Acupuncture has potential in managing axial stiffness in steeplechase racehorses: a blinded prospective randomized preliminary study.

Objective: Evaluate the short-term effects of acupuncture on the dynamic manifestations of axial stiffness in steeplechase racehorses.

Animals: 12 steeplechase racehorses presenting signs of axial stiffness during training.

Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to either an acupuncture treatment by an experienced certified acupuncturist (n = 6) or no treatment as negative controls (6).

Metabolic and structural abnormalities in dogs with early left ventricular dysfunction induced by incessant tachycardia.

Objective: To assess morphologic and metabolic abnormalities in dogs with early left ventricular dysfunction (ELVD) induced by rapid right ventricular pacing (RRVP).

Animals: 7 Beagles.

Procedure: Plasma carnitine concentrations were measured before and after development of ELVD induced by RRVP.

Usefulness of dobutamine stress tests for detection of cardiac abnormalities in dogs with experimentally induced early left ventricular dysfunction.

Objective: To determine whether dobutamine stress tests (DST) can be used to detect cardiac dysfunction in dogs with early left ventricular dysfunction (ELVD) induced by rapid right ventricular pacing (RRVP).

Animals: 7 adult male Beagles.

Procedure: A pacemaker was surgically implanted in each dog at the level of the right ventricular apex.

Hormonal response to dobutamine cardiac stress testing in a conscious canine model of early left ventricular dysfunction induced by chronic rate overload.

The aims of this study were to investigate (1) hormonal activation before and during dobutamine cardiac stress testing (DST) in a canine model of early left ventricular dysfunction (ELVD) induced by rapid right ventricular pacing (RRVP) and (2) the relationship between this hormonal profile and carnitine concentrations. Before the pacing period, the 6 dogs were assigned to 2 groups according their baseline total plasma carnitine concentration. A DST was performed on each dog before activation of the pacemaker and every 3 to 4 days during development of 3 progressive stages of ELVD (stages 1, 2 and 3).