Veterinary Laboratory Medicine Research Articles

Interference of an algal nutritional supplement with a urinary metabolic screening test for glycosaminoglycans in a dog suspected to have a storage disease

The finding of excess urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAG) is the first step in the laboratory diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). Urinary screening tests are based upon the binding of GAG to dimethylmethylene blue. Alternatively, paper spot tests using toluidine blue are used in human and veterinary laboratory medicine. Positive samples undergo GAG isolation for subsequent characterization. Here, we describe a 3-year-old English Cocker Spaniel with a positive urinary GAG test, but without other clinical signs of MPS. Urine samples were strongly positive with the dimethylmethylene blue test, and isolated GAG subjected to electrophoresis on cellulose acetate revealed a band co-migrating with dermatan sulfate. However, the isolated GAG were resistant to digestion with chondroitinase ABC, suggesting that the band did not represent dermatan sulfate. This was confirmed by mobility of the isolated GAG different from dermatan sulfate on agarose gel electrophoresis. MPS types VI and VII were excluded by enzyme assay. To test the hypothesis of a nutritional source, a healthy control dog was fed the same dog food as the index case. His urine showed a comparable abnormal GAG screening test and electrophoretic pattern. In addition, the analysis of an algal supplement present in the administered dog food showed a similar electrophoretic GAG pattern. The Cocker Spaniel was not available for further testing after withdrawal of the supplement. Algae contain highly sulfated fucans and galactans, and it appears that commercial dog food containing such algal, and possibly other, supplements can give rise to false-positive urinary MPS screening tests.

Duncan & Prasse's veterinary laboratory medicine: clinical pathology

Duncan & Prasse's veterinary laboratory medicine: clinical pathology

Reflections on the Future of Veterinary Medical Education

Dr. Keith Prasse is a very distinguished leader in veterinary education. He started his career achieving his BS and DVM degrees from Iowa State University (ISU). He returned to ISU after a brief period in private practice in Illinois. His well-recognized career in veterinary pathology began with his MS and PhD degrees, followed by a five-year period of teaching at ISU. Dr. Prasse joined the faculty of the University of Georgia in 1972, and thus began a long-term partnership with Dr. Bob Duncan that is arguably the foundation of veterinary clinical pathology. The textbook they authored, Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology, or "Duncan and Prasse" as it is known, remains the standard today, with later participation from Dr. Ed Mahaffey and most recently Dr. Ken Latimer. Dr. Prasse has mentored numerous graduate students and received many awards over his 23-year career in teaching, including the Norden Distinguished Teaching award twice, once at ISU and once at Georgia. His leadership as President of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists was greatly acknowledged and appreciated. Dr. Prasse's administrative service at the University of Georgia spanned 14 years, first as Associate Dean for Public Service and Outreach and later as Dean for eight years, during which time he served as President of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). The growth of the College of Veterinary Medicine under Dean Prasse's visionary leadership was extraordinary. He led through difficult economic and political times, yet the college and its community continued to prosper. His legacy at the University of Georgia is indelible and perpetual. His outstanding leadership of the college was recognized by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association in 2004, when he was given the Georgia Veterinarian of the Year award. Since his retirement from Georgia, Dr. Prasse has contributed greatly to the profession and to the AAVMC by leading the Foresight project. Dr. Prasse honored those attending the 2009 AAVMC Symposium by giving the Recognition Lecture. As always, his address was inspirational, and the substance of it is included here. -Sheila W. Allen, Dean, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

Homeostatic Role of Transforming Growth Factor-β in the Oral Cavity and Esophagus of Mice and Its Expression by Mast Cells in These Tissues

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a pleiotropic growth factor; its overexpression has been implicated in many diseases, making it a desirable target for therapeutic neutralization. In initial safety studies, mice were chronically treated (three times per week) with high doses (50 mg/kg) of a murine, pan-neutralizing, anti-TGF-beta antibody. Nine weeks after the initiation of treatment, a subset of mice exhibited weight loss that was concurrent with decreased food intake. Histopathology revealed a unique, nonneoplastic cystic epithelial hyperplasia and tongue inflammation, as well as dental dysplasia and epithelial hyperplasia and inflammation of both the gingiva and esophagus. In an effort to determine the cause of this site-specific pathology, we examined TGF-beta expression in these tissues and saliva under normal conditions. By immunostaining, we found higher expression levels of active TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta3 in normal tongue and esophageal submucosa compared with gut mucosal tissues, as well as detectable TGF-beta1 in normal saliva by Western blot analysis. Interestingly, mast cells within the tongue, esophagus, and skin co-localized predominantly with the TGF-beta1 expressed in these tissues. Our findings demonstrate a novel and restricted pathology in oral and esophageal tissues of mice chronically treated with anti-TGF-beta that is associated with basal TGF-beta expression in saliva and by mast cells within these tissues. These studies illustrate a previously unappreciated biological role of TGF-beta in maintaining homeostasis within both oral and esophageal tissues.

