Non-immunoglobulin defense factors in canine saliva and effects of a tooth gel containing antibacterial enzymes.

Selected innate: non-immunoglobulin defense factors in canine saliva were characterized and quantitated. The samples from dogs showed increased pH, higher lysozyme and salivary peroxidase activities, but lower hypothiocyanite concentration and myeloperoxidase activity when compared with human saliva. Secondly, a 1-month clinical pilot study was performed using a commercial tooth gel to determine acute and long-term changes in salivary host defense proteins. Daily application of the tooth gel did not substantially affect the concentrations of these factors in dogs with normal salivation. Our results suggest that canine saliva may be similar to human saliva, comprised of both immune and non-immune antimicrobial factors. However, as in humans, oral administration of antimicrobial proteins as reported here does not seem to benefit dogs with normal saliva secretion. Products such as the tooth gel evaluated in this study may benefit dogs with xerostomia or other clinical conditions causing decreased saliva production.

Imaging of canine cancers with 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) suggests further applications for cancer imaging in man.

18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) is a novel radiopharmaceutical that has gained much interest as a cancer-seeking agent. In this paper two cases of histologically verified canine cancer, an osteosarcoma and a mammary carcinoma, are presented. After an intravenous bolus injection of FDG, accumulation of radioactivity over the neoplastic lesion was followed with a computer-guided specially collimated gamma camera. Ratios of radioactivity between tumour and control areas at 30 min were 2.8 and 2.2 for the osteosarcoma and the mammary carcinoma, respectively. In the osteosarcoma, which was imaged for 3 h, this ratio remained essentially stable. It is reasonable to assume that FDG will be suitable for cancer imaging in man.