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Clinical Trial 2014; 35(4): 280-284 PubMed PMID: 25038598 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Hemodiafiltration:adverse effects, Hemodynamics:physiology, Liver Failure, Acute:physiopathology, Swine,.   

OBJECTIVE: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare disease with a bad prognosis. Its start is accompanied by haemodynamic instability. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of fractionated plasmatic separation and adsorption (FPSA) on body haemodynamics using a large animal experimental model of ALF.

METHODS: ALF was induced by the devascularisation of 21 laboratory pigs. FPSA was applied in 14 animals and seven animals formed a control group. Values of systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), heart rate (HR), pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) and cardiac index (CI) at hours 3, 6, 9 and 12 of the experiment were compared. The values from laboratory tests conducted with FPSA-treated vs. untreated ALF animals were compared using Student's t-test, paired or unpaired, as required, and Mann-Whitney U-test using EXCEL and QUATRO spreadsheet applications.

RESULTS: We found no significant differences in mean arterial pressure, SVRI, or plasma lactate (p>0.05) in the FPSA-treated group but there was a significant decrease(p<0.05) in intracranial pressure (ICP). Furthermore, we observed a significant decrease in HR at hour 3. A significant increase in CI at hour 9 and a significant decrease in pulmonary artery wedge pressure at hours 6 and 12 were also observed.

CONCLUSION: Our study of FPSA application (Prometheus device) for treatment of experimental ALF in a large animal model did not confirm the earlier reported development of changes in body haemodynamics....

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Journal Article 2013; 34(Suppl 2): 84-89 PubMed PMID: 24362098 Citation  Keywords:  Animal Feed, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Biomarkers:blood, Blood Proteins:metabolism, Female, Food Contamination, Male, Mycotoxins:pharmacology, Oxidative Stress:drug effects, Swine, Trichothecenes:pharmacology,.   

OBJECTIVES: Deoxynivalenol (DON) - trichothecene mycotoxin, is frequently detected in high concentrations in cereals in the temperate region of Europe. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of DON in feed on haematological and biochemical parameters and on oxidative stress in piglets.

METHODS: Two concentrations of DON in feedstuff for pigs were chosen: 0.6 mg/kg (group C) and 2.0 mg/kg (group M). Twelve weaned pigs were used in each group. Pigs were fed with naturally contaminated feed for 4 weeks. On days 14, 21 and at the end of the experiment (day 28) samples of blood were taken to determine haematological parameters, plasma biochemical parameters, ceruloplasmin activity and FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma).

RESULTS: The haematological variables did not show changes in response to contaminated diet with exception of the mean corpuscular volume, which was significantly decreased at the end of the experiment in the group M. A significant increase of alkaline phosphatase activity (140%, p<0.01) was found in the group M compared to the group C at the end of the experiment. A significant decrease was found on the day 21 in FRAP (85%, p<0.001) and on the day 28 in ceruloplasmin (75%, p<0.01) in the group M compared to the group C.

CONCLUSIONS: The decrease of FRAP and ceruloplasmin indicate a lowered ability of organism to scavenge reactive oxygen species. The higher concentration of DON in feedstuffs had a negative influence on the antioxidant ability of piglet's plasma....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(4): 517-523 PubMed PMID: 20802456 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Ferrous Compounds:pharmacology, Growth Hormone:pharmacology, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I:pharmacology, Lipid Peroxidation:drug effects, Liver:drug effects, Malondialdehyde:metabolism, Rats, Swine, Thyroid Gland:drug effects.   

OBJECTIVES: Growth hormone (GH) and its tissue mediator, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), are involved in oxidative processes, lipid peroxidation (LPO) included. Bivalent iron (Fe2+) is frequently used to experimentally induce oxidative damage to macromolecules (Fe2++H2O2+H+→Fe3++•OH+H2O). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of GH and/or IGF-I on the iron-induced LPO in the rat liver and porcine thyroid homogenates.

METHODS: Rat liver and porcine thyroid homogenates were incubated in presence of GH (100; 10; 1.0; 0.1; 0.01; 0.001; 0.0001 µg/ml) or IGF-I (1000; 100; 10; 1.0; 0.1; 0.01; 0.001; 0.0001 µg/ml) or GH (100 µg/ml)+IGF-I, or FeSO4+H2O2 plus GH and/or IGF-I. The level of LPO was expressed as concentrations of malondialdehyde+4-hydroxyalkenals (MDA+4-HDA) per mg of protein.

