Relationship between clinical parameters and malformations in dogs diagnosed with atlanto-axial instability.

Atlanto-axial instability is a common disease that affects toy-breed dogs. Most cases of atlanto-axial instability are congenital. Furthermore, patients with atlanto-axial instability are predisposed to other concurrent diseases.

Proof-of-concept study of the caninized anti-canine programmed death 1 antibody in dogs with advanced non-oral malignant melanoma solid tumors.

Background: The anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) antibody has led to durable clinical responses in a wide variety of human tumors. We have previously developed the caninized anti-canine PD-1 antibody (ca-4F12-E6) and evaluated its therapeutic properties in dogs with advance-staged oral malignant melanoma (OMM), however, their therapeutic effects on other types of canine tumors remain unclear.

Objective: The present clinical study was carried out to evaluate the safety profile and clinical efficacy of ca-4F12-E6 in dogs with advanced solid tumors except for OMM.

Sulfasalazine, a potent cystine-glutamate transporter inhibitor, enhances osteogenic differentiation of canine adipose-derived stem cells.

Cystine-glutamate transporter (xCT) is a plasma membrane transporter that imports cystine and indirectly contributes to the oxidative stress resistance associated with increased intracellular glutathione levels. Canine adipose-derived stem cells (CADSCs) include an xCT-positive subpopulation and show relatively low expression of osteogenic markers during in vitro osteogenic differentiation. Sulfasalazine (SSZ), a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, suppresses xCT expression in cancer cells.

Effect of tolvaptan on hyponatremia in a dog with syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone.

A 1-year-old spayed female Miniature Schnauzer had chronic hyponatremia, accompanied by polyuria and polydipsia. Blood tests and urinalysis revealed severe hyponatremia, low plasma osmolality with euvolemia, and increased sodium excretion in urine. Hypothyroidism and hypoadrenocorticism were ruled out as causes.

Comparison of surgical invasiveness between micro-endoscopic discectomy/microscopic discectomy and conventional hemilaminectomy in dogs.

Micro-endoscopic discectomy (MED) or microscopic discectomy (MD) have been performed for disc herniation in humans. The purpose of this study was to compare the invasiveness of the hemilaminectomy in dogs between the approach using a cylindrical retractor for the MED/MD and a conventional open surgical approaches in dogs. First, as preliminary studies, we analyzed the suitability of the cylindrical retractor for the vertebral body of small to medium-sized dogs on the X-ray computed tomographic images using the three-dimensional analysis software, and confirmed that it was possible to open a bone window of an approximate length of 1.

Histiocytic sarcoma with spinal necrosis in a dog with progressing non-ambulatory tetraparesis.

Background: Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is an aggressive malignant neoplasm, and widespread metastasis occurs with a fatal outcome. HS involving the central nervous system is relatively uncommon. Spinal cord necrosis, a very rare condition, could be induced by ischemia or infarction.

A Monte Carlo study on dose distribution of an orthovoltage radiation therapy system.

It is important to plan radiotherapy treatment and establish optimal dose distribution to reduce the chances of side effects and injury. Because there are no commercially available tools for calculating dose distribution in orthovoltage radiotherapy in companion animals, we developed an algorithm to accomplish this and verified its characteristics using tumor disease cases. First, we used the Monte Carlo method to develop an algorithm to calculate the dose distribution of orthovoltage radiotherapy (280 kVp; MBR-320, Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) using BEAMnrc at our clinic.

Evaluation of setup errors of immobilization device for radiation therapy in companion animals.

Background: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), which allows generating steep dose gradients, is a beneficial treatment for companion animals with adjacent target and risk organs. IMRT is essential for high setup accuracy for avoiding overdose to risk organs, and optimal radiotherapy is important for evaluating the setup accuracy of companion animals.

Aim: To use an immobilization device to evaluate setup errors in radiotherapy for companion animals.

Relationship of microsatellite instability to mismatch repair deficiency in malignant tumors of dogs.

Background: Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a type of genomic instability caused by mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) in tumors. Studies on dMMR/MSI are limited, and the relationship between dMMR and MSI is unknown in tumors of dogs.

Objectives: We aimed to identify the frequency of dMMR/MSI by tumor type and evaluate the relationship between dMMR and MSI in tumors of dogs.

Establishment of a New Canine Inflammatory Mammary Carcinoma Cell Line and Analysis of its Cystine-glutamate Transporter Subunit Expression.

