Fasting triglyceride concentrations are associated with markers of lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis in healthy, non-obese dogs in lean and overweight condition.

Serum triglyceride concentrations increase in dogs with obesity, which is typically assessed by body condition score (BCS), however little is known about changes that take place in non-obese dogs in overweight condition. Further, the associations of triglyceride levels with other markers of energy homeostasis are poorly characterised in healthy animals. The present study aimed to evaluate associations between both BCS and triglyceride concentrations with other markers of lipid and glucose metabolism in healthy, non-obese dogs, as well as to assess whether these markers change significantly in non-obese dogs with overweight as compared to their lean counterparts.

Cardiac troponin I in healthy Norwegian Forest Cat, Birman and domestic shorthair cats, and in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the potential associations between the serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration in healthy cats and feline characteristics, systolic blood pressure, heart rate (HR), echocardiographic measurements and storage time; and to compare cTnI concentrations in healthy cats with concentrations in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), with or without left atrial enlargement (LAE) and in cats with HCM, to assess potential associations between cTnI concentration and echocardiographic variables.

Methods: Cardiac TnI was analysed using an Abbott ARCHITECT ci16200 analyser in serum from prospectively included healthy Norwegian Forest Cat (NF; n = 33), Birman (n = 33) and domestic shorthair (DSH; n = 30) cats, and from 39 cats with HCM, with or without LAE.

Results: In healthy cats, higher cTnI concentrations were found in Birman cats than in NF cats ( = 0.

Concentrations of canine prostate specific esterase, CPSE, at baseline are associated with the relative size of the prostate at three-year follow-up.

Background: Enlargement of the prostate is associated with prostatic diseases in dogs, and an estimation of prostatic size is a central part in the diagnostic workup. Ultrasonography is often the method of choice, but biomarkers constitute an alternative. Canine prostate specific esterase (CPSE) shares many characteristics with human prostate specific antigen (PSA) and is related to prostate size.

Influence of clinical setting and cat characteristics on indirectly measured blood pressure and pulse rate in healthy Birman, Norwegian Forest, and Domestic Shorthair cats.

Background: Measured indirect blood pressure (BP) results in cats in a clinical environment might be affected by stress and characteristics of the cats.

Hypothesis: To investigate the influence of clinical setting, cat characteristics, and life situation on BP and pulse rate (PR) in healthy cats.

Animals: Ninety-four healthy Domestic Shorthair, Birman and Norwegian Forest cats.

Effect of feline characteristics on plasma N-terminal-prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide concentration and comparison of a point-of-care test and an ELISA test.

Background: Increased plasma concentration of N-terminal-prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) can be detected in cats with cardiac disease. Potential effects of feline characteristics on NT-proBNP concentration may influence clinical usefulness.

Objectives: To evaluate potential effects of feline characteristics on NT-proBNP plasma concentration and to compare NT-proBNP plasma concentrations in healthy cats with results in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) cats with or without left atrial enlargement (LAE) using an ELISA and a point-of-care test (POCT), and assess if POCT results reflect ELISA results.

Interbreed variation of biomarkers of lipid and glucose metabolism in dogs.

Background: Markers of lipid and glucose metabolism are used in both clinical practice and research. Detection of abnormal laboratory results often relies on species-specific reference intervals, but interbreed variation can also affect data interpretation.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to compare concentrations of selected biochemical variables among different dog breeds.

Evaluation of an ELISA for metanephrines in feline urine.

Catecholamines can be used to evaluate neuroendocrine tumors, stress, and potentially pain, but catecholamines degrade rapidly. Their metabolites normetanephrine (NME) and metanephrine (ME) have better stability in urine. In cats, urine sampling in a home environment would be beneficial to reduce effects of clinical stress and simplify sampling.

Interbreed variation in serum serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) concentration in healthy dogs.

Introduction: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) has several biological functions. In different species, excessive 5-HT has been linked to valvular lesions, similar to those seen in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease. Previous studies suggest higher 5-HT in healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs), a breed highly affected by myxomatous mitral valve disease, compared to other breeds.

The association between the serum concentration of canine prostate specific esterase (CPSE) and the size of the canine prostate.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-related disorder in the intact male dog that is associated with an increase in the prostatic size. Ultrasonography gives a reliable estimate of the prostatic size, but a method for screening the prostate size using a serum sample has advantages, such as requiring less expensive equipment. The primary aim of the study was to study the association between the concentration of the circulating biomarker canine prostate specific esterase (CPSE) and prostatic size.

Effect of Breed on Plasma Endothelin-1 Concentration, Plasma Renin Activity, and Serum Cortisol Concentration in Healthy Dogs.

Background: There are breed differences in several blood variables in healthy dogs.

Objective: Investigate breed variation in plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentration, plasma renin activity, and serum cortisol concentration.

Animals: Five-hundred and thirty-one healthy dogs of 9 breeds examined at 5 centers (2-4 breeds/center).

Ambulatory electrocardiogram recordings in cats with primary asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Objectives The aims of the study were to determine the heart rate, rhythm, number of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) and atrial premature complexes (APCs) in unsedated cats with asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), using 24 h ambulatory electrocardiogram (ECG) (Holter) in the home environment and to compare the results with those from healthy control cats. Methods Fifteen privately owned cats with asymptomatic HCM entered the study. Data from 23 healthy cats, previously published by our group, were used as the control.

