Botfly Cephenemyia ulrichii larvae in the nasal cavity and nasopharynx of a dog with respiratory signs.

A Finnish Lapphund dog with acute upper respiratory signs and gagging was presented at veterinary clinic. During rhinoscopy, ten 1- to 2-mm long, actively moving larvae were found in the dog's nasal cavity and nasopharynx and identified as Cephenemyia ulrichii (Diptera: Oestridae). This moose (Alces alces) parasite is widespread in Finland but has not been reported before from an accidental canine host.

Extraesophageal reflux and reflux aspiration in dogs with respiratory diseases and in healthy dogs.

Background: Salivary bile acids are used to diagnose extraesophageal reflux (EER) and to evaluate the risk of reflux aspiration that is associated with respiratory diseases in dogs.

Objectives: To study total bile acid (TBA) concentrations in saliva and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to investigate EER and reflux aspiration in dogs with respiratory diseases and in healthy dogs.

Animals:  Thirty-one West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs) with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 12 dogs with inflammatory airway disease (IAD), 6 dogs with recurrent pneumonia (RP), 26 brachycephalic dogs (BD), 27 healthy WHWTs (HW), 52 healthy dogs (HD).

Evaluation of VEGF-A and CCL2 in dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome or canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in normocephalic dogs.

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) and canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) of West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs) often cause intermittent or chronic hypoxemia. Our objective was to evaluate serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) concentrations of hypoxemia-related proinflammatory mediators vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and chemokine (CC motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in brachycephalic dogs (BDs) and WHWTs with and without CIPF. Additionally, effects of BOAS severity and ageing on these mediators were assessed.

Quantitative proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in West Highland white terriers with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) is a chronic, progressive, interstitial fibrosing lung disease, manifesting as cough, exercise intolerance and ultimately, dyspnea and respiratory failure. It mainly affects West Highland white terriers (WHWTs), lacks curable treatment and has a poor prognosis. Aspiration of gastroesophageal refluxate may play a role in the development of CIPF.

Matrix metalloproteinase-2, -7, and -9 activities in dogs with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis compared to healthy dogs and dogs with other respiratory diseases.

Background: Canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) is a chronic, interstitial lung disease that mainly affects West Highland white terriers (WHWTs) and is characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the lung. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) participate in remodeling of ECM.

Objectives: To compare metalloproteinase-2, -7 and -9 activities in blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples or both of CIPF WHWTs with healthy WHWTs, healthy dogs of other breeds, and dogs with other lung diseases and determine if these MMPs could be used as diagnostic and prognostic markers for CIPF.

Update on Canine Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in West Highland White Terriers.

Canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) is a chronic, progressive, interstitial lung disease (ILD) affecting older West Highland white terriers (WHWTs). According to one classification, CIPF is a familial fibrotic ILD in the group of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. Etiology is unknown but likely arises from interplay between genetic and environmental factors.

Reflux aspiration in lungs of dogs with respiratory disease and in healthy West Highland White Terriers.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux and microaspiration (MA) of gastric juice are associated with various human respiratory diseases but not in dogs.

Objective: To detect the presence of bile acids in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of dogs with various respiratory diseases.

Animals: Twenty-seven West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs) with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF), 11 dogs with bacterial pneumonia (BP), 13 with chronic bronchitis (CB), 9 with eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP), 19 with laryngeal dysfunction (LD), 8 Irish Wolfhounds (IWHs) with previous BPs, 13 healthy WHWTs, all privately owned dogs, and 6 healthy research colony Beagles METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional observational study with convenience sampling of dogs.

Evaluation of chemokines CXCL8 and CCL2, serotonin, and vascular endothelial growth factor serum concentrations in healthy dogs from seven breeds with variable predisposition for canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The West Highland white terrier (WHWT) is particularly prone to canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF). We hypothesized that higher circulating concentrations of chemokines CXCL8, CCL2, serotonin (5-HT), or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) could serve as predisposing factors for CIPF development in the WHWT breed. Serum samples from 103 healthy dogs of seven different breeds variably predisposed to CIPF were collected.

Assessment of CCL2 and CXCL8 chemokines in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue samples from dogs affected with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF) is a progressive disease of the lung parenchyma that is more prevalent in dogs of the West Highland white terrier (WHWT) breed. Since the chemokines (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and (C-X-C motif) ligand 8 (CXCL8) have been implicated in pulmonary fibrosis in humans, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether these same chemokines are involved in the pathogenesis of CIPF. CCL2 and CXCL8 concentrations were measured by ELISA in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from healthy dogs and WHWTs affected with CIPF.