RESULTS: GH and/or IGF-I did not change the basal level of oxidative damage to lipids. In the rat liver homogenates, GH did not affect the iron-induced LPO, whereas IGF-I--in the lowest two concentrations--enhanced the process. In porcine thyroid homogenates, GH--in its two lowest concentrations--prevented, whereas in other concentrations, it enhanced the iron-induced LPO. IGF-I, in all used concentrations, enhanced the iron-induced LPO.

CONCLUSION: GH and/or IGF-I may reveal prooxidative effects. This fact does not support their application in the treatment of disorders associated with increased oxidative damage....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(3): 343-347 PubMed PMID: 20588245 Citation  Keywords:  Alkenes:metabolism, Animals, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Female, Ferrous Compounds:pharmacology, Hydrogen Peroxide:pharmacology, In Vitro Techniques, Lipid Peroxidation:drug effects, Malondialdehyde:metabolism, Ovary:drug effects, Swine,.   

OBJECTIVE: Substrates of Fenton reaction (Fe(2+)+H(2)O(2)-->Fe(3+)+*OH+OH-) may be used to experimentally induce oxidative damage to macromolecules. The study aimed at evaluating effects of Fe(2+) and/or H(2)O(2) on lipid peroxidation in porcine ovary homogenates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ovary homogenates were incubated in the presence of either H2O2 (100, 50, 25, 10, 5.0, 2.5, 1.0, 0.5, 0.25, 0.01, 0.001 mM) or FeSO(4) (Fe2+) (300, 150, 75, 30, 15, 7.5, 3.0, 1.5, 0.75 microM), or of those two factors used together: Fe(2+) (30 microM) plus H(2)O(2) (concentrations as above), or H(2)O(2) (0.5 mM) plus Fe(2+) (concentrations as above). The concentration of malondialdehyde+4-hydroxyalkenals constituted the lipid peroxidation index.

RESULTS: H(2)O(2) alone did not affect lipid peroxidation in porcine ovary homogenates at all, whereas Fe(2+) (300, 150, 75, 30, and 15 microM) alone increased lipid peroxidation in a concentration dependent manner. When Fe(2+) and H(2)O(2) were applied together, lipid peroxidation increased significantly without any concentration related effect of H(2)O(2), but with a clear concentration dependent effect of Fe(2+); the damaging effect of Fe(2+), used together with H(2)O(2), was the same as the one, obtained after Fe(2+) was applied alone.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, external H(2)O(2) is not indispensable for experimental induction of lipid peroxidation by Fenton reaction in porcine ovary homogenates....

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Journal Article 2010; 31(2): 181-186 PubMed PMID: 20424592 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Animals, Newborn, Brain:physiopathology, Disease Models, Animal, Electroencephalography, Hypoxia:physiopathology, Hypoxia, Brain:physiopathology, Recovery of Function, Severity of Illness Index, Swine, Time Factors,.   

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency content of the electroencephalogram (EEG) during recovery after a severe hypoxic insult in newborn piglets.

METHODS: EEG was continuously monitored in nine newborn piglets exposed to a severe hypoxic period. Power spectra in five frequency bands were calculated using Fourier transformation. Spectral edge frequency 90 (SEF90) was defined as the frequency below which 90% of the power in the EEG was located. The piglets were divided into two groups; Group 1 represented piglets with some EEG recovery and Group 2 represented piglets without any EEG recovery.

RESULTS: The recovery of the EEG in Group 1 had the same time course in all frequency bands. SEF90 indicates recovery earlier than the value of total power. But SEF90 also signals activity in the EEGs that were almost completely suppressed. When SEF90 was calculated during periods of periodic EEG activity during the very early phase of recovery, the values fell within the same range as during the control period.

CONCLUSION: Spectral analysis of continuous EEG in newborn piglets exposed to very severe hypoxia showed that no specific frequency band of the EEG preceded the other ones during recovery. The results of the SEF90 measure, demonstrates the need for critical analysis of the raw EEG before any reliable estimation of cerebral function can be made....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(Suppl 1): 17-21 PubMed PMID: 20027137 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Czech Republic, Diet, Humans, Meat:analysis, Selenium:administration & dosage, Swine,.   

