in the resting conditions and after exercise testing in Anglo-Arabian horses. Material and Methods: 27 healthy Anglo-Arabian horses aged 3.4 ± 1.0 years (15 male, 12 female) had ECG examination in the standing position using Einthoven system of leads. The longest and the shortest PQ, QT and R-R intervals were measured after night rest and after exercise testing and the means were calculated. Conclusions: 1) In Anglo-Arabian horses the difference between the longest and the shortest PQ interval at rest vs. after exercise is 0.06 ± 0.05 vs. 0.03 ± 0.02, QT interval is 0.04 ± 0.03 vs. 0.04 ± 0.04, R-R interval 0.19 ± 0.15 vs. 0.08 ± 0.11. 2) The PQ and R-R intervals reveal high short-term variability either at the resting conditions or after exercise testing. 3) After exercise testing PQ, QT and R-R intervals are shorter than at the resting conditions. The delta PQ and R-R are 2 times smaller in contrast to delta QT which is constant. 4) The PQ and R-R interval variability was greater at the baseline condition than after exercise testing. The QT variability was similar at baseline condition to that after exercise testing

Retrospective analysis of co - occurrence of congenital aortic stenosis and pulmonary artery stenosis in dogs

The study has focused on the retrospective analysis of cases of coexisting congenital aortic stenosis (AS) and pulmonary artery stenosis (PS) in dogs. The research included 5463 dogs which were referred for cardiological examination (including clinical examination, ECG and echocardiography) between 2004 and 2014. Aortic stenosis and PS stenosis were detected in 31 dogs. This complex defect was the most commonly diagnosed in Boxers – 7 dogs, other breeds were represented by: 4 cross-breed dogs, 2 Bichon Maltais, 3 Miniature Pinschers, 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs, 2 French Bulldogs, and individuals of following breeds: Bichon Frise, Bull Terrier, Czech Wolfdog, German Shepherd, Hairless Chinese Crested Dog, Miniature Schnauzer, Pug, Rottweiler, Samoyed, West Highland White Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier. In all the dogs, the murmurs could be heard, graded from 2 to 5 (on a scale of 1-6). Besides, in 9 cases other congenital defects were diagnosed: patent ductus arteriosus, mitral valve dysplasia, pulmonary or aortic valve regurgitation, tricuspid valvedysplasia, ventricular or atrial septal defect. The majority of the dogs suffered from pulmonary valvular stenosis (1 dog had supravalvular pulmonary artery stenosis) and subvalvular aortic stenosis (2 dogs had valvular aortic stenosis). Conclusions and clinical relevance – co-occurrence of AS and PS is the most common complex congenital heart defect. Boxer breed was predisposed to this complex defect. It was found that coexisting AS and PS is more common in male dogs and the degree of PS and AS was mostly similar

Wpływ typu karmy na długookresową kinetykę konsumpcji u kotów domowych (Felis catus) utrzymywanych w kolonii

Impact of food type on long term consumption kinetics in group-housed domestic cats (Felis catus). The aim of the current research was to assess the impact of the type of dry food on the long term acceptance in cats, expressed as consumption curves. A group of 14 adult neutered domestic cats were subsequently offered three types of products: economy, medium and premium. The consumption of food has been carefully monitored each day of the experiment, which enabled the drawing of the precise consumption curve. The average daily consumption showed differences between feeding periods (98.33%, 61.17% and 55.04% for premium, medium and economy diet type, respectively). In all groups the monotony effect has been observed, but the relative stability of the consumption has been observed only in cats fed with the premium type of food. The attractiveness of the economy type of food was distinctively low, resulting in a regularly waved consumption curve. It can be concluded, that the prolonged offering of a particular type of complete dry pet food within the limits of metabolizable energy requirements may potentially lead to adverse consequences for cats. The food consumption level that supplies the minimal daily energy amount can likely result in imbalanced macronutrient intake.Wpływ typu karmy na długookresową kinetykę konsumpcji u kotów (Felis catus) utrzymywanych w kolonii. Celem doświadczenia było określenie wpływu typu podawanej suchej karmy pełnoporcjowej na długookresowe wskaźniki akceptacji określane dla utrzymywanych grupowo kotów. Grupa 14 dorosłych, kastrowanych kotów otrzymywała kolejno karmę typu medium, economy i premium w okresach trwających 31 dni. Spożycie było ściśle kontrolowane każdego dnia trwania eksperymentu, co pozwoliło na wykreślenie dokładnych krzywych. Zaobserwowano istotne różnice wartości średniego współczynnika konsumpcji pomiędzy poszczególnymi okresami żywienia(98.33%, 61.17% i 55.04% odpowiednio dla karmy typu premium, medium i economy). We wszystkich okresach zaobserwowano efekt "monotonii" jednak relatywnie stabilne wskaźniki akceptacji zanotowano jedynie w okresie podawania karmy typu premium. Atrakcyjność karmy typu economy była wyraźnie niższa w porównaniu do pozostałych. Zaobserwowano znaczące fluktuacje przebiegu krzywej konsumpcji tego produktu. Można stwierdzić, że długotrwałe podawanie kotom jednego typu karmy, w ilości zapewniającej pokrycie dziennego zapotrzebowania na energię metaboliczną potencjalnie może mieć niepożądane konsekwencje. Regularne pobieranie taniej karmy pełnoporcjowej w ilości zapewniającej pokrycie jedynie minimalnego zapotrzebowania energetycznego może spowodować zaburzenie właściwego bilansu podaży podstawowych składników odżywczych

