100,432 research outputs found
17β-Estradiol and testosterone amniotic concentrations in at term born puppies: preliminary results
No full textThe study of fetal sexual steroid hormones production during pregnancy deserve scientific interest in both humans and animals, to better understand the normal sexual development, but also in the recently investigated impact on the future health outcomes (Kuijper et al., 2013). Many studies reported the early production of testosterone by the testes during the fetal stage of development; however, also estrogens were recognized to play a role in developing programming. Because of the scarce knowledge about this topic in the dog, the present study was aimed to assess the 17-β-estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) amniotic concentrations at birth in normal newborn dogs. The study was conducted on 31 normal puppies, 16 males and 15 females, born by 10 healthy bitches belonging to several breeds, submitted to elective Caesarean section at term, with litter-size ranging between 1 to 5. Amniotic fluid from each puppy was collected (Meloni et al, 2014) and immediately stored at – 20 ° C until analysis by RIA. Amniotic E2 concentrations in male and female puppies were 124±66.82 pg/ml and 109±42.15 pg/ml, respectively; while amniotic T concentrations were 124±91.24 pg/ml and 114±71.72 pg/ml, in males and females’ puppies, respectively, without significant differences between the two genders. The preliminary results showed that both E2 and T were detectable in canine amniotic fluid, but without differences between male and female puppies. The wide standard deviation found deserve further investigations on a larger number of subjects, to identify possible causes, such as the effect played by the bitch
Cortisol fetal fluids concentrations and newborn outcome in term pregnancy Chihuahua dogs: preliminary results.
No full textComparison of AlphaLISA and RIA assays for measurement of wool cortisol concentrations
No full textRadioimmunoassay (RIA) methods have always represented a technique of choice for the determination of steroids in biological samples. The Amplified Luminescent Proximity Homogenous Assay-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (AlphaLISA) is now emerging as the new-generation immunoassay technology that does not require washing/separation steps. The aim of this study was to adapt the Perkin-Elmer's AlphaLISA kit for wool cortisol and compare it with a RIA wool cortisol assay. Wool from lambs, 35 at birth (A0) and 54 at two months old (A2), was collected and each extract was evaluated for wool cortisol concentrations (HCC) both by RIA and AlphaLISA immunoassay. The two methods showed good precision, sensitivity and specificity for determining HCC. Both methods were able to detect significant differences between the high and the low HCC assessed in lambs at A0 and A2 (P < 0.01). The HCC assessed with RIA were significantly higher than those assessed with AlphaLISA (P < 0.01). Moreover, the correlation between HCC measured using the AlphaLISA and RIA methods was strong (r = 0.878). The regression analyses show a constant and not proportional error. This could be due to the diversity in the dosage steps and to the diversity of the molecules used in the two methods. Results support the validity of using AlphaLISA as an alternative method to RIA for the quantification of cortisol in sheep wool and considering the performances showed it has a great potential to be further applied as an excellent tool to evaluate HCC in samples derived from animal species
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: novel prognostic factors and their relevance for risk-adapted therapeutic strategies
No full textBackground and Objectives:
Many years ago it was established that prompt treatment of
early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the stage at which almost two-thirds of CLL patients present, has no benefit over a management of watching and waiting, then treating progression. However, this fact was based on series treated ineffectually with chlorambucil, which were not stratified according to prognostic markers.Design and Methods:
The prognosis and clinical course of CLL are heterogeneous. While some patients may have a normal life expectancy without requiring treatment, others die of drug-resistant disease as early as within two years of presentation. However, unlike the situation in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, there is no standard Prognostic Index that can be used to group patients with CLL according to likely outcome or to guide treatment.Results:
A number of clinical and biological factors of prognostic relevance, which may add to the classical assessment provided by the staging systems, have been identified. These include clinical characteristics, such as age, gender and performance status, and laboratory parameters reflecting the tumor burden or disease activity, such as lymphocyte count, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increase, bone marrow infiltration pattern or lymphocyte doubling time. Recently more informative prognostic parameters have been identified: serum markers such as soluble CD23, b2-microglobulin or thymidine kinase
and genetic markers of tumor cells, such as genomic aberrations, gene abnormalities (p53, ATM), the mutation status of the variable segments of the immunoglobulin heavy chain genes (IGVH) or surrogate markers for these factors, such as CD38 and ZAP-70.Interpretations and Conclusions:
From the clinician’s perspective the importance of this new knowledge is how it affects treatment. It is now possible to produce molecular remissions even in advanced disease using combinations of purine analogs and monoclonal antibodies. Moreover, potentially curative therapeutic modalities such as autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation are becoming safer. Clinical trials of effective treatment stratified by more reliable prognostic markers are surely now warranted
IGF-I, NEFA and cortisol plasma concentrations in newborn donkey foals
No full textMany hormonal and metabolic factors are involved in the neonatal adaptation and have been studied in several species, but knowledge are lacking for the donkey. IGF-I, NEFA and C are involved in the perinatal development in several species, but their role in the neonatal adaptation in donkey foals is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate IGF-I, NEFA and cortisol (C) plasma concentrations in new-born Martina Franca donkey foals. Blood samples were collected 10 min after birth, at 12 h, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days of age from seven donkey foals and plasma was analysed by RIA for IGF-I and C and by a commercial kit for NEFA. IGF-I were significantly higher at 7 (p < 0.05) and at 10 and 14 days (p < 0.01) in comparison to the preceding sampling times, suggesting that like in the horse foals, also in this species in the neonatal period the IGF-I production increase could be responsible for the requested rapid growth. Cortisol was significantly higher (p < 0.01) at 10 min after birth in comparison to all the following sampling times, similarly to the profile reported for the horse full term born foal. The results confirmed that IGF-I, NEFA and C are involved in the process of neonatal adaptation in the donkey foal, with features similar to whose observed for the horse foal
Letter, [Author unclear] to Paulina T. Merritt
No full textHandwritten letter to Paulina Merritt from an unknown author, October 1, 1876.
