scholarly journals Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration in horses decreases after freezing for 60 days

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 856-858
Author(s):  
John C. Haffner ◽  
Dwana L. Neal ◽  
Rhonda M. Hoffman ◽  
Steven T. Grubbs

We investigated the stability of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in plasma after freezing for different lengths of time. The plasma ACTH concentrations of 12 horses were measured on day 0 (baseline) and over time, after stimulation with thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Samples were stored at −80°C for 3, 7, 30, 60, and 90 d, or at −20°C for 3, 7, 30, and 60 d, or between ice packs at −20°C for 3 and 7 d prior to determination of ACTH concentration. ACTH concentrations were compared to baseline (non-frozen day 0 plasma) for each storage method using a mixed model with repeated measures in which each horse served as its own control and day was the repeated effect. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05, and 0.05 < p < 0.10 was considered a trend. Plasma ACTH frozen at −20°C or at −80°C resulted in degradation of ACTH compared to baseline samples at 60 and 90 d respectively. There was no degradation of ACTH after 7 d when stored between ice packs, or before 30 d at −20°C, or before 60 d at −80°C.

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Maddux ◽  
Lars-Gunnar Lundh

The present study assessed the rate of depressive personality (DP), as measured by the self-report instrument depressive personality disorder inventory (DPDI), among 159 clients entering psychotherapy at an outpatient university clinic. The presenting clinical profile was evaluated for those with and without DP, including levels of depressed mood, other psychological symptoms, and global severity of psychopathology. Clients were followed naturalistically over the course of therapy, up to 40 weeks, and reassessed on these variables again after treatment. Results indicated that 44 percent of the sample qualified for DP prior to treatment, and these individuals had a comparatively more severe and complex presenting disposition than those without DP. Mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine between-groups changes on mood and global severity over time, with those with DP demonstrating larger reductions on both outcome variables, although still showing more symptoms after treatment, than those without DP. Only eleven percent of the sample continued to endorse DP following treatment. These findings suggest that in routine clinical situations, psychotherapy may benefit individuals with DP.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 73-73
Author(s):  
Joan M Burke ◽  
James E Miller ◽  
Mohan Acharya ◽  
Erin Wood

Abstract Due to high prevalence of anthelmintic resistance (AR), complementary approaches to anthelmintic use to control gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in sheep are necessary. Copper oxide wire particles (COWP) are effective against Haemonchus contortus but not other GIN, and FAMACHA aids to minimize further development of AR. The objective was to determine the efficacy of COWP alone or in combination with levamisole, albendazole, or a 3-way combination to control GIN known to have AR to these anthelmintics. Naturally infected Katahdin lambs were selectively dewormed based on FAMACHA© and/or packed cell volume (PCV). If FAMACHA© scores were 3, 4, or 5, lambs received 1 g COWP alone (n = 120), COWP and levamisole (n = 47) or albendazole (n = 6), or a 3-way combination (n = 10), respectively. Untreated lambs were included (CON; n = 31). Feces and blood were collected on days 0 (day of deworming) and 14 for determination of fecal egg counts (FEC) and FEC reduction (FECRED) and PCV. Data were analyzed using repeated measures in a mixed model. The mean FECRED was greater for the combination of levamisole and COWP than COWP alone (P &lt; 0.001). In a mixed GIN population, COWP in combination with levamisole increased the efficacy of FECRED of H. contortus and other GIN genera present, offering greater GIN management in the presence of resistance to these anthelmintics.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1098612X2092568
Author(s):  
Antonio M Tardo ◽  
Claudia E Reusch ◽  
Sara Galac ◽  
Sofia Fornetti ◽  
Alessandro Tirolo ◽  
...  

