F J Van Sluijs | PubMed Health

PubMed2000

Models for studying benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common diseases affecting aging man. Attempts have been made to clarify the etiology and pathogenesis and, to that end, experimental models have been developed. To date, in vitro and in vivo models have been used, depending on the concept of the study. Spontaneous animal models are limited to the chimpanzee and the dog. Ethical and financial factors restrict the applicability of these models. The hormonal-induced canine BPH model is a good alternative that closely resembles human BPH in many aspects. The experimental models currently used for studying BPH are reviewed. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2000) 3, 28-33

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

Fast resolution of hypercortisolism in dogs with portosystemic encephalopathy after surgical shunt closure.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether hypercortisolism in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts disappeared after surgical closure of the shunts concomitantly with recovery from hepatic encephalopathy. We examined 22 dogs before and four weeks after partial surgical closure of a single, large congenital portosystemic shunt (PSS). Parameters measured to characterise the basal activity of the pituitary-adrenal axis were the cortisol:creatinine (c/c) ratio in home-sampled urine and total and free cortisol in plasma. The binding characteristics of cortisol binding globulin (CBG) in pooled pre- and postoperative plasma were also determined. Ammonia and bile acid concentrations were measured in plasma to characterise the liver perfusion and function. Clinical symptoms relevant to liver function, cortisol excess, and hepatic encephalopathy were recorded semiquantitatively using a standardized questionnaire. The dogs had hypercortisolism before surgery, which had normalized four weeks later. The pre- and postoperative concentrations (means +/- SEM) were, respectively, 238+/-45 nM and 126+/-19 nM for total cortisol, 15.5+/-2.6 nM and 8.4+/-1.3 nM for free cortisol in plasma, 13.4+/-4.3 x 10(-6) and 3.9+/-0.4 x 10(-6) for c/c in urine. The pre- and postoperative Bmax values of CBG were 41 and 79, and Kd values were 3.8 and 5.5. The concentrations of ammonia were 217+/-23 microM and 32+/-3.1 microM, and of bile acids 1 10+/-33 and 11.1+/-2.0 microM, respectively. We conclude that there is a close relation between portosystemic encephalopathy and hypercortisolism in dogs with PSS and that both deviations resolve completely within four weeks of closure of the shunt.

Adrenocortical Hyperfunction↗