Doxorubicin (Dox) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents; however, it causes dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Evaluation of left ventricular function relies on measurements based on M-mode echocardiography. A new technique based on quantification of myocardial motion and deformation, strain echocardiography, has been showed promising profile for early detection of cardiac dysfunction. Different therapy strategies, such as flavonoid plant extracts and stem cells, have been investigated to improve heart function in toxic cardiomyopathy. This work aimed to assess early cardiac function improvement after treatments with either flavonoid extract from Camellia sinensis or mesenchymal stem cells in Dox cardiotoxicity using strain echocardiography. Twenty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups. They received water (control, Dox, Dox + stem cells) or 100 mg/kg C. sinensis extract (Dox + C. sinensis) via gavage, daily, for four weeks. Animals also received saline (control) or 5 mg/kg doxorubicin (Dox, Dox + C. sinensis, Dox + stem cells) via intraperitoneal injection, weekly, for four weeks. Stem cells were injected (3 × 106 cells) through tail vein prior the beginning of the experiment (Dox + stem cells). Animals were evaluated by hematological, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and histopathological examinations. Dox cardiotoxicity was only diagnosed with strain echocardiography, detecting a decrease in ventricular function. C. sinensis extract did not prevent ventricular dysfunction induced by Dox. However, strain echocardiography examination revealed that Dox cardiotoxicity was significantly suppressed in rats treated with stem cells. In conclusion, strain echocardiography was able to detect precocity signs of heart failure and stem cell therapy showed cardioprotection effect against Dox cardiotoxicity.

No abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the preemptive analgesic effect of amantadine on postoperative pain control in female dogs that underwent ovariohysterectomy. Twenty female dog were randomly assigned to two groups of ten. The control group (CONTROL) received oral placebo capsules, while the amantadine (AMANT) group received 5 mg/kg of oral amantadine one hour before sedation. All the animals were premedicated with 3 mg/kg (IM) meperidine, induced with propofol and maintained with isofluorane. The transanesthetic physiological parameters were recorded, and postoperative pain was evaluated every hour after extubation for six hours with the Dynamic Interactive Visual Analog Scale (DIVAS) and mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) and when the necessary analgesic rescue was administered (morphine, 0.2 mg/kg (IM)). During the surgical procedure, there was no significant difference in the variables measured between the two groups. Regarding postoperative pain assessment, there was a significant difference in the DIVAS score (p = 0.004) between the groups, in which AMANT required fewer rescues than did CONTROL (p = 0.03). The MNT was significantly higher ​​in AMANT than in CONTROL (p = 0.03). The results suggested that the preoperative administration of amantadine decreased analgesic requirement in female dogs that underwent elective ovariohysterectomy.

RESUMOAvaliou-se a hidroxiapatita sintética como substituto ósseo na regeneração do processo alveolar, utilizando-se 28 cães adultos hígidos, pesando entre 10 e 15kg, divididos em dois grupos. Foram criados defeitos de aproximadamente 6 x 5mm na superfície vestibular do processo alveolar até atingir a raiz do quarto pré-molar mandibular direito. Em um grupo, o defeito foi totalmente preenchido com hidroxiapatita sintética; o outro, sem tratamento, foi usado como controle. Aos 8, 15, 21, 42, 60, 90 e 120 dias, foram coletados fragmentos ósseos para a análise histológica sob microscopia óptica. Observou-se crescimento ósseo e vascular no interior dos poros de hidroxiapatita, intensa proliferação de osteoblastos e neovascularização na presença do implante. A biocompatibilidade da hidroxiapatita permitiu a sua integração com o processo alveolar por meio da formação direta de um osso lamelar. Ocorreu neoformação óssea à medida que a hidroxiapatita foi degradada.Palavras-chave: cão, regeneração óssea, hidroxiapatita, osteocondução, osteoindução ABSTRACTThe synthetic hydroxyapatite was evaluated as bone substitute in the regeneration of the alveolar process. Twenty-eight healthy adult dogs weighing from 10 to 15kg were divided into two groups. Defects around 6 x 5mm were provoked on the vestibular surface of the alveolar process until reaching the root of the fourth right mandibular premolar tooth. In one group the defect was totally infilled with synthetic hydroxyapatite, whereas the other untreated one was used as control. On days 8, 15, 21, 42, 60, 90 and 120, bone

