Breed, age, and social environment are associated with personality traits in dogs.

Personality in pets and other domesticated animals is important for their well-being and it can also influence human-animal relationships. Genetic and environmental factors influencing unwanted behavior in dogs are somewhat well known, but the factors influencing dog personality remain understudied. Here we examined environmental and demographic factors associated with seven broad personality traits in a survey of over 11,000 dogs.

Metabolic changes associated with two endocrine abnormalities in dogs: elevated fructosamine and low thyroxine.

Introduction: Metabolomics studies in canine endocrine abnormalities are sparse and basic information on these abnormalities must be generated.

Objectives: To characterize the metabolic changes associated with elevated fructosamine, reflecting poor glycemic control, and low thyroxine, a thyroid hormone controlling metabolism.

Methods: Leftovers of clinical serum samples; 25 controls, 79 high fructosamine, and 47 low thyroxine, were analyzed using H NMR and differences were evaluated using Firth logistic regression.

Aggressiveness, ADHD-like behaviour, and environment influence repetitive behaviour in dogs.

Repetitive behaviour ranges from variants of normal repetitive behaviours to abnormal repetitive behaviours. The domestic dog spontaneously performs different repetitive behaviours, which can be severe and impair the quality of life and the dog-owner relationship. We collected comprehensive behavioural questionnaire data from almost 4500 Finnish pet dogs and studied the effect of several demographic, environmental, and behavioural factors on canine repetitive behaviour with logistic regression.

Age, breed, sex and diet influence serum metabolite profiles of 2000 pet dogs.

As an individual's metabolism reflects health and disease states well, metabolomics holds a vast potential in biomedical applications. However, normal physiological factors, such as age, can also influence metabolism, challenging the establishment of disease-specific metabolic aberrations. Here, we examined how physiological and diet-related factors drive variance in the metabolism of healthy pet dogs.

Personality traits associate with behavioral problems in pet dogs.

Personality traits, especially neuroticism, strongly predict psychopathology. The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758) is used as a natural model for psychiatric disorders, but the similarity between dog and human personality and the association between dog personality and unwanted behavioral traits, such as fearfulness, aggressiveness, and impulsivity/inattention, remain unknown. This study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) with survey data of 11,360 dogs to examine the associations and correlations between seven personality and ten unwanted behavioral traits.

Canine hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention share similar demographic risk factors and behavioural comorbidities with human ADHD.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder impairing the quality of life of the affected individuals. The domestic dog can spontaneously manifest high hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention which are components of human ADHD. Therefore, a better understanding of demographic, environmental and behavioural factors influencing canine hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention could benefit both humans and dogs.

A novel canine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabolomics platform: Validation and sample handling.

Background: Metabolomics has been proven to be an invaluable research tool by providing comprehensive insight into systemic metabolism. However, the lack of scalable and quantitative methods with known reference intervals (RIs) and documented reproducibility has prevented the use of metabolomics in the clinical setting.

Objective: The objective of this study was to validate the developed quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics platform for canine serum and plasma samples and determine optimal sample handling conditions for its use.

Aggressive behaviour is affected by demographic, environmental and behavioural factors in purebred dogs.

Aggressive behaviour is an unwanted and serious problem in pet dogs, negatively influencing canine welfare, management and public acceptance. We aimed to identify demographic and environmental factors associated with aggressive behaviour toward people in Finnish purebred pet dogs. We collected behavioural data from 13,715 dogs with an owner-completed online questionnaire.

Reliability and Validity of a Dog Personality and Unwanted Behavior Survey.

Dogs have distinct, consistent personalities, but the structure of dog personality is still unclear. Dog personality and unwanted behavior are often studied with behavioral questionnaires. Even though many questionnaires are reliable and valid measures of behavior, all new questionnaire tools should be extensively validated.

Metabolome of canine and human saliva: a non-targeted metabolomics study.

Introduction: Saliva metabolites are suggested to reflect the health status of an individual in humans. The same could be true with the dog (Canis lupus familiaris), an important animal model of human disease, but its saliva metabolome is unknown. As a non-invasive sample, canine saliva could offer a new alternative material for research to reveal molecular mechanisms of different (patho)physiological stages, and for veterinary medicine to monitor dogs' health trajectories.

Active and social life is associated with lower non-social fearfulness in pet dogs.

Behavioural problems are leading welfare issues in domestic dogs. In particular, anxiety-related behavioural problems, such as fearfulness and noise sensitivity are highly prevalent conditions that cause distress to fearful dogs. To better understand the environmental factors associated with non-social fear, including noise sensitivity, fear of novel situations, and fear of surfaces and heights, a large online survey including data on 13,700 Finnish pet dogs was performed by the dog owners.

Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs.

Behaviour problems and anxieties in dogs decrease their quality of life and may lead to relinquishment or euthanasia. Considering the large number of pet dogs and the commonness of these problematic behaviours, a better understanding of the epidemiology and related molecular and environmental factors is needed. We have here studied the prevalence, comorbidity, and breed specificity of seven canine anxiety-like traits: noise sensitivity, fearfulness, fear of surfaces and heights, inattention/impulsivity, compulsion, separation related behaviour and aggression with an online behaviour questionnaire answered by dog owners.

Inadequate socialisation, inactivity, and urban living environment are associated with social fearfulness in pet dogs.

Problematic behaviours are severe welfare issues for one of the world's most popular pets, the domestic dog. One of the most prevalent behavioural problem that causes distress to dogs is social fearfulness, meaning fear of conspecifics or unfamiliar people. To identify demographic and environmental factors associated with fear of dogs and strangers, logistic regression was utilised with a large dataset of 6,000 pet dogs collected through an owner-filled behavioural survey.