Upregulation of alveolar levels of activin B, but not activin A, in lungs of west highland white terriers with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and diffuse alveolar damage.

Activins, cytokines belonging to the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, have an important role in inflammation and fibrosis. Activin A has been suggested to participate in the pathophysiology of human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but studies on the role of activin B are sparse. Canine IPF (CIPF) is an incurable interstitial lung disease occurring particularly in West Highland white terriers (WHWTs).

Transforming growth factor beta 1 activation, storage, and signaling pathways in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in dogs.

Background: The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in dogs is poorly understood. In human, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is considered central in the pathogenesis.

Objectives: To investigate TGF-β1 pathway in IPF.

Comparative study of transforming growth factor-β signalling and regulatory molecules in human and canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a key event in the progression of fibrosis in human lung tissue. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in West Highland white terriers (WHWTs) shares histopathological features of human usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), the histopathological counterpart of IPF and non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP). The aim of the present immunohistochemical study was to investigate TGF-β signalling activity and its known extracellular matrix (ECM) regulatory proteins, latent TGF-β binding protein (LTBP)-1 and fibrillin-2, in lung tissue of WHWTs with IPF and healthy WHWTs and to compare these with findings in human UIP and NSIP.

Long-term outcome and use of 6-minute walk test in West Highland White Terriers with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable interstitial lung disease occurring mainly in West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs). The effects of IPF on survival and on exercise tolerance in WHWTs are unknown.

Objectives: To evaluate survival, prognostic factors, and exercise tolerance in WHWTs with IPF.

Serum C-reactive protein as a diagnostic biomarker in dogs with bacterial respiratory diseases.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute-phase protein in dogs. Serum concentrations are low in healthy animals, but increase rapidly after inflammatory stimuli.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate CRP concentrations in various respiratory diseases of dogs and to determine if CRP can be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis of bacterial respiratory diseases.

Analysis of gene expression in canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in dogs is a rare disease of unknown aetiology, seen in terrier breeds, particularly the West Highland white terrier (WHWT). The aim of this study was to determine pulmonary gene expression in canine IPF in order to gain insights into the pathogenesis of the disease and to identify possible biomarkers. Microarray analyses were conducted to determine gene expression profiles in the lungs of dogs with IPF and control dogs of various breeds.

Optimisation of city size.

Club theoretical analysis of migration between asymmetrical cities shows that centralised policy intervention is necessary to ensure the efficient allocation of people between cities. Administrative and economic measures are compared as policy instruments of central government. These instruments are found to differ in their effects on residential allocation and welfare.

A mouse model of aortic angioplasty for genomic studies of neointimal hyperplasia.

We describe here a mouse model of diffuse aortic remodelling triggered by combined endothelial denudation/vascular distension injury using a novel balloon microcatheter. We validated this model in both outbred (NMRI) and inbred (BALB/c, C57BL/6) mouse strains and found evidence for differential strain susceptibility to neointimal hyperplasia, possibly attributable to genetic factors. Neointimal lesions were approximately 50% smaller in the inbred strains, a finding associated with profound cell loss in the aortic media at the early stages of the response to injury.

The cytochrome P450-containing monooxygenase of Trichosporon cutaneum: occurrence and properties.

Trichosporon cutaneum metabolizes glucose purely oxidatively and cytochrome P450 was not detected in the reduced CO-difference spectrum of whole cells. However, in the isolated microsomal fraction the corresponding monooxygenase was present as shown by the appearance of cytochrome P450, NADPH-cytochrome c(P450) reductase and cytochrome b5. The absorption maximum of the terminal oxidase in the reduced CO-difference spectrum shifted between 447 and 448 nm.

The effect of cyclophosphamide on the experimental inflammation induced by the toxic mushroom Cortinarius speciosissimus in the rat kidney.

A single intraperitoneal dose of cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg) given at the same time as an oral dose of Cortinarius speciosissimus prevented the renal inflammation induced by this toxic mushroom in the male rat. Furthermore, a scar formation around dilated collecting ducts was clearly reduced by cyclophosphamide treatment. In general the only lesions observed in the cyclophosphamide treated animals were dilated collecting ducts in the outer medullary zone, the epithelia of which were either in regenerative mitosis or were atrophic.