Maropitant is a neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonist that can be used for pain management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of continuous infusion of two doses of maropitant on cardiorespiratory parameters and its postoperative analgesic effect in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy. Thirty cats were randomly assigned to one of three groups (10 cats each group): the control group (CG) received a continuous infusion of 10 ml/kg/h Ringer’s lactate; GM30 and GM100 first received an intravenous (IV) bolus of 1 mg/kg maropitant; GM30 then received continuous infusion of 30 μg/kg/h maropitant; and GM100 then received continuous infusion of 100 μg/kg/h maropitant. The maropitant was diluted into Ringer’s lactate and the GM30 and GM100 also received fluids intraoperatively. In all groups, premedication included intramuscular injections of morphine and acepromazine, followed by induction with propofol and maintenance with isoflurane. Temperature, heart rate (HR), Doppler blood pressure (DBP), respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and measuring the end-tidal carbon dioxide and isoflurane were monitored. Postoperative pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale and the UNESP-Botucatu multidimensional composite pain scale in cats; morphine was used for analgesic rescue. During the surgical procedure, cats in GM100 demonstrated lower HR and DBP than those in CG. With regard to the evaluation of postoperative pain, GM100 required the least frequent morphine rescue and less rescue analgesia compared with CG. In conclusion, cats in GM100 maintained lower DBP and HR and required lower analgesic rescue during the postoperative period. The results suggested that animals receiving maropitant bolus (1 mg/kg) plus (100 μg/kg/h) experienced greater postoperative comfort, reflected by the lesser need for analgesic rescue. The use of maropitant in surgical procedures in cats contributes to postoperative comfort.

Background: Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor (cTVT) is a neoplasia that affects mainly the genital organs of dogs, but can rich extragenital sites as well. It´s a tumor characterized microscopically by the presence of vacuolized round cells. Transmission occurs by implantation of these cells in non-affected tissues and the treatment is based on vincristine chemotherapy.Cases: Case 1. A 5-year-old intact male Poodle, presenting an increase volume of nasal plane came for veterinary care at a private veterinary clinic. The animal had bilateral bloody nasal secretion and dyspnea. The external genitalia had no alterations. The cytological evaluation confirmed cTVT. Treatment with vincristine sulfate weekly showed a rapid responsewith improvement of the respiratory condition, total remission of the mass and absence of neoplastic cells in cytology. Case 2. A 5-year-old mixed-breed canine bitch, weighing 6.7 kg, was brought to the State University of Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital (UESC-VH), showing an increase volume in the nasal plan region, with complaints about sneezing, nasal bleeding,respiratory distress with approximately 4 months of evolution. The owner informed that the mother of these female dog, that lived in the same environment, died a month before the beginning of clinical signs of the bitch of this case, and showed a reddish vaginal mass with intense bleeding. Intranasal exfoliative cytology showed moderately cellular sample compatible with cTVT. The treatment with vincristine sulphate for 6 weeks, showed completely remission of all clinical signs. Case 3. A 3-year-old mixed-breed male dog was brought to the UESC-VH with a reddish, friable mass located in the left eye. The citology confirmed the clinical suspicion of cTVT. After six weekly sessions of chemotherapy with vincristine sulfate, the tumor regressed and a new cytological evaluation was performed, without visible of tumor cells. By the end of the treatment, the dog was diagnosed with phitisis bulbi, and one year later, due to recurrent ulcerative keratitis, the enucleation was performed and the histopathological examination of the eye did not identify the presence of tumor cells.Discussion: Two of the dogs cited in this report had freely streets access, without supervision of the owners, and they are likely to have contracted cTVT on one of those occasions. The animal’s care style acts as a risk factor for the development of neoplasia. Regarding the third animal, the close contact with another female dog, who had compatible vaginal cTVTclinical signs was probably the factor that determined the transmission. None of the animals cited in this report had lesions on their external genitalia. The extragenital presentation may be attributed to the social behavior of licking and sniffing the genitalia of carrier animals, which may lead to the natural implantation of the viable cells of the cTVT into the ocular and nasal mucosa. About the clinical signs manifested, in the cases of involvement of the nasal structures, the main signs described in literature are bloody nasal secretion, sneezing, dyspnea and increased nasal plane volume, and are similar to those observed in the animals cited in this report. In the case of ocular cTVT, the increase volume with impairment and deformity of all ocular structures, as well as pain and pruritus corroborate with the clinical findings observed in the literature. The cytopathological test was the diagnostic tool used in all cases cited in this report and the cytopathological findings corroborates with those described in the literature. Vincristine sulfate is the drug of choice for the treatment of cTVT cases, and in the dogs of this report, this drug was successfully used leading to complete remission of lesions and clinical signs, as observed in other studies.Keywords: nasal mucosa, ocular mucosa, venereal disease, round cells.

