NORMAL BLOOD GLUCOSE IN WHITE WISTAR RAT AND ITS CHANGES FOLLOWING ANESTHESIA

LUCRARI ŞTINTIFICE MEDICINA VETERINARĂ. 

TIMIŞOARA. VOL. XL, 120 - 123. 2007

Normal   blood glucose  in  White Wistar  rat   and   its  changes   following  anesthesia

Brăslaşu Elena Daniela, Brădăţan Cătălina, Cornilă Mihai,

Săvulescu Ilinca^*, Cojmăleaţă Roxana^*, Brăslaşu M.C.

Veterinary Faculty Bucharest

*  U.M.F. Carol Davila, University Hospital Colţea, Bucharest

Summary

The studies have been made in 110 White Wistar Rats, both male and female, the animals being in wakeful state. The sampling have been made from coccygeal vertebra and measurement of the blood glucose were made with Accu-Chek Go (Roche) glucometer. The blood glucose values were 117,06±1,96 mg/dl. It is showed  that the anesthesia produced  hyperglycemia.

White  Wistar Rats is an animal frequently used in different experiments from different  fields of medical pathology. One of these is diabetes mellitus that’s way it was necessary to study the way regarding the determination of blood glucose, the normal values of  blood glucose and the changes produced by anesthesia.

Materials and method

There were examined 110 White Wistar Rats, bolt male and female. The animals were clinical healthy with 150 -220 gr. body weight. The blood  glucose has been determined through two methods: 1. with Accu-Chek Go glucometer; 2. with reflotron.

The blood glucose has been measured only wakeful state animals and on animals that were anesthesiated: Xylazina - 5 mg/kg and Ketamina – 35 mg/kg.

The blood glucose values were statistically interpreted by calculating: the average, the variance, the media error, standard deviation and the coefficient of variability.

Results and discussion

A. Technical parts

The blood has been collected from the coccygeal vertebra because there is a blood trace and that’s why Accu-Chek Go glucometer was used. The blood glucose determinations were made in the morning before meals.

The technique was as follow (photo 1):

1.       setting the patient in standing position;

2.       puncture the coccygeal vertebra with a thick needle;

3.       the obtaining blood drops was “caught’  on glucometer, and

4.       reading the values of blood glucose in White rats with glucometer.

                                   

 Photo 1

Taster determination of blood glucose in White Wistar rats with glucometer

                       For determination the blood glucose on reflotron, the blood has been obtained when the slaughter was done.

The differences between the determinations made on glucometer and reflotron were upper in glucometer measurements with 5-8 mg/dl.

B. Blood glucose values

The body weight of the rats were 219,81±6, 49 gr. (n = 110). The blood  glucose values are in table 1.

Table 1

Blood glucose values in White Wistar rats

- method Accu-Chek Go, glucometer –

Blood glucose  mg/dl
Statistical indices	Values
n.	107
Average	117,06
Variance	412,74
Standard deviation	20,31
The media error	1,96
The coefficient of variability %	17,35

From this table we observed that the blood  glucose values is 117,06±1,96 mg/dl. Bibliographic literature shows values of blood glucose as 50 – 125 mg/dl (Johnson-Delaney, C., 1996) and 85 – 132 mg/dl (Kohn D.F., Clifford C.B., 2002).

In this way the recent values obtained are in the limits proposed by other authors.

The table also shows that the value 17,35% of variability coefficient represents a media variability coefficient (10 – 20%)

C. The influence of anaesthesia in blood glucose

Regarding that the anesthesia is an usual method of chemical setting, the blood  glucose was initially measure after xylayine and than after ketamine.

In this way, it’s showed that both xylayine and ketamine give important increased of glycemia (table 2) so that the measurements of blood glucose were done only in wakeful state.

In the clinic, in dog, there were paradoxical situations when in diabetes mellitus, the anesthesia gave hypoglycemia.

The same situation was seen to a white rat, a female one of 280 gr. body weight. The female rat measured a blood glucose of 135 mg/dl before the anesthesia and after the anesthesia was done with ketamine the values of blood glucose were 90 mg/dl.

Table 2

Examples regarding, the increase of blood glucose (mg/dl)

following the anesthesia (xylayine-ketamine) in White Wistar rats

Nr.	Blood glucose (mg/dl)
	Initial wakefulness	After anesthesia	%
1.	155	203	+ 30,9
2.	135	286	+ 111,8
3.	108	189	+ 75
4.	134	241	+ 79,8
5.	126	256	+ 103,1
6.	145	245	+ 68,9
7.	159	281	+ 76,7

Conclusions

1.             Blood glucose values in White Wistar rats is done in wakeful state from coccygeal vertebra. The measure og blood  glucose can be done using glucometer – ex. Accu-Chek Go (Roche), tha values obtained being upper than were done on reflotron.

