Physiologically, the CGIT resulted in a 2-phase curve with positive (hyperglycemic) and negative (hypoglycemic) portions; the positive phase came first (250% of baseline at 1 minute). The descending segment declined linearly to baseline by approximately 30 minutes and to a nadir at 58% of baseline by 75 minutes. After a 35-minute valley, a linear ascent to baseline began. Addition of insulin in the CGIT increased glucose utilization by approximately 4.5 times during the positive phase but not during the negative phase. The diseases' effects and experimental inhibition of insulin secretion with xylazine and stress were detectable by use of the 2 phases of the CGIT. Only a single positive phase resulted from the GTT and a single negative phase from the IST CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The CGIT resulted in a consistent, well-defined glycemia profile, which can be disrupted experimentally or by a disease process. The CGIT has clinical potential because it provides integrated information and more information than either the singular GTT or IST.

Measurement of cortisol response is an important tool to asses stress in fisheries research. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) is a common method for the measure of cortisol in fish. Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to detect cortisol would eliminate health hazards, costs of handling radioisotopes, and the short stability time associated with RIA. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays have been used for the determination of cortisol in several fish species. However, the ELISA method of cortisol determination in fish lacks proper validation testing. We conducted validation procedures for multiple commercial cortisol ELISA kits and compared the results to RIA. The assays were tested for four species: (1) channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, (2) largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, (3) red pacu Piaractus brachypomus, and (4) golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas. We evaluated the ELISA methods against RIA, and determined that at least one kit is suitable (accuracy: mean recovery of spiked samples, 102.8%; reproducibility: interassay coefficient of variation < 10.5% for all species; precision: intra-assay coefficient of variation < 16.8% for all species; linearity: R (2) > 0.96 for all species) for the measurement of cortisol response in fish and comparative determination of stress. All of the ELISA assay results varied by more than 10% from the cortisol concentrations detected by the RIA. The high variability of the kit results indicates that commercial ELISA kits could be utilized for qualitative determination of cortisol in fish, but should be fully validated in each laboratory for each species before being used for research.

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Thirty-two 4-month-old to 19-year-old female miniature pet pigs were spayed. Uterine lesions were present in all except 8 pigs. The 24 remaining pigs had diffuse cystic endometrial hyperplasia, of which 14 had smooth muscle tumors, including leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas, in the uterus or broad ligament. Nodular endometrial lesions-including adenocarcinomas, adenomas, and/or adenomyosis-were present in 10 pigs, 3 of which had concurrent smooth muscle tumors. Pyometra was present in 3 pigs. In uterine sections with cystic endometrial hyperplasia, adenomyosis, or adenomas, approximately 70% of epithelial nuclei expressed estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor immunohistochemically; in adenocarcinomas, expression was 20%. Regardless of malignancy, more than 50% of nuclei in smooth muscle tumors expressed estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. Aging was associated with the development of uterine lesions in miniature pet pigs.

BackgroundSpecificity of canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI) assays in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) is unknown.HypothesisResults of cPLI assays differ for clinically healthy dogs and dogs with HAC.AnimalsSeventeen healthy dogs and 20 dogs with HAC diagnosed by ACTH stimulation test results without evidence of clinical pancreatitis.MethodsDogs were enrolled between December 2009 and November 2010. Serum cPLI concentrations were determined by quantitative (Spec cPL test, SPEC) and semiquantitative (SNAP cPL test, SNAP) assays. Results were categorized as normal, equivocal, or abnormal (SPEC) or negative or positive (SNAP). Associations between group and cPLI were assessed using Fisher's exact test or the Mann–Whitney U‐test. Spearman rank correlation coefficients (ρ) were determined for SNAP and SPEC results. Significance was set at P < .05.ResultsSpec cPL test concentrations were significantly (P < .001) higher in dogs with HAC (491.1 μg/L) than in healthy dogs (75.2 μg/L), with more abnormal SPEC results in HAC dogs (P < .001). There were more (P = .002) positive SNAP results in dogs with HAC (55%) than in healthy dogs (6%). SNAP and SPEC results were highly correlated (ρ = 0.85; P < .001).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceDogs with HAC had higher SPEC concentrations and more positive SNAP results than clinically healthy dogs with normal ACTH stimulation test results. Specificity of SPEC and SNAP assays in HAC dogs without clinical pancreatitis were 65 and 45%, respectively. Pending further study, SNAP and SPEC results should be interpreted cautiously in dogs with HAC to avoid false diagnosis of concurrent pancreatitis.

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Objective To determine whether tetanus antitoxin, equine serum, and acetylcysteine, which are currently used in the treatment of equine corneal ulcer, inhibit the digestion of equine corneal collagen when exposed to collagenase in vitro. Animals studied Corneas from 40 adult horses. Procedures Sections of equine corneas were incubated with saline, a solution of bacterial collagenase in saline, bacterial collagenase in saline plus equine tetanus antitoxin, bacterial collagenase in saline plus equine serum, or bacterial collagenase in saline plus acetylcysteine. Each one of the collagenase inhibitors was tested at different concentrations. The degree of corneal collagen digestion was determined by concentrations of hydroxyproline released into the incubation media and/or by weight loss of the cornea. Results Corneas exposed to collagenase released a significant (0.05 level) large amount of hydroxyproline (43.1 ± 2.3 µg/mL/100 mg cornea/5 h) and decreased cornea weight by up to 89%. Blood serum (200 µL/mL), purified albumin or globulin fractions of serum, tetanus antitoxin (120 units/mL), and acetylcysteine (20 mg/mL) when used at the highest concentrations blocked collagenase digestive activity by approximately 50%. Dilution of inhibitors decreased corneal protection and linearly increased corneal weight loss. Purified equine serum albumin and globulin fractions were equally effective in protecting corneas. Conclusions This experiment indicates that tetanus antitoxin, serum and acetylcysteine equally protected corneas from collagenase digestion, in vitro. However, a clinical trial is needed to establish relative therapeutic value.

Results suggested that VH in Scottish Terriers may be linked to adrenal steroidogenesis and a predisposition to HCC. In dogs with VH, frequent serum biochemical analysis and ultrasonographic surveillance for early tumor detection are recommended.