Učinci latentne Q-groznice na odabrane hormonske, antioksidacijske, biokemijske i hematološke pokazatelje u ovaca.

The aim of this retrospective study was to compare various endocrine, antioxidant, haematological and biochemical parameters between Coxiella (C.) burnetii positive and negative ewes in order to evaluate the possible effects of infection on selected blood parameters. For this purpose, serum leptin and haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations, whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and haematological parameters were compared between C. burnetii positive and negative ewes that were sampled in the autumn and winter months of 2006, before the Q fever infection outbreak in the spring of 2007. C. burnetii antibodies and haptoglobin concentrations were measured by commercial ELISA kits, leptin concentrations by a commercial RIA kit and GSH-Px activity by a commercial reagent kit. Out of 26 clinically healthy ewes, 15 exhibited C. burnetii antibodies in May 2007; among them, 8 had already been C. burnetii positive in the autumn months. Rises in Hp and leptin concentrations as well as of GSH-Px activity, haematocrit and mean cell volume were observed in samples taken between September and December 2006 in positive and negative ewes. Red blood cell count and haemoglobin values remained unchanged, while a decrease in white blood cell and platelet count was detected in the same period in both groups of ewes. The majority of the selected blood parameters remained in the reference range for sheep. The observed changes of the studied parameters are most probably a result of seasonally induced fluctuations or physiological changes, such as pregnancy progression, and cannot be attributed to the influences of the infection with C. burnetii. Therefore, the subclinical form of Q fever is not a factor which should be considered when evaluating values of circulating leptin, GSH-Px or haematological parameters in sheep.Cilj ovog retrospektivnog istraživanja bio je usporediti različite endokrine, antioksidacijske, hematološke i biokemijske pokazatelje u ovaca pozitivnih i negativnih na Q-groznicu s namjerom da se procijene mogući učinci infekcije na odabrane krvne pokazatelje. U tu svrhu bile su uspoređene koncentracije serumskoga leptina i haptoglobina, aktivnost glutation peroksidaze i hematološki pokazatelji između ovaca pozitivnih na bakteriju C. burnetii i onih negativnih na tu bakteriju. Uzorci krvi bili su uzeti u jesenskim i zimskim mjesecima 2006. prije pojave Q-groznice u proljeće 2007. Protutijela specifična za bakteriju C. burnetii i koncentracije haptoglobina bile su određivane komercijalnim ELISA kompletima, koncentracije leptina komercijalnim RIA kompletima te aktivnost glutation peroksidaze također komercijalnim reagensima. U 15 od 26 klinički zdravih ovaca dokazana su protutijela za C. burnetii u svibnju 2007. Od njih je osam bilo pozitivno već u jesenskim mjesecima. Povećane koncentracije haptoglobina i leptina kao i povećana aktivnost glutation peroksidaze, vrijednost hematokrita, srednja vrijednost zapremine eritrocita bile su dokazane u uzorcima uzetima između rujna i prosinca 2006. u pozitivnih i negativnih ovaca. Broj crvenih krvnih stanica i vrijednost hemoglobina ostali su nepromijenjeni, dok je u istom razdoblju broj bijelih krvnih stanica i broj trombocita bio smanjen u obje skupine ovaca. Većina odabranih krvnih pokazatelja ostala je u granicama referentnih vrijednosti za ovce. Ustanovljene promjene istraživanih pokazatelja najvjerojatnije su rezultat sezonski uvjetovanih kolebanja ili fizioloških promjena vezanih uz bređost i ne mogu se pripisati utjecaju infekcije bakterijom C. burnetii. Stoga se supklinički oblik Q-groznice ne može uzeti kao čimbenik utjecaja kod procjene cirkulacijskog leptina, glutation peroksidaze ili hematoloških pokazatelja u ovaca

Echocardiographic analysis of dogs before and after surgical treatment of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome

