No abstract

Electrocardiography is a useful tool when included in healthcare protocols and is increasingly utilized for monitoring wild birds. However, the lack of reference data for many species is limiting the clinical value of this technique. In this study 26 Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) coming from rehabilitation and captive breeding programs were examined to determine electrocardiographic references prior to being released. Standard bipolar (I, II, and III) and augmented unipolar limb (aVR, aVL, and aVF) leads were recorded with birds under physical restraint. Five beats were analyzed on Lead II at 50 mm/sec and 1 cm = 1 mV to determine QRS complex morphology, cardiac rhythm, heart rate, P, PR, R, S, QRS, T, QT, and ST amplitude and/or duration. P and T wave configuration was determined for all leads, and Mean Electrical Axis (MEA) in the frontal plane was determined using leads I and III. Cardiac rhythm corresponded to regular sinus rhythm in 42% of the birds, with a relevant rate of sinus arrhythmia in 58%, and rS as the most common pattern (42%) for QRS complex in lead II. We found an influence of age and heart rate but not of sex on several ECG waves and intervals. Relevant ECG findings for studied Andean condors include a high rate of T(a), R', and U wave detection. Waves T(a) and R' were considered non-pathological, while the significance of U waves remains unclear. Our results provide a useful reference to improve clinical interpretation of full electrocardiographic examination in Andean condors.

The aim of the study was to investigate the intramuscular pharmacokinetics of enrofloxacin in black vultures (Coragyps atratus). The pharmacokinetics of a single intramuscular dose (10 mg/kg) of enrofloxacin was studied in six vultures. Plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin and its active metabolite, ciprofloxacin, were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLCuv). Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using non-compartmental and compartmental analysis. After intramuscular administration, enrofloxacin showed a rapid and complete absorption, reaching a Cmax value of 3.26 ± 0.23 μg/mL at 1.75 ± 0.53 h. A long terminal half-life of 19.58 h has been observed. Using previously published MIC values to perform a PK/PD analysis, cumulative fraction responses obtained after Monte Carlo simulation for AUC/MIC > 30, 50 and 125 were 72.93%, 72.34% and 30.86% for E. coli and 89.29%, 88.89% and 58.57% for Mycoplasma synoviae, respectively. Cumulative fraction responses obtained for Cmax/MIC index were 33.93% and 40.18% for E. coli and M. synoviae, respectively. The intramuscular administration of 10 mg/kg could be appropriate to treat infectious diseases caused by gram-positive bacteria with MIC value lower than 1 µg/mL; however, although enrofloxacin showed a slow elimination in black vultures, plasma concentrations were insufficient to reach the gram-negative stablished breakpoints.

Angiopoietin like (ANGPTL) proteins are secreted proteins showing structural similarity to members of the angiopoietin family. Some ANGPTL proteins possess pleiotropic activities, being involved in cancer lipid, glucose energy metabolisms and angiogenesis. ANGPTL7 is the less characterized member of the family whose functional role is only marginally known. In this study we provide experimental evidences that ANGPTL7 is over-expressed in different human cancers. To understand the role played by ANGPTL7 in tumor biology, we asked whether ANGPTL7 is endogenously expressed by malignant cells or in response to environmental stimuli. We found that ANGPTL7 is marginally expressed under standard growth condition while it is specifically up-regulated by hypoxia. The regulatory mechanism underlining the ANGPTL7 response to hypoxia need to be elucidated. Interestingly, the protein is secreted and partially associated with the exosomial fraction, suggesting that it could be found in the systemic circulation of oncologic patients and act in an endocrine way. Moreover we found that ANGPTL7 exerts a pro-angiogenetic effect on human differentiated endothelial cells by stimulating their motility, invasiveness and capability to form capillary-like networks while it does not stimulate bone marrow derived progenitor endothelial cells. Finally, we showed that ANGPTL7 promotes vascularization in vivo in the mouse matrigel sponge assay, thereby accrediting this molecule as a pro-angiogenic factor. This suggests that ANGPTL7 could be an attractive therapeutic target for anti-angiogenic tumor therapy. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B7. Citation Format: Matteo Parri, Laura Pietrovito, Alberto Grandi, susanna campagnoli, Piero Pileri, Elisa De Camilli, Laura Bianchini, Guido Grandi, Giuseppe Viale, Paola Chiarugi, Renata Maria Grifantini. Angiopoietin like 7, a novel pro-angiogenetic factor over-expressed in cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B7.