2.             The values og blood glucose in White Wistar rats are 117,06±1,96 mg/dl.

3.             The anesthesia gives upper values of blood glucose (hyperglycemia). That’s could appear errors in diagnostic (diabetes mellitus, pancreatic disease).

References

1.             Brăslaşu C.M., Ciobotaru Emilia, Militaru Manuella, Şonea Al.,Brăslaşu Elena Daniela, Dinescu Georgeta, Diaconescu Al. Il., Soare Teodoru, Stănciulescu Cornelia, 2005 - Corelaţia dintre disfuncţia endotelială şi afectarea miocardică la pacienţii cu diabet zaharat. Contract cercetare CEEX, 55/2005. Contract VIASAN. Director de contract. Prof. I. Bruckner.

2.             An D., Rodrigues B., 2006 -  Role of changes in cardiac metabolism in development of diabetic cardiomyopathy.   Am. J. Physiol. Heart. Circ. Physiol., 291, 4,H1489-506.

3.             Cheţa D., 2002 – New Insights into experimental diabetes. Editura Academiei Române, Bucureşti.

4.             Johnson-Delaney, C., 1996 - Exotic Animal Companion Medicine Handbook for Veterinarians, Zoological Education Network.

5.             Kohn D.F., Clifford C.B., 2002 -  Biology and diseases of rats. In: J..G Fox, L.C. Anderson, F.M. Lowe, et al., eds. Laboratory Animal Medicine, 2nd ed. New York: Academic Press, 121-167.

Lucrare citată de:  -  Chaiyathullah Asmonie, 2013.

                             -  Aliye Sağkan Öztürk, 2014

RIGHT HEART DISEASES IN DOG

Banat`s University of

Agricultural Sciences
and Veterinary Medicine
"King Michael of Romania"
from Timisoara

clinical research on right heart disease in adult dog

Daniela Elena Brăslaşu¹, Silvia Joiţa¹, Simiz Fl.², Brăslaşu M.C.¹

 1. Faculty of veterinary Medicine Bucharest

2. Faculty of veterinary Medicine Timişoara

SUMMARY

                Right - side heart failure is caused by right heart disease.  The symptoms are obvious at the splanchnic level: hepatomegaly, hepatic sensitiveness, ascites, jugular ectasia and only rarely, pleurisy.

          Causes of right heart disease are heartworms, tricuspid valvular disease, right  intracardial or extracardial  tumors, thrombi, right  dilatative cardiomyopathy.

             Diagnosis of right heart disease is performed by clinical examination and is confirmed  by paraclinical methods: X-rays, electrocardiography and echocardiography. Paraclinical examination play an important role in establishing the diagnosis and in evaluating the prognosis.

                This research emphasizes the characteristics of clinical and paraclinical diagnosis of right-side heart disease.

                Key-words: right –side heart failure, heartworms, cardiac tumors, right dilatative cardiomyopathy.

Right ventricle and atrium represent the right heart, which is responsible for pulmonary circulation. Right heart takes over the blood from hepatic and cerebral level and deliver it to the lungs. As a consequence, right heart disease will have an impact on liver, CNS and lung.

Right heart disease also plays an important role as the sinus node is located in the right atrium. The impairment of sinus node can be the cause of severe cardiac arrhythmia.

Materials and methods

Patients evaluation was performed in the Cardiology Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Bucharest and in the Internal medicine department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Timişoara (5 patients)

Two different X-ray exposures were  performed  for each animal: right/left lateral exposure and dorso - ventral exposure.

Electrocardiography  parameters were: standard leads, 1mV = 5,10 or 20 mm amplitude and 25 or 50 mm/sec  speed of paper rolling.

Echocardiography was performed on standing animals, using right and left parasternal windows and 3.5 or 6 MHz transducers.

Cytological examination for the diagnosis of heartworms and blood serum biochemistry were  also used into the study.

Results and debates

     There are not many symptoms in right heart disease: different degrees of dyspnoea, hepatomegaly with pain – a differential diagnosis is needed to exclude hepatitis – and ascites. Jugular veins examination is possible in short hair breed, otherwise the area has to be clipped.

       In most of the situations , diagnosis of right heart disease has been established when the heart has been evaluated for the diagnosis of ascites and/or dyspnoea.

