Increases in serum carbonylated protein levels of dogs with hypercortisolism.

Protein carbonylation is an irreversible and degenerative modification that can be used to evaluate oxidative stress caused by glucocorticoids. In this study, we focused on protein carbonylation in dogs with hypercortisolism (HC). Sera samples were collected from 14 dogs diagnosed with HC and treated with trilostane, 12 dogs with inflammatory diseases (disease control group), and eight clinically healthy dogs.

Clinical assessment of testosterone analogues for urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in ten spayed female dogs.

Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI) is a common cause of urinary incontinence in dogs. Although estrogen is often prescribed for the medical therapy of USMI for spayed female dogs, they are known to have limited effectiveness and potential adverse effects. In castrated male dogs with USMI, testosterone reagents have been attempted besides estrogen.

Evaluation of an automated point-of-care test system for measuring thrombin-antithrombin complex in dogs.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of the chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) method for point-of-care (POC) measurement of canine plasma thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) concentration.

Assessment And Main Results: Plasma TAT concentration was measured in 54 healthy dogs and in 72 dogs with various diseases. A significant correlation was found between TAT concentration measured by CLEIA and that measured by an ELISA that was previously used in dogs.

Copy Number Aberration in Canine Urothelial Carcinoma Detected by a Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common tumor affecting the urinary bladder of dogs. Protein overexpression of ErbB2 (the canine homolog of HER2) has been observed in dogs with UC. However, no study regarding copy number aberration (CNA) is reported in dogs with UC.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling regulates the production of intestinal IgA and its potential role in the pathogenesis of canine inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common gastrointestinal disease in dogs. Decreased production of intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA) has been suggested as a possible pathogenesis in a subset of canine IBD; however, the underlying cause remains unclear. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid mediator that regulates intestinal IgA production by controlling lymphocyte trafficking in mice.

CCR4 Blockade Depletes Regulatory T Cells and Prolongs Survival in a Canine Model of Bladder Cancer.

Regulatory T-cell (Treg) infiltration can be targeted as a cancer immunotherapy. Here, we describe therapeutic efficacy of this strategy in a canine model of bladder cancer. We used dogs with naturally occurring bladder cancer to study the molecular mechanism of Treg infiltration into bladder cancer tissues and the effect of anti-Treg treatment.

Assessment of HER2 Expression in Canine Urothelial Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder.

Canine urothelial carcinoma (UC) has a poor prognosis and high metastatic rate. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in cell proliferation and differentiation regulation, has been attracting interest as a therapeutic target molecule for human breast cancer. This study investigated expression of the canine homolog of HER2 (ERBB2) in canine UC, and its association with clinical factors.

Anti-tumour effect of lapatinib in canine transitional cell carcinoma cell lines.

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) accounts for >90% of canine malignant tumours occurring in urinary bladder, and the prognosis is poor. Our previous study, using RNA sequencing, showed that human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) was the most activated upstream regulator related to carcinogenesis in canine TCC. The aim of this study was to examine the anti-tumour effect of lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of HER2, on canine TCC cell lines in vitro and in vivo.

Comprehensive gene expression analysis of canine invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma by RNA-Seq.

Background: Invasive urothelial carcinoma (iUC) is a major cause of death in humans, and approximately 165,000 individuals succumb to this cancer annually worldwide. Comparative oncology using relevant animal models is necessary to improve our understanding of progression, diagnosis, and treatment of iUC. Companion canines are a preferred animal model of iUC due to spontaneous tumor development and similarity to human disease in terms of histopathology, metastatic behavior, and treatment response.

Decreased plasma amino acid concentrations in cats with chronic gastrointestinal diseases and their possible contribution in the inflammatory response.

In humans, plasma amino acids (AAs) levels are used as dynamic nutritional markers. Moreover, some AAs are associated with chronic inflammation. In this study, we analyzed plasma AA profiles in cats with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) diseases.

Fecal microbiome in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease and intestinal lymphoma.

Although alteration of commensal microbiota is associated with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs, the microbiota composition in intestinal lymphoma, an important differential diagnosis of canine IBD, has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to compare the fecal microbiota in dogs with IBD, dogs with intestinal lymphoma, and healthy dogs. Eight dogs with IBD, eight dogs with intestinal lymphoma, and fifteen healthy dogs were included in the study.

Analysis of fecal short chain fatty acid concentration in miniature dachshunds with inflammatory colorectal polyps.

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play an important role in the maintenance of colonic homeostasis, and their depletion has been reported in various gastrointestinal disorders. Inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs) are a recently recognized disease specific to miniature dachshunds (MDs), and fecal dysbiosis with a reduction of SCFA-producing bacteria has been reported with this disease. Therefore, this study was performed based on the hypothesis that a reduced SCFA concentration associates with the development of ICRPs.

