Search Results

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 15 items for

  • Author or Editor: Mitsuyoshi Takiguchi x
  • Refine by Access: All Content x
Clear All Modify Search

Abstract

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 5-year-old 4.1-kg (9.0-lb) spayed female Toy Poodle was referred because of a 6-month history of sporadic signs of neck pain.

CLINICAL FINDINGS

Diagnostic imaging with MRI and CT revealed a dilated radicular artery connecting the right and left vertebral arteries and causing mild compression of the spinal cord. The left subclavian artery caudal to the origin of the left vertebral artery was absent. Subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) was suspected.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

The owner declined surgical treatment; thus, the dog was treated conservatively with glucocorticoids and analgesics. Eight months later, the dog’s clinical signs were unchanged but palliated with the administration of glucocorticoids and analgesics, and 4-dimensional (4-D) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) revealed that the left vertebral artery received blood supply from the right vertebral artery through the dilated radicular artery and that the left vertebral artery caudal to this site had retrograde flow and drained into the left subclavian artery, confirming the diagnosis of SSS. The owner again declined surgery, and conservative treatment continued. The dog’s condition was unchanged at the last follow-up communication 11 months after 4-D MRA.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Subclavian steal syndrome is an extremely rare condition in dogs, and our findings suggested that 4-D MRA could be used to definitively diagnose SSS in dogs.

Full access
in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To determine repeatability, reproducibility, and reference intervals of indices of right atrial longitudinal strain (RALS) derived from speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in dogs without heart disease.

ANIMALS

110 client-owned dogs and 10 laboratory Beagles.

PROCEDURES

To determine intraobserver within-day (repeatability) and interobserver (reproducibility) coefficients of variation, RALS during ventricular systole (εS), ventricular early diastole (εE), and atrial systole (εA), as derived with STE, were obtained by 2 investigators for 5 randomly selected client-owned dogs and analyzed by linear regression. Reference intervals were estimated from the results of all dogs. Correlations between RALS indices (εS, εE, and εA) and sex, age, body weight, heart rate, and blood pressure were determined.

RESULTS

RALS derived from STE showed good intraobserver within-day repeatability and interobserver reproducibility, with coefficients of variation of < 20%. Both εS and εE were significantly negatively correlated with age, but εA was not correlated with age. Indices were not correlated with sex, body weight, or blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

RALS indices derived from STE were repeatable and reproducible and were affected by the age of dogs without heart disease. Age should be considered in the interpretation of RALS indices in clinical settings. Further studies are needed to apply RALS indices for assessing dogs with heart disease.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research
in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To assess liver and spleen stiffness in healthy dogs by use of a novel 2-D shear wave elastography (SWE) technique and to investigate the repeatability and reproducibility of the technique.

ANIMALS

8 healthy adult Beagles.

PROCEDURES

2-D SWE was performed on each dog to assess liver and spleen stiffness. Repeatability (intraday variability) and reproducibility (interday variability) of 2-D SWE were investigated. For all 8 dogs, 2-D SWE was performed 3 times in 1 day (4-hour intervals) and on 3 separate days (1-week interval). Data were expressed as mean ± SD values for shear wave velocity and the Young modulus in the liver and spleen. Intraday and interday coefficients of variation were assessed for all variables.

RESULTS

Mean ± SD shear wave velocity obtained for the liver and spleen was 1.51 ± 0.08 m/s and 2.18 ± 0.27 m/s, respectively. Mean value for the Young modulus obtained for the liver and spleen was 6.93 ± 0.79 kPa and 14.66 ± 3.79 kPa, respectively. Elasticity values were significantly higher for the spleen than for the liver. Intraday and interday coefficients of variation for all variables were < 25% (range, 3.90% to 20.70%).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

2-D SWE was a feasible technique for assessing liver and spleen stiffness of healthy dogs. Future studies on the application of 2-D SWE for dogs with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension are needed to evaluate the clinical applicability of 2-D SWE.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate repeatability and reproducibility of right ventricular Tei index (RTX) values derived from dual pulsed-wave Doppler, conventional pulsed-wave Doppler, and tissue Doppler echocardiography and to investigate relationships and repeatability among the 3 methods in healthy dogs.

