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

To evaluate radiosensitivity and the effects of radiation on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptors in the canine oral melanoma cell line, TLM 1, cells were irradiated with doses of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 Gray (Gy). Survival rates were then determined by a MTT assay, while vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1 and -2 expression was measured by flow cytometry and apoptotic cell death rates were investigated using an Annexin assay. Additionally, a commercially available canine VEGF ELISA kit was used to measure VEGF. Radiosensitivity was detected in TLM 1 cells, and mitotic and apoptotic cell death was found to occur in a radiation dose dependent manner. VEGF was secreted constitutively and significant up-regulation was observed in the 8 and 10 Gy irradiated cells. In addition, a minor portion of TLM 1 cells expressed vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1 intracellularly. VEGFR-2 was detected in the cytoplasm and was down-regulated following radiation with increasing dosages. In TLM 1 cells, apoptosis plays an important role in radiation induced cell death. It has also been suggested that the significantly higher VEGF production in the 8 and 10 Gy group could lead to tumour resistance.
Animals ; Apoptosis/*radiation effects ; Cell Line, Tumor/radiation effects ; Dogs ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary ; Melanoma/genetics/metabolism ; Mouth Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism ; Radiation Tolerance ; Tetrazolium Salts/metabolism ; Thiazoles/metabolism ; Up-Regulation/*radiation effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics/metabolism/*radiation effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1/genetics/metabolism/*radiation effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2/genetics/metabolism/*radiation effects