In this study, we measured the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I levels and evaluated the serum protein profiles of diabetic, insulin-treated, and healthy cats and dogs. The total IGF-I concentrations were 33.74 +/- 3.4 ng/mL for normal, 25.8 +/- 4.5 ng/mL for diabetic, and 180.4 +/- 31.4 ng/mL for insulin-treated cats. IGF-I concentrations were 46.4 +/- 6.6 ng/mL for normal, 25.1 +/- 4.1 ng/mL for diabetic, and 303.0 +/- 61.3 ng/mL for insulin-treated dogs. Total serum protein profiles were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Fourteen bands ranging from 25 to 240 kDa in size were observed for cats, and 17 bands ranging from 25 to 289 kDa were observed for dogs. The densities of the bands differed among control, diabetic, and insulin-treated animals. In conclusion, we found that serum protein profiles and IGF-I concentrations were altered in both diabetic and insulin-treated animals. When judiciously interpreted in the light of other clinical and laboratory data, the techniques used in our study provide a valuable modality for measuring the severity of diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Proteins/*metabolism ; Cat Diseases/blood/drug therapy/*metabolism ; Cats ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood/drug therapy/metabolism/*veterinary ; Dog Diseases/blood/drug therapy/*metabolism ; Dogs ; Insulin/therapeutic use ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/*metabolism

Renal ischemia as a course of renal transplantation is a common cause of renal dysfunction as renal failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of ascorbic acid on blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and resistive index (RI) for dog models with renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Renal ischemia was induced on 6 Beagle dogs. The left kidney was exposed to normothermic ischemia for a short period at 30 min followed by reperfusion. On the blood Cr level and RI, there was no significant difference comparing both groups. 14 days after I/R injury a significant reduction on the blood BUN level was observed in the vehicle group (34.06 mg/dl) compared to that of ischemia induced treated group (10.3mg/dl) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, administration of ascorbic acid for renal ischemic-reperfusion injury had influence on blood BUN level, but it was not revealed the influence on blood Cr and RI.
Animals ; Antioxidants/*pharmacology ; Ascorbic Acid/*pharmacology ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine/blood ; Dog Diseases/*blood/*drug therapy/ultrasonography ; Dogs ; Kidney Diseases/blood/drug therapy/ultrasonography/*veterinary ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Reperfusion Injury/blood/drug therapy/ultrasonography/*veterinary ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color/veterinary

An 8-year-old male Austrian Pinscher and a 14-year-old male Golden Retriever were presented for evaluation due to unexplainable high fructosamine values despite euglycemia and epistaxis in combination with polydipsia/polyuria, respectively. Blood analysis revealed severe hyperglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia and markedly elevated fructosamine concentrations in both dogs. Multiple myeloma with IgA-monoclonal gammopathy was diagnosed by serum and urine electrophoresis including immunodetection with an anti-dog IgA antibody and bone marrow aspirations. Diabetes mellitus was excluded by repeated plasma and urine glucose measurements. Fructosamine values were positively correlated with globulin, but negatively correlated with albumin concentrations. These cases suggest that, as in human patients, monoclonal IgA gammopathy should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis for dogs with high fructosamine concentrations.
Animals ; Blood Proteins/analysis ; Dog Diseases/*blood/drug therapy ; Dogs ; Fructosamine/*blood ; Immunoglobulin A/*metabolism ; Male ; Melphalan/therapeutic use ; Multiple Myeloma/complications/drug therapy/*veterinary ; Myeloablative Agonists/therapeutic use ; Paraproteinemias/blood/complications/drug therapy/*veterinary

Twenty-five dogs were included in a randomized, double-blind trial to assess the efficacy of doxycycline (DOX) orally administered twice a day at 4 mg/kg/day (n = 12) for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip. Chondroitin sulfate (CS; 525 mg/day) was used as a positive control (n = 13). Dogs were re-examined monthly for 6 months after initiation of treatment. The assessment protocol included clinical score, radiographic findings and serum osteoarthritis biomarkers. Dogs treated with DOX showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in lameness, joint mobility, pain on palpation, weight-bearing and overall score at 2, 6, 4, 4 and 4 months, respectively, after treatment. Biomarker levels of CS-WF6 epitope and hyaluronan were significantly increased and decreased (p < 0.05) at 2 and 3 months after treatment compared to pretreatment. These results showed that DOX had a positive therapeutic effect in dogs with osteoarthritis.
Animals ; Biological Markers/blood ; Dog Diseases/*drug therapy ; Dogs ; Doxycycline/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Hyaluronic Acid/blood ; Joints/drug effects ; Lameness, Animal/drug therapy ; Male ; Osteoarthritis, Hip/drug therapy/*veterinary ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

