Publications by authors named "Matthew R O'Connor"

Lymphoproliferative neoplasia has been reported in both free-ranging sea otters and those in managed care, but little information is available on the management of this neoplastic disease in this species. This case series describes clinical lymphoma in four northern sea otters () in managed care. Two otters presented with Stage 5 lymphoma with evidence of hematologic spread resulting in leukemia.

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An understanding of the main causes of mortality in caiman lizards () under managed care is imperative to promote optimal husbandry, health, and welfare. A retrospective review of morbidity and mortality in caiman lizards from North American zoological institutions between 2005 and 2020 was conducted. Postmortem data, including gross necropsy and histopathology findings, were available for 32 caiman lizards ( = 12 subadults, = 20 adults) from six zoological institutions.

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Objective: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of terbinafine administered to western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) via oral gavage and bioencapsulated in earthworms.

Animals: 7 western pond turtles.

Procedures: A randomized complete crossover single-dose pharmacokinetic study was performed.

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Elasmobranchs are popular display animals in public aquaria and zoos, but medical management gaps remain in the understanding of the pharmacokinetics of analgesics and pain management in these species. Meloxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that has been evaluated intravenously and intramuscularly in teleosts, but has yet to be studied in any elasmobranch species. The pharmacokinetics of meloxicam were determined in 17 yellow stingrays ().

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Rio Cauca caecilians () are a unique, fully aquatic species of amphibian from the order Gymnophiona. They are housed in several zoological institutions and aquaria with limited information available regarding health and disease. This retrospective study evaluates common pathologic findings and causes of mortality of Rio Cauca caecilians from three different institutions over a 22-y period.

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Objective: To qualitatively review reports on lateral line depigmentation (LLD) in marine and freshwater fish.

Sample: English-language publications concerning LLD published before March 1, 2020.

Procedures: Electronic searches of CAB abstracts, PubMed, and Web of Science databases and the proceedings of the International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine were performed.

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Fish lice, ectoparasites of the genus , are branchurian crustaceans that can significantly impact fish health by causing mechanical damage to cutaneous barriers and increasing susceptibility to other infections. While many treatments have been reported in teleosts and invertebrates, there are no published treatments for elasmobranchs. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a commercial formulation of milbemycin oxime and lufenuron in freshwater stingrays for treatment of spp.

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Within a 2-wk period, three African grey parrots ( Psittacus erithacus) presented for emergency treatment. All three parrots had depressed behavior, an inability to fly, and significant weight loss. Plasma chemistry abnormalities included severe hypoproteinemia and elevated liver enzymes in all parrots.

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Objective: To evaluate the long-term protective immunity of a cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV3) vaccine in naïve koi (Cyprinus carpio koi).

Animals: 72 koi. Procedures-Vaccinated koi (n = 36) and unvaccinated control koi (36) were challenge exposed to a wild-type CyHV3 strain (KHVp8 F98-50) 13 months after vaccination.

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The senescent immune system responds poorly to new stimuli; thymic involution, accumulation of memory cells against other specificities, and general refractoriness to antigen signaling all may contribute to poor resistance to infection. These same changes may pose a significant clinical barrier to organ transplantation, as transplantation tolerance requires thymic participation and integrated, tolerance-promoting responses to novel antigens. We found that after the age of 12 months, mice became resistant to the tolerance-inducing capacity of the monoclonal antibody therapy anti-CD45RB.

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Background: Because CD4CD25Foxp3 regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for the maintenance of self-tolerance, significant interest surrounds the developmental cues for thymic-derived natural Tregs (nTregs) and periphery-generated adaptive Tregs (aTregs). In the transplant setting, the allograft may play a role in the generation of alloantigen-specific Tregs, but this role remains undefined. We examined whether the immune response to a transplant allograft results in the peripheral generation of aTregs.

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Involvement of Treg in transplant tolerance has been demonstrated in multiple models. During the active process of graft rejection, these regulatory cells are themselves regulated and inactivated, a process termed counter-regulation. We hypothesize that ligation of the costimulatory molecule glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor-related protein (GITR) on Treg inhibits their ability to promote graft survival, and by blocking GITR ligation graft survival can be prolonged.

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