BackgroundChronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common diseases occurring in cats. It is characterized by renal fibrosis, which is strongly correlated with impairment of renal function. Since renal biopsy is not performed routinely in clinical practice, the non-invasive method of ultrasonographic shear-wave elastography (SWE) was used to determine renal parenchymal stiffness. Currently, urinary procollagen type III amino-terminal propeptide (uPIIINP) is a renal fibrosis biomarker in humans. Moreover, PIIINP is increasingly applied for identification of fibrosis in various organs in animals.ResultsThe Young’s modulus (E) value on SWE, uPIIINP, and renal function were evaluated in 23 CKD cats and 25 healthy cats (HC). The renal cortical E values were significantly higher than those of the renal medulla in both groups (P < 0.001). The E values of the renal cortex and medulla were significantly higher in CKD cats than in HC (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). The E values, especially of the cortex, showed a significant positive correlation with concentrations of plasma creatinine (P < 0.001), blood urea nitrogen (P < 0.05), while they had a negative correlation with urine specific gravity (P < 0.001) and urine osmolality per plasma osmolality ratio (P < 0.01). The uPIIINP to creatinine ratios (uPIIINP/Cr) were significantly higher in CKD cats than in HC (P < 0.01) and were highly correlated with renal cortical E values (P < 0.001).ConclusionsSWE might be an additively useful and non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool to evaluate renal parenchymal stiffness, which correlates with renal functional impairment in CKD cats. Moreover, the uPIIINP/Cr might be a promissing biomarker for adjunctive assessing the renal fibrosis in feline CKD.

Background and Aim: Renal fibrosis is a well-established pathological alteration associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in several species and progresses as CKD advances. Although a renal biopsy is the gold standard for determining renal fibrosis, it is an invasive, impractical method for clinical practice. In humans, ultrasonographic shear-wave elastography (SWE), a novel advanced diagnostic imaging tool, can evaluate renal parenchyma stiffness, and urinary procollagen type III amino-terminal propeptide (uPIIINP), a promising renal fibrosis biomarker in humans, has increasingly been use applied to reduce the biopsies. This study compares renal tissue elasticity observed through SWE Young's modulus (E) values between healthy dogs (HD) and those with CKD. Materials and Methods: The E value acquired by SWE, uPIIINP levels, and renal function were evaluated in 15 CKD dogs and 15 HD. Results: The renal cortical E values were significantly higher than the renal medullary E values in both groups (p<0.001). Renal cortical and medullary E values in CKD dogs were significantly higher than in HD (p<0.01). Cortical E values had greater significant correlations with renal functional parameters than the medullary E values and had a significant positive correlation with concentrations of plasma creatinine (Cr) (p<0.001); blood urea nitrogen (p<0.01); urine protein Cr ratio (p<0.01); and fractional excretions of sodium (p<0.05), potassium (p<0.05), chloride (p<0.05), and magnesium (p<0.001) while they had a negative correlation with urine specific gravity (p<0.05) and urine osmolality to plasma osmolality ratio (p<0.05). The uPIIINP to Cr (uPIIINP/Cr) ratios of CKD dogs were higher than those of HD (p<0.001). Moreover, the uPIIINP/Cr levels presented significant correlations with the renal cortical E values (p<0.01) and also the renal functional parameters. Conclusion: SWE offers a complementary, non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool for evaluating renal tissue stiffness in CKD dogs with renal function deterioration. In addition, uPIIINP levels are associated with renal function and structural changes in dogs. Therefore, the uPIIINP level might be a non-invasive, complementary, and promising biomarker for evaluating renal fibrosis in canine CKD.

Gemcitabine had antitumor effects on canine TCC cells in vitro, and the combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin had synergistic activity at biologically achievable concentrations.

Iron metabolism, hepcidin and some blood profiles were investigated in 13 healthy and 31 chronic kidney disease (CKD) dogs. The study consisted of 2 experiments, experiment I included healthy dogs (CONT) and CKD dogs (stage 2, 3 and 4), while experiment II consisted of anemic CKD dogs subjected to 28-day darbepoetin alfa treatment. The response to darbepoetin alfa could divide anemic CKD dogs into responder (RP) and non-responder (NRP) subgroups. The results from experiment I showed that packed cell volume (PCV) and plasma albumin concentration were significantly lower in 2 CKD dogs of all stages while the total iron binding capacity (TIBC) was lower in only CKD stage 3 and 4 compared with dogs in CONT group. The PCV was related to both TIBC and albumin when considering among all dogs or only in CKD dogs. The hepcidin concentration in CKD dogs with anemia was lower than those without anemia (P<0.05). In experiment II before darbepoetin alfa treatment, RP subgroup had significantly higher iron and TIBC compared with NRP subgroup (P<0.05), the iron concentration was decreased only in RP subgroup after darbepoetin alfa treatment (P<0.05). The percent increase in PCV was correlated with initial TIBC (P<0.01). Plasma hepcidin concentration was not different between CONT and CKD groups and between RP and NRP subgroups both before and after darbepoetin alfa treatment. It is concluded that TIBC and plasma iron concentration play role on anemia and erythropoietic response to darbepoetin alfa treatment in CKD dogs.

The present study aims to investigate the composition including concentrations of IGF-1, IgG and Vit A in colostrum and their effects by litter size and goat parity in 3 groups of goats; Black Bengal (BB), Saanen (SA) and their crossbred (BBSA). Thirty-eight goats were used (23 BB, 7 BBSA and 8 SA). The composition (fat, protein, lactose and total solid; TS) in colostrum (Day 0; D0) and milk (Day 4; D4 and Day 7; D7) were measured. The IGF-1, IgG concentrations were analysed in some samples collected at D0, D4 and D7 while Vit A was analysed only in colostrum. The results showed that colostrum components were similar among experimental groups. However, the colostral IGF-1 concentration of BBSA (983.0 ± 163.6 ng/mL) was higher than that of BB (340.7 ± 85.5 ng/mL, p < 0.01) and SA (417.1 ± 93.9 ng/mL, p < 0.01). The colostral IgG concentration of BB (8.2 ± 0.9 mg/mL) was lower than that of BBSA (12.9 ± 1.7 mg/mL, p < 0.05) and SA (12.9 ± 1.0 mg/mL, p < 0.01). Colostral Vit A concentration in BBSA (787.2 ± 152.6 µg/100 gm) was higher than that in BB (388.9 ± 84.3 µg/100 gm, p < 0.05) but was not different from SA (522.8 ± 96.9 µg/100 gm). Colostrum from all groups contained higher protein and TS but was lower in lactose concentration than milk. The IGF-1 and IgG concentrations in colostrum were much higher than in milk both D4 and D7 (p < 0.001). Additionally, litter size had no effects on colostrum contents but colostrum from goats with a higher parity number had higher IgG concentration. It is concluded that colostrum from BBSA may be superior when fed to BB newborn goats in terms of higher IGF-1, IgG and Vit A contents. Moreover, colostrum from goats with a high parity number contained more IgG content.