Biomedical subjects

S Galac

Publications and source records attributed to S Galac.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

[Transdermal carbimazole for the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism].

Orally administered antithyroid drugs are frequently used to treat hyperthyroidism in cats; however, the non-cooperative behaviour of some cats may make it difficult to administer tablets. The aim of this study was to develop a carbimazole ointment for application to the inner pinna of the ear and to test its effectiveness in 13 cats with hyperthyroidism. Laboratory investigations were performed before, and 4, 8, and 12 weeks after start of the treatment. Laboratory data for 9 cats were available at the end of the observation period. The starting dose of carbimazole ointment was 5 mg once daily. If no complications occurred, the dose was increased to 5 mg twice daily from the 6th day onwards. Further dose adjustments were mainly based on the plasma thyroxine (T4) concentration. The median plasma T4 concentration at the end of the observation period (24 nmol/l) was significantly lower than that before treatment (152 nmol/l). The dosage of carbimazole needed to achieve euthyroidism ranged from 4 to 17 mg twice daily. Treatment with carbimazole ointment resulted in disappearance of signs of hyperthyroidism; plasma concentrations of urea and creatinine increased significantly. The results of this study indicate that twice daily administration of carbimazole ointment to the inner pinna of the ear is an effective treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats. This provides the veterinarian with a new and promising treatment option. Because carbimazole ointment has not been registered, according to European law it can only be used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats if other licensed medications have been tried and if there is a therapeutic need.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed2005

Hypoluteoidism in a bitch.

Hypoluteoidism is characterized by insufficient secretion of progesterone by the corpora lutea during pregnancy. The resulting failure to maintain progesterone concentration above a critical level presumably could lead to fetal resorbtion as well as frank abortion. This report concerns a 2.5-year-old Bernese Mountain dog with a history of two previous pregnancies ending in abortion around Day 50 of pregnancy. The bitch was initially presented 2 days after mating. Physical and gynecological examination revealed no abnormalities. The infectious causes of abortion in the bitch, Brucella canis and herpesvirus, were excluded using serology. On Day 26 after mating, ultrasonography confirmed a pregnancy with at least four living fetuses. During the remaining part of the pregnancy repeated transabdominal ultrasonography and plasma progesterone measurements, using a RIA, were performed. On Day 42, ultrasonography revealed living fetuses but plasma progesterone concentration had decreased to 8.3 nmol/L, which is just above the threshold necessary to maintain a vital pregnancy. Oral treatment with 0.1mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) per kg body weight, once daily, was started and continued until Day 58 in order to prevent abortion due to progesterone deficiency. The endogenous plasma progesterone concentration decreased further, but pregnancy was maintained. On Day 59 a cesarean section was performed because of dystocia and four living and one dead pup were delivered. One puppy had severe facial malformations and was euthanised. The premature decrease in plasma progesterone concentration while ultrasonography demonstrated that the fetuses were still alive, and the maintenance of pregnancy during administration of MPA, strongly support the diagnosis of hypoluteoidism.

Abortion, Veterinary↗

PubMed2005

Hyperadrenocorticism in a dog due to ectopic secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone.

Spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism in dogs is known to be the result of excessive secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by the pituitary gland or excessive autonomous glucocorticoid secretion by an adrenocortical tumor. Here, we report on an 8-year-old German shepherd dog in which ACTH-dependent hyperadrenocorticism was a result of ectopic ACTH secretion and could be related to an abdominal neuroendocrine tumor. Hyperadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of the history, clinical signs, and elevated urinary corticoid/creatinine ratios (UCCRs; 236 and 350 x 10(-6); reference range < 10 x 10(-6)). The UCCR remained elevated (226 x 10(-6)) after three oral doses of dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg body weight) at 8-h intervals. Ultrasonography revealed two equivalently enlarged adrenal glands, consistent with adrenocortical hyperplasia. Plasma ACTH concentration was clearly elevated (159 and 188 ng/l; reference range 5-85 ng/l). Computed tomography (CT) revealed that the pituitary was not enlarged. These findings were interpreted as indicating dexamethasone-resistant pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy was performed but within 2 weeks after surgery, there was exacerbation of the clinical signs of hyperadrenocorticism. Plasma ACTH concentration (281 ng/l) and UCCRs (1518 and 2176 x 10(-6)) were even higher than before surgery. Histological examination of the pituitary gland revealed no neoplasia. Stimulation of the pituitary with corticotropin-releasing hormone did not affect plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations. Treatment with trilostane was started and restored normocorticism. CT of the pituitary fossa, 10 months after hypophysectomy, revealed an empty sella. Hence, it was presumed that there was ectopic secretion of ACTH. CT of the abdomen revealed a mass in the region of the pancreas and a few nodules in the liver. Partial pancreatectomy with adjacent lymph node extirpation was performed and the liver nodules were biopsied. Histological examination revealed a metastasized neuroendocrine tumor. Abdominal surgery was not curative and medical treatment with trilostane was continued. At 18 months after the abdominal surgery, the dog is still in good condition. In conclusion, the combination of (1) severe dexamethasone-resistant hyperadrenocorticism with elevated circulating ACTH levels, (2) definitive demonstration of the absence of pituitary neoplasia, and (3) an abdominal neuroendocrine tumor allowed the diagnosis of ectopic ACTH secretion.

ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic↗

PubMed2004

Effects of aglépristone, a progesterone receptor antagonist, administered during the early luteal phase in non-pregnant bitches.

Aglépristone, a progesterone receptor antagonist, was administered to six non-pregnant bitches in the early luteal phase in order to determine its effects on the duration of the luteal phase, the interestrous interval, and plasma concentrations of progesterone and prolactin. Aglépristone was administered subcutaneously once daily on two consecutive days in a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight, beginning 12 +/- 1 days after ovulation. Blood samples were collected before, during, and after administration of aglépristone for determination of plasma progesterone and prolactin concentrations. The differences in mean plasma concentration of progesterone and of prolactin before, during, and after treatment were not significant. Also, the duration of the luteal phase in the six treated bitches (72 +/- 6 days) did not differ significantly from that in untreated control dogs (74 +/- 4 days ). However, the intervals during which plasma progesterone concentration exceeded 64 and 32 nmol/l were significantly shorter in the six treated bitches than in untreated control dogs. The interestrous interval was significantly shorter in beagle bitches treated with aglépristone (158 +/- 16 days) than in the same group prior to treatment (200 +/- 5 days ). It is concluded that administration of aglépristone during the early luteal phase in the non-pregnant bitch affects progesterone secretion, but not sufficiently to shorten the luteal phase. The shortening of the interestrous interval suggests that aglépristone administered in the early luteal phase influences the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Termination of mid-gestation pregnancy in bitches with aglepristone, a progesterone receptor antagonist.

Six pregnancies were terminated in mid-gestation with aglépristone, a progesterone receptor antagonist, in 5 beagle bitches in order to determine the effects of aglépristone on plasma concentrations of prolactin and progesterone, the duration of the luteal phase, and the interestrous interval. In addition, the effects of aglépristone on the condition of the uterus and fetuses were examined by ultrasonography. After confirmation of pregnancy by ultrasonography, the dogs received 10 mg, s.c. aglépristone per kg body weight on 2 consecutive days at about 30 d post ovulation. Before, during and after treatment with aglépristone, plasma samples were collected for determination of the concentrations of prolactin and progesterone. The condition of the uterus and fetuses was assessed by ultrasonography the day before and at least 3 times a week for at least 2 wk after aglépristone administration. Termination of pregnancy occurred within 4 to 7 d after the start of aglépristone treatment, which was well tolerated, with no side-effects except slight vaginal discharge. The results of ultrasonographic examination indicated that aglépristone leads to abortion but not to fetal resorption. Elevated plasma concentrations of prolactin were observed during aglépristone treatment, while plasma progesterone levels remained unchanged. Pregnancy termination with aglépristone resulted in premature cessation of luteal function. In addition, the interestrous interval was shortened. The latter effects may be the consequence of actions of the progesterone receptor antagonist at the hypothalamus-pituitary level. In conclusion, aglépristone proved to be a safe and effective abortifacient in mid-gestation in the bitch. The results of the present study also indicated that aglépristone directly or indirectly influences pituitary function.

Abortifacient Agents↗

PubMed1997

Urinary corticoid/creatinine ratios in the differentiation between pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and hyperadrenocorticism due to adrenocortical tumour in the dog.

In a study on the differentiation between pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) and hyperadrenocorticism due to adrenocortical tumour (AT), two questions were addressed: 1. Do basal urinary corticoid/creatinine (c/c) ratios have any value in this respect, and 2. what is the reference percentage suppression of the urinary c/c ratios in the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test? Data obtained from 160 dogs with hyperadrenocorticism were analysed. In 49 dogs the diagnosis AT was confirmed by the finding of plasma ACTH concentrations < 40 ng/l, by visualisation of the tumour by ultrasonography and/or computed tomography, and by histological examination of the adrenal tissue obtained at surgery or autopsy. Among the 111 dogs with PDH, there were 31 animals with resistance to dexamethasone suppression, i.e., suppression < 50%. The basal urinary c/c ratios of dogs with PDH and AT did not differ significantly, although urinary c/c ratios > 100 x 10(-6) almost exclusively occurred in association with PDH. Among the dogs with hyperadrenocorticism, the positive predictive value of a basal urinary c/c ratio > 100 x 10(-6) for the diagnosis of PDH was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.74-0.98). Of the 49 dogs with AT, 34 had a urinary c/c ratio after dexamethasone administration higher than the basal urinary c/c ratio. The maximum suppression of the basal urinary c/c ratio in dogs with AT was 43.7%. It is concluded that in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism basal urinary c/c ratios only have predictive value in the differentiation between AT and PDH when the ratio exceeds 100 x 10(-6). The generally accepted criterion of 50% suppression by dexamethasone in the differentiation between PDH and AT is also applicable to the urinary c/c ratio.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