Journal of Veterinary Medical Science最新文献

Oxypeucedanin (OPD) is a compound naturally present in plants such as Peucedanum praeruptorum, a kind of medicinal herb which displays anti-inflammatory activities. However, its protective role on chemotherapy-induced inflammatory injuries has not been well studied. In the present study, we found that OPD could alleviate cisplatin (CDDP)-induced intestinal inflammatory injury in mice, which was accompanied by the decrease of immune cell infiltration and reverse of mitochondrial dysfunction in intestinal tissue. Then we noticed that OPD could inhibit cisplatin-induced intestinal cell pyroptosis, which was indicated by the reduction of LDH release and PI positive signal in the cells and tissues. The reason is that OPD could suppress caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) signaling, which is a critical mediator of chemotherapy-induced tissue injury. We also detected the upstream factors of caspase-3/GSDME signaling and have found that cisplatin-induced Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and DNA damages could also be inhibited by OPD. Importantly, OPD administration did not reverse cisplatin-suppressed tumor burden in animals. Our present study provides a potential application of OPD to reduce cisplatin-induced side effects, without interfering the anti-tumor capacity, indicating a way to extend the duration of cisplatin administration.

The three-drug anesthetic mixture (medetomidine, midazolam and butorphanol), developed as an injectable anesthetic for laboratory animals, has been verified from various perspectives and applied to mice and other laboratory animals. However, the effects of its storage conditions and periods on its efficacy have not yet been studied. This study investigated the mixture's efficacy after storage under various conditions (room temperature, 4°C and -20°C) for 1 and 2 years. Mice in all groups were induced into a stable anesthetic state for at least 15 min after administration. The mice recovered from the anesthetized state 35 min after administration of the antagonist. These findings demonstrate the mixture's stability under different storage conditions and durations, potentially improving laboratory mouse welfare.

A 24-day-old female Japanese Black calf presented a sudden paraplegia after a history of watery diarrhea. Antemortem magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the suspicion of thrombotic component in the abdominal aorta, without any spinal cord abnormality at the lumbar region. On necropsy, a massive thrombus occupied the lumen from the distal abdominal aorta to the bifurcation of the external iliac arteries. In the thoracic aorta, another mural thrombus developed from the caudal side of the incompletely closed ductus arteriosus orifice, with aortic wall erosion. Both thrombi were mainly composed of platelets. Any microbes were undetected during organ and thrombus incubations. A saddle embolism in the abdominal aorta occurred by an abacterial white thrombus suspiciously originated from the thoracic aortic mural thrombus.

A 9-year-old spayed female mixed breed dog weighing 6.8 kg with a history of previous splenectomy for hemangiosarcoma 4 years earlier was referred for a hepatic mass lesion. Although the dog did not have a clinical sign, a computed tomography revealed a solitary mass in the left medial lobe of the liver. Spleen-like tissue was observed on needle core biopsy of the mass, leading to the diagnosis of intrahepatic splenosis. Therefore, hepatic lobectomy of the left medial lobe of the liver was performed. Histopathological evaluation of the excised tumor confirmed the diagnosis of intrahepatic splenosis. No further development of splenosis was detected on CT performed 217 days after the surgery. The dog died of suspected aspiration pneumonia without any event or clinical signs related to intrahepatic splenosis on postoperative 272 days. The cause of the intrahepatic splenosis observed in this dog was unknown; however, hematogeneous dissemination and autoimplantation of splenic tissue via the portal venous flow was speculated. This case shows the utility of needle core biopsy for the preoperative diagnosis of splenosis. The intrahepatic splenosis in this case was considered to have developed as a long-term sequelae after splenectomy, as in humans.

We investigated the distribution and antimicrobial resistance of 120 Staphylococcus felis isolates from feline patients in Japan, mainly from the urinary tract (28.3%), abscesses (23.3%), ears (22.5%), and nasal cavity (10.8%). The distribution of S. felis differed from those of previous studies in Japan and other countries. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed a relatively high resistance to penicillin (PEN, 33.3%), followed by erythromycin (ERY, 15.8%), clindamycin (CLI, 13.3%), and levofloxacin (5.0%). However, oxacillin resistance was not detected. Notably, 11/120 (9.2%)S. felis isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, i.e., resistance to more than three classes of drugs, which mainly consisted of PEN-ERY-CLI resistance phenotypes. This is the first investigation on antimicrobial-resistant S. felis isolates from feline patients in Japan.