Objetivando avaliar a influência do butorfanol na anestesia com propofol na espécie felina, durante ovariosalpingohisterectomia eletiva, utilizaram-se 20 gatas, adultas, distribuídas em dois grupos (G1 e G2) de igual número. O G1 foi pré-tratado com levomepromazina (1mg/kg via IM), enquanto no G2 adicionou-se butorfanol na dose de 0,4mg/kg via IM, à pré-medicação. A indução anestésica foi feita com propofol IV, em dose suficiente para permitir a intubação. Para a manutenção da anestesia por 60 minutos, o propofol foi utilizado em doses complementares de 3 mg/kg, sempre que necessário. Em ambos os grupos, houve redução significativa da temperatura corporal, com valores abaixo do considerado fisiológico para a espécie. Os demais parâmetros fisiológicos (freqüências cardíaca e respiratória e pressão arterial), de uma forma geral, tiveram alterações porém sem significado clínico para a espécie. As concentrações de cortisol sérico no G2 permaneceram dentro dos limites considerados fisiológicos, enquanto no G1 houve elevação desses valores durante o procedimento cirúrgico. Assim, pode-se concluir que o butorfanol não reduziu a dose do propofol, porém determinou maior conforto para os animais durante a cirurgia o que indicaria a sua inclusão em protocolos anestésicos para esta espécie.

Maternal hypothyroidism is associated with fetal growth restriction, placental dysfunction, and reduced kisspeptin/Kiss1R at the maternal-fetal interface. Kisspeptin affects trophoblastic migration and has antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of kisspeptin in the fetal-placental dysfunction of hypothyroid Wistar rats. Hypothyroidism was induced by daily administration of propylthiouracil. Kisspeptin-10 (Kp-10) treatment was performed every other day or daily beginning on day 8 of gestation. Feto-placental development, placental histomorphometry, and expression levels of growth factors (VEGF, PLGF, IGF1, IGF2, and GLUT1), hormonal (Dio2) and inflammatory mediators (TNFα, IL10, and IL6), markers of hypoxia (HIF1α) and oxidative damage (8-OHdG), antioxidant enzymes (SOD1, Cat, and GPx1), and endoplasmic reticulum stress mediators (ATF4, GRP78, and CHOP) were evaluated on day 18 of gestation. Daily treatment with Kp-10 increased free T3 and T4 levels and improved fetal weight. Both treatments reestablished the glycogen cell population in the junctional zone. Daily treatment with Kp-10 increased the gene expression levels of Plgf, Igf1, and Glut1 in the placenta of hypothyroid animals, in addition to blocking the increase in 8-OHdG and increasing protein and/or mRNA expression levels of SOD1, Cat, and GPx1. Daily treatment with Kp-10 did not alter the higher protein expression levels of VEGF, HIF1α, IL10, GRP78, and CHOP caused by hypothyroidism in the junctional zone compared to control, nor the lower expression of Dio2 caused by hypothyroidism. However, in the labyrinth zone, this treatment restored the expression of VEGF and IL10 and reduced the GRP78 and CHOP immunostaining. These findings demonstrate that daily treatment with Kp-10 improves fetal development and placental morphology in hypothyroid rats, blocks placental oxidative damage, and increases the expression of growth factors and antioxidant enzymes in the placenta.