Fearful dogs have increased plasma glutamine and γ-glutamyl glutamine.

Anxiety-related disorders, including fearfulness are common and leading welfare problems among the worldwide dog population. The etiology of anxieties is complex and affected by genetic and environmental factors. Thus, there is a need for more comprehensive approaches, such as metabolomics, to understand the causes of anxiety and to identify anxiety-related biomarkers for more efficient diagnostic and treatment options.

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is not increased in normal-weight women with PCOS.

Study Question: Is oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) needed in all women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

Summary Qnswer: OGTT is not routinely needed in women with PCOS and BMI < 25 kg/m2.

What Is Known Already: PCOS is associated with insulin resistance and increased prevalence of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) which is closely linked to obesity and possibly age, ethnicity and PCOS phenotype. Several guidelines recommend OGTT upon diagnosis of PCOS and during follow-up.

Bone markers in polycystic ovary syndrome: A multicentre study.

Objective: Hyperandrogenism, hyperinsulinaemia and obesity, known characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), may influence bone mineral density and biochemical markers of bone turnover (BTMs) can provide a noninvasive assessment of bone turnover. To this end, the serum concentrations of BTMs and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) were analysed in women with PCOS, and their possible associations with metabolic parameters of PCOS were determined.

Subjects And Methods: Bone formation markers procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide (PINP) and osteocalcin (OC), and bone resorption marker carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), along with 25OHD, were measured in 298 women with PCOS and 194 healthy controls.

Testosterone is associated with insulin resistance index independently of adiposity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: To study the associations between androgens, glucose homeostasis, inflammation and statin treatment in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Design And Methods: Oral glucose tolerance tests, androgens, hs-CRP and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) were analyzed at baseline and after 6 months of atorvastatin (20 mg/d) or placebo treatment in 27 women with PCOS.

Results: Testosterone associated with insulin resistance measured with ISI independently of BMI, age and SHBG concentrations and the full model, including IL-1Ra, hs-CRP and HDL-C, also showed independency of BMI and waist circumference (p ≤ .

Racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components of metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a regional cross-sectional study.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome is a heterogeneous disorder and its presentation varies with race and ethnicity. Reproductive-age women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome; however, it is not clear if prevalence of metabolic syndrome and clustering of its components differs based on race and ethnicity. Moreover, the majority of these women do not undergo routine screening for metabolic syndrome.

Normo- and hyperandrogenic women with polycystic ovary syndrome exhibit an adverse metabolic profile through life.

Objective: To compare the metabolic profiles of normo- and hyperandrogenic women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with those of control women at different ages during reproductive life.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Not applicable.

A non-targeted metabolite profiling pilot study suggests that tryptophan and lipid metabolisms are linked with ADHD-like behaviours in dogs.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder in the human population worldwide. Complex etiology and clinical heterogeneity have challenged the research, diagnostics and treatment of the disease. Hyperactive and impulsive behaviour has also been observed in dogs, and they could offer a physiologically relevant model for human ADHD.

Should we individualize lipid profiling in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?

Study Question: Is it necessary to monitor lipid profiles in all young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

Summary Answer: Lipid profiling is required when women with PCOS develop type 2 diabetes (T2D) or hypertension, but rarely changes clinical care before the age of 35 years.

What Is Known Already: PCOS consensus statements and guidelines recommend that women with PCOS should be screened for dyslipidaemia every second year or annually.

Study Design, Size, Duration: Women from Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, who had participated in research projects or clinical trials or in whom lipid profiles had been determined routinely as part of clinical care since 2000 were included.

IL-1 receptor antagonist levels are associated with glucose tolerance in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: To investigate serum interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Subjects And Methods: Serum IL-1Ra levels were measured at baseline in 73 women with PCOS and 45 control subjects (18-47 years), and in 27 women with PCOS who underwent oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs and IVGTTs).

Results: IL-1Ra concentrations predicted OGTT 2-h glucose levels independently of BMI and insulin resistance (P ≤ 0·001) in women with PCOS.

Non-targeted metabolite profiling reveals changes in oxidative stress, tryptophan and lipid metabolisms in fearful dogs.

Background: Anxieties, such as shyness, noise phobia and separation anxiety, are common but poorly understood behavioural problems in domestic dogs, Canis familiaris. Although studies have demonstrated genetic and environmental contributions to anxiety pathogenesis, better understanding of the molecular underpinnings is needed to improve diagnostics, management and treatment plans. As a part of our ongoing canine anxiety genetics efforts, this study aimed to pilot a metabolomics approach in fearful and non-fearful dogs to identify candidate biomarkers for more objective phenotyping purposes and to refer to potential underlying biological problem.

Androgen Profile Through Life in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Nordic Multicenter Collaboration Study.

Context: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have increased androgen secretion throughout fertile life; however, the data on the effect of menopause on hyperandrogenemia in these women are scarce. Nevertheless, large comprehensive comparative studies on age-related androgen levels in women with PCOS are lacking.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of age on serum androgen levels in women with PCOS and to determine cutoff values for androgens and SHBG associated with a PCOS diagnosis.

The effect of atorvastatin treatment on serum oxysterol concentrations and cytochrome P450 3A4 activity.

Aims: Atorvastatin is known to both inhibit and induce the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in vitro. Some clinical studies indicate that atorvastatin inhibits CYP3A4 but there are no well-controlled longer term studies that could evaluate the inducing effect of atorvastatin. We aimed to determine if atorvastatin induces or inhibits CYP3A4 activity as measured by the 4β-hydroxycholesterol to cholesterol ratio (4βHC : C).