       Tricuspid degenerative valvulopathy is a disease diagnosed in most of the cases in small breed dogs. This valvulopathy can evolve alone (rarely) or  together with the degenerative mitral valve disease. Clinical diagnosis is  based on systolic murmur on tricuspid valve auscultation area. Most of the times, this sound is shielded by the murmur of mitral valve.

     In many situation, diagnosis of tricuspid valve disease was done by echocardiography, when diagnosing mixomatous mitral valve disease.

    Ultrasound elements that helped the diagnosis were thickening of mitral valve, tricuspid regurgitation (Doppler echocardiography) and secondary changes (right atrium volume increase).

 Degenerative tricuspid valve disease.

The valve is thickened, there is valvular regurgitation

and right atrial dilation (degenerative mitral valve disease it also observed)

Right dilatative cardiomyopathy is an idiopathic disease often found in large breed dogs. Ultrasound diagnosis is based on right ventricle dilation and systolic dysfunction. To have an accurate diagnosis, it is important to make a differential diagnosis from the diseases that can cause  right ventricular dilation (heartworms).

Right dilatative cardiomyopathy in dog.

Notice the important dilation of right ventricle

     Pulmonary hypertension is a consequence of degenerative mitral valve disease (very often) or of chronic lung disease (including chronic heartworms). The disease is often accompanied by dyspnoea, coughing, fatigue, and eventually by thoracic liquids. To confirm the diagnosis, the arterial pressure in pulmonary artery has to be measured. Pulmonary hypertension is considered in advanced condition patients by following the right ventricle dilation and flattening of interventricular septum (normally, there is a concave aspect of the septum towards right ventricle).

Pulmonary hypertension – flattening of interventricular septum

(2D-Eco, transversal section)

Dirofilariasis is a disease more and more frequently diagnosed in dogs in our country (Bucharest) . Dirophilariasis is considered in right heart dilation (not every right heart dilation is a consequence of dirophilariasis) and diagnosis of larvae is done by cytologic examination – Parasitology Department. Diagnosis of adults is difficult to establish when there is a small number of worms. It is also very important to differentiate  the heartworms from the chordae tendineae, that have a steady position between ventricular walls and tricuspid valve.

      There were 3 cases of Dirophilariosis diagnosed in  Veterinary Cardiology Department from Bucharest, that were confirmed by hematological examination. The ultrasound image was comparable with a straw bundle in the right heart; the worms were floating freely from right atrium  to the right ventricle. Other secondary signs were right ventricular and atrial dilation and pleurisy.

Heartworms in dog.

The are adult worms into right ventricle (transversal section).

There is also an increase of right heart cavities

Heartworms in dog.

The adult worms have the aspect of a straw bundle.

There is also an increase of right heart cavities

       Intracardial echogenic masses can be represented by tumors or by free clots. In both situations, there was a right atrioventricular dilation with echogenic intracardiac masses. It is difficult in  many situations to differentiate the tumors from the clots. The tumors look usually as a steady vascular mass, but in one case, the aspect of the tumor was that of spherical mass, moving between right atrium and ventricle. It was the necropsy examination that confirmed the presence of a pediculate tumor mass.

Intracardial echogenic masses – free clots

Tumors in Right atrium

     Even if these diseases have been diagnosed using echocardiography, electrocardiography also played an important role. Electrocardiography allowed to see the secondary effects at the cardiac level: right bundle branch block, cavities increase and different types of arrhythmia: premature atrial and ventricular beats, atrial fibrilation et al.

      X-rays played an important role for the confirmation of right atrium and ventricular dilation, in the diagnosis of chronic lung disease and of lungs tumors et al.

      Cytological examination and complete blood count has often be used to diagnose heartworms and also to evaluate the general status of the patient (together with serum biochemistry)

Conclusions

1.           Right-side heart disease are primary diseases or can be a consequence of a cardial or a pulmonary disease. Right dilatative cardiomyopathy, tricuspid degenerative valve disease, pulmonary hypertension, tumors, clots and arrhythmia (right bundle branch block) are the causes of right cardiopathyes.

2.           These diseases can cause right heart insufficiency, hepatomegaly, liver sensitiveness, jugular veins congestion, ascites, fatigue and sometimes pleural effusions .

3.           Diagnosis is based on complementary investigations. Besides the diagnosis of right heart dilation, X-ray plays an important role in the diagnosis of lungs disease that can cause pulmonary hypertension with secondary right heart disease.

4.           Electrocardiography is the method used to establish the diagnosis of heart arrhythmia: right bundle branch block, atrial or ventricular premature beats et al.

