Cardiac thrombosis normally occurs in old Syrian hamsters and according to the research it has a higher incidence rate in females than males. The most frequent site of thrombus formation has been reported to be the left atrium and it usually occurs secondary to degenerative cardiomyopathy and amyloidosis. In this study during a period of 2 years, 22 pet Syrian hamsters aged between 1-3 years-old with signs of cardiovascular disease and referred to the small animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital of University of Tehran were examined in order to evaluate for cardiac diseases as well as atrial thrombosis. During the examinations and observations clinical signs such as lethargy, anorexia, hyperpnoea, reduced daily activity, tachycardia, cyanosis, and vaginal discharge were observed. Based on the clinical sings, the initial diagnosis of cardiac disease was made and for more accurate evaluation of cardiac disease, the cases were referred to the radiology department. For detection of specific signs of cardiac disease echocardiography was performed on all patients. in some cases, sampling of vaginal discharge was taken as well and transferred to the lab for bacterial culture. Cardiac thrombosis and especially atrial thrombosis in all cases were diagnosed by echocardiography so that 9 cases showed pyometra concurrently.

Epidemiologic relations were evaluated between plasma concentrations of nutrients and cardiovascular diseases. A total of 220 cats were assessed: 144 cats with noninduced acquired heart disease and 76 clinically normal cats. Plasma was assayed for taurine, alpha-tocopherol, selenium, retinol, and total cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations. Cardiovascular disease groups included dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 53), left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 28), hyperthyroidism (n = 11), and uncertain classification (n = 52). In cats with dilated cardiomyopathy, mean plasma taurine concentration was the lowest of that in cats of any group, being only 38% of the value in healthy cats; females had less than half the mean value of males. Tocopherol concentration was 20% lower than normal, and retinol concentration was 40% higher than normal. Total cholesterol concentration was 36% lower than normal. Triglycerides concentration was higher in these cats than in any other group-twice the value recorded in healthy cats and 67% higher than that in hyperthyroid cats. In cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, almost 15% had mean plasma taurine concentration < 30 micromol/L. Retinol concentration was 15% higher, and triglycerides concentration was 54% higher than normal. Approximately 27% of hyperthyroid cats had mildly decreased plasma taurine concentration. Hyperthyroid cats had the lowest tocopherol and cholesterol values; both were at least 30% lower than normal. Retinol concentration was 30% higher than Approximately 14% of cats with uncertain classification had mildly decreased plasma taurine concentration. Plasma retinol and triglycerides concentrations were higher than normal in 25 and 38% of these cats, respectively. Plasma selenium concentration, compared between healthy cats and cats with cardiac disease, was not significantly different. This observation may not be meaningful, however, in light of the limited number of cats in which selenium was assessed.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate and report measurements of the radiographic cardiac silhouette of healthy juvenile and adult ospreys (Pandion haliaetus). ANIMALS 54 ospreys (22 adults, 19 juveniles, and 13 birds of undetermined age) without clinical signs of cardiac disease and with adequate ventrodorsal radiographic images for cardiac silhouette assessment. PROCEDURES Radiographs of ospreys were assessed to determine cardiac width at the widest point as well as sternal width and thoracic width at the same level. Two-way mixed-effects models were used to evaluate interrater reliability for mean rating. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to create predictive models of cardiac width and to establish a theoretical reference range for healthy ospreys. RESULTS Cardiac width of healthy ospreys was approximately 90% to 92% of sternal width and 67% to 69% of thoracic width. Both sternal width and thoracic width were significant predictors of cardiac width in independent predictive models as well as in a combined model after controlling for age. Thirty-four of 41 (83%) measured cardiac widths were within the theoretical reference range. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Ospreys are sentinels used in monitoring environmental health. Environmental factors may have an impact on the cardiac health of ospreys, but reference values for healthy ospreys have not been established for use in assessing cardiomegaly in this species. The radiographic ratios and predictive model obtained in this study may be useful for objective evaluation of cardiomegaly in ospreys.

Mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy are common acquired cardiac diseases in dogs. Standard echocardiography is commonly used on dogs to non-invasively evaluate myocardial function. The aim of this prospective study was to provide results about variabilities of peak systolic radial strain and strain rate at the level of the papillary muscles using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in a population of healthy and dogs with cardiologic disorders. Study Groups of A and B consisted of 3 dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy and 4 dogswith valve disease, respectively. Control Group (C) consisted of 7 healthy dogs. These dogs were presented forcardiac screening at the Veterinary Medical Hospital of Ankara University in Turkey and were analyzedretrospectively. It is revealed that for strain evaluation, Group A was significantly (P<0.05) different from Group C andGroup B. According to the literature, this is the first study from Turkey where speckle trackingechocardiography is used to assess the left ventricular function of Turkish Kangal dogs with naturally occurringdilated cardiomyopathy and mitral valve disease. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography revealeddecreased left ventricular myocardial systolic performance in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy compared withstrain levels of healthy dogs and dogs with valve disease.

Although it has been reported that hormones or chemicals, which increse in intracellular cAMP, produced Mg2+ release from the heart, it is not well characterized whether a specific Mg2+ exchanger is involved in cAMP-induced Mg2+ efflux in themammalian hearts In this work, we studied the relationship between the increase in intracellular cAMP and ion transport system on Mg2+ regulation in the perfused rat heart and isolated myocytes. The Mg2+ content in the perfusate and supernatant were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The addition of membrane permeable cAMP analogue to the perfused hearts and myocytes. cAMP-induced Mg2+ efflux was ingibited by H7, benzamil or imipramine in the perfused hearts and myocytes, but not by EIPA. We confirmed that a significant Mg2+ efflux was induced by an increase in intracellular cAMP in the hearts and myocytes. The cAMP-induced increase of Mg2+ efflux in the hearts may be involved in ion transport system(Na+-Ca2+ and Na+-Mg2+ exchanger)

We investigated the relation between left ventricular dysfunction and myocardial edema in dogs with heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection that were undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. Dogs with and without D immitis were anesthetized by continuous thiopental infusion and were mechanically ventilated. Sonomicrometry crystals were placed on the long and short axes of the left ventricle, and a Millar pressure transducer was placed in the left ventricular chamber. Pressure-volume loops were digitized and continuously recorded. Dogs with and without D immitis were placed on standard hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, with 1 hour of aortic cross-clamp. Wet-to-dry weight ratio corrected for residual blood volume was used to quantitate the volume of myocardial edema. Preload recruitable stroke work was used as a preload-independent index of systolic function. Tau, the isovolumic relaxation time constant, was determined to assess diastolic relaxation. Dogs with D immitis had increased baseline myocardial wet-to-dry weight ratio. After cardiopulmonary bypass, myocardial edema increased in all dogs. Acute edema attributable to cardiopulmonary bypass decreased preload recruitable stroke work in all dogs of both groups, and dogs with D immitis could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. Myocardial edema increased diastolic relaxation times in dogs with and without D immitis. We conclude that cardiopulmonary bypass and heartworm infection induce myocardial edema. This edema compromises left ventricular systolic and diastolic function making D immitis an important confounding factor in weaning dogs from cardiopulmonary bypass.

Platelet function, antithrombin and plasminogen activities, and fibrinolytic capabilities in 11 cats with acquired heart disease were compared with results in 4 healthy cats. Of 11 cats with heart disease, 9 had hyperthyroidism with secondary cardiac dysfunction. One cat with hyperthyroidism had renal disease and heart failure, and of 2 cats with idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 1 also had renal disease. At the time of testing, 3 cats had thromboembolic events associated with the disease. Compared with healthy cats, cats with acquired heart disease had increased activity of antithrombin III, a protein that behaves as an acute-phase reactant. Plasminogen activity was decreased, although not significantly, in cats with acquired heart disease, compared with results in healthy cats. In cats with left ventricular dysfunction, clot retraction was decreased (marginal significance, P = 0.058) and might be attributed, in some cases, to the medications received by the cats. Dilute whole blood clots from all cats failed to lyse in vitro. This observation, at present, lacks adequate explanation. Platelets from cats with acquired heart disease, compared with platelets from healthy cats, had decreased responsiveness (aggregation and [(14)C]serotonin release) to adenosine diphosphate and increased responsiveness to collagen. Hyperthyroid cats were receiving various drugs (propranolol, atenolol, or diltiazem) to empirically treat clinical signs of disease attributable to cardiac dysfunction. Although numbers of cats in each group were small, definite trends were observed in the results of tests. Platelets from cats receiving atenolol had decreased responsiveness to adenosine diphosphate and unaltered responsiveness to collagen, compared with platelets from healthy cats, and may have decreased risk of thrombus formation. Cats receiving propranolol and diltiazem had platelets with markedly increased responsiveness to collagen; however, these drugs appeared to provide sufficient cardioprotective benefits to counter the prothrombotic effects.