Objectives The aims of this study were to validate a commercially available chemiluminescent assay for measurement of feline plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration (ACTH), to determine the normal reference interval (RI) of plasma ACTH in healthy cats, to assess plasma ACTH in cats with naturally occurring hypercortisolism (HC), primary hypoadrenocorticism (PH) and other diseases (OD), and to evaluate the effect of aprotinin on plasma ACTH degradation. Methods Forty healthy cats, 10 with HC, 11 with PH and 30 with OD, were included. The chemiluminescent enzyme immunometric assay was evaluated by measurement of intra-assay precision, interassay precision and linearity. The RI for plasma ACTH in healthy cats was established using robust methods. Plasma ACTH of samples collected with and without aprotinin, stored at 4°C and assayed over a 6-day period, was measured. Results The intra-assay coefficients of variance (CVs) ranged from 2.7% to 4.3% and interassay CVs from 3.3% to 10.7%. Dilution studies showed excellent accuracy (R2 >0.99). The RI for plasma ACTH in healthy cats was 32–370 pg/ml. Plasma ACTH was not significantly different between healthy cats and the OD group. Cats with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (PDH) and PH had significantly higher plasma ACTH than the other groups. Plasma ACTH did not show significant differences when samples collected with and without aprotinin were compared. Conclusions and relevance The Immulite chemiluminescent assay is a valid technique for measuring plasma ACTH in cats and the RI of plasma ACTH is quite wide. Owing to the low overlap between healthy or OD cats and cats with HC or PH, the measurement of plasma ACTH appears to be useful and should be included in the diagnostic work-up when HC or PH are suspected. Furthermore, the measurement of plasma ACTH may be an accurate test for differentiating PDH from adrenal-dependent hypercortisolism.


2020 ◽  
Vol 185 (9-10) ◽  
pp. e1420-e1427
Author(s):  
Sean Wilkes ◽  
Celia Ona ◽  
Michael Yang ◽  
Pingyang Liu ◽  
Amber Benton ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for depression has been studied for over two decades. Repetitive TMS was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2008 for the treatment of depression after at least one failed trial of an antidepressant medication of adequate dose and duration. This study evaluated whether rTMS treatments may be associated with measurable improvements in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for treated military beneficiaries in Hawaii suffering from depression. It also examined the number of failed medication trials that patients underwent before rTMS treatment. Materials and Methods A retrospective chart review of 77 rTMS patients who received and completed treatment between January 1, 2010 and October 31, 2016 was performed. Under a typical treatment regimen, patients receive rTMS for 6 weeks as well as weekly psychiatric assessments, which included completion of Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and PTSD Checklist (PCL). A mixed model repeated measures analysis was done assuming an autoregressive order one covariance structure to evaluate changes over time. Adjusted analyses were done to assess whether changes over time differed by age, prior diagnosis of PTSD, active duty status, and gender. Results The majority of patients were from the army (74%) and 56% were on active duty. Just over half (53%) were male. Most patients (52%) had completed trials of three or more different antidepressant medications before initiation of treatment with rTMS. The mean number of antidepressant trials was 2.7. BDI and PCL scores were significantly lower at end of treatment on average compared to the pretreatment baseline scores. Mean differences for BDI and PCL were significant with P &lt; 0.001 15, 30, and 45 days after TMS treatment was initiated. Overall, 44% of patients experienced a reduction ≥10 points on BDI, and 38% experienced a reduction ≥10 points on PCL. Additionally, scores fell similarly regardless of whether or not patients had a comorbid diagnosis of PTSD. Conclusions Our research suggests that rTMS treatments may produce a reduction in symptoms of both depression and PTSD in patients with refractory depression and comorbid PTSD. It may be a useful alternative to antidepressants in the treatment of depression in the military population, including those with comorbid PTSD. Broader implementation of this treatment modality may prove beneficial for the purposes of military readiness, given current policies and restrictions on service members who are initiated on antidepressant medications.


1992 ◽  
Vol 263 (4) ◽  
pp. R762-R769 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. L. Brooks ◽  
L. C. Keil

Angiotensin II (ANG II) and vasopressin participate in baroreflex regulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), glucocorticoid, and renin secretion. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this participation is enhanced in water-deprived dogs, with chronically elevated plasma ANG II and vasopressin levels, compared with water-replete dogs. The baroreflex was assessed by infusing increasing doses of nitroprusside (0.3, 0.6, 1.5, and 3.0 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) in both groups of animals. To quantitate the participation of ANG II and vasopressin, the dogs were untreated or pretreated with the competitive ANG II antagonist saralasin, a V1-vasopressin antagonist, or combined V1/V2-vasopressin antagonist, either alone or in combination. The findings were as follows. 1) Larger reflex increases in ANG II, vasopressin, and glucocorticoids, but not ACTH, were produced in water-deprived dogs compared with water-replete dogs. 2) ANG II blockade blunted the glucocorticoid and ACTH responses to hypotension in water-deprived dogs, but not water-replete dogs. In contrast, vasopressin blockade reduced the ACTH response only in water-replete dogs. 3) Vasopressin or combined vasopressin and ANG II blockade reduced the plasma level of glucocorticoids related either to the fall in arterial pressure or to the increase in plasma ACTH concentration in water-replete dogs, and this effect was enhanced in water-deprived dogs. 4) In both water-deprived and water-replete animals, saralasin and/or a V1-antagonist increased the renin response to hypotension, but a combined V1/V2-antagonist did not. These results reemphasize the importance of endogenous ANG II and vasopressin in the regulation of ACTH, glucocorticoid, and renin secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla N. Shepard ◽  
John C. Haffner ◽  
Dwana L. Neal ◽  
Steven T. Grubbs ◽  
Greg L. Pearce

Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration is used in the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses. We enrolled 10 horses, 5 PPID-positive and 5 PPID-negative, in our study, September 20–22, 2016. On day 0, 5 mL of whole blood was collected into each of 6 EDTA tubes and immediately placed in a refrigerator at 7°C. One tube was centrifuged within 15 min of collection, followed by centrifugation of one tube from each horse at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 36 h following collection. At each time, centrifuged plasma was pipetted into 1.5-mL polypropylene tubes and stored at −80°C. None of the plasma samples were turbid, hemolyzed, or icteric. Plasma was shipped frozen with cold packs overnight to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center of Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) for analysis. The percent change from baseline (PCFB) was reported to standardize the data given that baseline values differed. The mean PCFB was 2.8 (95% confidence interval: –2.9%, 7.0%). Neither refrigeration of whole blood for up to 36 h prior to centrifugation nor freezing affected plasma ACTH concentrations significantly.


DICP ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 23 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 588-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda S. Bullock ◽  
Joseph F. Fitzgerald ◽  
Helen I. Mazur

The stability of intravenous famotidine in dextrose 5% injection (D5W), NaCl 0.9% injection (NS), and sterile water for injection stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) syringes at 4°C for 14 days was studied. The concentration of famotidine samples was determined at time 0, 7 days, and 14 days by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Samples were inspected for visual changes and tested for changes in pH. Results of the HPLC analysis indicated that the famotidine samples remained within 94-100 percent and 99-103 percent of the time 0 concentrations at 7 and 14 days, respectively. Repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated a significant time effect on famotidine concentration as concentrations changed over time (p<0.01). This change was small in magnitude, however, and concentrations decreased at 7 days and increased at 14 days. Famotidine is stable at a concentration of 2 mg/mL in D5W, NS, and sterile water for injection stored in PVC syringes at 4°C for 14 days.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Elias ◽  
James Meza ◽  
Brian W. McCrindle ◽  
Julie A. Brothers ◽  
Stephen Paridon ◽  
...  

Background: Management of young patients with anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) may involve exercise restriction. We sought to identify the association of exercise restriction with changes over time in body mass index (BMI) and exercise capacity in this cohort. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients with AAOCA seen at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia between January 1, 1998, and August 31, 2014. Linear mixed model repeated-measures analysis assessed changes in BMI and exercise capacity. Results: We included 72 patients with a median age at presentation of 12.6 years (interquartile range: 10.1-15.8) and mean follow-up of 3.6 ± 3.0 years. The majority had an anomalous right coronary artery (71%) and interarterial ± intramural coronary course (90%). Surgery was performed in 54%, more often in those with interarterial/intramural course ( P < .001) and symptoms ( P = .003). Most patients (82%) were exercise-restricted on presentation, and restricted patients were older than those who were not restricted ( P = .01). There was no significant difference between restricted and nonrestricted patients in initial BMI z scores, percentage of patients with BMI over 85th percentile (26%) or exercise capacity variables. In univariable analysis, exercise restriction over time was not associated with change in BMI z score ( P = .25) or change in exercise variables. Restriction was not associated with significant change in these variables in multivariable analysis. Conclusions: Although further investigation is warranted to determine the degree of adherence to exercise restriction, the recommendation of restriction alone is not associated with increasing BMI or decreasing exercise performance in the short-term.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11539-11539
Author(s):  
Suzanne George ◽  
Michael C. Heinrich ◽  
John Raymond Zalcberg ◽  
Sebastian Bauer ◽  
Hans Gelderblom ◽  
...  

