Babickaitė, Lina

Šlapimo tyrimai veterinarijos praktikoje yra treti pagal tyrimų atlikimo dažnumą. Dažniau atliekami tik morfologinis ir biocheminis kraujo tyrimai. Šlapimo tyrimas svarbus siekiant nustatyti tikslią diagnozę, ypač esant šlapimo sistemos disfunkcijai, ir skirti tinkamą gydymą pacientui. Šlapimo tyrimo rezultatai reikalingi norint įvertinti gyvūno fizinę sveikatą, fiziologinę būklę, skysčių pusiausvyrą organizme, sergant sisteminėmis ligomis ar veikiant žalingiems aplinkos veiksniams. Šlapimo tyrimą rekomenduojama atlikti ir profilaktiškai, vykdant kasmetinį profilaktinį gyvūno ištyrimą, nes vertinant šlapimo tyrimų rezultatus galima įtarti inkstų funkcijos nepakankamumą dar nesant klinikinių požymių. Teisingai atliktas šlapimo tyrimas ir tinkamas rezultatų įvertinimas kartu su kitais tyrimų rezultatais (anamnezės, klinikinio tyrimo, kraujo tyrimų) padeda greičiau ir tiksliau diagnozuoti tokias ligas, kaip šlapimo organų sistemos ligos, ketozė, diabetas, kepenų disfunkcija, intravaskulinė hemolizė ir kt. Nors šlapimo tyrimas atrodo paprastas, bet, norint jį teisingai atlikti, kad būtų galima įvertinti rodmenis, reikia vadovautis tam tikra metodika. Netinkamai surinkus šlapimą, ne laiku pristačius jį į laboratoriją, neteisingai atlikus patį tyrimą, rezultatų vertinimas bus klaidingas. O neteisingai įvertinus rezultatus, nebus galima tiksliai diagnozuoti ligos, todėl kyla rizika, kad gyvūnas nepasveiks. Taigi, šioje mokomojoje knygoje pateikta naujausiais mokslinių tyrimų duomenimis paremta informacija padės studentams ir veterinarijos gydytojams lengviau ir tiksliau įvertinti šlapimo tyrimų rezultatus diagnozuojant ligas ir gydant pacientus.

Introduction. Skin infections are an increasing concern in both human and veterinary medicine due to factors such as antimicrobial resistance, lifestyle changes, and hygiene habits. The frequent and inappropriate use of systemic antibiotics for superficial skin infections has led to multidrug-resistant pathogens, complicating treatment [1]. This highlights the need for alternative therapies, such as topical antiseptics, to reduce antibiotic use and resistance development. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of a chitosan gels containing chlorhexidine against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Methods. The gel’s antimicrobial properties were assessed in vitro using the agar diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar [2]. Tested organisms included reference strains of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), along with wild strains of the same species. Results. The antimicrobial effect of the gels was not dependent on chlorhexidine concentration but was influenced by chitosan content. The 1% chitosan gel showed the strongest inhibitory effect on both reference and wild strains. The results emphasized the importance of testing both strain types, as wild strains were generally more resistant than reference strains. This suggests chitosan boosts chlorhexidine’s antimicrobial effect and shows potential for use in skin and wound antisepsis in veterinary medicine. Conclusions. The study confirmed the synergistic action of chlorhexidine and chitosan, with stronger efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria. Further preclinical trials are planned, and it is expected that chitosan, combined with chlorhexidine, will not only enhance antimicrobial activity but also aid wound healing in damaged tissues.