Brachycephalic dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) are a valuable animal model for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in humans. Clinical signs of upper airway obstruction improve after surgical treatment of BOAS, but the impact of surgery on morphology and function of the heart has not been studied. Therefore, we aimed to compare the echocardiographic variables of dogs before and after surgical treatment of BOAS. We included 18 client-owned dogs with BOAS (7 French Bulldogs, 6 Boston Terriers, and 5 Pugs) scheduled for surgical correction. We performed a complete echocardiographic examination before and 6 to 12 (median 9) months after surgery. Seven non-brachycephalic dogs were included in the control group. After surgery, BOAS patients had a significantly (p < 0.05) larger left atrium to aortic ratio (LA/Ao), left atrium in the long axis index, and thickness of the left ventricular posterior wall in diastole index. They also had a higher late diastolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum (Am) and increased global right ventricular strain and left ventricular global strain in the apical 4-chamber view, as well as a higher caudal vena cava collapsibility index (CVCCI). Before surgery, BOAS patients had a significantly lower CVCCI, Am, peak systolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum (Si), and early diastolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum (Ei) compared to non-brachycephalic dogs. After surgery, BOAS patients had a smaller right ventricular internal diameter at base index, right ventricular area in systole index, mitral annular plane systolic excursion index, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion index, as well as lower values of Am, Si, Ei, and late diastolic annular velocity of the interventricular septum, and a larger LA/Ao compared to non-brachycephalic dogs. Significant differences between BOAS patients and non-brachycephalic dogs indicate higher right heart pressures and decreased systolic and diastolic ventricular function in BOAS dogs, which is in accordance with the results of studies in OSA patients. In parallel with the marked clinical improvement, right heart pressures decreased, and right ventricular systolic and diastolic function improved after surgery

Evaluation of antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve degeneration stage B1

Myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (MMVD) is the most common naturally occurring heart disease in dogs. There is a lack of data on antioxidant status and oxidative damage in dogs with MMVD stage B1 according to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM B1). The aim of this study was to investigate antioxidant status (plasma vitamin E, lipid-standardized vitamin E (LS-VitE), antioxidant capacity of lipid-(ACL) and water-soluble antioxidants, whole blood glutathione peroxidase and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase), and lipid peroxidation [malondialdehyde (MDA)] in dogs with MMVD ACVIM B1. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were measured to calculate LS-VitE. Fourteen dogs with MMVD ACVIM B1 and 12 control dogs were included in the study. Dogs with MMVD had significantly higher vitamin E, ACL, MDA, and cholesterol concentrations and significantly higher LS-VitE values than control dogs. No significant correlations between MDA and antioxidant parameters were determined in either group. In conclusion, oxidative damage to lipids is already present and the antioxidant status is altered but not depleted in dogs with MMVD ACVIM B1. The antioxidant response to increased oxidative damage consists mainly of the activation of fat-soluble antioxidants. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy and targets of early antioxidant supplementation to prevent or ameliorate oxidative stress and mitigate disease progression in dogs with early-stage MMVD

The effect of the surgical treatment of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome on the thermoregulatory response to exercise in French bulldogs: a pilot study

IntroductionDue to altered anatomy of the upper respiratory tract, brachycephalic dogs exhibit increased airway resistance and reduced surface area for evaporative heat loss, predisposing them to respiratory and thermoregulatory problems, a syndrome referred to as Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Compared to non-brachycephalic dogs, brachycephalic breeds are more susceptible to heat-related injuries even at low ambient temperatures and relatively low physical activity levels. Surgical treatment alleviates clinical signs, potentially improving dogs’ thermoregulatory ability with BOAS. Our study aimed to investigate the thermoregulatory response in French bulldogs before and after the surgical correction of BOAS, respectively.MethodsThirteen dogs were exposed to dynamic exercise on a treadmill and the dynamics of their rectal temperature (RT) and heart rate (HR) was measured. The experiment was performed in two independent sessions, before and after the surgical treatment. The test consisted of two consecutive 5-min walks at a speed of 2.5 km/h, first at an inclination of 0% and the second at an inclination of 5%, and a 30-min recovery period. Rectal temperature and HR were measured before the start of the test (t0), at the end of the first (t1) and the second part (t2), and 15 min (t3) and 30 min (t4) in the recovery.ResultsA significant increase in RT and HR was observed during exercise and recovery compared to the resting values, implying that the exercise intensity was sufficient to challenge the thermoregulatory response. The increase of RT was significantly lower during both parts (t1: p  = 0.004; t2: p  <  0.001) of exercise after the surgical treatment than before the treatment. Although a trend of lower RT after recovery was observed compared to before the surgery, it did not reach statistical significance. Similarly to RT, the HR was significantly lower during exercise after the first (p  =  0.020) and the second part (p  =  0.011) of exercise after the surgery compared to before the surgery but did not reach significance in the recovery.ConclusionSurgical treatment of BOAS can improve thermoregulation during exercise in French bulldogs with BOAS