The Shepherds' Tale: A Genome-Wide Study across 9 Dog Breeds Implicates Two Loci in the Regulation of Fructosamine Serum Concentration in Belgian Shepherds.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem in both dogs and humans. Certain dog breeds show high prevalence of the disease, whereas other breeds are at low risk. Fructosamine and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) are two major biomarkers of glycaemia, where serum concentrations reflect glucose turnover over the past few weeks to months.

The effect of a single dose of prednisolone in dogs envenomated by Vipera berus--a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Treatment with glucocorticoids after snakebite in dogs is controversial and randomized clinical studies are missing. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a single dose of prednisolone in dogs envenomated by Vipera berus in a double-blind placebo-controlled study, after exclusion of dogs treated with antivenom. The two treatment groups were compared regarding clinical status and clinicopathological test results.

Breed differences in natriuretic peptides in healthy dogs.

Background: Measurement of plasma concentration of natriuretic peptides (NPs) is suggested to be of value in diagnosis of cardiac disease in dogs, but many factors other than cardiac status may influence their concentrations. Dog breed potentially is 1 such factor.

Objective: To investigate breed variation in plasma concentrations of pro-atrial natriuretic peptide 31-67 (proANP 31-67) and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in healthy dogs.

Assessment of cardiac function using global and regional left ventricular endomyocardial and epimyocardial peak systolic strain and strain rate in healthy Labrador retriever dogs.

Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is based on tracking of natural acoustic myocardial markers. The study aimed at quantifying global and regional endomyocardial and epimyocardial left ventricular longitudinal, circumferential and radial peak systolic strain and strain rate, including feasibility and variability; and assessing synchronicity and torsion, in healthy dogs. Cineloops were acquired from left apical 4-chamber, basal and apical right parasternal short-axis views in 22 healthy Labrador retrievers.

Blood pressure, heart rate, and urinary catecholamines in healthy dogs subjected to different clinical settings.

Background: Correct interpretation of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) recordings is important in a clinical environment, but little is known about effects of stress on BP and HR responses of dogs to different clinical settings.

Objective: To investigate BP and HR responses in different clinical settings in dogs of 3 breeds, and to relate findings to urinary catecholamine concentrations measured by ELISA assays previously validated for use in human plasma and urine, after validation for use in dogs.

Animals: Client-owned healthy dogs; 41 Labrador Retrievers, 33 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS), and 15 Dachshunds.

Evaluation of cytologic findings in feline conjunctivitis.

Background: Cytologic examination of smears prepared from ocular swabs of conjunctiva from cats with conjunctivitis permits identification of the type of inflammation and possibly specific microorganisms. Results of studies of the diagnostic utility of cytology for detection of infectious causes of feline conjunctivitis have been inconsistent.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe cytologic findings in cats with conjunctivitis and to compare those findings with results of PCR analysis for feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), Chlamydophila felis (C felis), and Mycoplasma felis (M felis).

An investigation on the presence of Chlamydiaceae in Swedish dogs.

Background: Bacteria belonging to the family Chlamydiaceae cause a broad spectrum of diseases in a wide range of hosts, including man, other mammals, and birds. Upper respiratory and genital diseases are common clinical problems caused by Chlamydiaceae. Very little is known about chlamydial infections in dogs.

Infectious causes for feline upper respiratory tract disease--a case-control study.

The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the prevalence of microorganisms in group-living cats with clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), in in-contact cats and in cats in groups without URTD problems. Samples were taken from the ventral conjunctival fornix for analysis of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV), Mycoplasma felis and Chlamydiaceae using a real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. The oropharynx was sampled for bacteriological culture and viral isolation.

Twenty-four hour Holter monitoring of unsedated healthy cats in the home environment.

Objective: To determine the heart rate, rhythm, number of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) and atrial premature complexes (APCs) in unsedated cats using Holter monitoring.

Animals, Materials And Methods: Twenty-three healthy client owned cats were used. Clinical examination, blood pressure measurements, echocardiographic examination and serum biochemical analysis were performed.

High proportion of isosporiasis among HIV-infected patients with diarrhea in southern India.

We investigated 245 diarrheal stool specimens from HIV-positive subjects between January 2003 and December 2006 to determine the etiological role of coproparasites. Parasitic etiology was observed in 91 (37.1%) cases.

Unchanged insulin absorption after 4 days' use of subcutaneous indwelling catheters for insulin injections.

Objective: Since 1985, we have used indwelling catheters (Insuflon, Maersk Medical, Lynge, Denmark; Chronimed, Minnetonka, MN) to lessen pain when injecting insulin. However, some patients experience a rise in blood glucose after using indwelling catheters for a few days. We therefore studied the absorption of 125I-labeled insulin when using indwelling catheters.

Metabolic control is not altered when using indwelling catheters for insulin injections.

Objective: To determine if the use of indwelling catheters for insulin injections affects the long- and short-term metabolic control of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

Research Design And Methods: Sixteen children and adolescents 9-20 years of age were included in a randomized 10-week crossover study using indwelling catheters (Insuflon, Pharma-Plast, Lynge, Denmark; CHRONIMED, Minnetonka, Minnesota) for insulin injections. Their diabetes duration was 7.