To induce luteal regression-related abortion/delivery and treat pyometra in dogs, various PGF2α-analogues (PGAs) are administered, but a PGA most appropriate for clinical application in dogs, with a low incidence of side effects, is being investigated. In this study, we compared the effects of etiproston tromethamine (PGA-E), which has not been investigated in dogs, with those of cloprostenol (PGA-C), which is routinely used in dogs. A single dose of PGA-E at 100, 200, 400 or 800 μg or PGA-C at 12.5, 25, 50 or 100 μg was administered to beagles (n=5 per group) 25 days after ovulation, when the corpus luteum was in the functional phase. We compared the state of luteal regression by measuring plasma progesterone levels. As side effects, the incidences of salivation, vomiting, tachypnea, diarrhea and the drop in body temperature were investigated. In the 400-μg and 800-μg groups treated with PGA-E, the mean intervals from administration until luteal regression were 18.6 days and 31.2 days, respectively. In the dogs treated with 50 μg or more of PGA-C, luteal regression was noted 2 days after administration. The above side effects were observed for 3 hr after administration of PGA-E/PGA-C. In the dogs treated with 800 μg of PGA-E, the mean body temperature was 36.7°C 4 hr after administration; hypothermia persisted. PGA-E may be less useful than PGA-C for promoting luteal regression in dogs in clinical application.
Canine epididymal sperm was collected from the cauda epididymis using 2 different methods (flushing and mincing) to compare the qualities (the percentage of progressively motile, viable, morphologically abnormal, immature and intact acrosomes) before and after freezing and thawing. No significant difference was noted in the quality of the cauda epididymal sperm immediately after collection and after freezing-thawing between the collection methods, although the mean levels of sperm quality with the flushing method were slightly better than that of the mincing method. The flushing method is simple and free of blood contamination, although the vas deferens was too small to be perfused in only 1 dog, and our results suggest that the flushing method is preferable to the mincing method for collecting sperm from the canine cauda epididymis.
The D-xylose and triglyceride absorption tests have been widely used as screening tests to characterize malabsorption and indicate intestinal biopsy. In this paper we report the efficiency of these tests in the differential diagnosis of the various causes of chronic diarrhea and their possible relationship to jejunal villous atrophy. Two hundred and fifteen children with chronic diarrhea were submitted to the D-xylose and triglyceride absorption tests, and small intestinal biopsy. The patients were divided into 5 groups, that is: I--celiac disease, 53; II--protracted diarrhea, 24; III--environmental enteropathy, 50: IV--celiac disease under gluten free diet, 11; V--irritable bowel syndrome, 77. D-xylose and triglyceride absorption tests were within normal limits in 3.8% and 4.2% patients belonging respectively to groups I and II. On the other hand, only 7.8% of the patients belonging to group V would be included in the group of patients that would have indication for intestinal biopsy, since both tests revealed abnormal results. Moreover, both tests showed an excellent relationship with the intensity of villous atrophy.
A Beagle with a low plasma testosterone (T) level and azoospermia was given 10 subcutaneous injections of 1 μg gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRH-A) per head at intervals of 3 days (Experiment 1), and 6 months after the final injection was given, 15 subcutaneous injections of 2 μg GnRH-A were given at intervals of 2 days (Experiment 2). The plasma T level increased and peaked at 8 weeks after the first injection of GnRH-A in both Experiment 1 and Experiment 2. Motile sperm were detected in the semen collected 8 weeks and 7 weeks after the first injection in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, respectively. The total number of sperm peaked 9 weeks after the first injection in both Experiment 1 (4.5 × 106) and Experiment 2 (72.8 × 106).
Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) expression is implicated in human Prostatic Carcinoma (PC), but its role in canine PC is unclear. To investigate how VDR expression is affected by age and castration in healthy dogs and how it changes with PC, we evaluated prostates from 8-month-old (n = 5) or 6-year-old (n = 8) intact males, 1-8-year-old healthy castrated males (n = 4) and 8-15-year-old castrated males (n = 7) with PC, by performing histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA. The results showed that VDR expression in canine prostate increased in an age-dependent manner and decreased after castration compared with intact dogs at 6 years of age. Castrated dogs with PC showed increased VDR expression compared with healthy castrated dogs and VDR expression in PC differed according to the pattern of tumor proliferation. The findings suggest that prostatic VDR expression may be a useful prognostic marker and therapeutic target for canine PC.
In dogs, embryo transfer (ET) techniques such as induciton of excessive ovulation and synchronization of estrus have not progressed well. Therefore, using embryos at various developmental stages, ET was investigated in dogs from a beagle colony in which the ovulation days were close, as estimated by the progesterone level. Embryos were recovered 8-11 days after ovulation (4-9 days after mating) by excising the oviducts and uteri (excision method) in 16 animals and by surgical flushing of the uteri at laparotomy (surgical method) in 3 animals. In 24 dogs with -4 to +2 days of difference in the timing of ovulation between donor and recipient dogs, 1-10 embryos at the 8-cell to blastocyst stages were transferred per animal. The mean embryo recovery rate by the excision method (97.1%) was significantly higher than that by the surgical method (42.5%) (p<0.01). Twelve (57.1%) of 21 animals with -1 to +2 days difference in ovulation day became pregnant after the transfer of 8-cell to blastocyst stage embryos. Although 3 dogs with -4 to -2 days of difference of ovulation day underwent ET of morula or compacted morula, none of these dogs became pregnant. The mean ratio of the number of newborns to the number of transferred embryos was only 51.9%. The mean duration of the period between ovulation and delivery in the pregnant recipients was 65.8 days, which tended to be longer than that in natural mating. These results demonstrate that pregnancy can be induced by ET at the 8-cell to blastocyst stage in dogs with -1 to +2 days difference in ovulation day.
We collected semen from a male Amur leopard cat using the transrectal electroejaculation method and investigated the semen qualities for about four years. In addition, the influence of the season on the spermatogenic function of the Amur leopard cat was investigated with regard to the semen qualities, testicular volume and serum testosterone level. As a result, we could collect semen with good sperm qualities that would be useable for artificial insemination. Some seasonality was noted in the testicular volume and serum testosterone level. We clarified that the semen qualities were favorable before and during the female breeding season compared with those after the breeding season.
