The diagnostic significance of the plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic Peptide concentration in asymptomatic cats with cardiac enlargement.

We evaluated the diagnostic significance of the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration in asymptomatic cats with cardiac enlargement. The plasma NT-proBNP concentration was measured in 21 clinically healthy control cats, and 67 asymptomatic cats with cardiac enlargement defined as end-diastolic interventricular septum thickness (IVSd) and/or diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWd) >0.6 cm, vertebla heart scale (VHS) >7.

Application of fluorescent cholangiography to single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Although the use of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is spreading rapidly, this technique has disadvantages. It does not allow for sufficient surgical views to be obtained or for intraoperative radiographic cholangiography to be performed. Fluorescent cholangiography using a preoperative intravenous injection of indocyanine green (ICG) may be useful for identifying the biliary tract during both SILC and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Development of correction formulas for canine and feline urine specific gravity measured using a Japanese refractometer.

One of the most important functions of the kidney is to concentrate urine through the reabsorption of water. Urine specific gravity (USG) is used in routine tests of urine concentration and can be estimated using a refractometer. However, as the scale of Japanese refractometer is based on experimental data from healthy Japanese people, and human USG obtained by Japanese refractometers show higher values than that by refractometer produced in Europe or the U.

Preliminary immunohistochemical study of natriuretic peptide receptor localization in canine and feline heart.

We examined the immunohistochemical distributions of natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A, -B and -C that bind with natriuretic peptide hormones A, B and C in four healthy crossbreed young canine and feline cardiac tissues using specific antibodies against human antigens. Cross-immunoreactivities between antigens and antibodies were confirmed using western blot analysis. NPR-A and -C were expressed more strongly in dogs than cats.

Morphometric analysis of caudate veins for advanced liver surgery.

Background:   Accurate knowledge of the surgical anatomy of the caudate lobe is indispensable in the performance of liver surgery. Although previous cast studies have provided much useful overall information about the locations of the caudate veins, little is known about how to establish the exact locations of the caudate and short hepatic veins prior to surgery.

Objectives:   This study was conducted as a practical morphometric analysis of the caudate veins using preoperative enhanced computed tomography (CT) and intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS).

Effects of fructo-oligosaccharide on DSS-induced colitis differ in mice fed nonpurified and purified diets.

We investigated whether feeding a purified compared with nonpurified diet supplemented with or without fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS; 50 g/kg diet) altered the response of C57BL/6 mice to DSS-induced diarrhea. In Expt. 1, we examined disease severity in mice receiving DSS (2% in drinking water) for 5 d.

Risks and causes of cervical cord and medulla oblongata injuries due to acupuncture.

Background: Acupuncture has become one of the most popular alternative medicines in the world today. Some acupuncturists still intentionally embed entire needles deep in the tissue for treatments, and some patients stick needles into their own bodies on their own.

Case Description: Surgical removal of an accidentally broken acupuncture needle due to self-acupuncture that was embedded in the medulla oblongata and cerebellum was performed.

2,4-Dinitrofluorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity response in NC/Nga mice fed fructo-oligosaccharide.

Strategies to manipulate gut microbiota in infancy have been considered to prevent the development of allergic diseases later in life. We previously demonstrated that maternal dietary supplementation with fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) during pregnancy and lactation modulated the composition of gut microbiota and diminished the severity of spontaneously developing atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in the offspring of NC/Nga mice. The present study tested whether dietary FOS affects contact hypersensitivity (CHS), another model for allergic skin disease, in NC/Nga mice.

Inulin prolongs survival of intragastrically administered Lactobacillus plantarum No. 14 in the gut of mice fed a high-fat diet.

We tested whether a high-fat diet (HFD) impairs the survival of probiotics in mice. In Expt. 1, after feeding either a HFD (62.

Lactobacillus plantarum strain No. 14 reduces adipocyte size in mice fed high-fat diet.

Because gut microbiota has recently attracted much attention as an environmental factor involved in the development of obesity, probiotics may be useful in preventing and/or improving obesity and its related disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum strain No. 14 (LP14), a bacterial strain reported to decrease body fat percentage in healthy volunteers, on adipocyte size in mice.

Transesophageal echocardiography for thrombus screening prior to left atrial catheter ablation.

Background: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is useful for detecting left atrial (LA) thrombus prior to percutaneous LA catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study was designed to evaluate clinical predictors of LA thrombus and determine indications for TEE screening prior to LA ablation.

Methods And Results: The study consisted of 446 patients with drug-resistant AF who were scheduled to undergo initial LA ablation (age 59+/-11 years, 312 males, 136 persistent AF).

Assessments of factors that affect glomerular filtration rate and indirect markers of renal function in dogs and cats.

Chronic kidney disease is one of the most common disorders in dogs and cats. The plasma urea nitrogen (P-UN) and creatinine (P-Cre) concentrations are not sufficiently sensitive for early diagnosis of renal dysfunction. Although urine and plasma clearance methods allow earlier detection of reductions in the GFR, it is difficult to estimate a mildly reduced GFR from the values obtained by these methods, as they are also affected by physiological factors, such as body weight (BW) and age.

Inulin-type fructans stimulated the growth of exogenously administered Lactobacillus plantarum No. 14 in the mouse gastrointestinal tract.

