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W. Tarello - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) associated with Staphylococcus spp. bacteremia, responsive to Thiacetarsamide sodium in 7 dogs
2002Co-Authors: W. TarelloAbstract:SUMMARY Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in human patients remains a controversial and perplexing condition with emerging zoonotic aspects. Recent advances in human medicine seem to indicate a bacterial etiology and the condition has already been described in horses, dogs, cats and birds of prey in association with micrococci-like organisms in the blood and Staph-positive blood cultures. To evaluate the possibility of an underlying chronic bacterial infection, seven dogs diagnosed with CFS were submitted to rapid blood cultures and fresh blood smears investigations. Blood cultures proved Staph-positive and the isolates were identified as S. epidermidis (1), S. intermedius (2), S. cohnii (1), S. chromogenes (2) and S. lugdunensis (1). The presence of micrococci-like organisms in the blood was a constant observation in these subjects, in association with fatigue/pain-related symptoms and biochemical abnormalities (high creatine kinase levels) suggestive of an underlying neuro-muscular dysfunction. Following treatment with a low dosage arsenical drug (Thiacetarsamide sodium, Caparsolate, iv., 0.1 ml/kg/day, for 2 days) all patients experienced complete lasting remission. In all cases, micrococci had disappeared from the blood at post-treatment controls made 10-30 days later. The outcome, compared with those of 4 healthy animals in the control group, were strongly suggestive of a Staphylococcus spp. bacteremia related to chronic fatigue/pain symptoms.
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Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome associated with Staphylococcus spp. bacteraemia responsive to Thiacetarsamide sodium in eight birds of prey.
Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series B, 2001Co-Authors: W. TarelloAbstract:Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) is a recognized human illness with zoonotic implications that is rarely described in animals. Eight birds of prey examined between 1992 and 1995 and sharing common symptoms (asthenia, inability to fly, poor appetite and emaciation) underwent laboratory tests revealing immunodeficiency, anaemia, high creatine kinase levels and low serum magnesium levels. Diagnosis of CFIDS was based upon these features. The effectiveness of an arsenic-based medication, Thiacetarsamide sodium, administered intravenously for 2-3 days at low dosages (0.1 ml/kg/day) has been demonstrated by checks carried out 10, 20 and 30 days after therapy. The symptoms and the immune and haematological dysfunctions disappeared within 2-4 weeks of treatment. In all patients, micrococcus-like organisms found adhering to the outer surface of many red blood cells, had disappeared at post-treatment controls. Two of five blood cultures were positive for Staphylococcus spp. (S. intermedius and S. xilosus). Consideration is given to the pharmacological activity of an arsenic-based drug in animal illnesses resembling CFIDS.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in 15 dogs and cats with specific biochemical and microbiological anomalies
Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2001Co-Authors: W. TarelloAbstract:Abstract A great deal of controversy and speculation surrounds the etiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in human patients and the existence of a similar illness in animals. To evaluate the association with a presumptive staphilococcal infection and bacteremia, seven dogs and eight cats diagnosed with CFS (two meeting the CDC working case definition) were submitted to rapid blood cultures and fresh blood smears investigations. Nine out of 15 blood cultures proved Staph -positive and four isolates were specified as S. xilosus (3) and S. intermedius (1). The presence of micrococci-like organisms in the blood was of common observation among these subjects, in association with fatigue/pain-related symptoms and biochemical abnormalities suggestive of a myopathy. Following treatment with a low dosage arsenical drug (Thiacetarsamide sodium, Caparsolate , i.v., 0.1 ml/kg/day) all patients experienced complete remission. Micrococci disappeared from the blood at post-treatment controls made 10–30 days later. The outcomes were compared with those of five healthy controls and five ‘sick with other illness’ patients showing significant difference.
