Journal of Veterinary Science最新文献

Importance: This paper highlights the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UAC) as a valuable biomarker for the early detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in dogs. The UAC effectively distinguishes between healthy dogs and those with CKD, particularly in the early stages, and enhances diagnostic accuracy when used alongside other renal biomarkers.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of the UAC as a biomarker for early CKD diagnosis in dogs and examine its correlation with other renal biomarkers in a large-scale clinical study.

Methods: This study included 99 healthy dogs and 122 dogs with CKD. The UAC and other renal biomarkers were measured and evaluated in healthy dogs and those with CKD and categorized according to the staging criteria of the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS).

Results: Dogs with CKD had significantly higher UACs than healthy dogs (p < 0.05). The UAC correlated with the IRIS stages and other renal biomarkers (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.817 (p < 0.05) for the UAC, with a cut-off value of 19.20 mg/g, showing 72% sensitivity and 71% specificity. A "grey zone" diagnostic window for early-stage CKD was introduced.

Conclusions and relevance: The UAC is effective for the early diagnosis of renal disease in dogs. The UAC can differentiate between healthy dogs and those with CKD at IRIS stage 1. The diagnostic value is enhanced when used alongside other renal biomarkers, allowing for more specific guidelines for pet owners and veterinarians. This large-scale study addresses the limitations of previous research conducted on small clinical samples.

Importance: When male elephants reach sexual maturity, they exhibit excessive sexual behaviors called musths. The musth period is important in the management of elephant herds. However, the timing of the musth and the effect of musth elephants on non-musth elephants in Korea have not been clearly analyzed.

Case presentation: In our observations, one male elephant (Koshik), who had been alone with a female, was observed to be on musth from age 15, while another young male elephant (Udara), who joined the group later, was not observed to be on musth at age 15, moreover the male elephants that were found to be on musth earlier had a longer duration of musth after the introduction of the other male. Furthermore, we also found that Koshik's testosterone levels increased approximately 200-fold during musth (the lowest level was 0.93 ng/mL) compared to before musth (the highest level was 214 ng/mL).

Conclusions and relevance: We found that the duration and behavior of musth in captive male elephants were affected by the introduction of other growing male elephants.

Importance: The intravenous administration of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs) in veterinary medicine is a promising regenerative therapy, but it can lead to severe complications, including pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE).

Objective: As part of an ongoing study, this study examined the impact of medications, such as heparin, aspirin, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), on the factors linked to PTE after an intravenous injection of canine mesenchymal stem cell into experimental animals.

Methods: Fluorescently labeled canine AdMSCs were administered intravenously into the tail veins of five-week-old male BALB/c hairless mice. This study compared the survival rates, biodistribution, platelet counts, D-dimer levels, and histological examination results among the drug treatment experimental and the control groups.

Results: The final survival rates in the SNP, control aspirin, and heparin groups were 25%, 33%, 50%, and 100%, respectively. Ex vivo imaging confirmed fluorescence exclusively in the lungs of all subjects who died during the injection, with no fluorescence detected in the other organs. On the other hand, in the heparin experimental group, the surviving individuals exhibited fluorescence in the lungs and the liver on day one. Histological biopsies revealed PTE in all deceased individuals within the medication experimental groups (p = 0.029).

Conclusions and relevance: Heparin was highly effective, with no PTE-related deaths observed when used alongside cell injections. Aspirin revealed moderate effectiveness, surpassing the control group. On the other hand, the efficacy of SNP was inferior to that of the other two drugs.

Importance: Porcine circovirus (PCV) is a global concern due to its financial impact on the pig industry. Molecular epidemiology of PCV2 and PCV3 in wild boars is essential for understanding viral dispersal and evolution in the wild boar population.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and genotypic traits of PCV2 and PCV3 in wild boars in the Gyeongnam region.

Methods: Serum samples from wild boars in Gyeongnam Province were screened for PCV2 and PCV3, and polymerase chain reaction-positive samples were further subjected to genotyping and whole-genome sequencing of PCV2 and PCV3.

