Frédéric Jacob

Dietary Management of Feline Chronic Renal Failure: Where are We Now? In What Direction are We Headed?

Dietary modification is of primary importance in managing cats with chronic renal failure. Diets designed for cats with chronic renal failure are typically formulated to be pH neutral and contain reduced quantities of protein, phosphorus and sodium and an increased quantity of potassium. These changes in diet formulation are designed to ameliorate clinical signs of renal failure by adapting dietary intakes to meet the limited ability of failing kidneys to adapt to the normal range of dietary intakes. Important recent clinical trials support the therapeutic value of dietary therapy in cats with chronic renal failure.

RENAL DENERVATION CAUSES CHRONIC HYPOTENSION IN RATS: ROLE OF Β1-ADRENOCEPTOR ACTIVITY

1. Renal denervation (RDNX) chronically lowers mean arterial pressure (MAP) in normal rats but mechanisms leading to this hypotensive response remain unknown.

Effect of subfornical organ lesion on the development of mineralocorticoid-salt hypertension

Accumulating evidence suggests that structures within the lamina terminalis; the organum vasculosm of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) and/or the subfornical organ (SFO); are required for the development of DOCA-salt hypertension. Lesion of the anteroventral tissue lining the third ventricle (AV3V), which destroys cell bodies in the OVLT and MnPO, as well as efferent projections from the SFO to the OVLT and MnPO, abolishes DOCA-salt hypertension in the rat. However, the individual contribution of these structures to DOCA-salt hypertension is unknown. The present study was designed to determine whether an intact SFO is required for hypertension development in the DOCA-salt model. In uninephrectomized SFO lesioned (SFOx; n=6) and SHAM (n=8) Sprague-Dawley rats, 24-h mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were continuously recorded telemetrically 4 days before and 36 days after DOCA implantation (100 mg/rat; s.c.); 24-h sodium and water balances were measured throughout the protocol. No differences in control MAP, HR, sodium and water balances were observed between groups. Following DOCA implantation, the magnitude of the elevation of MAP was similar between groups (approximately 40 mm Hg) so that by Day 40, MAP was 148+/-5 mm Hg in SFOx and 145+/-4 mm Hg in SHAM rats. The magnitude of decrease in HR from control values was similar in both groups. Differences in sodium and water balances were not observed between groups. We conclude that the SFO alone does not play a significant role in the development of mineralocorticoid-salt hypertension.

Canine Silica Urolithiasis: Risk Factors, Detection, Treatment, and Prevention

Uroliths containing 70% or greater silica comprise approximately 1% of the canine uroliths submitted to the Minnesota Urolith Center. Male dogs are far more commonly affected than females. In our series, 84 different breeds were affected. Currently available data suggest dietary factors play a role in their formation. Diagnosis is facilitated by the characteristic jackstone configuration of silica uroliths, but must be confirmed by quantitative analysis. Voiding urohydropropulsion or surgery are currently the most practical methods of removal of silica uroliths.