: The aim of this paper is to review current knowledge of the significance of pork as a source of Se for human consumption, and to evaluate the selenium content in pork produced in the Czech Republic. Selenium has an important role in human health. Pork could possibly be an important source of Se for the human diet. The Se content in meat can be increased by a higher dietary intake of selenium in animal feed. The magnitude of this increase is higher when organic Se from Se-enriched yeast is ingested. Selenium intoxication in pigs occurs only when very high Se concentrations are used in their diet (more than 5 mg/kg of Se). Organic Se sources produce fewer clinical signs of high toxicity than inorganic sodium selenite. Organic Se does not have a negative effect on meat quality. Altogether, 135 pork samples from 9 different herds in the Czech Republic were collected and analyzed for Se content. The average selenium content found in pork in our study was 87.10 microg/kg. Because the average annual consumption of pork in the Czech Republic is 42.0 kg per person, the annual selenium intake from pork represents 18.2% of the minimum yearly requirement for humans. The results of our study show that pork contributes significantly to the selenium intake of the human population in the Czech Republic....

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Comparative Study 2008; 29(5): 738-743 PubMed PMID: 18987594 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Dogs, Glucuronides:metabolism, Glucuronosyltransferase:metabolism, Haplorhini, Humans, Kinetics, Microsomes, Liver:enzymology, Protective Agents:metabolism, Rats, Silymarin:metabolism, Species Specificity, Swine,.   

OBJECTIVES: The study of interspecies differences in glucuronidation processes in the man, monkey, pig, dog and rat using liver microsomal fraction. The study is focused on determination of the enzyme activity of UGT1A6 (having also a toxicological importance) in microsomes of different species.

METHODS: For determination of glucuronides formed, an HPLC method with UV detection and LC-MS characterization was used. p-Nitrophenol and 4-methylumbelliferon and silybin were chosen as model substrates.

RESULTS: The data presented in this paper show an overall similarity in kinetic parameters of the UGT1A6 with p-nitrophenol and 4-methylumbelliferon for man, pig and monkey. The pattern of silybin glucuronides formed in monkey and dog samples are relatively close to this of the man.

CONCLUSIONS: For studies of glucuronidation of xenobiotics where the role UGT1A6 is expected, the use of pig and monkey microsomes should be considered. As an optimal model for study of silybin glucuronidation, both the rhesus monkey and dog (Beagle) seem to be the best models. To elucidate the role of the UGT forms involved in metabolism of silybin, the experiments with recombinant UGT enzymes are needed....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(5): 763-769 PubMed PMID: 18987574 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal:toxicity, Capsule Endoscopy:methods, Female, Gastric Mucosa:pathology, Gastroscopy, Indomethacin:toxicity, Intestinal Mucosa:pathology, Microscopy, Confocal, Peptic Ulcer:chemically induced, Swine,.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim was the utilization of capsule microscopy and other diagnostic techniques for prospective pre-clinical research of absorption and biotransformation mechanisms of xenobiotics in the intestinal wall after induction of gastrointestinal dysfunction. Consequently, there is a demonstration of the extrems of gastrointestinal lesions development induced with indomethacin as a representative of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

METHODS: The experimental animal species were small adult pigs (n=10; body weight 30-35 kg; 4-5 months old) used for their relative physiological and metabolic resemblance to man. The following experimental methods were used for diagnostic verification of gastrointestinal lesions (damage scale: 1 - erosions, red spots, inflammatory infiltration, 2 - single ulcers, 3 - strings of ulcers): endoscopic image for the diagnostics of gastro-duodenal segment (in vivo conditions), confocal laser microscopy (ex vivo imaging) and optical light microscopy (in vitro), small intestinal imaging by means of wireless capsule enteroscopy (in vivo), macroscopic findings and optical light microscopy (after animal sacrifice).

RESULTS: The mutual confrontation of used methodological approaches proved the conformity in the frequency and extent of damage in the gastric wall and caecum, partly in the duodenal wall and terminal ileum. The signs of first-degree damage were discovered in the jejunal-ileal segment.

CONCLUSIONS: The scale of lesions in particular gastrointestinal segments was verified using the combination of five diagnostic techniques for prospective utilisation of non-invasive capsule enteroscopy for the through-control of mucosal state....

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