In recent years, the importance of using local disinfectants instead of systemic antibiotics for the treatment of infectious skin diseases to prevent the emergence of resistant bacteria has become widely recognized. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is commonly used in veterinary antibacterial shampoos; however, the daily topical application of diluted CHG solutions has also been adopted. Despite its widespread use, few studies have investigated the effects of CHG on the canine skin barrier. This study examined the skin barrier-damaging effects of CHG in dogs by applying diluted CHG (0.05%, 0.5%, and 4%) daily to six healthy dogs for 2 weeks. At the end of the trial, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin surface hydration (SSH), and number of skin bacteria were evaluated. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of CHG to the canine progenitor epidermal keratinocytes (CPEK) was examined using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-8) assay. Continuous application of 0.5% and 4% CHG to the skin led to a significant reduction in the number of skin bacteria. Additionally, at 4% CHG, a notable increase in TEWL and a decrease in SSH was observed. The WST assay revealed cytotoxicity of CHG at concentrations of 0.05%. In conclusion, although daily topical application of 4% CHG demonstrated the potential to disrupt the skin barrier, 0.5% CHG demonstrated sufficient antimicrobial activity without skin barrier disruption. Additionally, when treating dogs' skin with a compromised stratum corneum, use of lower concentration of CHG is suitable.

Two captive-bred lizards, a Western spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata) and a bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), were evaluated for anorexia and absence of feces. The iguana had a recent cloacal prolapse, whereas the dragon had a repaired prolapse 20 days earlier. Exploratory celiotomy under anesthesia revealed a devitalized distal colon in the iguana and stenosis of ductal organs in the pelvic cavity in the dragon, leading to colostomies. Stomal stenosis, managed through dilation, was the main complication. Both gained weight within 1,000 days post-surgery. At 2,152 days, the iguana weighed 166 g; the dragon, which died at 1,792 days, weighed 274 g. Colostomies may benefit lizards with distal colon or cloaca damage that can still urinate, as demonstrated in this report.

Apoptosis, an important pathological event associated with kidney disease progression, is expected to be a therapeutic target in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, its role in naturally occurring CKD in aged cats remains unclear. Therefore, here, we investigated kidney tissues from aged cats (≥10 years) with or without azotemic CKD to evaluate apoptotic events using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The positive TUNEL signals of the renal cells were quantified and statistically analyzed for correlation with the severity of plasma creatinine (pCre) concentration, renal lesions (glomerulosclerosis, interstitial cell infiltration, peritubular capillaries, and interstitial fibrosis), and oxidative damage of the kidney tissue. Oxidative damage was evaluated using immunohistochemistry for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (OHdG) and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE). In the TUNEL assay, regardless of azotemia, positive nuclear signals were observed in the tubular epithelial and intraluminal cells, interstitial infiltrating cells, and glomerular cells. Quantitative TUNEL scores showed no significant differences between the azotemic and non-azotemic groups in any compartment of the kidney tissues. In the azotemic group, TUNEL scores did not correlate with pCre or renal lesion severity. However, the scores showed a significant positive correlation with the scores of 8-OHdG and 4-HNE. These findings suggest that apoptosis associated with oxidative damage in renal tissue is an initial pathological event that leads to CKD, rather than a change following CKD progression, in aged cats. Inhibiting apoptosis by antioxidant treatment may be a key strategy to prevent the development of CKD.

A homozygous individual for ITGB7 gene mutation, an autosomal recessive congenital disorder in Holstein cattle, was retrospectively identified by genotyping of 195 stored blood from patients less than 12 months of age. Other 24 patients (12.3%) showed heterozygous. The homozygous individual was a 107-day-old female calf born on March 2017, who presented with chronic diarrhea and severe hypocholesterolemia suggesting hereditary cholesterol deficiency (CD), but genotyping analysis showed negative for CD. The patient showed watery diarrhea, dehydration, and extreme emaciation. Necropsy revealed no apparent cause of chronic diarrhea. Histopathological examination revealed mild mucosal inflammation from the jejunum to the colon. Seven years after the patient's death, the availability of ITGB7 gene mutation testing revealed the patient to be homozygous.

Ovariectomized (OVX) mice serve as a key model for studying postmenopausal metabolic changes, particularly obesity, as they mimic the hormonal state of postmenopausal women. However, our understanding remains limited regarding how hormonal and dietary factors affect different adipose tissues. Furthermore, precise documentation of experimental procedures and their effects on specific adipose tissue depots is essential for reproducible translational research. This study investigated depot-specific adiposity development in OVX mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), focusing on how reduced estrogen levels and dietary intervention affect distinct fat depots. We composed subcutaneous and visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) depots from sham-operated (Sham) and OVX female C57BL/6JJcl mice on a regular diet (RD) and high-fat diet (HFD) for 20 weeks. OVX mice on HFD gained significantly more weight than Sham controls. Adiposity increased in abdominal subcutaneous WAT (sWAT) and perirenal WAT (prWAT) of OVX mice, but not in mesenteric WAT (mWAT). Analysis of adipose tissue morphology revealed that OVX mice exhibited enlarged adipocyte cross-sectional areas under low estrogen (E2) conditions, suggesting enhanced adipogenesis in an estrogen-deficient state. These findings suggest that low estrogen condition accelerated adiposity, in a tissue site-dependent manner.