Introduction: Inflammatory mammary carcinoma (IMC) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis and one affecting dogs. Inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) is a subtype of malignant breast cancer in humans with a high degree of malignancy and a similarly poor prognosis. Since the clinical symptoms and prognoses of both are similar, canine IMC has been considered as a model of human IBC.

Adjustment of multi-leaf collimator parameters in 4-MV and 6-MV IMRT: A study of veterinary clinical cases.

Background: For optimal treatment, it is important to maintain optimal multi-leaf collimator (MLC) transmission in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). However, adjustment of transmissions has not been reported in veterinary medicine.

Aim: To demonstrate that appropriate MLC parameter adjustment for IMRT using 4- and 6-MV energy can reduce the need for quality assurance revalidation in real companion animal clinical cases.

Outcomes of megavoltage radiotherapy for canine intranasal tumors and its relationship to clinical stages.

Background: Radiation therapy is considered important for the treatment of intranasal tumors in dogs and is believed to be essential for prolonging their survival.

Aim: To investigate the contribution of clinical staging to improve outcomes of megavoltage radiotherapy for canine intranasal tumors.

Methods: A total of 123 dogs with intranasal tumors were included in the study.

Pedigree study of the heredity of copper-associated hepatitis in Dalmatians in Japan.

The pedigrees of 3 Dalmatian dogs afflicted with copper-associated hepatitis were investigated to discover the mode of inheritance. A composite family pedigree showed that the 3 affected Dalmatians were related. None of the parents of the affected dogs showed clinical symptoms of liver disease, and the disease had no sex predisposition.

A long survival case of spinal nephroblastoma in a dog.

Background: Dogs' nephroblastoma of the spinal cord is a rare neoplastic disease, with few reports of long-term survival after surgery. We experienced that surgical treatment with postoperative radiation therapy for spinal nephroblastoma in a dog resulted in the long-term survival of 11 years.

Case Description: The patient presented to our veterinary hospital because of progressive hindlimb paralysis.

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor in dogs with various proliferative diseases.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the proliferation and metastasis mechanisms of malignant tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a group of cytokines that contribute to angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the serum VEGF-A concentrations in dogs with various proliferative diseases.

Transient third-degree atrioventricular block during anesthesia in a cat.

Background: Third-degree atrioventricular block (AVB) is usually permanent, with transient cases being rare. Cats with transient third-degree AVB. It had been not reported in detail.

Effect of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization loaded with cisplatin on normal dogs.

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are standard treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and particularly for unresectable tumors or liver metastases in humans. However, reports on TACE used in veterinary medicine are few. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE).

Sphere-forming cells display stem cell-like characteristics and increased xCT expression in a canine hepatocellular carcinoma cell line.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of canine primary liver tumor; however, most chemotherapies against HCC are ineffective due to resistance to anticancer agents. Sphere-forming cells are considered to act as cancer stem cells for various types of solid tumors and have been established for many canine tumor cell lines, yet no studies have reported sphere-forming cells for canine HCC. In this study, we established sphere-forming cells from a canine HCC cell line (AZACH).

Copper-associated hepatitis in a young Dalmatian dog in Japan.

A male 25-month-old Dalmatian dog attended our veterinary hospital because of anorexia and high circulating liver enzyme activities. Abdominal computed tomography showed a slightly small liver with rounded edges, and laparoscopic examination showed that the liver was yellowish. Histopathological examination revealed multifocal necrosis of hepatocytes and severe chronic hepatitis.

Clinical features and their course of pituitary carcinoma with distant metastasis in a dog.

An 11-year-old male toy poodle with neurological symptoms was diagnosed with a macroscopic pituitary tumor, which produced adrenocorticotropic hormone. Radiation therapy with a linear accelerator was performed for the pituitary tumor, and resulted in good local tumor control. However, serum endogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations were uncontrollable even after the tumor disappeared.

Computed tomographic-derived measurements of shunt fraction and hepatic perfusion in dogs with a single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt in a clinical setting.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical feasibility and usefulness of measuring shunt fraction (SF) and hepatic perfusion with CT in dogs with a single extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EPSS).

Animals: 36 client-owned dogs with EPSS.

Procedures: Dogs with EPSS referred for treatment between February 2016 and May 2017 were eligible for the clinical trial.

Inhibition of growth of canine-derived vascular endothelial cells by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and atrial natriuretic peptide.

This study investigated the direct effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on canine-derived vascular endothelial cells (VECs). VECs were isolated and cultured from canine arteries and veins. The mRNA expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, cyclooxygenase-2, and natriuretic peptide receptor 1 were detected in the cultured VECs.