The hypoglycemic effects after oral administration of vanadium have been studied previously in many species such as rats, mice and even humans. However, there has been no prior report on the glucose lowering effect of vanadium on diabetic dogs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic effects of oral vanadium on diabetic dogs. Diabetes mellitus in the dogs studied was induced by alloxan monohydrate intravenous injection. The dogs were divided into two groups, one was the diabetic control (DC) group (n = 4) and the other was the vanadium treated (DV) group (n = 6). Fresh water was supplied to the dogs in the DC group, but sodium metavanadate solution (0.1~0.2 mg/ml) was given to the dogs in DV group from one week after the alloxan injection. The fasting glucose levels, fructosamine and serum chemistry profiles were compared between the two groups weekly for three weeks. The fasting blood glucose levels in DV group were significantly lower than those in the DC group (p < 0.01). Fructosamine levels in the DV group were also lower than those in the DC group (p < 0.05). The serum chemistry profiles were not significantly different in comparisons between the two groups. However, the cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the DV group compared to the DC group (p < 0.05). Our findings showed that oral vanadium administration had a hypoglycemic effect on chemically induced diabetic dogs.
Alanine Transaminase/blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase/blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood ; Blood Glucose/metabolism ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Chlorides/blood ; Cholesterol/blood ; Creatinine/blood ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/blood/*drug therapy ; Dog Diseases/blood/*drug therapy ; Dogs ; Female ; Fructosamine/blood ; Hypoglycemic Agents/*pharmacology ; Male ; Pancreas/drug effects/pathology ; Potassium/blood ; Random Allocation ; Sodium/blood ; Triglycerides/blood ; Vanadates/*pharmacology

Hyperadrenocorticism, a disorder characterized by excessive production of cortisol by the adrenal cortex, is wellrecognized in dogs. A 10-year-old, intact male, Yorkshire terrier dog was evaluated because of corneal ulceration and generalized alopecia. Diagnosis was made based on history taking, clinical signs, physical examination, and results of routine laboratory testing (complete blood count, serum biochemical analysis, and urinalysis). In addition, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test and abdominal ultrasonography were also used to diagnose this case. The patient was diagnosed as adrenal gland neoplasia and medical therapy using the adrenocorticolytic agent, mitotane, was initiated. An ACTH stimulation test was performed after initial therapy. After successful induction was obtained, maintenance therapy with mitotane still continued.
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms/complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/*veterinary ; Adrenocortical Hyperfunction/diagnosis/drug therapy/etiology/*veterinary ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal/*therapeutic use ; Dog Diseases/*drug therapy ; Dogs ; Male ; Mitotane/*therapeutic use ; Radiography, Abdominal/veterinary ; Tomography, X-Ray/veterinary

Insulin resistance (IR) in dogs is suspected when hyperglycemia is present despite administration of insulin doses greater than 1.0 to 1.5 UI/kg. IR is caused by increases in counter regulatory hormones concentrations (glucagon, glucocorticoids, catecholamines and growth hormone). This study was conducted to investigate the use of aglepristone (RU 46534), a P4 receptor antagonist, for the treatment of IR diabetes mellitus in bitches during the luteal phase. All animals were treated with porcine insulin zinc suspension (Caninsulin) and aglepristone (Alizin) 10 mg/kg subcutaneously at day 1, 2, 9 and 17 from diagnosis. At day 5, no significant variation in glycemia was shown. At day 12 and 20, serum glucose concentrations were significant lower (p < 0.05). From day 12 the insulin dose was reduced to 0.8 IU BID. Insulin was reduced in the following weeks and glycemia was controlled.
Animals ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Diabetes Mellitus/drug therapy/etiology/*veterinary ; Dog Diseases/*drug therapy/etiology ; Dogs ; Estrenes/*therapeutic use ; Estrous Cycle ; Female ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use ; Insulin Resistance ; Pregnancy ; Radioimmunoassay/veterinary ; Receptors, Progesterone/*antagonists & inhibitors

This study examined the effects of ascorbic acid on the attenuation of an ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury after a canine renal transplantation. Eight beagle dogs were subjected to a renal auto-transplantation followed by the administration of ascorbic acid (treatment group) and the same amount of vehicle (physiological saline, control group). Blood samples were collected from these dogs to perform the kidney function tests and the invasive blood pressure was measured in the renal artery at pre- and post-anastomosis. The antioxidant enzymes of level 72 h after the transplant were measured. The kidneys were taken for a histopathology evaluation at day 21. The kidney function tests showed a significant difference between the control and treatment group. The invasive blood pressure in the renal artery was similar in the groups. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes in the blood plasma was significant lower in the control group than in the treatment group. The histopathology findings revealed the treatment group to have less damage than the control group. The results of this study suggest that ascorbic acid alone might play a role in attenuating I/R injury and assist in the recovery of the renal function in a renal transplantation model.
Animals ; Ascorbic Acid/*therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Catalase/blood ; Creatinine/blood ; Dog Diseases/blood/*drug therapy/pathology ; Dogs/*surgery ; Female ; Free Radical Scavengers/therapeutic use ; Glutathione Peroxidase/blood ; Histocytochemistry/veterinary ; Kidney Transplantation/pathology/*veterinary ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Reperfusion Injury/blood/drug therapy/pathology/*veterinary ; Superoxide Dismutase/blood