Jason Drake - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Examination of the “susceptibility gap” in the treatment of canine heartworm infection
Parasites & Vectors, 2017Co-Authors: Dwight D. Bowman, Jason DrakeAbstract:Background The “susceptibility gap” in a dog diagnosed with adult heartworms has been defined as the period of time in which some Dirofilaria immitis stages are not susceptible to treatment with either macrocyclic lactones or melarsomine dihydrochloride. This was previously defined within the American Heartworm Society guidelines as a period of about 3 months “as per product labels.” It can be postulated, however, that a susceptibility gap does not exist with the combination of continued macrocyclic lactone therapy coupled with a three-dose melarsomine dihydrochloride protocol where the first intramuscular treatment is near the time of first diagnosis. Discussion Melarsomine dihydrochloride was originally also investigated as a “preventive” as well as a treatment for adult heartworm infection where it would be given to dogs by intramuscular injection every 4 months; therefore, there was early interest in its ability to kill younger worms. A single intramuscular injection of 2.5 mg melarsomine dihydrochloride/kg has an efficacy of 82.1% against 4-month-old worms. When it was given to dogs with older heartworms, 7 and 12 months of age, a single injection was only 55.6% and 51.7% effective, respectively. Thiacetarsamide has been shown to be 99.7% effective against 2-month-old heartworms and other work has shown that melarsomine dihydrochloride is 100% efficacious against these younger forms. With the development and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of spinosad + milbemycin oxime (Trifexis®, Elanco), milbemycin oxime + praziquantel (Interceptor® Plus, Novartis, now Elanco), and milbemycin oxime + lufenuron + praziquantel (Sentinel® Spectrum®, Novartis, now Virbac), it was shown that repeated treatments of dogs with milbemycin oxime also has efficacy against 3-month-old heartworms. Thus, no improvement in efficacy is expected with a delay in initiating therapy with both melarsomine dihydrochloride and macrocyclic lactones, even with the presence of younger heartworms. Starting treatment at diagnosis appears to be acceptable for maximal heartworm clearance based on published data. Delaying treatment has the disadvantage of allowing disease progression and continued heartworm growth. Conclusions The collective data that has been reviewed indicates that continued macrocyclic lactone administration with two additional injections of melarsomine dihydrochloride a month later will protect dogs against all heartworm stages, including those heartworms 2 months of age or younger at diagnosis, when both treatments are started upon diagnosis.
Clarence A. Rawlings - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Pulmonary thromboembolism and hypertension after Thiacetarsamide vs melarsomine dihydrochloride treatment of Dirofilaria immitis infection in dogs.
American journal of veterinary research, 1993Co-Authors: Clarence A. Rawlings, J. P. Raynaud, R. E. Lewis, J. R. DuncanAbstract:The severity of pulmonary thromboembolism and pulmonary hypertension induced by heartworms dying after administration of 2 adulticides was evaluated. Because melarsomine dihydrochloride (RM340) has been shown to be more effective in killing Dirofilaria immitis (heartworms) than the traditional approved adulticide, Thiacetarsamide, an attempt was made to determine whether this new adulticide induced more severe lung disease. Before adulticide treatment, 32 dogs with naturally acquired heartworm infections received physical examinations, semiquantitative antigen concentration tests, CBC, platelet counts, serum biochemistry analyses, arterial blood gas determinations, thoracic radiography, pulmonary arteriography, and pulmonary hemodynamic tests. Eight dogs with a low burden and 9 dogs with a high burden of heartworms were treated with Thiacetarsamide, and 7 dogs with a low burden and 8 dogs with a high burden were treated with RM340. Except for the heartworm-burden test, tests were repeated at regular intervals during the first 7 weeks after treatment. None of the dogs coughed or had dyspnea after treatment. Six of 9 dogs with high worm burdens and 4 of 8 dogs with low worm burdens had surviving heartworms after Thiacetarsamide treatment, in contrast to only 3 of 15 RM340-treated dogs. Differences between the 2 adulticide treatments were minimal as determined by thoracic radiography, pulmonary hemodynamic tests, clinical laboratory analyses, pulmonary arteriography, or necropsy. The RM340 treatment was a more effective adulticide, but it did not increase the severity of hypertension and thromboembolism.
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Semiquantitative test for Dirofilaria immitis as a predictor of thromboembolic complications associated with heartworm treatment in dogs.
