Hepatic disease is often treatable and has a predictable prognosis when a definitive diagnosis is made. The aim of clinicopathological evaluation of hepatobiliary affections is to identify and characterize hepatic damage and dysfunction, identify possible primary causes of secondary liver disease, differentiate causes of icterus, evaluate potential anaesthetic risks, assess prognosis and response to xenobiotics, and monitor response to therapy. This paper describes the different diagnostic methods and imaging techniques employed in diagnosis of hepatobiliary affections in dogs. Besides reviewing the significant clinical manifestations and imaging structural abnormalities in diagnostic approach to different hepatic affections, it also depicts radiographic, ultrasonographic, and wherever applicable, the laparoscopic characterization of different hepatic affections and target lesions encountered in clinical cases presented in the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, COVAS, Palampur in the year 2007-2008.

Xylazine (1.1 mg/kg), butorphanol (0.02 mg/kg), guaifenesin 5% (20 mg/kg), and ketamine (2.2 mg/kg) combinations were able to induce short-term surgical anaesthesia for 23.33 ± 2.57 min in Spiti ponies with excellent to good muscle relaxation and analgesia. Urination and neighing was a constant feature during recovery period. Biphasic P wave, biphasic T wave, and depressed PR segment were common electrocardiographic findings. Biochemical attributes were within physiological limits except a significant increase in ALT values during anaesthesia. The values returned to normal during recovery ruling out any renal or hepatic toxicity. Occasionally, negative T wave, notched P wave, and sinus block were noticed. It is recommended that the anaesthetic combinations xylazine-butorphanol-guaifenesin-ketamine can be safely used for short-term total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) in equines under field conditions.

10 healthy Indian Jersey/Red Sindhi crossbred nonpregnant cows were subjected to transabdominal ultrasonography to develop baseline topographical data of the rumen. The wall of the rumen could be identified as a thick echogenic line adjacent to the left abdominal wall from left flank to 8th intercostal space. The motility pattern of rumen was characterized by approximately 1 contraction every minute. The mean amplitude of the ruminal contraction was 3.2 cm. Ultrasonography of the rumen in healthy cows is a useful adjunct to the noninvasive diagnostic investigation of the rumen.

The present study was conducted on 5 cows diagnosed with late-stage pericarditis based on a combination of clinical, radiographic, ultrasonographic, and postmortem examinations. On clinical examination, all the cows were found to be depressed, dyspnoeic, and moderately to severely tachycardic. The main radiographic findings were poor thoracic details and indistinguishable cardiophrenic silhouette. Ultrasonographically, the pericardial sac contained varying quantities of hypoechogenic exudate and echogenic fibrin shreds, which had caused physical compression of the cardiac chambers. The clinical and radiographic findings did not allow a definitive diagnosis of pericarditis, because all of the characteristic signs were not present in every case. Thoracic and abdominal ultrasonography played an important role in the early diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.

The present study was conducted on 6 chronically ill Jersey/Red Sindhi cross-bred cows, which were suspected for intestinal obstruction on the basis of history and clinical signs. These cows were ultimately diagnosed with intestinal intussusception based on a combination of clinical, ultrasonographic and surgical examinations. “Bull's eye lesion” was the most prominent ultrasonographic finding, diagnostic for intussusception either trans-abdominally or transrectally. Dilated intestinal loops greater than 3.1 cm (mean ± SE, 4.41 ± 0.25) were imaged in the lower flank and the 12th intercostal space on the right side. Ultrasonography proved to be a useful tool in supplementing and substantiating the transrectal findings in cases of the bovine intestinal intussusception. However, ultrasonography was not significantly helpful where transrectal examination of the cows did not reveal any suspected intestinal mass.

Vamana Karma is one of the five Pradhana Karmas of Panchakarma which is successfully used in treating Kaphaj disorders. Panchakarma is also indicated in healthy states. (C.Su. 16/13-16) for Shodhana. Textual references are available in Ayurvedic classics, but the procedure needs to be validated in the modern times when Ahara Shakti, Bala and Agni of the individuals have decreased considerably. So the effect of procedure was observed in 30 healthy volunteers of age group 18 to 60 years. Lakshanik, Vaigiki, Maniki and Antiki Shuddhi were observed and vomitus was analyzed macroscopically, microscopically and chemically.

