Use of octreotide for the treatment of protein-losing enteropathy in dogs: Retrospective study of 18 cases.

BACKGROUND: More than 50% of dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) fail to respond to standard therapies. Octreotide, a somatostatin analogue, is used in cases of intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) in humans with some success. OBJECTIVES: Describe the use of octreotide in dogs with PLE including reason for and details of prescription, adverse effects, and apparent response. ANIMALS: Eighteen dogs with PLE, 13 with histopathology available. Ninety-two percent (12/13) had IL diagnosed on biopsy. All 13 dogs had intestinal inflammatory infiltrates noted. METHODS: Multicenter, retrospective, descriptive study. Cases were volunteered for inclusion by individual attending veterinarians who reported the use of octreotide in cases of PLE. RESULTS: In 16/18 (89%) cases octreotide was prescribed to PLE dogs with a clinical suspicion or confirmed diagnosis of IL that were refractory to standard therapies. Median serum albumin at the time of octreotide prescription was 1.7 g/dL (range, 1.0-3.1 g/dL). The median dose of octreotide prescribed was 20 µg/kg, SQ, daily with a range of 4-39 µg/kg, SQ, daily. Adverse effects were noted in 3/18 (17%, 95% CI [4%, 41%]) of dogs; discontinuation of the drug was necessary in 1 dog. Improvement in clinical signs was noted in 6/12 (50%, 95% CI [21%, 79%]). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Octreotide was most commonly prescribed to dogs with PLE and suspected or confirmed IL that had failed to respond to standard therapies. Though a benefit to PLE dogs cannot be confirmed, octreotide was well tolerated by the majority of dogs at the doses prescribed in this study.

Cytometric catheter for neurosurgical applications.

Implantation of neural progenitor cells into the central nervous system has attracted strong interest for treatment of a variety of pathologies. The replacement of dopamine-producing neural cells in the brain appears promising for the treatment of patients affected by Parkinson's disease. Previous studies of cell replacement strategies have shown that less than 10% of implanted cells were viable 24-48 hours following implantation. We present the design of an instrumented cell-delivery catheter that has been developed to facilitate the quantification of the cells delivered and determination of viability. The catheter uses a fibre optic probe to perform fluorescence-based cytometric measurements on cells exiting the port at the catheter tip. Results of fluorescence testing data are presented and show that the device can characterize the quantity of cell densities ranging from 60 000 to 600 000 cells ml(-1) with a coefficient of determination of 0.93 (p < 0.05, n = 6).

Characterization of high-temperature thermographic phosphors: spectral properties of LuPO(4):Dy(1%),Eu(2%).

The fluorescence properties of a thermographic phosphor in the form of single crystals of LuPO(4):Dy(1%),Eu(2%) have been studied as a function of temperature by the use of a high-temperature oven integrated into a spectrophotometer. The results reveal differing rates of decrease in the fluorescence intensity with increasing temperature for various emission lines of dysprosium and europium, thus suggesting a new differential method of remote thermometry for high-temperature applications and for temperature measurements on moving components.

Observations of and applications for self-imaging in optical fibers.

Experimental results of self-imaging in optical fibers are reported along with an analytical model that explains the observations. Some implications for sensor design are discussed.

Tear-film dynamics and oxygen tension under a circular contact lens.

The cornea requires a minimum level of oxygenation; this may be prevented by a contact lens, and corneal swelling and other undesirable effects may result. By employing thin-film lubrication theory, this study derives analytical solutions for tear-film velocity components and pressure under a circular contact lens. Oxygen-tension contours are then obtained for various values of squeeze action and parallel motion of the lens.