ABSTRACT
A healthy dog developed signs of lethargy and vomiting after ingesting water from a tide pool containing blue-green algae. Fulminant hepatic failure occurred, and the dog was euthanized 52 hours later. At necropsy, the liver was large, friable, and discolored a dark red. Histopathology showed hepatocyte dissociation, degeneration, and necrosis. The alga was identified as Microcystis aeruginosa, a known hepatotoxin. The intraperitoneal administration of lyophilized cell material from the bloom caused hepatic necrosis in mice.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Toxins/poisoning , Dog Diseases/etiology , Hepatic Encephalopathy/veterinary , Marine Toxins/poisoning , Microcystis , Animals , Dog Diseases/blood , Dog Diseases/pathology , Dogs , Female , Hepatic Encephalopathy/etiology , Hepatic Encephalopathy/pathology , Kidney Diseases/etiology , Kidney Diseases/veterinary , Mice , Peptides, Cyclic/poisoningABSTRACT
Four cyclic peptide toxins were purified and quantified from the aqueous extract of algal cell material utilizing high performance liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography, and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The cyclic peptide toxins appear to be similar structurally to hepatotoxins from previously identified blooms of the blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Toxins/chemistry , Microcystis/chemistry , Amino Acid Sequence , Bacterial Toxins/isolation & purification , California , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Chromatography, Thin Layer , Marine Toxins , Microcystins , Molecular Sequence Data , Peptides, Cyclic/analysis , Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom BombardmentABSTRACT
Persistent hypercalcemia attributable to parathyroid gland hyperplasia was identified in 6 dogs with primary hyperparathyroidism. Clinical signs included polydipsia (n = 4), polyuria (n = 4), and signs caused by cystic calculi (n = 3). Abnormal clinical pathologic findings included hypercalcemia (mean, 13.6 mg/dl; range, 12.6 to 14.7 mg/dl; n = 6), hypophosphatemia (mean, 2.2 mg/dl; range, 1.4 to 2.9 mg/dl; n = 6), high serum alkaline phosphatase activity (mean, 222 IU/L; range, 161 to 286 IU/L; n = 3), and isosthenuria (mean, 1.012; range, 1.006 to 1.017; n = 6). Serum parathyroid hormone concentration was within the reference range or high (mean, 23 pmol/L; range, 7 to 119 pmol/L; reference range, 1.5 to 13 pmol/L) in all dogs. At surgery, the number of large parathyroid glands was variable, being limited to 1 gland in 3 dogs, 2 glands in 2 dogs, and 4 glands in 1 dog. All visibly large parathyroid glands were surgically removed from each dog. Serum calcium concentration decreased into or below the reference range within 72 hours of surgery in all dogs, confirming the diagnosis of primary parathyroid disease. Multiple nodules of adenomatous hyperplasia were identified in each dog. All 6 dogs were treated with vitamin D and calcium carbonate following surgery. The dog from which all 4 parathyroid glands were removed has remained eucalcemic for more than 1 year with vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D and calcium administration was discontinued within 4 to 12 weeks of surgery in the remaining 5 dogs. These dogs remained eucalcemic without vitamin D supplementation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