Comments on “Experimental determination of net protein charge, [A]tot, and Ka of nonvolatile buffers in bird plasma”

LETTERS TO THE EDITORComments on “Experimental determination of net protein charge, [A]tot, and Ka of nonvolatile buffers in bird plasma”Jeanne W. GeorgeJeanne W. GeorgePublished Online:01 Jun 2007https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00108.2007MoreSectionsPDF (29 KB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat to the editor: I am writing to express some concerns about the article by Stämpfli et al. (7), “Experimental determination of net protein charge, [A]tot, and Ka of nonvolatile buffers in bird plasma.”First, it appears that the BCG dye binding technique was used to determine albumin concentration. This technique has not been validated for avian albumin and does not correlate with electrophoretic results (4). Electrophoretic determination of albumin concentration would have been a better choice of measurement. I think the authors need to qualify their statements about indexing [A]tot to albumin concentration, as their measurements may have been in error.Second, the authors use an incorrect term, “total solids,” to describe the readings obtained from a Leica Vet 360 refractometer. They were actually measuring total protein by a total solids technique. The term total solids refers to all solutes in plasma and is ∼15–20 g/l higher than the protein concentration for most mammalian samples. Refractometers measure protein by the angle of light produced by refraction caused by the total solids in the sample and then subtracting the expected amount of refraction from non-protein solids in the sample. The Leica Vet 360 includes that calculation and has protein (g/dl) listed clearly on the scales in the internal reticle (2).Refractometers have been reported to give higher results than the biuret technique for avian samples for various species of birds (4–6). That discrepancy may be due to relatively higher glucose or other non-protein solids in the plasma of many avian species (4). Pigeons have higher glucose concentrations in their plasma than most mammals, perhaps contributing to higher protein results by refractometry reported by the authors (1).Lastly, I believe Ref. 12 is incorrect (3). That article does not contain any information about comparative accuracy of refractometry in various species. Perhaps they meant to cite a review article written by me containing that information (2).REFERENCES1 Gayathri KL, Shenoy KB, Hegde SN. Blood profile of pigeons (Columba livia) during growth and breeding. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 138: 187–192, 2004.Crossref | ISI | Google Scholar2 George JW. The usefulness and limitations of hand-held refractometers in veterinary laboratory medicine: an historical and technical review. Vet Clin Pathol 30: 201–210, 2001.Crossref | ISI | Google Scholar3 George JW, O'Neill SL. Comparison of refractometer and biuret methods for total protein measurement in body cavity fluids. Vet Clin Pathol 30: 16–18, 2001.Crossref | ISI | Google Scholar4 Harr KE. Clinical chemistry of companion avian species: a review. Vet Clin Pathol 31: 140–151, 2002.Crossref | ISI | Google Scholar5 Lumeij JT, Maclean B. Total protein determination in pigeon plasma and serum: comparison of refractometric methods with biuret method. J Avian Med Surg 10: 150–152, 1996.Google Scholar6 Spagnolo V, Crippa V, Marzia A, Sartorelli P. Reference intervals for hematologic and biochemical constituents and protein electrophoretic fractions in captive common buzzards (Buteo buteo). Vet Clin Pathol 35: 82–87, 2006.Crossref | ISI | Google Scholar7 Stämpfli H, Taylor M, McNicoll C, Gancz AY, Constable PD. Experimental determination of net protein charge, [A]tot, and Ka of nonvolatile buffers in bird plasma. J Appl Physiol 100: 1831–1836, 2006.Link | ISI | Google ScholarAUTHOR NOTESAddress for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. W. George, 1126 Haring Hall, UC-Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (e-mail: [email protected]) Download PDF Previous Back to Top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedInformationCited ByReply to GeorgeHenry Stämpfli, Michael Taylor, Carl McNicoll, Ady Y. Gancz, and Peter D. Constable1 June 2007 | Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 102, No. 6 More from this issue > Volume 102Issue 6June 2007Pages 2416-2416 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2007 the American Physiological Societyhttps://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00108.2007PubMed17551115History Published online 1 June 2007 Published in print 1 June 2007 Metrics