American journal of veterinary research, 1993Co-Authors: Clarence A. Rawlings, Tonelli Q, DuncanAbstract:A semiquantitative heartworm test of antigen concentration was evaluated as a predictor of thromboembolism after adulticide treatment. Seventeen dogs with naturally acquired infections of Dirofilaria immitis (heartworms) were studied before and after Thiacetarsamide treatment, using physical examinations, arterial blood gas analyses, thoracic radiography, and pulmonary hemodynamic and arteriographic tests. Eight dogs were considered to have a low burden of heartworms and 9 had a high burden. Dogs with a high worm burden had more severe pulmonary thromboembolism with pulmonary hypertension, dilated pulmonary arteries, flow obstruction of the caudal pulmonary arteries, and parenchymal lesions in the caudal lung lobes. Dogs with a low worm burden had minimal changes. Within each group of dogs, the severity of thromboembolism was less in some dogs in which all heartworms were not killed. Six of the 9 dogs with a high burden of heartworms had surviving heartworms, and 1 of these dogs had 38 live heartworms. Only 4 of the 8 dogs with a low worm burden had complete heartworm mortality, but only 1 dog had more than 3 surviving heartworms. We concluded that dogs with a high worm burden were more likely to have pulmonary thromboembolism after Thiacetarsamide treatment and that dogs with a low worm burden were more likely to have minimal changes. A semiquantitative heartworm test of antigen concentration is recommended as part of the pretreatment evaluation of dogs infected with heartworms.
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Postadulticide pulmonary hypertension of canine heartworm disease: successful treatment with oxygen and failure of antihistamines.
American journal of veterinary research, 1990Co-Authors: Clarence A. Rawlings, R L TackettAbstract:Postadulticide pulmonary hypertension mechanisms and treatment with antihistamines and supplemental oxygen were studied in eight dogs with heartworm disease. To ensure severe postadulticide thromboembolism, additional heartworms (either 20 or 40 into 4 dogs each) were transplanted into naturally infected dogs before Thiacetarsamide treatment. During pentobarbital anesthesia, 2 pulmonary hemodynamic studies were conducted on each dog with a sequence of baseline, hypoxia with FlO2 = 10%, hyperoxia with FlO2 = 100%, a second baseline, treatment with either diphenhydramine (D) or cimetidine (C), and another hypoxia. All dogs were pulmonary hypertensive, with each dog having a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PPA) greater than 20 mm of Hg. Mean PPA increased from baseline conditions (25.0 +/- 4.5 SD for D and 24.3 +/- 4.4 for C) to hypoxia (28.5 +/- 4.7 for D and 28.4 +/- 3.7 for C), and decreased during hyperoxia (16.9 +/- 3.0 for D and 17.4 +/- 3.0 for C), respectively. Neither antihistamine reduced PPA at normoxia. The degree of pulmonary hypertension when breathing room air increased even more during hypoxia, and this increase was not attenuated by either antihistamine. Histamine did not appear to mediate pulmonary hypertension during postadulticide thromboembolism, nor to modify the hypoxia-mediated pulmonary hypertension at this disease stage. Because baseline PO2 was low (66.6 +/- 11.7 mm of Hg for D and 69.4 +/- 14.2 for C) and because PPA decreased during administration of oxygen, the pulmonary hypertension was mostly hypoxia-induced. In addition to the arterial lesions, much of the pulmonary hypertensive mechanism was an active and reversible vasoconstriction in response to hypoxia caused by the secondary lung disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Lana Kaiser - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Effect of arsenical drugs on in vitro vascular responses of pulmonary artery from heartworm-infected dogs.
American journal of veterinary research, 1997Co-Authors: Jeffrey F. Williams, Lana KaiserAbstract:OBJECTIVE To test the effect of Thiacetarsamide and melarsomine on vascular responses in isolated rings of pulmonary artery from heartworm-infected dogs. ANIMALS 18 heartworm-infected dogs. PROCEDURE Isolated rings of pulmonary artery from heartworm-infected dogs were randomly treated with Thiacetarsamide (30 micrograms/ml) or melarsomine dihydrochloride (30 micrograms/ml) for 30 minutes; untreated rings from the same dog served as control. Cumulative dose-response relations to norepinephrine, nitroglycerin, and methacholine were determined. RESULTS Norepinephrine-induced constriction was not altered by treatment with either Thiacetarsamide or melarsomine. Treatment with Thiacetarsamide depressed nitroglycerin-induced relaxation, compared with values for untreated control rings and rings treated with melarsomine. Treatment of rings with Thiacetarsamide or melarsomine depressed methacholine-induced relaxation, compared with values for untreated rings. Histologic examination of rings indicated that treatment with Thiacetarsamide or melarsomine resulted in loss of endothelial cells. CONCLUSION Endothelial cell loss as a direct drug effect may be responsible for impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation in pulmonary artery from heartworm-infected dogs. Thiacetarsamide appears to have additional effects on vascular smooth muscle, which may explain why fewer complications are observed in dogs treated with melarsomine. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Melarsomine may be a safer drug than Thiacetarsamide and could be a better treatment for dogs with heartworm infection.