5.           Echocardiography is the best method to diagnose right heart disease. There is a right ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction in dilatative cardiomyopathy. Tricuspid valve disease is diagnosed by valve thickening, blood regurgitation (Doppler ultrasonography) and secondary signs (dilation of right atrium and ventricle). In dirophilariasis, adult worms can be seen in the right heart. Pulmonary arterial hypertension could be considered in the situation of interventricular septum flattening.

6.           Complete blood count plays an important role in A) confirmation of dirophilariasis (cytological examination), B) evaluation of general status of the patient and C) Therapy monitoring

Bibliography

Boon June A., Manual of Veterinary Echocardiography. Blackwell Publishing, 2006.

Brăslaşu M.C. (coordonator), Cardiologie veterinară – Diagnosticul bolilor cardiovasculare la animale. Ed. Artprint Bucureşti, 2008.

Gomez A., Unruh H., Mink S.N., Altered left ventricular chamber stiffness and isovolumic relaxation in dogs with chronic pulmonary hypertension caused by emphysema. Circulation, 87, 1, 1993, 247 - 260.

Scansen  B.A., Meurs K.M., Spier A.W., Koplitz S., Baumwart R.D., Temporal variability of ventricular arrhythmias in Boxer dogs with Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. J. Vet. Int. Med,m 23, 5, 2009, 1020-1024.

Simiz F., Moţ T., Ciulan D., Morar D., Petruse Cristina, Electrocardiographic parameters analysis in young dogs. Lucr. Ştiinţ., Med. Vet., XLV (4), 2012, pp. 152  – 159.

Scientific Conference
Book of Abstracts, p. 81
2013, Timisoara, Agroprint

DILATATIVE CARDIOMYOPATHY IN DOG

17^th FECAVA Eurocongress ISTANBUL, 7 – 11 Sept 2011

Rev. p. 452.

DilaTATIVE cardiomyopathy in dog - a study regarding the correlation between incidence of the disease and animal gender

Brăslaşu M.C.,  Daniela Elena Brăslaşu, Silvia Joiţa,

Emilia Ciobotaru, S. Ionescu

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Bucharest

Dilated cardiomyopathy is an idiopathic cardiop athy characterized by increase of ventricular cavities and systolic disfunction.

Investigations were done in the Internal Disease Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Bucharest during 30 month period (2 years and a half). There was a clinical diagnosis (cough, exercise intolerance, collapse, weakness, murmur, palor, ascites) and a paraclinic examination, which included: A) electrocardiographic examination: arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation, enlargement of left ventricle, elevation of ST segment, premature ventricular beats), B) Echocardiographic examination: decrease of shortening fraction, increase of ventricular chambers diameters; C) Rx examination: increase of cardial silhouette, pulmonary oedema, ascites, pleuresia; D) Blood biochemistry (general status evaluation).

2659 dogs with different ages, clinically healthy, with cardiac and non-cardiac diseases have been examined. There were 49,23% females (n. 1309) and 50,77% males (n.1350).

 From the total number of subjects, 107 dogs (4,02%) have been diagnosed with III and IV degree dilated cardiomyopathy. From the patients diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, there were  27,10% females (n. 29) and  72,90% males (n.78). There was an equal ratio between spayed and intact females - 44,44% : 55,55%. Dilated cardiomyopathy was diagnosed mostly in large breed dogs (Great Dane, Caucasian, Mastino Napoletano) or medium breed dogs (Boxer, German Shepherd, Doberman pinscher).

Our results are in conformity with other studies (Ettinger S.J. and Feldman E.C., 2010; Palermo Valentina and col., 2011). The fact that similar results have been obtained in the study of valvulopathies in dog and also in human medicine, shows that females are more resistant in developing cardiopathies.

Dilated cardiomiopathy is an idiopathic disease characterized by ventricular increase and systolic dysfunction.

         As in human medicine it has been emphasized that men are at a higher risk to develop cardiopathies, we tried to show the situation in veterinary medicine.

         If in small breed dogs and in small to medium breed dogs we have established correlations between patient gender and valvulopathies, in medium and medium to large breed dogs we studied correlations between patients gender and dilated cardiomiopathy.

        The reasons we have chosen these diseases are:

-       both diseases have a high incidence in dog

-       both diseases are primary diseases with respect to other diseases (heart failure, miocarditis, cardiac arrhythmias, arterial hypertension), which can be caused by other non-cardiac diseases.