Results: Thirty-eight samples tested positive for PCV2, 7 for PCV3, and 2 for PCV2 and PCV3 (coinfection). PCV2d and PCV3b are the dominant genotypes, causing PCV2 and PCV3 coinfections. Wild boar PCV2 and PCV3 viruses closely resemble their corresponding genotypic strains circulating in South Korea.

Conclusions and relevance: The circulation of PCV2 and/or PCV3 in wild species poses an additional challenge for commercial pig farming due to potential contact with infected wild boars. Our findings highlight the necessity for active monitoring and surveillance of wild boars and the enforcement of stringent biosecurity measures on commercial swine farms to mitigate the risk of PCV spillover to the domestic pig population.

Importance: In human medicine, research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown that an increase in the vertebral body fat signal fraction (FSF) is associated with the severity of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Nevertheless, veterinary medicine has limited information on the relationship between the vertebral body FSF and IVD degeneration.

Objective: This study evaluated the relationship between IVD degeneration and the vertebral body FSF in dogs and compared these factors between chondrodystrophic (CD) and non-chondrodystrophic (NCD) dogs.

Methods: IVD degeneration in dogs was classified morphologically using the Pfirrmann grade, and the vertebral body FSF was evaluated quantitatively.

Results: The vertebral body FSF showed a statistically significant difference among the age groups. The vertebral body FSF was significantly higher in Pfirrmann grades 3-5 than in grades 1 and 2. The mean Pfirrmann grade of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the four-to-six-year-old group. The mean vertebral body FSF of CD dogs was higher than that of NCD dogs in the group of seven years and above.

Conclusions and relevance: In dogs, the vertebral body FSF increased significantly with age and Pfirrmann grade. The CD dogs showed a higher degree of IVD degeneration at a younger age than the NCD dogs. CD dogs appeared to experience more severe fat deposition of the vertebral body in old age than NCD dogs. MRI examinations are helpful for evaluating IVD degeneration and vertebral body fat deposition.

Importance: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) used to treat inflammatory diseases in humans show improved clinical outcomes compared to other treatments. On the other hand, feline MSCs have limited therapeutic effects because of their low bioactivity. Successful clinical treatment requires enhancing the anti-inflammatory ability of feline adipose-derived MSCs (fAdMSCs).

Objective: To enhance the anti-inflammatory activity of fAdMSCs.

Methods: fAdMSCs were treated with the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) ligand poly (I:C) and aggregated. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) expression and kynurenine production were measured to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity. Anti-inflammatory effects were assessed by culturing fAdMSCs with rat macrophages and transplanting them into the kidney capsules of rats.

Results: IDO-1 expression and kynurenine production in fAdMSCs were increased significantly by a poly (I:C) treatment and enhanced using a basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) treatment. The level of fAdMSC aggregation increased IDO-1 expression significantly compared to the monolayer. These effects were enhanced by pretreatment with bFGF and poly (I:C). The bFGF and poly (I:C)-pretreated fAdMSC aggregates suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α expression in rat macrophages. During transplantation, the pretreated fAdMSC aggregates avoided leakage, survived in aggregate form, and induced anti-inflammatory macrophages.

Conclusions and relevance: TLR3-stimulated, bFGF-pretreated fAdMSC aggregates increase the anti-inflammatory activity significantly, providing a potential therapeutic approach for inflammatory diseases in felines.

Importance: Understanding the microbial diversity within the gastrointestinal tract of wild Korean water deer (KWD; Hydropotes inermis argyropus) is essential for gaining insights into their health and ecological interactions.

Objective: This study aims to isolate and identify aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species in the feces of wild KWD.

Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 55 wild KWD of varying age and sex. Aerobic bacteria were cultured at 37°C for 24-48 h under standard conditions, whereas anaerobic bacteria were cultured at 37°C for 48-72 h in an anaerobic environment. Bacterial identification was conducted using DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction amplification targeting the 16S rRNA gene.

Results: The predominant aerobic bacteria identified belonged to the Firmicutes (58.18%) and Proteobacteria (41.82%) phyla, with Escherichia coli (31.82%) and Bacillus cereus (31.82%) being the most common species. Among anaerobic bacteria, most belonged to the Firmicutes (71.03%), Proteobacteria (27.10%), and Fusobacteriota (1.87%) phyla, with Paraclostridium bifermentans (28.97%) and E. coli (22.43%) being the most prevalent species. Other frequently identified anaerobic species were Fusobacterium varium, Lactococcus garvieae, Terrisporobacter glycolicus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Clostridium sporogenes.