Epidemiologic relations were evaluated between plasma concentrations of nutrients and cardiovascular diseases. A total of 220 cats were assessed: 144 cats with noninduced acquired heart disease and 76 clinically normal cats. Plasma was assayed for taurine, alpha-tocopherol, selenium, retinol, and total cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations. Cardiovascular disease groups included dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 53), left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 28), hyperthyroidism (n = 11), and uncertain classification (n = 52). In cats with dilated cardiomyopathy, mean plasma taurine concentration was the lowest of that in cats of any group, being only 38% of the value in healthy cats; females had less than half the mean value of males. Tocopherol concentration was 20% lower than normal, and retinol concentration was 40% higher than normal. Total cholesterol concentration was 36% lower than normal. Triglycerides concentration was higher in these cats than in any other group-twice the value recorded in healthy cats and 67% higher than that in hyperthyroid cats. In cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, almost 15% had mean plasma taurine concentration < 30 micromol/L. Retinol concentration was 15% higher, and triglycerides concentration was 54% higher than normal. Approximately 27% of hyperthyroid cats had mildly decreased plasma taurine concentration. Hyperthyroid cats had the lowest tocopherol and cholesterol values; both were at least 30% lower than normal. Retinol concentration was 30% higher than Approximately 14% of cats with uncertain classification had mildly decreased plasma taurine concentration. Plasma retinol and triglycerides concentrations were higher than normal in 25 and 38% of these cats, respectively. Plasma selenium concentration, compared between healthy cats and cats with cardiac disease, was not significantly different. This observation may not be meaningful, however, in light of the limited number of cats in which selenium was assessed. Although significant correlation was not observed between plasma taurine and plasma retinol, tocopherol, or cholesterol concentrations in cats with cardiac disease, plasma tocopherol and cholesterol values were highly associated (P < 0.01). Also, the molar ratio of cholesterol to tocopherol was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in cats with dilated cardiomyopathy, compared with healthy cats.

The function of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is claimed to be control of salt and water homeostasis, and thus, the hormone may be involved in the pathogenesis of certain diseases with impaired volume regulation. We, therefore, studied plasma ANP concentration in dogs with chronic renal failure, congestive heart failure, and hyperadrenocorticism. Dogs with chronic renal failure had twofold higher plasma ANP concentration (16.2 +/- 5.8 fmol/ml), compared with healthy dogs (8.3 +/- 3.5 fmol/ml). An even more distinct increase (sixfold) of plasma ANP concentration was found in dogs with congestive heart failure (52.9 +/- 29.7 fmol/ml). In contrast, dogs with hyperadrenocorticism did not have high ANP plasma concentration (5.5 +/- 2.0 fmol/ml). High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of plasma from dogs with congestive heart failure indicated that, in addition to the normal circulating form of ANP (99-126), the unprocessed precursor ANP (1-126) is detectable in the circulation. These qualitative and quantitative alterations of plasma ANP concentration in dogs further suggest involvement of this peptide in the development and/or maintenance of diseases associated with impaired volume regulation.

A study was designed to determine whether phenytoin (PHE) prevents the myocardial necrosis and subsequent fibrosis produced by isoproterenol (ISO). Seven groups of female rats of the Wistar strain were used. Rats in groups 1 and 5 served as controls. Rats in group 3 were injected SC with 85 mg of ISO/kg of body weight for 2 consecutive days. Rats in groups 2 and 6 received 100 mg of PHE/kg orally. Rats in groups 4 and 7 received both PHE and ISO. There were 6 to 9 rats/group. Effects of ISO and PHE were evaluated gravimetrically, histologically, and electrocardiographically. Heart weight/body weight ratios for each group receiving ISO, with or without PHE, were greater than for groups not receiving ISO (P < 0.05). Light microscopic examination of heart sections of rats given ISO alone or ISO + PHE revealed multiple and diffuse areas of fibrosis. Fibrosis in hearts from rats receiving PHE + ISO was less severe than that in hearts from rats receiving ISO alone, but the difference was not statistically significant. Electrocardiographic changes of statistical significance were not observed in rats receiving any compound (alone or in combination), when compared with the control groups of equal age.