Material and method

         Investigations have been ruled out in Cardiology Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Bucharest on a 45 month period (1.10.2008- 31.07.2011)

          2944 dogs have been examined: healthy dogs and dogs with cardiac and non-cardiac diseases.

         Patients were clinically and paraclinically investigated – echocardiography, electrocardiography, thoracic Rx, blood biochemistry.

         Clinical diagnosis – only patients with III and IV degree heart failure have been considered in the study (dyspnea, ortopneea, effort intolerance, dry cough, syncope).

         Echocardiography included bidimensional examinations, in M mode and Doppler echocardiography.

         Rx examination included lateral and dorso – ventral view.

         Electrocardiography was standard.

Dilatative cardiomyopathy - Dog, male, 9 years

Lateral and dorso - ventral view

 Dilatative cardiomyopathy

Atrial fibrilation with multiple Premature ventricular beats

Results and debates

         The aim of the study was to notice if there are any correlations between patients gender and dilated cardiomiopathy.

         The study included only patients with clinical signs of  heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia (most of them atrial fibrilation but also premature ventricular beats), changes of terminal phase ST-T,  ventricular tachicardia, ventricular dilatation of left ventricle, and decrease of fractional shortening under 25%.

         Differential diagnosis for the exclusion of cardiopathies with cardiomegaly and ventricular arrhythmias played an important role.

 Dilatative cardiomyopathy - Left ventricular enlargement

VS, VD - left and right ventricle

AS, AD - left and right atrium

         The animals included in the study were clinically healthy (routine  examination before surgery), with cardiac and non-cardiac diseases (ex: diabetes mellitus, pyometra, lung disease, oncologic patients).

         There was a mixed population, including males and females, in an approximately equal ratio – 51, 25% males and 48, 74% females.

 Female : Male ratio in the population included in the study..

F. = female; M. = male

         108 dogs (3,66%) from the total number of patients (2944) were diagnosed with III and IV degree dilatative cardiomiopathy (NYHA classification).

         If male : female ratio in the population was almost equal, the ratio male : female in the situation of dilatative cardiomiopathy was 3 : 1 (75% males and 25% females).

         Male: female ratio in Dilatative cardiomiopathy

         It has been observed in patients with cardiac valvulopathies that spayed females are much more at risk than intact females. In dilatative cardiomiopathy there is no such difference (ratio spayed females : intact females – 1:1)

         This fact could be explained by:

-       shorter evolution of patients with dilatative cardiomiopathy than of patients with mitral valvulopathies

-       patients with congenital dilatative cardiomiopathy

-       a smaller number of examined animals (than animals with cardiac valvulopathies)

Male: Female ratio in Dilatative cardiomiopathy

         The research underlines that males are much more at risk to develop dilatative cardiomiopathy. The results obtained are in accordance with studies done by other authors (1 – 6).

Conclusions

1.     2944 dogs from different breeds and with different ages have been examined on a 45 month period. Male:female ratio was 1:1  (51, 25% males and 48, 74%females).

2.     Dilatative cardiomiopathy (with clinical signs) has been diagnosed in 3,66% (108) from the total number of patients.

3.     Male: female ratio was 3:1 (75% males and 25% females). This ratio shows males are much more at risk to develop dilatative cardiomiopathy.

4.     Our results (propensity of males to develop CMDP) are in accordance with other bibliographic data

Bibliography

1. Dukes - McEwan Joanna, Borgarelli M., Tidholm Anna, Vollmar Andrea, Häggström J., 2003 – Proposed guidelines for the diagnosis of canine idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. J. Vet. Cardiology, 5, 2, 7 – 19.

2. Ettinger S.J., Feldman E.C., 2010 – Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Vol. 2. Elsevier.

3. Martin M.W., Stafford Johnson M.J., Celona B., 2009 – Canine dilated cardiomyopathy: a retrospective study of signalment, presentation and clinical findings in 369 cases. J. Small Anim. Pract., 50, 1, 23 – 29.

4. Meurs K.M., Miller M.W., Wright N.A., 2001 – Clinical features of dilated cardiomyopathy in Great Danes and results of a pedigree analysis: 17 cases (1990 –2000). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 218, 729 – 732.

5. Pilote Louise, Kaberi Dasgupta, Veena Guru, Karin H. Humphries, Jennifer McGrath et al., 2007 – A comprehensive view of sex-specific issues related to cardiovascular disease. C. M. A. J., 13, 176, 6.

6. Tidholm A., Jönsson L., 1997 – A retrospective study of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (189 cases). J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc., 33, 6, 544 – 550.