Density of tumor-infiltrating granzyme B-positive cells predicts favorable prognosis in dogs with transitional cell carcinoma.

Although tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a key role in anti-tumor immunity, their involvement in canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is not well-documented. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between TIL number and prognosis in dogs with urinary bladder TCC. Immunohistochemical analysis of CD3 and granzyme B was performed using canine TCC (n=32) and normal bladder (n=10) tissues.

Primary cerebellar lymphoma with Hodgkin lymphoma-like morphology in a cat.

A 4-y-old cat exhibited neurologic signs such as wobbling, right head tilt, and intention tremor, and MRI revealed a mass in the cerebellum. The cat died 5 mo after initial presentation, and no neoplastic lesions, other than the cerebellar mass, were observed at autopsy. Histologically, large atypical cells resembling Hodgkin cells, with single large inclusion-like nucleoli, and those resembling Reed-Sternberg cells, with symmetrically arranged nuclei, had infiltrated the left side of the cerebellum and were admixed with small lymphocytes.

CC chemokine ligand 2 and CXC chemokine ligand 8 as neutrophil chemoattractant factors in canine idiopathic polyarthritis.

Canine idiopathic polyarthritis (IPA) is characterized by increased numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in the synovial fluid (SF). In humans, CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and CXC chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) recruit monocytes and neutrophils, respectively, and are involved in various inflammatory disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the roles of these chemokines in driving PMNs infiltration into the joints of dogs with IPA.

Presence of contagious yawning in sheep.

Contagious yawning is triggered by others yawning, and it has previously been reported in humans, primates and several experimental and companion mammals. Whereas it might be a response to an innate releasing mechanism, contagious yawning is also considered to involve emotional contagion. Here, we demonstrate that sheep, the animal model of livestock animals, also experience contagious yawning.

Lunar Cycle Influences Spontaneous Delivery in Cows.

There is a popular belief that the lunar cycle influences spontaneous delivery in both humans and cattle. To assess this relationship, we investigated the synodic distribution of spontaneous deliveries in domestic Holstein cows. We used retrospective data from 428 spontaneous, full-term deliveries within a three-year period derived from the calving records of a private farm in Hokkaido, Japan.

Apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) reduces cell number in canine histiocytic sarcoma cell lines.

Apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) is initially reported to protect macrophages from apoptosis. In this study, we determined the effect of AIM on the macrophage-derived tumor, histiocytic sarcoma cell lines (HS) of dogs. Five HS and five other tumor cell lines were used.

Synovial fluid matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activities in dogs suffering from joint disorders.

The activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in synovial fluids (SF) sampled from dogs with joint disorders was investigated by gelatin zymography and densitometry. Pro-MMP-2 showed similar activity levels in dogs with idiopathic polyarthritis (IPA; n=17) or canine rheumatoid arthritis (cRA; n=4), and healthy controls (n=10). However, dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR; n=5) presented significantly higher pro-MMP-2 activity than IPA and healthy dogs.

Synovial fluid total protein concentration as a possible marker for canine idiopathic polyarthritis.

Idiopathic polyarthritis (IPA) is a very common inflammatory arthropathy in the dog. Canine IPA is diagnosed mainly by detecting increased number of leukocytes in the synovial fluid (SF), which is easily influenced by glucocorticoid therapy. We obtained 31 SF samples from 24 IPA dogs prior to (n=19) and/or after (n=12) 1 to 10 weeks of glucocorticoid therapy.

Characterization of triple-phase computed tomography in dogs with pancreatic insulinoma.

Little information is available regarding triple-phase computed tomography (CT) of canine pancreatic insulinoma. A few case reports with small numbers of cases have indicated that hyper-attenuation in the arterial phase was a common finding on multi-phasic CT in dogs with insulinoma. Our purpose was to clarify the characteristic findings of dogs with insulinoma on triple-phase CT.

Molecular cloning and gene expression of canine apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage.

Apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) plays roles in survival of macrophages. In this study, we cloned canine AIM cDNA and observed its transcriptional expression levels in various tissues. The coding sequence of canine AIM was 1,023 bp encoding 340 amino acid residues, which had around 65% homology with those of the human, mouse and rat.

Magnetic resonance volumetry of the hippocampus in familial spontaneous epileptic cats.

A strain of familial spontaneous epileptic cats (FSECs) with typical limbic seizures was identified in 2010. The electroencephalographic features suggested that an epileptogenic zone is present in the mesial temporal structures (i.e.

Electroencephalographic features of familial spontaneous epileptic cats.

A feline strain of familial spontaneous epileptic cats (FSECs) with typical limbic seizures was identified in 2010, and have been maintained as a novel animal model of genetic epilepsy. In this study, we characterized the electroencephalographic (EEG) features of FSECs. On scalp EEG under sedation, FSECs showed sporadic, but comparatively frequent interictal discharges dominantly in the uni- or bilateral temporal region.