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Background: Evaluating regeneration is essential for the classification and differential diagnosis of anemia in dogs. Early detection of regeneration is challenging in anemic dogs. Objectives: This study assessed the value of immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) in differentiating preregenerative anemia (PRA) from nonregenerative anemia (NRA) in dogs. Animals: Ninety‐four dogs: 49 controls and 45 with anemia. Methods: Case‐control study. Fractions of low‐, medium‐ (MFR), and high‐fluorescence reticulocytes (HFR), were measured using the ADVIA 2120i hematology analyzer. The IRF was calculated as the sum of percentages of MFR and HFR. Data from dogs with regenerative anemia (RA, n = 19), PRA (n = 11), and NRA (n = 15) were retrospectively analyzed. The value of IRF was compared with reticulocyte production index (RPI) using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: The median of IRF was significantly higher in dogs with RA (46.5%; range, 40.9‐53.6%; P <.001) and PRA (40.6%; range, 27.7‐47.1%; P =.01) than in controls (22.1%; range, 16.9‐29.3%). The IRF in dogs with PRA showed no difference compared to dogs with RA (P >.99) but was higher than dogs with NRA (18.7%; range, 8.8‐24%; P =.00). The area under the ROC curve of IRF was superior to that of RPI (0.897 vs 0.818, P =.00) in differentiating dogs with PRA from NRA. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The IRF is a reliable variable for detecting early regeneration in anemic dogs without reticulocytosis. The study suggests that the measurement of IRF could be useful in classifying anemic dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Serum uromodulin concentration has been described as a novel biomarker of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in humans but not dogs. Objective: To evaluate the serum uromodulin concentration in dogs with CKD and assess its diagnostic performance in distinguishing dogs with CKD from healthy dogs. Animals: Forty‐nine dogs with CKD (International Renal Interest Society [IRIS] Stage 1, n = 23; Stage 2, n = 20; Stage 3‐4, n = 6) and 25 healthy controls. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Serum uromodulin concentration was measured using a canine‐specific enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and its correlation with conventional renal markers was analyzed. Results: Serum uromodulin concentrations were significantly lower in the CKD group than in the control group (P <.001), but no significant difference was observed among stages of CKD. A negative correlation was observed between serum uromodulin concentration and conventional renal markers (blood urea nitrogen concentration, r = −.60, P <.0001; serum creatinine concentration, r = −.46, P <.0001; serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration [SDMA], r = −.65, P <.0001). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) of uromodulin (AUC, 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94‐1.00) was higher than that of SDMA (AUC, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79‐0.95) for CKD diagnosis (P =.01). The AUC of uromodulin (AUC, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.89‐1.00) also was higher than that of SDMA (AUC, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.58‐0.87) in distinguishing dogs with Stage 1 CKD from controls (P =.001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum uromodulin concentration is decreased in dogs with CKD. Thus, serum uromodulin may be a valuable diagnostic marker for CKD in dogs, particularly in identifying early‐stage CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an abundant component of the tumor microenvironment and have distinct features from normal fibroblasts (NFs). However, the discriminative nature of heterogeneous CAFs under glucose starvation remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the changes in the mitochondrial calcium concentration and relevant intracellular machinery in CAFs under glucose-deficient conditions. Xenografted tumor masses were dissected into multiple pieces and subjected to the CAF isolation using magnetically activated cell sorting (MACS). NFs were separated from the normal lung and skin. Under glucose starvation, CAFs from the tumor mass exhibited heterogeneity in cell proliferation, ATP production and calcium concentration. Compared to NFs, mitochondrial calcium concentration was significantly higher in glucose-starved CAFs with upregulation of mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) that led to enhancement of ATP production and cell growth. Intriguingly, treatment of glucose-starved CAFs with oligomycin increased apoptosis by disrupted calcium homeostasis following overactivation of the mPTP. Moreover, oligomycin-induced apoptosis was mitigated by calcium chelation. This study demonstrated that the discriminative calcium influx to mitochondria through MCU coordinated cell growth and apoptosis in glucose-starved CAFs but not in NFs. • CAFs from a tumor mass are heterogeneous under the glucose deficient condition. • CAFs survive under glucose deficient condition by activation of TGF-β and calcium. • Calcium influx to mitochondria is critical for survival of glucose-deficient CAFs. • MCU in CAFs could be a feasible target for the development of anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Kidney disease is prevalent among veterinary species, including zoo animals; however, investigations into this condition in striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ) are scarce. Diagnostic tools for kidney diseases in this species also remain limited., Objective: This study aimed to assess the utility of symmetric dimethylarginine as a biomarker for kidney disease in captive striped skunks in Korea., Methods: This retrospective study analysed 11 striped skunks housed at the Everland Zoo between 2017 and 2021. Blood samples were collected during health checks. Kidney function was assessed through blood analysis and diagnostic ultrasound, with necropsies conducted on deceased animals. Symmetric dimethylarginine levels were measured in 27 plasma samples collected from 11 skunks., Results: Over the study period, seven skunks were diagnosed with kidney disease. Analysis of 27 blood samples revealed a concurrent increase in SDMA levels with concentrations of blood urea nitrogen and blood creatinine. In 3 of the 7 skunks with kidney disease, symmetric dimethylarginine exceeded 14 µg/dL prior to the elevation of blood urea nitrogen and blood creatinine above the upper reference limit., Conclusions and Relevance: To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating symmetric dimethylarginine in captive striped skunks in Korea. Our findings suggest that symmetric dimethylarginine may serve as an early and consistent biomarker for renal dysfunction in striped skunks. Further studies with larger clinical sample size from striped skunks are needed to validate the clinical utility of blood symmetric dimethylarginine concentration., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Korean Society of Veterinary Science.)

A 12-year-old, spayed female, Maltese dog with a round and firm mass on the dorsal part of the left rear paw and a cervical mass was brought to the clinic. The paw mass was contiguous to the adjacent tendon; it was composed of neoplastic mesenchymal cells and had scattered foci of calcification with chondroid differentiation microscopically. The neoplastic cells were positive for vimentin and S100, but negative for desmin and smooth muscle actin. Microscopic features and immunohistochemistry results were consistent with calcifying aponeurotic fibroma (CAF). The cervical mass was composed of polygonal cells forming acini with marked anisocytosis and anisokaryosis and diagnosed as thyroid follicular carcinoma. No recurrence or metastasis occurred during follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of canine CAF with features identical to its human counterparts. Key clinical message: This report describes the rare case of calcifying aponeurotic fibroma on the paw in a dog. This is apparently the first case in the veterinary literature with identical clinical and pathological features to the human counterpart., (Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.)