Greeva Stambha (A Vataja Disorder) simulates cervical spondylosis, which is a chronic degenerative condition of the cervical spine. Keeping in view the increasing incidence of this problem in modern society with more of desk- workers; an observational study was conducted on 22 patients of Greeva stambha vis-a-vis cervical spondylosis selected from OPD/IPD of CRIA, Punjabi-Bagh, New-Delhi, satisfying the inclusion criteria. The Vatahara treatment viz. Maha Yogaraj Guggulu 500 mg BD, Panchguna tail for local use and Nadi sweda (Local steam with Dashmoola Kwatha) were given for seven days. The results were assessed on the basis of symptomatic improvement using visual analog scale.

Objective

To determine if massage therapy increased serum insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in preterm neonates.

Study Design

Forty-two preterm neonates who averaged 34.6 weeks (M=29.5 weeks gestational age; M birthweight= 1237 gms) and were in the “grower” (step-down) nursery were randomly assigned to a massage therapy group (body stroking and passive limb movements for three, 15-minute periods per day for 5 days) or a control group that received the standard nursery care without massage therapy. On days 1 and 5, the serum collected by clinical heelsticks was also assayed for insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and weight gain and kilocalories consumed were recorded daily.

Results

Despite similar formula intake, the massaged preterm neonates showed greater increases during the 5 day period in: 1) weight gain; 2) serum levels of insulin; and 3) insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Increased weight gain was significantly correlated with insulin and IGF-1.

Discussion

Previous data suggested that preterm infant weight gain following massage therapy related to increased vagal activity, which suggests decreased stress, and gastric motility, which may contribute to more efficient food absorption. The data from this study suggest for the first time that weight gain was also related to increased serum insulin and IGF-1 levels following massage therapy.

Conclusion

Preterm infants who received massage therapy not only showed greater weight gain but also a greater increase in serum insulin and IGF-1 levels, suggesting that massage therapy might be prescribed for all growing neonates.

Treatment with a kappa-opioid receptor agonist for five days decreases locomotor activity and reduces activity in response to a cocaine challenge three days later. In addition, chronic cocaine increases kappa-opioid receptor density, striatal dynorphin, and dynorphin gene expression in the striatum. The upregulation of kappa-opioid receptors after cocaine treatment occurs predominantly in brain regions that are highly innervated by serotonin. To determine if serotonin plays a role in the effects of kappa-opioid receptor agonists on cocaine-stimulated activity, parachloroamphetamine (PCA), which depleted serotonin by 53%–66%, or saline, was given prior to a five-day treatment with U-69593 or vehicle. Three days later each rat received a single injection of cocaine and locomotor activity was measured. Treatment with PCA had no effect on the ability of U-69593 alone to decrease locomotor activity. Thus, the behavioral effects of U-69593 alone were not dependent upon serotonin. In rats pretreated with saline, U-69593 treatment significantly blocked the locomotor-activating effects of cocaine. Following PCA pretreatment, however, there were no significant differences in locomotor activity in rats challenged with an injection of cocaine after treatment with U-69593 or vehicle. Thus, serotonin depletion prevented the long-lasting blockade of the locomotor-activating effects of cocaine subsequent to repeated administration of U-69593 but did not alter the effects of cocaine in rats that were treated with vehicle. Thus, the effects of PCA on U-69593 are not due to non-specific alterations in cocaine-induced locomotor activity. These findings suggest that serotonin plays an important role in mediating the effects of kappa-opioid receptor agonists on the behavioral response to cocaine.

Hydrogenomonas eutropha cells harvested from semicontinuous autotrophic culture and washed free of substrate contain about 13% of nitrogen on a dry-solids basis. Biological value and digestibility of the bacterial nitrogen were determined in the rat by use of an abbreviated Mitchell-Thomas nitrogen balance technique and casein as the standard protein. Casein nitrogen was 99% digestible, and that of both whole boiled and sonically ruptured bacterial cells was 93%. Biological value of casein and the bacterial preparations was uniformly 77%. Amino acid composition of the bacteria, as in the case of casein, indicates a first limitation of sulfur-containing amino acids. These compositional features suggest that H. eutropha may be potentially valuable as a protein supplement in animal feeds.