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Thiacetarsamide depresses relaxation of canine pulmonary artery in vitro.
Veterinary Parasitology, 1996Co-Authors: Daria S. Maksimowich, Jeffrey F. Williams, Lana KaiserAbstract:Little information is available on the primary pharmacological effects of Thiacetarsamide on mammalian systems, particularly on blood vessels. The effects of Thiacetarsamide on arterial responses was studied in isolated rings from canine pulmonary artery. Vessels were exposed to Thiacetarsamide and dose-response relationships were applied to methacholine and nitroglycerin. To rule out non-specific effects of antihelmintics, the effects of two other antifilarial drugs, diethylcarbamazine and ivermectin, were also tested. Thiacetarsamide significantly depressed relaxation of canine pulmonary artery to both methacholine and nitroglycerin, and significantly enhanced constriction to norepinephrine. Neither diethylcarbamazine nor ivermectin altered vascular response. These direct effects of Thiacetarsamide on arterial responsiveness may be responsible, in part, for acute pulmonary complications observed in dogs infected with Dirofilaria immitis after adulticide treatment.
A. K. Desiris - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Clinical and laboratory observations in 91 dogs infected with Dirofilaria immitis in northern Greece
2016Co-Authors: Zoe S. Polizopoulou, A. F. Koutinas, Manolis N. Saridomichelakis, M. N. Patsikas, L. Leontidis, N. Roubies, A. K. DesirisAbstract:The medical records of 91 dogs with heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection were reviewed, and diagnoses were established by using parasitological and immunological methods. Twenty-one animals were asymptomatic (stage 1), 57 had mild to moderate clinical signs (stage 11), and 13 had the severe form of the disease including right congestive heart failure and the caval syndrome (stage 111). Thoracic radiography revealed right ventricular enlargement in 38 of the dogs, pulmonary vascular enlargement in 43, and parenchymal lesions in 27. Only the cardiac and vascular changes were correlated positively with the clinical stages. D immitis microfilaraemia was detected in 75 of 85 dogs. Occult infection occurred only in eight stage 11 and two stage Ill dogs. Thirty-two of the dogs were treated with Thiacetarsamide and 39 were treated with melarsomine, and no differences were found in terms of drug efficacy or complication rate; nine stage 11 dogs suffered pulmonary thromboembolism and one suffered acute liver disease and there were six fatalities. The 50 treated dogs in stages 11 and Ill which were followed up for six months all recovered completely. The performance of 38 of 61 working dogs was completely restored, and the performance of another four was partially restored. CANINE dirofilariosis or heartworm disease, due to Dirofilaria immitis, is a common problem particularly in th
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Clinical and laboratory observations in 91 dogs infected with Dirofilaria immitis in northern Greece.
Veterinary Record, 2000Co-Authors: Zoe S. Polizopoulou, A. F. Koutinas, Manolis N. Saridomichelakis, M. N. Patsikas, L. Leontidis, N. Roubies, A. K. DesirisAbstract:The medical records of 91 dogs with heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infection were reviewed, and diagnoses were established by using parasitological and immunological methods. Twenty-one animals were asymptomatic (stage I), 57 had mild to moderate clinical signs (stage II), and 13 had the severe form of the disease including right congestive heart failure and the caval syndrome (stage III). Thoracic radiography revealed right ventricular enlargement in 38 of the dogs, pulmonary vascular enlargement in 43, and parenchymal lesions in 27. Only the cardiac and vascular changes were correlated positively with the clinical stages. D. immitis microfilaraemia was detected in 75 of 85 dogs. Occult infection occurred only in eight stage II and two stage III dogs. Thirty-two of the dogs were treated with Thiacetarsamide and 39 were treated with melarsomine, and no differences were found in terms of drug efficacy or complication rate; nine stage II dogs suffered pulmonary thromboembolism and one suffered acute liver disease and there were six fatalities. The 50 treated dogs in stages II and III which were followed up for six months all recovered completely. The performance of 38 of 61 working dogs was completely restored, and the performance of another four was partially restored.
