It has been reported that mature adipocyte-derived dedifferentiated fat (DFAT) cells show multilineage differentiation potential similar to that observed in mesenchymal stem cells. Since DFAT cells can be prepared from a small quantity of adipose tissue, they could facilitate cell-based therapies in small companion animals such as cats. The present study examined whether multipotent DFAT cells can be generated from feline adipose tissue, and the properties of DFAT cells were compared with those of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). DFAT cells and ASCs were prepared from the floating mature adipocyte fraction and the stromal vascular fraction, respectively, of collagenase-digested feline omental adipose tissue. Both cell types were evaluated for growth kinetics, colony-forming unit fibroblast (CFU-F) frequency, immunophenotypic properties, and multilineage differentiation potential. DFAT cells and ASCs could be generated from approximately 1g of adipose tissue and were grown and subcultured on laminin-coated dishes. The frequency of CFU-Fs in DFAT cells (35.8%) was significantly higher than that in ASCs (20.8%) at passage 1 (P1). DFAT cells and ASCs displayed similar immunophenotypes (CD44(+), CD90(+), CD105(+), CD14(-), CD34(-) and CD45(-)). Alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive cells were readily detected in ASCs (15.2±7.2%) but were rare in DFAT cells (2.2±3.2%) at P1. Both cell types exhibited adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, and smooth muscle cell differentiation potential in vitro. In conclusion, feline DFAT cells exhibited similar properties to ASCs but displayed higher CFU-F frequency and greater homogeneity. DFAT cells, like ASCs, may be an attractive source for cell-based therapies in cats.

We successfully performed MVR under cardiopulmonary bypass in small-breed dogs, suggesting this may be an effective surgical treatment for dogs with mitral regurgitation. Mitral valve repair with cardiopulmonary bypass can be beneficial for the treatment of mitral regurgitation in small-breed dogs.

Summary:There is considerable interest in developing banks of frozen umbilical cord blood cells for transplants but it is uncertain how long frozen cells survive. Our objective was to determine the recovery of frozen umbilical cord blood cells. We quantitated recovery of hematopoietic progenitor cells (CFU-GM, BFU-E, and CFU-GEMM) from frozen umbilical cord blood cells stored for up to 12 years. Decay rates of CFU-GM, BFU-E and CFU-GEMM Umbilical cord blood cells are increasingly used for transplant, especially when no HLA-identical sibling donor is available. Consequently, there is growing interest in developing frozen HLA-typed cord blood banks.Umbilical cord blood cells in these banks may be stored for several years before use. However, there are few data on long-term survival of frozen cord blood cells; most reports focus on relatively short storage intervals. 1 We studied viability of hematopoietic progenitor cells in 12 umbilical cord blood samples frozen for up to 12 years. Materials and methodsBetween July 1985 and September 1985, cord blood samples were obtained from the placenta of 12 healthy volunteer mothers at delivery (38 to 41 weeks of gestation). Informed consent was obtained from all. Immediately after delivery of the baby, while the placenta was still in utero, the umbilical cord was double-clamped 6 to 8 cm from the baby and cord blood collected. Before collection, the venepuncture site was cleaned with alcohol and betadine. An 18 gauge needle was inserted into the umbilical vein and cord blood was aspirated into a 50 ml syringe containing 5 ml of ACD. The volume of cord blood collected ranged from 28 ml to 45 ml. The umbilical cord blood was processed using standard techniques. 2 Ficoll-Hypaque (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden) gradient centrifugation was used to isolate the mononuclear cell fraction, which was resuspended at concentration of 2 ϫ 10 7 /ml. Mean (s.d.) mononuclear cell recovery was 48 Ϯ 11%. Umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells were cryopreserved using a programmable freezer (model 801 CryoMed, Mt Clemens, Ml, USA), using standard cryopreservation programs, in RPMI-1640 media, 10% DMSO and 20% fetal calf serum 3 and stored in the liquid phase of liquid nitrogen.Cells were thawed after 1 and 6 months and 1, 2 and 12 years and a small aliquot removed to assess viable cell recovery (trypan-blue exclusion test) and to assay hematopoietic progenitor cells (CFU-GM, BFU-E and CFU-GEMM) by standard techniques. 3 Recovery was calculated by comparing numbers of cells to 1 month values. StatisticsA linear model was applied to the logarithm of cell viability results. Logarithmic transformation was used to stabilize variance in observed recoveries. For a given progenitor cell assay, the model is:Log (viability) ϭ a ϩ b interval cryopreserved when the estimate of slope (b) ϭ 0, there is no trend for cell loss over time. Results were expressed as a decay factor (d) with 95% confidence intervals.Decay over time (k) was calculated as d k .

U. urealyticum, a member of the family Mycoplasmataceae, is often detected in the vagina of pregnant women. In this study, the possible association of ureaplasmal infection with preterm delivery was examined, as was the capacity of ureaplasmal LP to stimulate monocytes in vitro to produce proinflammatory cytokines relevant to preterm delivery. A hundred cases of normal delivery and 45 cases of preterm delivery were randomly selected. A mAb against U. urealyticum urease, that selectively and positively stained it in vaginal secretions of infected women but not in those of uninfected women, was generated. The preterm delivery group showed a significantly higher incidence of vaginal infection with this bacteria than the normal delivery group. Since the LP of Mycoplasma has potent biological activity, ureaplasmal LP was extracted. THP-1 cells, and human monocytic cells, produced IL-8, a potent proinflammatory cytokine associated with preterm delivery, and showed apoptotic cell death in response to the LP in vitro. These results suggest that U. urealyticum infection might play a causative role in preterm delivery via LP-induced IL-8 production and apoptosis.

Total urine output following s.c. administration of furosemide in healthy dogs was similar when compared to the i.v. and p.o. route. Subcutaneous route may be an effective means for administration of furosemide in dogs, particularly when i.v. access is difficult.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to report the long-term outcome of the surgical palliation of pulmonic stenosis in dogs.METHODS: The subjects comprised three female and six male dogs, mean (±sd) age: 23 (±25) months, mean (±sd) weight: 3·4 (±2·1) kg, diagnosed with severe pulmonic stenosis and right ventricular hypertrophy, with an average preoperative pressure gradient of 153 (±43) mmHg on echocardiography.RESULTS: The pressure overload with severe pulmonic stenosis was reduced by valvotomy, i.e., open pulmonary valve commissurotomy, with/without biomembrane patch grafting, under cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative pressure gradient at 1 to 7 days was significantly decreased to 65 (±39) mmHg (P<0·05). The reduced pressure gradient was maintained at 58 (±38) mmHg at final follow-up.CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Open valvotomy, pulmonary valve commissurotomy and biomembrane patch grafting were effective in reducing obstruction in severe pulmonic stenosis in dogs.

Large ASD in a cat can be repaired using e-PTFE under CPB.

No abstract