Hair cortisol concentrations in New Zealand white rabbits subjected to surgery
No full textThe aim of this study was to assess hair cortisol concentrations in New Zealand white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) that were subjected to relocation and surgery to evaluate HPA-axis activity; in addition, we used this marker of cortisol secretion to evaluate the allostatic load of animals undergoing surgery. After a period of acclimatisation, which lasted 40 days from their arrival at the enclosure, 19 rabbits were subjected to T1-T12 dorsal arthrodesis (RS), 19 were sham-operated (SS), and 19 were non-operated (CON). Hair samples were collected at the time of arrival (ST1) at the animal facility, and seven other sets of hair samples were collected at 40- day intervals from the same area of skin for a period of 240 days as re-shaved hair (anagen phase): immediately before surgery (ST2) and after the surgery (ST3, ST4, ST5, ST6, ST7, and ST8). The transition from the rabbitry to the animal breeding facility led to a significant increase in cortisol concentration (ST2) in all of the groups. At ST3, the RS group presented higher cortisol concentrations than those of the SS group and the CON group. At ST4, the experimental groups showed similar values that remained constant until ST8. The results show that the management of rabbits undergoing surgery should be evaluated very carefully, and hair cortisol concentrations may provide a means of avoiding the dangerous cumulative effects of additional stressors close to surgery. © 2018 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare
Cortisol hair and nails concentrations in newborn puppies and kittens: preliminary results.
No full textSince cortisol (C) plays an important role in foetal multi-organs final maturation, the study evaluated the reliability for hair and nails C measurement in newborn puppies and kittens as a retrospective picture of foetal C accumulation during the last stage of gestation. The results obtained from 32 born dead normal puppies and 8 born dead normal kittens showed that C is higher in the hair of kittens compared to puppies, while no differences were found between nails C levels in dogs compared to cats, between hair and nails C concentrations within each species, between sex of the newborns and, in the dog between the fair and dark color of the coat. This experiment provides a new interesting tool for C non invasive measurement in newborn puppies and kittens, useful for the study of both last intrauterine development foetal stage and for newborn adaptational monitoring
Do environmental factors influence hair cortisol in foaling season?
No full textPlasma cortisol (C) in adult horse is influenced by several environmental factors, such as temperature and lighting conditions but to date it is not clear if also hair cortisol is subjected to the same factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of these environmental factors on foal hair cortisol levels at 30 days of age during the breeding season. Hair samples were collected from 69 foals at 30 days of age from March to July and analyzed for C by RIA. For each sample were considered the averages of environmental factors (lighting conditions and temperature) during the 30 days preceding the sampling. Hair cortisol levels were 37.32±8.87 pg/mg (mean value ±SD). None of the climate variables was related to cortisol hair concentrations. In conclusion these data suggest that hair cortisol in 30 days old foals is not affected by the influence of temperature and lighting conditions and cortisol variations are due to an individual HPA axis activation and not to environmental factors
Plasma cortisol concentrations in Holstein Friesian and Belgian Blue newborn calves born by different types of delivery
No full textCortisol (C) is a major stimulus for fetal and neonatal lung maturation and for surfactant production. Neonatal calves born by caesarean section (CS), particularly the double-muscled
Belgian Blue (BB), are more proned to develop the respiratory distress syndrome (Cambier et al. 2002 Vet Res 33, 283–290Danlois et al. 2003 Vet J 165, 65–72). The aim of this study was to investigate C plasma levels in 15 Holstein Friesian (HF) newborn calves born by spontaneous vaginal delivery (VD) and in 25 BB newborn calves born by elective CS. Blood samples were taken at 10, 20, 30 min and at 6, 24 h after birth and at 7
and 14 days of age. Plasma C concentrations were analyzed by RIA.
Statistical analysis evidenced an influence of both time (p < 0.05) and group (p < 0.0001) on C concentrations. In agreement with previous studies, high C levels at birth were followed by a reduction at 6 h and by a further decrease on day 7 after birth in both groups. Cortisol concentrations were different between BB and HF calves, with significantly higher levels in HF calves. These findings are in agreement with studies in newborn babies, while previous studies on calves mentioned no differences in C levels between calves born without assistance vs. calves born by CS. The present results suggest that both breed and type of delivery are associated with plasma C levels in the newborn calf
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