Conclusions and relevance: Our findings indicate a diverse microbial community in the feces of water deer, offering valuable insights into their gut microbiota and its potential implications for health and ecology.

Importance: Equine behavioral traits are important criteria to assess the suitability of retired Thoroughbred racehorses for equestrian sports.

Objective: This study aims to develop a practical procedure to assess retired Thoroughbreds for their suitability for equestrian sports or leisure purposes and to assess if horses identified as having reactive temperaments in response to a standardized startle test, will have improved test results following a period of transition training.

Methods: Behavioral reactivity data and cardiac autonomic responses to a startle test (comprising of a plastic bag applied to the neck area) were collected from twelve retired Thoroughbred racehorses (6 males and 6 females; average age: 4.33 ± 0.89 years old; average body weight 465.17 ± 25.33 kg), before and after the three-month transition training for equestrian sports. A priori power calculation indicated a requirement of 12 individuals for a power of 80%.

Results: Following the training, there was a significant reduction in the behavioral score (BS), peak heart rate (HR), and response duration (RD) of all horses compared to their pre-training scores. However, 25% of horses (3/12) retained a BS of 2 or above post-training, exhibiting significantly higher peak HR and longer RD compared to those with a BS below 2. Post-training, the females demonstrated a significant increase in the root mean square of the successive differences between normal heartbeats compared to their pre-training levels.

Conclusions and relevance: Transition training of retired Thoroughbreds can assist in improving horses' suitability for equestrian sports, based on their successive responses to a novel startle test.

Importance: The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) poses a significant threat to swine production, particularly with emerging strains such as the highly virulent NADC30-like strain.

Objective: This study examined the impact of PRRSV NADC30-like strains on pig farms in Fujian, China.

Methods: The effectiveness of strategic management protocols, including herd closure, medication programs, monitoring of processing fluids (pig testicular fluid), and collection of production data, were analyzed. The prevalent strain in the pig farm was identified as a NADC30-like strain of the PRRSV through genetic sequencing comparison analysis.

Results: The quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction results showed that the PRRSV cycle threshold (Ct) values of the processing fluid samples were relatively low from September to early October 2021. After implementing the intervention measures (October 2021), the Ct value increased gradually and reached a negative in March 2022, lasting six months. In addition, the average survival rate of the pigs before the intervention was 84.1%, while the average survival rate after the intervention was 93.1%.

Conclusions and relevance: The use of 12-month intervals for pig herd closure, drug planning, and other strategic management agreements (multi-point production and active monitoring of production data, McREBEL) helped stabilize the subsequent pig farm production, providing a basis for clinical disease prevention and control.

Importance: Patients with arthritis and ruptured cruciate ligaments typically require surgery. Following surgery, it is necessary to improve joint function in early stage.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of intraoperative intra-articular injection of the ELHLD peptide (L-glutamyl-L-leucyl-L-histidyl-L-leucyl-L-aspartic acid) on postoperative stifle function in patients with medial patella luxation grade 3 and osteoarthritis grade 2 undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy due to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture.

Methods: A total of 12 dogs participated, with 6 dogs assigned to the control group and 6 to the ELHLD peptide treatment group. The ELHLD peptide was administered by intra-articular injection to patients, and the following aspects were compared with the control: hindlimb circumference, balance evaluation score (BES), muscle mass, and stifle function score (SFS). These assessments were conducted at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery.

Results: In the treatment group, hindlimb circumference suggested an effect on the recovery stifle function at the 4th and 8th week (p < 0.05) after surgery, and the BES and muscle mass test were effective at 4th week (p < 0.05). In the SFS test, it was effective at 2nd week (p < 0.05).

Conclusions and relevance: The use of ELHLD injections is meaningful in that it helps rapid recovery of joint function in the early stages after surgery. This research might improve the satisfaction of the caregiver, and facilitate the overall recovery process in the patient.