E. P. Pope Memorial Award

The E. P. Pope Memorial Award is presented in memory of Dr. Edward P. Pope who was one of the founders of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and who served with distinction as its Secretary-Treasurer from 1959 to 1972. The award was established in his honor in 1974. The Pope Award is the highest award given by the Association and is presented to an individual who has made noteworthy and significant contributions to the Association in regard to implementing and advancing the recognition of the specialty of veterinary diagnostic laboratory medicine. The 2006 Pope Memorial Award was presented to Dr. David H. Zeman at the 49 annual meeting of the AAVLD in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Zeman received a BS degree in Animal Science from North Dakota State University, a DVM degree from Oklahoma State University, and a PhD in Pathology from Louisiana State University. Dr. Zeman is currently Professor and Head of the Veterinary Science Department, and Director of the Animal Disease Research & Diagnostic Laboratory (ADRDL) at South Dakota State University, Brookings. Prior to his administrative appointments in 1997, he served as a diagnostic pathologist in the laboratory since his arrival there in 1986 and is still an active diagnostician. He is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. He has authored/coauthored 35 refereed journal publications, 97 published abstracts, three book chapters, and has made dozens of invited presentations across the country. His professional interests include diagnostic pathology, infectious diseases of livestock and laboratory administration. He has served the AAVLD in many capacities including: Vice President, President Elect, the 2000 annual meeting Program Chair, President in 2001, Past President, Pathology Committee Chair, Awards Committee Chair, Government Relations Committee, Foundation Committee, and the JVDI Editorial Board. He joined the AAVLD Accreditation Committee in 2002 and has conducted 16 laboratory accreditation site visits to date. He currently chairs the Strategic Planning Committee. The Executive Board faced some major decisions while he served as an officer. He worked diligently alongside other AAVLD leaders to finalize the first Memorandum of Understanding with USDA NVSL which he signed on behalf of the organization in 2001. The MOU stated that AAVLD and NVSL would jointly work to establish a national strategy to provide quality diagnostic services for the nation. One of the first action items from that MOU was the establishment of the concept for a National Animal Health Laboratory Network. Objectives of the proposed network were established and a campaign was launched in Washington, DC for funding. Later, those objectives were fully adopted by the first NAHLN Steering Committee. Also during those years, the Executive Board worked closely with the Accreditation Committee as they evaluated options for transforming our accreditation standard into one that would be internationally recognized. The decision was made to keep the accreditation process in the organization, rather than outsourcing it to a third party, and to transform our accreditation standard to match the requirements of the OIE guide. Dr. Zeman serves veterinary diagnostic medicine through other channels as well including service on the board of directors of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and as chairman of the Emerging Disease Committee of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture. He was recently appointed to the NAHLN Steering Committee. He was South Dakota Veterinarian of the Year in 2003. Dr. Zeman has been married to Colleen for 31 years and they have two adult children, Erik and Angela. In his spare time he enjoys gardening, tennis, camping, hiking and traveling. A word from Dr. Zeman Fellow Diagnosticians and Friends, I wish to thank you all for recently honoring me with the E. P. Pope Memorial award for contributions to the organization and veterinary diagnostic medicine. It has been most rewarding to work together over the years and accomplish some things for our discipline. The AAVLD is truly an outstanding organization, in large part due to the strong spirit of volunteerism, professionalism and dedication found throughout our membership. Any successes for diagnostic veterinary medicine that I have shared in were built upon the hard work of those that came before me and continued by many others afterwards. Our organization is in sound hands, thanks to all of you. Thank you so much again for this honor. David H. Zeman J Vet Diagn Invest 19:1 (2007)

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine, Interpretation and Diagnosis, 3rd edition

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine, Interpretation and Diagnosis, 3rd edition

Book Review: Duncan & Prasse's Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology

Book Review: Duncan & Prasse's Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology

Book Reviews: For Your Library

Book Reviews: For Your Library

Duncan & Prasse's Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology, 4th edition

Duncan & Prasse's Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology, 4th edition

The usefulness and limitations of hand-held refractometers in veterinary laboratory medicine: an historical and technical review.

Medical hand-held refractometers have been used in veterinary practice since their development in the 1960s. They have become ubiquitous for the measurement of protein and urine solute concentrations because of their rapidity of analysis, ease of use, and relatively low cost. Refraction of light offers advantages for the determination of solute concentrations because the measurement requires no chemical alteration of the specimen. Numerous authors have reported that the results of protein estimation by refractometry for domestic mammals correlate well with those obtained by the biuret method, although others have reported both higher and lower refractometric results compared with biuret results. Major discrepancies between biuret and refractometric results have been reported for avian samples. Some of the variation in reported results may be due to differences in design by refractometer manufacturers. Another possible source may be variation in the biuret reagent mixture and assay conditions. Refractometers also can be used to calculate serum water concentration. A table that converts index of refraction to serum water concentration can be used to convert electrolyte concentration from mmol/L of serum to mmol/L of serum water, a more accurate indicator of effective electrolyte concentration. Refractometers are especially useful for determining urine specific gravity on veterinary samples because they require relatively small sample volumes. Specific gravity continues to be the most common unit for reporting total solids concentration. Some solutes, such as acetone, may cause false increases in specific gravity by refractometry, as they increase refraction but are less dense than water.

