BackgroundAdipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADMSC) therapy in regenerative medicine is a rapidly growing area of research and is currently also being used to treat osteoarthritis (OA). Force platform analysis has been consistently used to verify the efficacy of different therapeutic strategies for the treatment of OA in dogs, but never with AD-MSC.The aim of this study was to use a force platform to measure the efficacy of intraarticular ADMSC administration for limb function improvement in dogs with severe OA.ResultsEight lame dogs with severe hip OA and a control group of 5 sound dogs were used for this study. Results were statistically analyzed to detect a significant increase in peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) in treated dogs. Mean values of PVF and VI were significantly improved after treatment of the OA groups, reaching 53.02% and 14.84% of body weight, respectively, at day 180, compared with only 43.56% and 12.16% at day 0.ConclusionThis study objectively demonstrated that intraarticular ADMSC therapy resulted in reduced lameness due to OA.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of a single intra-articular injection of adipose mesenchymal stem cells (aMSCs) versus plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) as a treatment for reducing symptoms in dogs with hip osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: This was a randomized, multicenter, blinded, parallel group. Thirty-nine dogs with symptomatic hip OA were assigned to one of the two groups, to receive aMSCs or PRGF. The primary outcome measures were pain and function subscales, including radiologic assessment, functional limitation and joint mobility. The secondary outcome measures were owners’ satisfaction questionnaire, rescue analgesic requirement and overall safety. Data was collected at baseline, then, 1, 3 and 6 months post-treatment. Results: OA degree did not vary within groups. Functional limitation, range of motion (ROM), owner’s and veterinary investigator visual analogue scale (VAS), and patient’s quality of life improved from the first month up to six months. The aMSCs group obtained better results at 6 months. There were no adverse effects during the study. Our findings show that aMSCs and PRGF are safe and effective in the functional analysis at 1, 3 and 6 months; provide a significant improvement, reducing dog’s pain, and improving physical function. With respect to basal levels for every parameter in patients with hip OA, aMSCs showed better results at 6 months.

BackgroundRegenerative medicine using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) alone or combined with Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) is a rapidly growing area of clinical research and is currently also being used to treat osteoarthritis (OA). Force platform analysis has been consistently used to verify and quantify the efficacy of different therapeutic strategies for the treatment of OA in dogs including MSC associated to PRGF, but never with AD-MSC alone.The aim of this study was to use a force platform to measure the efficacy of intraarticular ADMSC administration for limb function improvement in dogs with severe OA.ResultsTen lame dogs with severe hip OA and a control group of 5 sound dogs were used for this study. Results were statistically analyzed to detect a significant increase in peak vertical force (PVF) and vertical impulse (VI) in treated dogs. Mean values of PVF and VI were significantly improved within the first three months post-treatment in the OA group, increasing 9% and 2.5% body weight, respectively, at day 30. After this, the effect seems to decrease reaching initial values.ConclusionIntraarticular ADMSC therapy objectively improved limb function in dogs with hip OA. The duration of maximal effect was less than 3 months.

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Trypanosomosis is a major constraint on ruminant livestock production in Africa, Asia, and South America. The principal host species affected varies geographically, but buffalo, cattle, camels, and horses are particularly sensitive. Natural infections with Trypanosoma congolense, T. vivax, T. brucei, and T. evansi have been described in goats. Trypanosomosis in goats produces acute, subacute, chronic, or subclinical forms, being T. vivax, T. congolense, and T. evansi, the most invasive trypanosomes for goats. However, the role of goats in the epidemiology of trypanosomosis is largely discussed and not well understood. Thus, it has commonly been assumed that trypanosomosis presents a subclinical course and that goats do not play an important role in the epidemiology of the disease. This can partially be due to parasitemia caused by trypanosomes which has been considered low in goats. However, this assumption is currently undergoing a critical reappraisal because of goats may also serve as a reservoir of trypanosome infection for other species, including the human beings in the case of T. brucei rhodesiense. The present article describes the current status of trypanosomosis in goats in Africa, Asia, and South America. Pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of the different trypanosomes are also described. The possible role in the epidemiology of the disease in the different areas is also discussed.

Sesquiterpene lactones have attracted much attention because they display a wide range of biological activities, including antitumor properties. Here, we show the effects of the naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone asteriscunolide A (AS) on viability of human melanoma, leukemia and cells that overexpress antiapoptotic proteins, namely Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L). All cell lines were sensitive to this compound, with IC(50) values of approximately 5 microM. The cytotoxic effects of AS were accompanied by a G(2)-M phase arrest of the cell cycle and a concentration- and time-dependent appearance of apoptosis as determined by DNA fragmentation, translocation of phosphatidylserine to the cell surface and sub-G(1) ratio. Apoptosis was associated with caspase-3 activity and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and was prevented by the nonspecific caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk, indicating that caspases are essential components in this pathway. The apoptotic effect of AS was also associated with (i) the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria which was accompanied by dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi(m)) and (ii) the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway. AS-induced cell death was potentiated by inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 signaling with U0126 and PD98059. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) seem to play a pivotal role in this process since high levels of ROS were produced early (1 h) and apoptosis was completely blocked by the free radical scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). The present study demonstrates that AS-induced cell death is mediated by an intrinsic-dependent apoptotic event involving mitochondria and MAPKs, and through a mechanism dependent on ROS generation.

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ABSTRACT. Hemimelia is a congenital abnormality characterized by the absence of a portion of the normal structures in a limb. Hemimelia is classified as transversal and paraxial and is related to genetical and environmental factors. This article shows the radiolo gical findings observed in three different cases of paraxial hemimelia occurred in goats (radial agenesia, absence of the portion of the distal epiphysis of the radius and anomalous radius with ulnar hypoplasia). Possible causes related to these abnormalities are discussed.