Use of the CgA ELISA kit for determination of human plasma CgA concentrations is applicable to the measurement of canine plasma CgA concentrations. Canine plasma CgA concentrations, along with measurements of plasma cortisol and catecholamine concentrations, correctly reflect insulin-induced hypoglycemic stressed conditions in dogs. Measurement of canine plasma CgA concentrations may provide a useful index for evaluation of an acute stress response.

ABSTRACT. Renal effects of the selective α 2 -adrenoceptor agonist, medetomidine, were investigated in anesthetized dogs. Animals were administered medetomidine 20 and 40 µg/kg intravenously (IV) and 80 µg/kg intramuscularly (IM) or 1 ml of saline IV. Urine and blood samples were collected before and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min following medetomidine injection. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine volume (U v ), urine osmolality (U osm ), free water clearance (C H2O ), fractional clearance of sodium (F Na ), plasma osmolality (P osm ), plasma glucose levels and plasma antidiuretic hormone (ADH) concentrations were measured. The results showed that IV administration of medetomidine initially increased MABP 5-15 min followed by long-lasting decrease. The initial hypertension was not observed after IM administration, which was accompanied by a more profound hypotensive effects. RBF, GFR, U v , C H2O increased after IV injection and decreased after IM. Medetomidine increased FNa and Posm and decreased U osm . Plasma glucose levels initially increased and subsequently decreased. Plasma ADH concentration was decreased by IV injection but increased by IM administration. Our data imply that: 1) IV administration of medetomidine at dose rates of 20 and 40 µg/kg results in profound diuresis up to 2 hr; 2) Suppression of ADH release from the CNS is one of the mechanisms of medetomidine-induced diuresis although it may not be the principal one. KEY WORDS: anesthesia, canine, isoflurane, medetomidine and renal function.

ABSTRACT. Dolphins in a captive environment are exposed to various kinds of stresses. Handling and transportation are stressful events for terrestrial mammals, and such stress may affect immune system function and increase susceptibility to infectious diseases. The same phenomenon could occur in dolphins, however, few studies have reported this in dolphins. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between stress and polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell function of dolphins during transportation. Four bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were transported for 6 hr by truck. Serum cortisol levels, leukograms, phagocytosis, and superoxide production of PMN cells were evaluated during handling and transportation compared to resting values. The mean serum cortisol level was significantly increased during handling and transportation (p<0.05) when compared with the resting values. White blood cell (WBC) counts, eosinophil counts, phagocytosis, and superoxide production of PMN cells during handling and transportation stages decreased significantly in comparison with the resting stage (p<0.05). The concentration of serum cortisol was significantly correlated with the results of the WBC counts, eosinophil counts, superoxide production, and phagocytosis (p<0.01, p<0.05, p<0.05, and p<0.001, respectively). The present results indicate that handling and transportation are stressful events for dolphins and could affect their PMN cell functions, thereby leading to the impairment of the immune system.

ABSTRACT. An 8-year-old female Shetland sheep dog had hyperproteinemia with a monoclonal gammopathy and a solid mass on the liver, which was histologically diagnosed as a plasma cell tumor. After the treatment of surgery and chemotherapy, serum protein level reduced to the normal range and the gammopathy was disappeared. These findings indicate the plasma cell tumor developed primarily from the liver. KEY WORDS: canine, gammopathy, hepatic plasma cell tumor.

ABSTRACT. The in vitro cytotoxicity of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α (rh-TNF-α) and actinomycin D (ACT-D) on canine normal and tumor cells was investigated. rh-TNF-α showed dose-dependent cytotoxic and cell-growth inhibitory effects on cultured canine kidney carcinoma cells (CKCa-1). rh-TNF-α alone produced little cytotoxic effect on canine normal cells. However, combined with ACT-D, it showed moderate cytotoxicity on normal canine cells from the kidney medulla, spleen, heart muscle and lung. When the effects on the spontaneous tumor cells were examined, the combination of rh-TNF-α and ACT-D produced substantial cytotoxic effect on 60% of the tumor cells. All mammary mixed tumors and perianal gland tumors tested were susceptible to this combination. The data indicated the combination of rh-TNF-α and ACT-D have in vitro cytotoxicity on certain canine tumor cells. -KEY WORDS: ACT-D, canine, cytotoxicity, rh-TNF-α, tumor cell.

ABSTRACT. Based on the recent findings that show how recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rh-TNF)-α has potent antitumor activity on human cancer patients when it locally administrated, we have tested the cytotoxicity of rh-TNF-α on 3 canine cultured cells: (1) canine kidney carcinoma (CKCa-1), (2) mastocytoma and (3) Mardin Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK). The cell surface expression of TNF-α receptors on these canine cells was also determined with anti-human TNF RI and RII polyclonal antibodies. Our data shows that on CKCa-1 which has TNF RI receptors rh-TNF-α induced cytotoxicity. By contrast, it exhibited no toxicity on canine mastocytoma which has mainly RII receptors. The data also suggest actinomycin D (ACT-D), an anticancer antibiotic, enhanced the cytotoxicity of rh-TNF-α. Combined with ACT-D, rh-TNF-α showed the cytotoxicity on MDCK which possessed both TNF RI and RII receptors. The results indicate that the cytotoxicity of rh-TNF-α depends on the presence of TNF RI receptors on canine tumor cells. -KEY WORDS: canine cell, cytotoxicity, rh-TNF-α, TNF-α receptor.

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ABSTRACT. Bovine and canine chromogranin A were extracted and purified from each specie's adrenal glands. Isolated bovine 70 kDa protein showed 100% identity to bovine CgA reported previously, whereas isolated canine 68 kDa protein showed 83.3% identity to bovine CgA by the NH 2 -terminal amino acid sequence analysis. Rabbit antibody to purified bovine protein (CgA) was found to immunologically cross-reatced with purified canine protein (CgA). In sandwich ELISA with anti-bovine CgA, concentration-dependent curves were obtained ranging from 0.3 to 20 µg/ml for canine CgA. From these findings, sandwich ELISA with anti-bovine CgA is found to be useful to determine the concentration of canine CgA.