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 73, Issue 4 p. 160-160 Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology First published: April 1996 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1996.tb10017.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume73, Issue4April 1996Pages 160-160 RelatedInformation

Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology, Third Edition. J. Robert Duncan Keith W. Prasse Edward A. Mahaffey. 1994. $42.95. 302 pp. Illus. Index. Published by Iowa State University Press, 2121 South State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014‐8300; (800) 862–6657; fax (515) 292–3348.Managing the Veterinary Cancer Patient: A Practice Manual. By Gregory K. Ogilvie and Antony S. Moore. 1995. $59.00. 542 pp. Illus. Index. Published by Veterinary Learning Systems Books, 425 Phillips Boulevard #100, Trenton, NJ 08618‐1496; (800) 426–9119.Cancer Chemotherapy in Small Animal Practice. Jane M. Dobson, Neil T. Gorman. 1993. Published, and represented in the U.S by Blackwell Scientific Publications, Inc. Marketed by Veterinary Practice Publishing Company, P.O. Box 4457, Santa Barbara, CA 93140‐4457; (805) 965–1028.

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Interpretation and Diagnosis

Part I: General Discussions. Laboratory Medicine Testing: Specimen Interferences and Clinical Enzymology. Hematopoiesis and Evaluation of the Bone Marrow. Evaluation of Erythrocytic Disorders. Evaluation of Leukocytic Disorders. Evaluation of Hemostasis: Coagulation and Platelet Disorders. Evaluation of Immune-Mediated Disease and Hyperglobulinemia. Evaluation of the Hepatobiliary System and Skeletal Muscle and Lipid Disorders. Evaluation of Exocrine Pancreatic, Intestinal Tract, And Glucose Disorders. Evaluation of Endocrine Function. Assessment of Renal Function, Urinalysis, And Water Balance. Electrolyte and Acid-Base Homeostasis and Disorders. Examination of Cerebrospinal Fluid. Evaluation of Effusions. Examination of Synovial Fluid. The Microscopic Examination of Tissue Specimens Obtained By Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy. Part II: Case Histories. Part III: Algorithms. Part IV: Appendix: Normal Values and Conversion Tables. Index.

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine (Clinical Biochemistry and Haematology), Morag G. Kerr

No abstract available.

Using the laboratory as an instrument of medicine: Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Biochemistry and Haematology M. G. Kerr.

Journal of Small Animal PracticeVolume 30, Issue 7 p. 416-416 Using the laboratory as an instrument of medicine: Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Biochemistry and Haematology M. G. Kerr. A. R. Mitchell, A. R. MitchellSearch for more papers by this author A. R. Mitchell, A. R. MitchellSearch for more papers by this author First published: July 1989 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1989.tb01596.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume30, Issue7July 1989Pages 416-416 RelatedInformation

Experimental Development of Resistance to Amprolium or Dinitolmide in Eimeria acervulina and Its Effect on Inhibition of Sporulation of Oocysts

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, p. 877). Duncan and Prasse (1977. Veterinary laboratory medicine, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, p. 148) state that low plasma K+ in the presence of acidosis is life threatening. Low plasma K+ alone is detrimental to cardiac function (Duncan and Prasse, loc. cit., p. 144). Button (1979, loc. cit.) reported that dogs undergoing an anemic crisis with B. canis infection also have depressed K+. It would be interesting to know whether metabolic acidosis and low plasma K+ are associated with mortality in hemoparasitic infections in general. Button (1979, loc. cit.) considered the physiological reaction in advanced B. canis infection to be anemic shock, similar to hemorrhagic shock, and singled out the presence of excess lactic acid as the principal cause of death. The reactions we have observed in splenectomized calves infected with A. marginale and E. wenyoni might also be considered anemic shock, but lowered plasma K+ and lack of reticulocytosis, in addition to uncompensated metabolic acidosis, may be associated with mortality in A. marginale infections. In fact, inability of an animal to initiate the physiological mechanisms that normally compensate for acidosis and anemia may ultimately lead to the animal's death. The authors thank Lyndon E. Owens for technical assistance and Alan Algeo from Corning for the use of the blood gas analyzer. ese ce of

Book Review: Veterinary Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Pathology

Book Review: Veterinary Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Pathology