This study examined the effects of the inulin-type fructans known as fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) and inulin on the growth and persistence of Lactobacillus plantarum No. 14 (LP14) in the gut. Cultivation in medium that contained either FOS or inulin revealed that both fructans supported the growth of LP14.

ATP-induced dormant pulmonary veins originating from the carina region after circumferential pulmonary vein isolation of atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Elimination of transient pulmonary vein recurrences (dormant PVs) induced by an ATP injection and ablation at the PV carina region is an effective strategy for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. The relationship between dormant PVs and the PV carina region has not been evaluated.

Methods: A total of 212 consecutive symptomatic AF patients underwent circumferential PV electrical isolation (CPVEI) with a double lasso technique.

Effect of diet on the cardiovascular system in healthy beagles.

In management of canine cardiac disorders, cardiac drugs are commonly administered with food, although the cardiovascular effects of feeding and frequency of feeding are unknown. This study investigated the cardiovascular effect of feeding and frequency of feeding using a telemetry monitoring system in unanesthetized and unrestrained dogs. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and double product were steeply elevated during the five minutes immediately before feeding.

Role of intestinal Bifidobacterium pseudolongum in dietary fructo-oligosaccharide inhibition of 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene-induced contact hypersensitivity in mice.

Strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota have been explored for preventing allergy development. We previously showed that dietary supplementation with fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) reduced 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS) in BALB/c mice. Because the CHS response was negatively correlated with the number of faecal bifidobacteria, particularly Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, the present study aimed to examine whether oral administration of B.

Evaluation of a single sampling method for estimation of plasma iohexol clearance in dogs and cats with various kidney functions.

Plasma iohexol clearance (PCio) is a practical method for measuring the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in clinical settings. However, it is too time-consuming for routine application and requires hospitalization for at least half a day. Therefore, the development of a simpler procedure for plasma clearance is necessary to allow the frequent measurement of GFR in clinical settings.

Maternal consumption of fructo-oligosaccharide diminishes the severity of skin inflammation in offspring of NC/Nga mice.

Strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota in infancy have been considered to prevent the development of allergic diseases later in life. We aimed to elucidate the effects of maternal dietary supplementation with a prebiotic oligosaccharide on gut microbiota and spontaneously developing atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in the offspring of NC/Nga mice. Female NC/Nga mice were fed diets either with or without fructo-oligosaccharide supplementation during pregnancy and lactation.

Evaluation of the measurement of serum cystatin C by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for humans as a marker of the glomerular filtration rate in dogs.

The serum cystatin C (Cys-C) concentration is a better filtration marker than plasma creatinine (Cre) concentration in humans. In veterinary medicine, a few studies have shown that the serum Cys-C concentration in dogs is also a better marker than the plasma Cre concentration. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the applicability of measuring the serum Cys-C concentration by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a marker of the glomerular filtration rate in dogs with various renal dysfunctions.

Comparison of gut microbiota and allergic reactions in BALB/c mice fed different cultivars of rice.

Our preliminary clinical trial showed that consumption of cooked rice of a Japanese common cultivar Yukihikari improved atopic dermatitis associated with a suspected rice allergy, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesised that the ameliorating effect of Yukihikari on atopic dermatitis is associated with the gut microbiota. BALB/c mice were fed a synthetic diet supplemented with uncooked and polished white rice powder prepared from one of four different cultivars: Yukihikari, rice A (common rice), rice B (brewery rice) and rice C (waxy rice).

Response of gut microbiota to fasting and hibernation in Syrian hamsters.

Although hibernating mammals wake occasionally to eat during torpor, this period represents a state of fasting. Fasting is known to alter the gut microbiota in nonhibernating mammals; therefore, hibernation may also affect the gut microbiota. However, there are few reports of gut microbiota in hibernating mammals.

Evaluation of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations in dogs with mitral valve insufficiency.

The diagnostic significance of the plasma concentration of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was evaluated in 72 dogs with mitral valve insufficiency and 36 control dogs. In the controls, the plasma NT-proBNP concentration was 163.9 +/- 114.

Eleven-year survivor of unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma treated using long-term UFT therapy.

We report a 49-year-old man with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) who was treated with oral tegafur-uracil (UFT) chemotherapy and survived for over a decade. In 1995, the patient was admitted to our institution after a large tumor in his left liver was detected using computed tomography (CT). The tumor was diagnosed as ICC, and a laparotomy was performed; however, the tumor was too advanced to perform a curative resection.

Gingival metastasis from ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma as an initial manifestation (a rare case report).

The metastasis of malignant tumors to the oral cavity remains a rare clinical entity. Most metastatic tumors have the propensity for involving the mandible rather than the oral soft tissues. Herein, we describe an unusual case of ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma that metastasized to the mandibular gingiva as an initial manifestation.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator in maintenance hemodialysis patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias: a single-center experience.

Patients with hemodialysis (HD) are at risk of death due to cardiac arrhythmias, worsening congestive heart failure (CHF), and noncardiac causes. This study reviews our experience with the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in patients with ventricular tachycardia who are under maintenance HD. We retrospectively reviewed 71 consecutive patients who underwent an ICD implantation in our hospital.