Serum steroid and thyroid hormone concentrations in healthy domestic male and female alpacas.

Alpacas are high quality fiber producing animals, kept for production purpose and as pets. Endocrine imbalances from adrenal glands, gonads, or thyroid gland may result in coat abnormalities in domestic animals and affect reproduction. Contrary to many domesticated animals, information on hormone concentrations in alpacas is scarce.

Diagnosis and Long-term Treatment of Suspected Congenital Hypothyroidism in a Pigeon ().

An approximately 6-month-old domestic pigeon () was presented for lethargy and an inability to perform its first molt. The pigeon was obese, had anatomical characteristics of a chick, including cere and plumage, and had a ventral coelomic soft tissue mass. Initial blood work was unremarkable.

Comparison of steroid and thyroid hormone concentrations in blood serum and plasma of captive tigers.

Analysis of steroid and thyroid hormones is often performed in blood serum. Occasionally though, plasma samples are submitted in lieu of serum for exotic species such as tigers. However, blood tube anticoagulants may affect hormone values.

Cortisol, progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and TSH responses in dogs injected with low-dose lipopolysaccharide.

Background: Stress and diseases such as endotoxemia induce cortisol synthesis through a complex biosynthetic pathway involving intermediates (progesterone, and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHP)) and suppression of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis.

Objective: To measure plasma concentrations of cortisol, progesterone, 17α-OHP, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in dogs experimentally injected with intravenous low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our hypothesis was that LPS treatment would elicit a significant increase in cortisol and its precursors, and a significant decrease in TSH concentration.

Analytic performance evaluation of a veterinary-specific ELISA for measurement of serum cortisol concentrations of dogs.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the precision of an ELISA for measurement of serum cortisol concentration (SCC) in dogs, assess agreement between this ELISA and 2 validated chemiluminescence assays (CLAs), and evaluate the clinical implications of any bias associated with this ELISA when measuring SCC in dogs. DESIGN Evaluation study. SAMPLE 75 stored, frozen serum samples from client-owned dogs.

Adrenocortical Challenge Response and Genomic Analyses in Scottish Terriers With Increased Alkaline Phosphate Activity.

Scottish terriers (ST) frequently have increased serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of the steroid isoform. Many of these also have high serum concentrations of adrenal sex steroids. The study's objective was to determine the cause of increased sex steroids in ST with increased ALP.

Variability of serum aldosterone concentrations in pet ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).

OBJECTIVE To explore sources of serum aldosterone concentration variability in a population of healthy and diseased ferrets, determine a preliminary 1 -sided reference interval for serum aldosterone concentration in healthy ferrets, and identify a decision limit to differentiate healthy from diseased ferrets on the basis of serum aldosterone concentration. DESIGN Prospective threshold definition and diagnostic accuracy study. ANIMALS 78 healthy (n = 56) and diseased (22) ferrets.

Clinical features of progressive vacuolar hepatopathy in Scottish Terriers with and without hepatocellular carcinoma: 114 cases (1980-2013).

Objective: To characterize signalment, clinical features, clinicopathologic variables, hepatic ultrasonographic characteristics, endocrinologic profiles, treatment response, and age at death of Scottish Terriers with progressive vacuolar hepatopathy (VH) with or without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 114 Scottish Terriers with progressive VH.

Early life triclocarban exposure during lactation affects neonate rat survival.

Triclocarban (3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide; TCC), an antimicrobial used in bar soaps, affects endocrine function in vitro and in vivo. This study investigates whether TCC exposure during early life affects the trajectory of fetal and/or neonatal development. Sprague Dawley rats were provided control, 0.

Use of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone for thyrotropin stimulation testing in euthyroid ferrets.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of IM administration of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH) on plasma total thyroxine (T4) concentrations in euthyroid ferrets.

Design: Evaluation study.

Animals: 25 healthy neutered ferrets (14 female and 11 male) of various ages from 2 populations (laboratory ferrets from Georgia and pet ferrets from Pennsylvania).

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of single administration of 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implants on egg production and plasma sex hormones in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Objective: To evaluate the effects of 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implants on egg production and plasma concentrations of 17β-estradiol and androstenedione in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) over 180 days and assess safety of the implants in quail via gross and histologic examination.

Animals: 20 female Japanese quail.

Use of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone for evaluation of thyroid function in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).

