Alan Gomes Pöppl

Diabetes mellitus remission after resolution of inflammatory and progesterone-related conditions in bitches.

Canine diabetes mellitus (CDM) remission is a rare event that is possible after the resolution of insulin resistance conditions, especially those related to the estrus cycle. A retrospective study was carried out at the Division of Veterinary Endocrinology from 2006 to 2011 to assess CDM remission rates after the resolution of problems associated with ovarian activity. Out of 117 female dogs diagnosed with CDM, six diabetes remission cases were identified and described after resolution of diestrus (1), or after ovariohysterectomy for pregnancy (1), ovarian remnant syndrome (1), and pyometra (3), even after initial presentation in severe diabetic ketosis or long after diagnosis (ovariohysterectomy was performed from 3 to 81 days after diagnosis, and diabetes resolution was achieved within 4-39 days after gonadectomy). Several factors may lead to diabetes remission. However, in these cases, ovariohysterectomy was crucial for the restoration of normal blood glucose levels, suggesting that diabetic bitches be spayed independently of the length of time after diagnosis.

Prevalence, risk factors, and biochemical markers in dogs with ultrasound-diagnosed biliary sludge

Regarded as an incidental finding, biliary sludge is often diagnosed in dogs on abdominal ultrasound. The aims of the present study were to assess the risk factors, biochemical markers and ultrasonographic findings and to estimate the prevalence and influence of different breeds, sexes, and ages on biliary sludge in dogs. Results demonstrate that the prevalence of biliary sludge is high, especially in senior dogs. The biochemical markers did not have a significant correlation with biliary sludge, and the type of diet was not considered to be the major risk factor. Hepatomegaly was frequently observed on the ultrasound scan of affected animals and of dogs on different systemic drugs and with cardiopathies, which have been referred to as risk groups for the development of inspissated bile.

Insulin-like receptors and carbohydrate metabolism in gills of the euryhaline crab Neohelice granulata : Effects of osmotic stress

The present study determined the effect of osmotic stress on the insulin-like receptor binding characteristics and on glucose metabolism in the anterior (AG) and posterior (PG) gills of the crab Neohelice granulata. Bovine insulin increased the capacity of the PG cell membrane to phosphorylate exogenous substrate poly (Glu:Tyr 4:1) and the glucose uptake in the control crab group. The crabs were submitted to three periods of hyperosmotic (HR) and hyposmotic (HO) stress, for 24, 72 and 144 h, to investigate the insulin-like receptor phosphorylation capacity of gills. Acclimation to HO for 24 h or HR for 144 h of stress inhibited the effects of insulin in the PG, decreasing the capacity of insulin to phosphorylate exogenous substrate poly (Glu:Tyr 4:1) and decreasing the glucose uptake. Hyperosmotic stress for the same period of 144 h significantly affected 125I-insulin binding in the AG and PG. However, HO stress for 24 h significantly reduced 125I-insulin-specific uptake only in the PG. Therefore, osmotic stress induces alterations in the gill insulin-like receptors that decrease insulin binding in the PG. These findings indicate that osmotic stress induced a pattern of insulin resistance in the PG. The free-glucose concentration in the PG decreased during acclimation to 144 h of HR stress and 24 h of HO stress. This decrease in the cell free-glucose concentration was not accompanied by a significant change in hemolymph glucose levels. In AG from the control group, neither the capacity of bovine insulin to phosphorylate exogenous substrate poly (Glu:Tyr 4:1) nor the glucose uptake changed; however, genistein decreased tyrosine-kinase activity, confirming that this receptor belongs to the tyrosine-kinase family. Acclimation to HO (24 h) or HR (144 h) stress decreased tyrosine-kinase activity in the AG. This study provided new information on the mechanisms involved in the osmoregulation process in crustaceans, demonstrating for the first time in an estuarine crab that osmotic challenge inhibited insulin-like signaling and the effect of insulin on glucose uptake in the PG.

Frequency of Endocrinopathies and Characteristics of Affected Dogs and Cats in Southern Brazil (2004-2014)