Učinak dijalize na peroksidaciju lipida i antioksidacijski status nerastove sjemene plazme pohranjene u tekućem stanju.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dialysis on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in liquid stored boar semen. Seventeen ejaculates obtained from eight boars were divided into two aliquots. One aliquot was dialyzed; the other was used as a control. Semen was then stored at 16-17 °C for three days. Sperm quality parameters, capacitation status, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of dialyzed and non-dialyzed semen were measured. The effect of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status on semen quality was evaluated. Removal of low molecular weight components (LMWC) from seminal plasma by dialysis resulted in a signifi cantly higher percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa (P = 0.002). Dialysis moderated the increasing level of acrosomal reacted spermatozoa, showing a significantly lower level of acrosomal reacted spermatozoa in dialyzed semen samples according to each day of storage (P<0.05). SOD increased with storage time in both groups, whereas control samples showed significantly higher levels of SOD than dialyzed ones (P<0.05). Dialyses yielded a significant decrease in TAC and an increase in the level of TBARS (P<0.05). Our results show that elevated levels of SOD in dialyzed semen are not able to counterbalance decreased levels of TAC and prevent oxidative injures to the spermatozoal sperm membrane.Cilj istraživanja bio je procijeniti učinak dijalize na peroksidaciju lipida i antioksidacijski status nerastova sjemena pohranjena u tekućem stanju. Sedamnaest ejakulata od osam nerastova bilo je podijeljeno u dvije skupine. Jedna skupina bila je podvrgnuta dijalizi, a druga je bila kontrolna. Sjeme je nakon toga bilo pohranjeno na 16 do 17 °C tijekom tri dana. Izmjereni su pokazatelji kvalitete sjemena: kapacitiranje spermija, reaktivne tvari tiobarbiturne kiseline, aktivnost superoksidne dismutaze i ukupna antioksidacijska sposobnost dijaliziranog i nedijaliziranog sjemena. Procijenjen je učinak peroksidacije lipida i antioksidacijski status na kvalitetu sjemena. Uklanjanje sastojaka male molekulske mase dijalizom iz sjemene plazme dovelo je do značajno povećanog postotka morfološki normalnih spermija (P = 0,002). Dijaliza je utjecala na razinu akrosomski reaktivnih spermija pokazujući njihovu značajno manju razinu reaktivnosti u dijaliziranim uzorcima po svakom danu pohrane (P<0,05). Aktivnost superoksidne dismutaze povećavala se s vremenom pohrane u obje skupine, ali su kontrolni uzorci pokazivali značajno veću aktivnost nego dijalizirani (P<0,05). Dijaliza je značajno smanjila antioksidacijsku sposobnost, a povećala reaktivne tvari tiobarbiturne kiseline (P<0,05). Rezultati pokazuju da povećane razine aktivnosti superoksidne dismutaze u dijaliziranom sjemenu ne mogu uravnotežiti smanjenu razinu antioksidacijske sposobnosti i spriječiti oksidativna oštećenja membrane spermija

Effects of Vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Parameters in Untrained Leisure Horses Subjected to Acute Moderate Exercise

The effects of antioxidant supplements on exercise-induced oxidative stress have not been investigated in untrained leisure horses. We investigated the effects of 14-day supplementation with vitamin E (1.8 IU/kg/day), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10; ubiquinone; 800 mg/day), and a combination of both (the same doses as in mono-supplementation) on the blood levels of CoQ10, vitamin E, and oxidative stress parameters in untrained leisure horses subjected to acute moderate exercise. Correlations between lipid peroxidation and muscle enzyme leakage were also determined. Forty client-owned horses were included in the study, with 10 horses in each of the antioxidant and placebo (paraffin oil) groups. Blood parameters were measured before supplementation, before and immediately after exercise, and after 24 h of rest. The differences in individual parameters between blood collection times and groups were analysed with linear mixed models (p ˂ 0.05). None of the supplemented antioxidants affected vitamin E and CoQ10 concentrations, oxidative stress parameters, or serum muscle enzymes. Lipid peroxidation occurred in horses supplemented with placebo and CoQ10 but not in horses supplemented with vitamin E or the combination of both antioxidants. These results suggest that vitamin E alone or in combination with CoQ10 prevented lipid peroxidation in untrained leisure horses subjected to acute moderate exercise