From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2008-01-03 21:02:18 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] recent abstracts
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
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Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2008 Jan;11(1):107-23.
Pancreatic endocrinopathies in ferrets.
Chen S.
Gulf Coast Avian and Exotics, Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, 1111
West Loop South, Suite 110, Houston, TX 77027, USA.
Pancreatic endocrinopathies, especially insulinomas, are a common
finding in ferrets. Surgical resection remains the treatment of choice
for insulinomas because it can provide longer disease-free intervals
and survival times. Because of the high rate of metastasis, owners
should be advised that treatment is rarely curative and is aimed at
controlling the clinical signs of hypoglycemia by stopping or slowing
the progression of the insulinoma. Although less common, diabetes
mellitus can occur in ferrets, but is often a postsurgical sequela to
insulinoma resection. Current advancements in diabetes management can
be applied to ferrets with diabetes mellitus.
PMID: 18165140 [PubMed - in process]
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I would LOVE to know where the author below gets that rate number.
The last I heard no one had done rates (though that could have
changed, or maybe this person did and extrapolated). It's over twice
a high as what we have encountered in our own ferrets in over a
quarter century.
Also, there are a great many studies showing that things which
increase LH production lead to adrenal growths, but the author may
mean some fine nuances which still need study... I think that I'd
enjoy reading a clarification just on how some words are used on that
regard. Hmmm, looks like I need to find a way to get this paper to
satisfy my curiosity.
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Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2008 Jan;11(1):125-37.
Adrenal gland disease in ferrets.
Simone-Freilicher E.
Avian and Exotic Medicine Department, Veterinary Medical Center of
Long Island, 75 Sunrise Highway, West Islip, NY 11795, USA.
Adrenal gland disease in ferrets is unique to this species, with
clinical signs and pathophysiology different from those seen in the
dog. Its prevalence is increasing; 70% of pet ferrets in the United
States were affected in 2003. The exact causes of the adrenal gland
changes that lead to the disease are not known. Early
oophorohysterectomies and neutering, combined with the artificially
prolonged photoperiod experienced by indoor pet ferrets, and a
possible genetic component, may be contributing factors. Signs of
adrenal gland disease include progressive hair loss, pruritis,
lethargy, atrophy, and, in female ferrets, vulvar swelling. An
understanding of the signs and physiologic changes is necessary for
diagnosis and treatment. A review of anatomy, physiology, and current
surgical and medical options is presented.
PMID: 18165141 [PubMed - in process]
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J Appl Physiol. 2007 Dec 20 [Epub ahead of print]
Chronic Inflation of Ferrets Lungs with CPAP Reduces Airway Smooth
Muscle Contractility In vivo and In vitro.
Xue Z, Zhang L, Liu Y, Gunst SJ, Tepper RS.
Department of Pediatrics, HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research,
Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United
States.
The mechanical stress imposed on the lungs during breathing is an
important modulator of airway responsiveness in vivo. Our recent study
demonstrated that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) applied
to the lungs of non-anesthetized, tracheotomized rabbits for four days
decreased lower respiratory system responsiveness to challenge with
ACh. In addition, airway segments excised from the lungs of these
animals and studied in vitro exhibited reduced contractility. However,
the mechanism for this reduction in contractility was not determined.
The stress-induced decrease in airway responsiveness could have
resulted from alterations in the excitation-contraction coupling
mechanisms of the smooth muscle cells, or it might reflect changes in
the structure and/or composition of the airway wall tissues. In the
present study, we assessed the effect of prolonged chronic stress of
the lungs in vivo on airway smooth muscle force generation, MLC-
phosphorylation and airway wall structure. To enhance the potential
development of stress-induced structural changes, we applied
mechanical stress for a prolonged period of time of 2 - 3 weeks. Our
results demonstrate a direct connection between the decreased airway
responsiveness caused by chronic mechanical stress of the lungs in
vivo and a persistent decrease in contractile protein activation in
the airway smooth muscle isolated from those lungs. The chronic stress
also caused an increase in airway size, but no detectable changes in
the composition of the airway wall. Key words: mechanical stress, MLC-
phosphorylation, airway structure.
PMID: 18096756 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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As happens many months there is a new H5N1 study, this time in
PLoS (Public Library of Science):
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0001401
Mustelid but not ferret:
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J Parasitol. 2007 Oct;93(5):1070-83.
Geographic and host range of the nematode Soboliphyme baturini across
Beringia.
Koehler AV, Hoberg EP, Dokuchaev NE, Cook JA.
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New
Mexico 87131, USA. ansonkoehler@gmail.com
The nematode Soboliphyme baturini Petrov, 1930, was found to represent
a single species with a relatively broad geographic range across
Beringia and northwestern North America on the basis of the assessment
of molecular sequence data for adult and juvenile parasites. Refuted
are hypotheses suggesting that several cryptic species could be
partitioned either among an array of mustelid definitive hosts or
across the vast region that links North America and Eurasia. Host
specificity for this species is examined on the basis of a
comprehensive list for definitive hosts, derived from new field
surveys and existing literature for S. baturini. Only 5 mustelids
(Gulo gulo, Martes americana, M. caurina, M. zibellina, and Neovison
vison) appear to have significant roles in the life history,
persistence, and transmission of this nematode. Soboliphyme baturini
readily switches among M. americana, M. caurina, Mustela erminea, or
N. vison at any particular locality throughout its geographic range in
North America, although Martes spp. could represent the source for
nematodes in a broader array of mustelids. Molecular analyses (243
base pairs of mitochondrial gene nicotinamide dehydrogenase [ND4])
suggest that hypotheses for host specificity across an array of
mustelid definitive hosts are not supported. The life cycle of S.
baturini is explored through a review of diet literature for 2 marten
species, M. americana and M. caurina, and other mustelids across the
Holarctic. Shrews (Soricomorpha: Soricidae) comprise >8% of prey for
these species of Martes, suggesting their putative role as paratenic
hosts. Juvenile nematodes found in the diaphragms of soricids are
genetically identical to adult S. baturini found in the stomachs of
mustelids at the same locations in both Asia and North America,
corroborating a role in transmission for species of Sorex.
PMID: 18163341 [PubMed - in process]
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Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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