Effect of short-term rapid ventricular pacing followed by pacing interruption on arterial blood pressure in healthy pigs and pigs with tachycardiomyopathy

Ventricular tachycardia may lead to haemodynamic deterioration and, in the case of long term persistence, is associated with the development of tachycardiomyopathy. The effect of ventricular tachycardia on haemodynamics in individuals with tachycardiomyopathy, but being in sinus rhythm has not been studied. Rapid ventricular pacing is a model of ventricular tachycardia. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of rapid ventricular pacing on blood pressure in healthy animals and those with tachycardiomyopathy. A total of 66 animals were studied: 32 in the control group and 34 in the study group. The results of two groups of examinations were compared: the first performed in healthy animals (133 examinations) and the second performed in animals paced for at least one month (77 examinations). Blood pressure measurements were taken during chronic pacing - 20 min after onset of general anaesthesia, in baseline conditions (20 min after pacing cessation or 20 min after onset of general anaesthesia in healthy animals) and immediately after short-term rapid pacing. In baseline conditions significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure was found in healthy animals than in those with tachycardiomyopathy. During an event of rapid ventricular pacing, a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was found in both groups of animals. In the group of chronically paced animals the blood pressure was lower just after restarting ventricular pacing than during chronic pacing. Cardiovascular adaptation to ventricular tachycardia develops with the length of its duration. Relapse of ventricular tachycardia leads to a blood pressure decrease more pronounced than during chronic ventricular pacing

Alterations of aorta intima and media transcriptome in swine fed high-fat diet over 1-year follow-up period and of the switch to normal diet

Background and aim: We previously showed that 12-month high-fat diet (HFD) in pigs led to fattening and increased artery intima-media-thickness, which were partly reversed after 3-month return to control diet (CD). The aim of this study was to decipher underlying mechanism of action by using transcriptomic analyses of intima and media of aorta.Methods and results: Thirty-two pigs were divided into three groups: CD for 12 months; HFD for 12 months; switch diet group (regression diet; RD): HFD for 9 months followed by CD for 3 months. After 12 months, RNA was isolated from aorta intima and media for nutrigenomic analyses. HFD significantly affected gene expression in intima, while RD gene expression profile was distinct from the CD group. This suggests that switch to CD is not sufficient to correct gene expression alterations induced by HFD but counteracted expression of a group of genes. HFD also affected gene expression in media and as for intima, the expression profile of media of pigs on RD differed from that of these on CD.Conclusions: This study revealed nutrigenomic modifications induced by long-term HFD consumption on arterial intima and media. The return to CD was not sufficient to counteract the genomic effect of HFD

Prosaposin maintains lipid homeostasis in dopamine neurons and counteracts experimental parkinsonism in rodents

Abstract Prosaposin (PSAP) modulates glycosphingolipid metabolism and variants have been linked to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, we find altered PSAP levels in the plasma, CSF and post-mortem brain of PD patients. Altered plasma and CSF PSAP levels correlate with PD-related motor impairments. Dopaminergic PSAP-deficient (cPSAPDAT) mice display hypolocomotion and depression/anxiety-like symptoms with mildly impaired dopaminergic neurotransmission, while serotonergic PSAP-deficient (cPSAPSERT) mice behave normally. Spatial lipidomics revealed an accumulation of highly unsaturated and shortened lipids and reduction of sphingolipids throughout the brains of cPSAPDAT mice. The overexpression of α-synuclein via AAV lead to more severe dopaminergic degeneration and higher p-Ser129 α-synuclein levels in cPSAPDAT mice compared to WT mice. Overexpression of PSAP via AAV and encapsulated cell biodelivery protected against 6-OHDA and α-synuclein toxicity in wild-type rodents. Thus, these findings suggest PSAP may maintain dopaminergic lipid homeostasis, which is dysregulated in PD, and counteract experimental parkinsonism