Background: The increase in the life expectancy of dogs and cats in recent decades has heightened the incidence of aging-associated diseases. Among such diseases, endocrinopathies, such as obesity, stand out. In addition, there exists a lack of professionals with expertise in this area. Therefore, proper knowledge of the characteristics of patients affected by endocrinopathies as well as the frequency of these diseases aid in the recognition of endocrine syndromes in the general population. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a retrospective analysis of medical charts of dogs and cats compiled by a Division of Endocrinology in southern Brazil during a 10-year period. Materials, Methods & Results: An epidemiological survey of the medical charts of 1,400 dogs and cats compiled by a Division of Endocrinology between 2004 and 2014 was performed. The diagnostic data based on laboratory and hormone tests and on ultrasound scans were used as gold standard. The data were tabulated using Excel for Windows for the stratified analysis of the diagnoses. The major diseases (93.4% of the cases) detected in dogs were hyperadrenocorticism (37%), diabetes mellitus (22%), hypothyroidism (11%), and overweight/obesity (8%), whereas the main diseases (6.6% of the cases) detected in cats were diabetes mellitus (42%) and hyperthyroidism (23%). Some rare and uncommon diseases were diagnosed, such as hypoparathyroidism, pheochromocytoma, pituitary dwarfism, and diabetes insipidus, but they were present in less than 1% of the patients. Multiple endocrinopathies accounted for 8% of the cases, and the most frequent association was that between diabetes mellitus and hyperadrenocorticism in dogs and cats. The mean age of dogs was 9.11 ± 3.43 years, and 69% of the patients were female. The mean age of cats was 10.97 ± 4.29 years, and 58% of the patients were male. Discussion: The high prevalence of endocrinopathies among female dogs is closely related to the higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus and hyperadrenocorticism in female patients, and these two diseases together accounted for 59% of the cases. Among cats, the high prevalence of endocrinopathies among male cats was influenced by the large number of cases of diabetes mellitus, a disease that is typically more prevalent among tomcats. Some findings were alarming as they indicate probable lack of early diagnoses of some conditions (e.g., the prevalence of dogs with hyperadrenocorticism and diabetes three times greater than that reported by other countries), absence of patients younger than 10 years with hyperthyroidism, or failure to seek veterinary care for obese cats with initial presentation of overweight. Raising the awareness of tutors about the consequences of overweight can drastically reduce the incidence of diabetes mellitus in cats. Finally, knowledge about the characteristics of patients with the most common types of endocrinopathies is useful to clinicians as it can increase the predictive values of clinical and laboratory findings and help them include certain endocrinopathies as differential diagnoses for patients with some risk factors (age or sex). Anyway, the endocrinopathies, as well as the characteristics of the affected population in southern Brazil, are in line with similar studies on the most frequent diseases in other regions, taking into account small differences in breed and age distribution.

Características de ligação da insulina no tecido muscular canino: efeitos da fase do ciclo estral

As flutuacoes hormonais durante as diferentes fases do ciclo estral sao uma causa importante de resistencia insulinica em femeas caninas, e poucas informacoes sao conhecidas sobre defeitos na ligacao da insulina ao seu receptor, ou defeitos pos-receptor associados com resistencia a insulina em caes. Para avaliar as caracteristicas da ligacao insulina-receptor no tecido muscular de cadelas durante o ciclo estral, dezessete pacientes foram utilizadas no estudo (seis em anestro, cinco em estro e seis em diestro). Um teste de tolerância a glicose intravenosa (IVGTT) foi realizado em todas as pacientes por meio da infusao de 1mL/kg de uma solucao de glicose 50% (500mg/kg), com coletas de sangue para determinacao de glicemia nos tempos 0, 3, 5, 7, 15, 30, 45 e 60 minutos da injecao de glicose. Amostras de tecido muscular foram coletadas durante ovariohisterectomia, imediatamente congeladas em nitrogenio liquido, e posteriormente armazenadas a -80°C ate a preparacao das membranas por meio de homogeneizacao e centrifugacao sequencial. Para os experimentos de ligacao hormonio-receptor, as membranas foram incubadas na presenca de 20.000cpm de 125I-insulina humana, e concentracoes crescentes de insulina regular humana nao marcada para saturacao fria. O IVGTT nao mostrou diferencas entre as pacientes em diferentes fases do ciclo estral com relacao a glicemia basal, ou na resposta glicemica apos infusao de glicose nos tempos estudados. Dois sitios de ligacao da insulina, um de alta-afinidade, e outro de baixa afinidade, foram detectados pela analise de Scatchard, e diferencas significativas foram detectadas na constante de dissociacao (Kd1) e capacidade de ligacao maxima (Bmax1) dos sitios de ligacao de alta-afinidade. O Kd1 para o grupo anestro (6,54±2,77nM/mg de proteina) foi menor (P<0,001) que os Kd1 dos grupos estro (28,54±6,94 nM/mg de proteina) e diestro (15,56±3,88nM/mg de proteina). Os Bmax1 dos grupos estro (0,83±0,42nM/mg de proteina) e diestro (1,24±0,24nM/mg de proteina) tambem foram maiores que os valores encontrados no grupo anestro (0,35±0,06nM/mg de proteina). Estes resultados demonstram uma modulacao das caracteristicas de ligacao da insulina nas diferentes fases do ciclo estral em caes, evidenciando uma menor afinidade de ligacao da insulina ao seu receptor no tecido muscular durante o estro e diestro. Contudo, esta menor afinidade de ligacao hormonio-receptor e compensada por uma maior capacidade de ligacao, o que fica tambem evidenciado pela ausencia de diferencas na resposta glicemica das pacientes apos um desafio com glicose por via endovenosa.

Rinoplastia experimental com enxerto autógeno de costela em cães

The use of autologous rib to correct an experimental nasal bone lesion in dogs was performed in 15 animals, distributed in three post-operatory groups, and after 30, 60, and 90 days their clinical monitoring were finished. Each group was composed of four grafted animals and a control, in which it was used the material collected from the defect for coaptation. The animals received daily clinical monitoring and the graft integration was evaluated with radiographic exams taken every 15 days when the histological exam was performed. The surgical technique was easy to perform and had practical use. It was sufficient to correct all created lesions. The aesthetical effect was satisfactory; the radiographic exams proved the graft integration and the histological evaluation showed the presence of cells compatible with the viability of the technique.