11539 Background: Ripretinib is a novel switch-control TKI that broadly inhibits KIT and PDGFRA kinase signaling. In INVICTUS (NCT03353753), a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled trial of ripretinib in ≥4th-line advanced GIST, ripretinib reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 85% vs PBO with a favorable overall safety profile. Common ( > 20%) adverse events (AEs) included, but were not limited to, alopecia and PPES. Exploratory analyses evaluated the impact of alopecia and PPES on quality of life (QoL). Methods: Patients (pts) with advanced GIST previously treated with at least imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib were randomized (2:1) to ripretinib 150 mg QD or PBO. AEs were graded using CTCAE v4 and PROs collected using EQ-5D-5L (EQ5D) and EORTC QLQ-C30 (C30). Repeated measures (RM) models assessed the impact of alopecia and PPES on 5 PROs (EQ5D visual analogue scale; and C30 physical functioning, role functioning, and the overall health and overall QoL questions) within the ripretinib arm. Fixed effects were sex, alopecia/PPES, and ECOG scores at baseline. Results: 128/129 randomized pts received treatment (85 ripretinib 150 mg QD; 43 PBO). Alopecia, regardless of causality, occurred in 44 (51.8%) on ripretinib (34 [40.0%] grade 1; 10 [11.8%] grade 2) and 2 (4.7%) on PBO (both grade 1). PPES occurred in 18 (21.2%) on ripretinib (11 [12.9%] grade 1; 7 [8.2%] grade 2); none on PBO. The median times in days to first occurrence and worst severity grade with ripretinib were 57.0 and 62.5 for alopecia; 56.5 and 57.0 for PPES. The RM models showed a slight trend towards improvement in PRO score over time for pts with alopecia; the only association reaching a P-value of < 0.05 was between alopecia and increased overall QoL. None of the associations between PPES and PRO scores reach P < 0.05. All PRO p-values are nominal, and no statistical significance is being claimed. Conclusions: Ripretinib had a favorable overall safety and tolerability profile. When stratified by alopecia and PPES, patient-reported assessments of function, overall health, and overall QoL were maintained over time. For both alopecia and PPES, onset and maximum severity occurred almost simultaneously, indicating that these events generally did not progressively worsen. These results suggest that alopecia and PPES are manageable and do not have a negative effect on function, overall health, and QoL. Clinical trial information: NCT03353753 .


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christie Ballantyne ◽  
Alberico L Catapano ◽  
Michael Davidson ◽  
Robert Mittleman ◽  
Patrick M Moriarty ◽  
...  

Aim: Mipomersen is an antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor of apolipoprotein B-100 synthesis, FDA-approved to treat homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether mipomersen significantly reduced atherogenic lipid levels in patients with severe heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study comprised of two cohorts (NCT01475825). Cohort 1 had severe HeFH (LDL-C ≥200 mg/dL + coronary heart disease, or LDL-C ≥300 mg/dL) and Cohort 2 had milder HeFH (LDL-C ≥160 and <200 mg/dL). For each cohort, patients were randomized 1:1 to 200 mg SC once weekly or 70 mg SC thrice weekly, then 2:1 to receive mipomersen or placebo for 60 weeks. The primary outcome was percent change from baseline in LDL-C in Cohort 1. The % change from baseline in LDL-C at Week 61 for mipomersen treated patients was compared to placebo using a mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM), as well as by ANCOVA on the value closest to 7 days post last treatment (LOCF). Results: Mean baseline LDL-C levels were 265 mg/dL in Cohort 1 (N=200) and 176 mg/dL in Cohort 2 (N=109). In Cohort 1, mipomersen 200 mg weekly reduced LDL-C levels by -29.7% (vs -7.9% placebo, P <.001) in the mixed model, and by -36.3% (vs -7.6% placebo, P <.001) using the LOCF. Analysis of LDL-C over time (Figure) showed a mean absolute reduction of 138 mg/dL in mipomersen patients who completed the blinded treatment period (n=32), achieving a mean level of 147 mg/dL from a mean 285 mg/dL baseline level. Tolerability to treatment and adverse events were similar between dose regimens. Adverse events were consistent with the drug’s known safety and tolerability profile. Conclusions: The primary analysis showed a significant reduction in LDL-C levels in patients with severe HeFH who received mipomersen 200 mg once weekly versus placebo. A highly relevant absolute reduction in LDL-C was achieved over time.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document