Objective: To evaluate the effects of administration of recombinant human (rh) thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) for evaluation of thyroid function in euthyroid guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).

Design: Prospective, experimental study.

Animals: 10 healthy, sexually intact, pet guinea pigs (approx 1 year of age).

Effect of combined lignan phytoestrogen and melatonin treatment on secretion of steroid hormones by adrenal carcinoma cells.

Objective: To investigate the in vitro effect of the combination of lignan enterolactone (ENL) or lignan enterodiol (END) with melatonin on steroid hormone secretion and cellular aromatase content in human adrenal carcinoma cells.

Sample: Human adrenocortical carcinoma cells.

Procedures: Melatonin plus ENL or END was added to cell culture medium along with cAMP (100μM); control cells received cAMP alone.

Blood steroid concentrations in domestic Mongolian horses.

Traditionally, analysis of blood cortisol alone has been used to evaluate adrenal function. Currently, multisteroid analyses are considered more informative than analysis of a single hormone to assess adrenal function. The objective of the present research was to create a database for steroid reference values for domestic Mongolian horses.

Comparison of testis structure, function and thyroid hormone levels in control C57BL/6 mice and anti-mullerian hormone over expressing mice.

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is considered as a negative regulator of postnatal Leydig cell (LC) differentiation, because AMH over expressing mice (Mt-hAMH mice) testes are deficient in LC. Therefore, in the present study Mt-hAMH mice was used as a model to examine the process of postnatal LC differentiation. Testis structure-function studies were performed in age-matching Mt-hAMH and C57BL/6 (controls) mice; testicular components were quantified and circulating testosterone and thyroid hormone levels (thyroxine/T4 and triiodothyronine/T3; necessary for postnatal LC differentiation) were determined.

Effects of leuprolide acetate on selected blood and fecal sex hormones in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventrais).

The luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist leuprolide acetate is used commonly to anage reproductive problems in pet birds. To determine the effect of leuprolide acetate on plas a and fecal hormone levels in a psittacine species, a single 800 microg/kg dose of the 30-day depot form of leuprolide acetate was administered IM in 11 healthy, nonbreeding adult Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis), and plasma and fecal hormone levels were measured before and after leuprolide administration. At pooled baseline to 21 days postleuprolide acetate administration, sample collection day was significantly associated with plasma 17beta-estradiol and androstenedione levels and fecal 17beta-estradiol levels (evaluated in females only).

Physiologic assessment of blood glucose homeostasis via combined intravenous glucose and insulin testing in horses.

Objective: To characterize the physiologic response to i.v. bolus injection of glucose and insulin for development of a combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT) in horses.

Inhibition of collagenase breakdown of equine corneas by tetanus antitoxin, equine serum and acetylcysteine.

Objective: To determine whether tetanus antitoxin, equine serum, and acetylcysteine, which are currently used in the treatment of equine corneal ulcer, inhibit the digestion of equine corneal collagen when exposed to collagenase in vitro.

Animals Studied: Corneas from 40 adult horses.

Procedures: Sections of equine corneas were incubated with saline, a solution of bacterial collagenase in saline, bacterial collagenase in saline plus equine tetanus antitoxin, bacterial collagenase in saline plus equine serum, or bacterial collagenase in saline plus acetylcysteine.

Differential modulation of signaling pathways and apoptosis of ras-transformed 10T1/2 cells by the depsipeptide FR901228.

(E)-(1S,4S,10S,21R)-7-[(Z)-ethylidene]-4,21-diisopropyl-2-oxa-12,13-dithia-5,8,20,23-tetraazabicyclo[8,7,6]-tricos-16-ene-3,6,9,19,22-pentanone (FR901228), a natural anticancer depsipeptide, induces apoptosis of ras-transformed 10T1/2 cells whereas it induces growth arrest of nontransformed counterpart cells in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Our study of the effect of FR901228 treatment on intracellular signaling pathways reveals a discriminating activity of FR901228 to regulate signaling cascades differently in ras-transformed 10T1/2 cells and nontransformed counterpart cells. Induction of apoptosis of ras-transformed cells by FR901228 correlates with suppression of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway through reduction of Raf expression and deactivation of Mek and Erk, inhibition of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3-K) pathway indexed by suppression of Akt activity, suppression of p38 activity, and activation of caspase-3.