ANIMALS 6 healthy adult Beagles.

PROCEDURE Echocardiography was performed on each dog on different days for 2 weeks (3 times/d) by 2 echocardiographers. Intraobserver within- and between-day and interobserver coefficients of variation (CVs) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for RTXs derived from dual pulse-waved Doppler (RTXDPD), conventional pulsed-wave Doppler (RTXPD), and tissue Doppler (RTXTD) methods were determined. Degrees of agreement among RTX values derived from the 3 methods were assessed by modified Bland-Altman analysis.

RESULTS Least squares mean (95% confidence interval) RTXtd was 0.50 (0.46 to 0.54), which was significantly higher than that for RTXDPD (0.27 [0.23 to 0.31]) and RTXPD (0.25 [0.21 to 0.29]). Agreement between RTXDPD and RTXPD was good (bias [mean difference], 0.04 [95% confidence interval, −0.03 to 0.10]). The RTXdpd had high within-day (CV, 6.1; ICC, 0.77) and interobserver (CV, 3.5; ICC, 0.83) repeatability, but between-day repeatability was not high. The RTXtd had high within-day repeatability (CV, 6.0; ICC, 0.80), but between-day and interobserver repeatability were not high. Within-day, between-day, and interobserver repeatability of RTXPD were not high.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE RTXdpd measurement was a repeatable and reproducible method of cardiac evaluation in healthy dogs. The RTXTD values were significantly higher than the RTXDPD and RTXPD values; therefore, RTX values derived from different echocardiographic methods should be interpreted with caution.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the relationship between acute volume overload and left atrial phasic function in healthy dogs.

ANIMALS 6 healthy Beagles.

PROCEDURES Dogs were anesthetized. A Swan-Ganz catheter was placed to measure mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). Cardiac preload was increased by IV infusion with lactated Ringer solution at 150 mL/kg/h for 90 minutes. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed before (baseline) and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 minutes after volume loading began. At each echocardiographic assessment point, apical 4-chamber images were recorded and analyzed to derive time–left atrial area curves. Left atrial total (for reservoir function), passive (for conduit function), and active (for booster-pump function) fractional area changes were calculated from the curves.

RESULTS Volume overload resulted in a significant increase from baseline in PCWP from 15 to 90 minutes after volume loading began. All fractional area changes at 15 to 90 minutes were significantly increased from baseline. In multiple regression analysis, quadratic regression models were better fitted to the relationships between PCWP and each of the total and active fractional area changes than were linear regression models. A linear regression model was better fitted to the relationship between PCWP and passive fractional area change.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that left atrial phasic function assessed on the basis of left atrial phasic areas was enhanced during experimental cardiac volume loading in healthy dogs. The effect of volume load should be considered when evaluating left atrial phasic function by indices derived from left atrial phasic sizes.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of IV administration of pimobendan on hemodynamic indices and indices of left atrial (LA) longitudinal strain by speckle-tracking echocardiography in healthy dogs.

ANIMALS

6 healthy Beagles.

PROCEDURES

After the dogs were anesthetized, the right heart was catheterized and 2-D conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography were performed before and after IV administration of 0.15 mg of pimobendan/kg. Speckle-tracking echocardiography was performed to assess the 3 LA phasic functions through LA deformation (longitudinal strain and strain rate) and volumetric analyses.

RESULTS

Pimobendan significantly increased stroke volume and cardiac output and decreased systemic vascular resistance. Pimobendan significantly improved left ventricular function assessed by the Tei index and LA booster pump function assessed by LA longitudinal strain and change in fractional volume during atrial systole. Indices of LA reservoir and conduit function were unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

In healthy dogs, IV administration of pimobendan improved the indices of LA booster pump function but had no effect on the indices of LA reservoir and conduit functions. Further studies are needed to validate whether these results can be extrapolated to dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the activities of gelatinases (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]-2 and MMP-9) and serine proteases in the colorectal mucosa of Miniature Dachshunds (MDs) with inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs).

