Combined surgical and medical management of a cat with gastrinoma.

Gastrinomas are gastrin-secreting pancreatic tumours rarely diagnosed in cats. A 12-year-old female spayed cat was presented for vomiting, anorexia and weight loss. Physical exam revealed lethargy, dehydration and thin body condition. Pertinent laboratory abnormalities included a mild mature neutrophilia and borderline hypoalbuminaemia. Imaging of the abdomen revealed a mass-like change to the proximal duodenum. Exploratory laparotomy was performed, and the duodenal mass along with a 3-mm pancreatic nodule was removed. Immunohistochemical staining of the pancreatic nodule confirmed a gastrinoma. Following surgery, treatment was initiated with omeprazole and toceranib. Toceranib was discontinued after 8 weeks due to hyporexia. The patient was continued on omeprazole long term and has survived more than 35 months since diagnosis. Little information regarding treatment and prognosis for feline gastrinomas is available. In this case report, long-term survival was achieved with a combined surgical and medical approach using omeprazole and toceranib.

[A comparative study of experimental and commercial serological tests for detection of antibodies in humans with tularemia.]

Experimental serological tests were developed to determine anti-tularensis antibodies in humans in immunochromatography formats (LF-test LPS Ft15) and enzyme immunoassay (ELISA LPS Ft15) using as an antigen highly purified LPS F. tularensis 15 NIIEG. Analysis was conducted of the sensitivity and specificity of the developed tests and commercial tularemia antigen «RNGA-Tul-AG¼ (production Stavropol research anti-plague Institute) in comparison with the commercial reference antigen, registered in the Russian Federation for the quantitative determination of human IgG tularemia - «ELISA classic Francisella tularensis IgG¼ SERION, Germany (IgG SERION ELISA). A study of human blood serum vaccinated against tularemia showed that the sensitivity and specificity of detection of anti-tularemia antibodies by «ELISA LPS Ft15¼ were 97.7 and 100%, compared with «ELISA IgG series¼. When determining antitularemia antibodies with the diagnosis «LF-test LPS Ft15¼, these parameters were compared to «ELISA IgG series¼ 94.3 and 100%. The sensitivity and specificity of «RNGA-Tul-AG¼ made compared to the «IgG ELISA, SERION¼ of 59.1% and 80%.

Retrospective comparison of the efficacy of fluconazole or itraconazole for the treatment of systemic blastomycosis in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Itraconazole is recommended for treatment of blastomycosis in dogs. Some evidence suggests that fluconazole might be less hepatotoxic than itraconazole. OBJECTIVES: To compare (1) incidence of clinical remission and death; (2) treatment duration; (3) total drug cost; (4) incidence of relapse; and (5) incidence of increased ALT activities in dogs with blastomycosis treated with fluconazole or itraconazole. ANIMALS: One hundred and forty-four dogs with systemic blastomycosis treated with itraconazole or fluconazole from 1998 to 2008. METHODS: Retrospective case review. Information obtained included signalment, body weight, clinical signs, drug regimen, treatment duration, time to clinical remission, and laboratory results. RESULTS: Neither treatment efficacy between fluconazole (75% remission) and itraconazole (90% remission) nor relapse rate (18% for itraconazole, 22% for fluconazole) was significantly different (P = .13, .75, respectively). Treatment duration was significantly longer for fluconazole (median 183 days) than for itraconazole (138 days; P = .001). Costs for fluconazole (median $1,223) were significantly less than for itraconazole ($3,717; P < .001). Incidence of increased ALT activities was not significantly different between groups (17% [3/18] for fluconazole, 26% [6/23] for itraconazole; P = .71). CONCLUSIONS: Fluconazole is associated with survival to clinical remission in 75% of dogs with blastomycosis. Although dogs receiving fluconazole were treated longer, drug costs were one-third those of itraconazole. Hepatotoxicosis, as estimated by increases in serum ALT activity, can be observed with similar incidence for both drugs.

[Cell engineering and genetic approaches to the development of models of human embryonic stem cells for studying genetic disorders].

A novel approach to the establishment of genetically modified human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines has been developed, and it has been shown that mutant hESC may be derived from affected embryos after preimplantation genetic diagnosis screening for a particular single gene disorder. Here we provide the description of embryo and cell manipulation procedures, diagnostic lay out, analysis of the efficiency of embryo development and hESC establishment, as well as developments for hESC derivation in animal free conditions. The high efficiency of the approach (50%) is especially crucial in the work with rare and unique resources, such as genetically screened embryos necessary for the derivation of hESC lines representative of specific genetic diseases.

[Phagocytic functional and metabolic activities in the interaction with F. tularensis subspecies of various virulence].

There is evidence that the facultatively intracellular pathogen affects the functional capacity of phagocytes, which is associated with their bactericidal against a tularemic microbe with varying phenotypic properties. The tularemic microbe of the subspecies Francisella subsp. tularensis and F. tularensis subsp. mediaasiatica is shown to influence the phagocytic capacity of immunocompetent cells, resulting in incomplete phagocytosis. This is corroborated by the lower functional activity of neutrophils and macrophages in the interaction with tularemic microbe of the subspecies tularensis and mediaasiatica to a greater extent than in that with the representatives of other studied F. tularensis subspecies. The low content of cationic protein and the suppressed activity of NO-synthase may be associated with the loss of activity of the enzyme and cationic protein during phagocytosis of the tularemic microbe. The findings are of prognostic value in characterizing the severity of a pathological process caused by F. tularensis and in designing diagnostic and prophylactic agents.

[Synthesis and antiaggregative activity of a new RGDF mimetic]. / Sintez i antiagregatsionnaia aktivnost' novogo RGDF-mimetika.

m-[4-Oxo-4-(piperazin-1-yl)butyrylamino)]benzoyl-D,L-beta-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-beta-alanine, a new mimetic of the peptide RGDF, was synthesized. This compound inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation in human blood plasma enriched with platelets with IC50 3.5 x 10(-8) M. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2004, vol. 30, no. 6; see also http://www.maik.ru.

[Viability and virulence of Francisella tularensis subsp. Holarctica in water ecosystems (experimental study)]. / Zhiznesposobnost' i virulentnost' Francisella tularensis subsp. Holarctica v vodnykh ékosistemakh (éksperimental'noe izuchenie).

Under conditions of artificial water biocenosis a virulent strain of F. tularensis could be detected in fresh water shrimps and mollusks for about a month, in Conepoda for up to 20 days and in Chydorus sphaericus for up to 7 days from the moment of the aquaria water contamination. In silt F. tularensis could be detected for a longer period (up to 2 months). Daphnia, Oligochaeta and C. sphaericus appeared to be unfavorable environment for this microorganism. The virulence level of F. tularensis microbial cells decreased in paralell with prolongation of their stay in water biocenosis. The presence of water biota favours F. tularensis preservation in water reservoirs for a longer time.