ANIMALS

15 MDs with ICRPs and 5 dogs with non–ICRP-related large bowel diarrhea (controls).

PROCEDURES

Zymographic methods were used to evaluate the activities of MMP-2, MMP-9, latent forms of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (pro–MMP-2 and pro–MMP-9), and serine proteases in inflamed and noninflamed tissue samples from MDs with ICRPs and in noninflamed tissue samples from control dogs. The associations of serine protease activities with MMP-2 or MMP-9 activity were also analyzed.

RESULTS

Activities of pro–MMP-2 and pro–MMP-9 were detected in most tissue samples, regardless of the tissue type, whereas activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were not detected in control tissue samples. In the inflamed tissue samples from MDs with ICRPs, the activities of MMP-2, pro–MMP-9, and MMP-9 were significantly higher than those in the noninflamed tissue samples from those dogs. Serine protease activities were significantly higher in the inflamed and noninflamed tissue samples from MDs with ICRP, compared with findings for control tissue samples. A weak correlation was detected between serine protease activities and MMP-9 activity.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Study results suggested that gelatinase and serine protease activities are upregulated in the colorectal mucosa of MDs with ICRPs, possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of this disease through the functions of these enzymes in degradation of extracellular matrix and promotion of inflammatory cell migration and inflammatory responses.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of dobutamine, esmolol, milrinone, and phenylephrine on left atrial phasic function of healthy dogs.

ANIMALS 9 healthy Beagles.

PROCEDURES Following sedation with propofol on each of 4 experimental days, dogs were administered a constant rate infusion of dobutamine (5 μg/kg/min), esmolol (500 μg/kg/min), milrinone (25 μg/kg, IV bolus, followed by 0.5 μg/kg/min), or phenylephrine (2 μg/kg/min). There was at least a 14-day interval between experimental days. Each drug was administered to 6 dogs. Conventional and 2-D speckle tracking echocardiography were performed before (baseline) and after administration of the cardiovascular drug, and time–left atrial area curves were derived to calculate indices for left atrial reservoir, conduit, and booster pump functions (left atrial phasic function) and left ventricular contractility and lusitropy.

RESULTS Compared with baseline values, indices for left atrial reservoir and booster pump functions and left ventricular contractility and lusitropy were significantly increased following dobutamine administration; indices for left atrial phasic function and left ventricular lusitropy were changed insignificantly, and indices for left ventricular contractility were significantly impaired following esmolol administration; indices for left atrial phasic function and left ventricular relaxation were changed insignificantly, and indices for left ventricular systolic function were significantly augmented following milrinone administration; and indices for left atrial phasic function and left ventricular lusitropy were changed insignificantly, and indices of ventricular contractility were significantly impaired following phenylephrine administration.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that, following administration of dobutamine, esmolol, milrinone, or phenylephrine to healthy dogs, left atrial phasic function indices were fairly stable and did not parallel changes in left ventricular function indices.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between changes in cerebral blood flow and electrographic epileptic seizure in dogs using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD).

ANIMALS

6 healthy Beagle dogs.

PROCEDURES

Each dog was administered pentetrazol (1.5 mg/kg/min) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution under general anesthesia with continuous infusion of propofol. Both pentetrazol and saline solution were administered to all 6 dogs, with at least 28 days interval between the experiments. Blood flow waveforms in the middle cerebral artery and the basilar artery were obtained using TCD at baseline, after pentetrazol administration, and after diazepam administration. TCD velocities, including peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, and mean velocity and resistance variables, were determined from the Doppler waveforms.

RESULTS

During ictal-phase of pentetrazol-induced seizures, the TCD velocities significantly increased in the basilar and middle cerebral arteries while TCD vascular resistance variables did not change in either artery. The TCD velocities significantly decreased after diazepam administration. Systemic parameters, such as the heart rate, mean arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance, cardiac index, end-tidal carbon dioxide, oxygen saturation, and body temperature, did not change significantly during seizures.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study showed that cerebral blood flow, as obtained from TCD velocities, increased by 130% during ictal-phase of pentetrazol-induced seizures in dogs. The elevated velocities returned to baseline after seizure suppression. Thus, TCD may be used to detect electrographic seizures during the treatment of status epilepticus in dogs, and further clinical studies clarifying the association between changes in cerebral blood flow and non-convulsive seizure cases are needed.

Full access
in American Journal of Veterinary Research