Skin infections are common in veterinary practice and are often treated with topical agents. Superficial pyoderma (superficial bacterial folliculitis) is a common cause of skin disease in dogs and a reason for treatment, most caused by Staphylococcus spp. strains. The frequent use of antibiotics contributes to the emergence of resistant bacterial strains, making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) one of the most important threats to human and animal health. For this reason, active natural compounds are increasingly being explored as alternative therapies. To contribute to the development of effective treatments for bacterial infectious diseases, researchers are looking for new antimicrobial agents. Topical drug action has many advantages as it avoids systemic reactions and ensures that the active substance reaches the site of the lesion directly. This study aimed to develop gelled dosage forms with propolis extract and to evaluate their antibacterial activity and the release of the active substances. Hydrogels, oleogels, and bigels enriched with eutectic propolis extract were produced. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were chosen as an effective tool to extract the active compounds of propolis and to improve their penetration into the skin. The pH values of the semi-solid pharmaceutical forms tested ranged from 3.3 to 6.4. Using modified Franz-type diffusion cells, the release of phenolic compounds from gels, oleogels, and bigels was assessed and quantified spectrophotometrically using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The highest amount of active compounds was released from the hydrogels, while the lowest amount was released from the castor oil-based oleogel. The study used clinical and reference strains of bacteria. The antimicrobial activity of the gelled dosage forms with propolis extract was tested against six pathogenic bacterial species (S. aureus, S. agalactiae, B. cereus, E. faecalis, E. coli, Ps. aeruginosa) and one pathogenic fungus (C. albicans). The study’s results suggest that the propolis extract obtained by DES has significant antibacterial activity and is a promising component in skin formulations for the treatment of bacterial infections.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to human and animal health. Efforts to combat AMR include the introduction of antimicrobial drugs as alternative treatment options. To contribute to an effective plan for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, the development of new antimicrobial agents is increasingly being explored. Propolis has garnered significant attention from both scientists and industry due to its extensive spectrum of biological activity. The growing interest in polyphenols of natural origin and their plant sources further encourages the investigation of their chemical composition and biological effects. Propolis serves as a rich source of phenolic compounds. Baltic region propolis, classified as poplar-type propolis, was selected for this study, and extracts were prepared using raw propolis materials from various Baltic countries. The production of liquid extracts utilized a combination of 70 percent ethanol, a mixture of water and poloxamer P407, and DES (deep eutectic solvent). The research aims to produce liquid propolis extracts using different solvents and to assess their chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity against different veterinary pathogens. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), revealing antioxidant activity in all extracts, with results correlating with the total phenolic compound content. It was found that p-coumaric acid predominated in the studied propolis extracts (in ethanol extracts 1155.90–1506.65 mg/g, in DES extracts 321.13–954.76 mg/g, and in polymeric extracts 5.34–30.80 mg/g), with smaller amounts of ferulic acid and vanillin detected. Clinical and reference bacterial strains were collected from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, the Academy of Veterinary Medicine, and the Institute of Microbiology and Virology. To effectively treat bacterial infections, the antimicrobial activity of propolis extracts was tested against six pathogenic bacterial species and one pathogenic fungus (S. aureus, S. agalactiae, B. cereus, E. faecalis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans). Antimicrobial activity studies demonstrated that DES propolis extracts exhibited stronger antimicrobial activity compared to ethanolic propolis extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of DES propolis extracts against the tested strains ranged between 50 and 1000 μg/mL. Considering the study results, it can be concluded that propolis from the Baltic region is abundant in phenolic compounds exhibiting antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Vision is a primary sense that provides a distinct survival advantage to most animals. Topical ophthalmic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used in veterinary medicine to control chronic or acute low-grade ocular inflammation, such as anterior uveitis and corneal epithelial lesions, and to reduce postoperative inflammation to prevent postoperative miosis during cataract surgery. NSAIDs used in ophthalmology include topical derivatives of salicylic acid, indole acetic acid, aryl acetic acid, aryl propionic acid, and enolic acid. The diclofenac sodium selected in this study inhibits prostaglandin synthesis in the body. When an inflammatory process occurs, the phospholipids of cell membranes, with the participation of the enzyme phospholipase A, produce arachidonic acid, which with the help of the enzymes cyclooxygenases (COX) 1 and (COX) 2 turns into prostaglandin G2, from which other prostaglandins and thromboxane are subsequently produced. Thus, diclofenac sodium inhibits COX 1 and COX 2 enzymes, as a result of which prostaglandin synthesis is inhibited. [...].

Tik sušilus orams, savininkai pradeda dairytis priemonių, kurios skirtos apsaugoti mylimus augintinius nuo erkių ir blusų. dauguma savininkų jau žino, kad šie parazitai gali sukelti daug problemų. Tačiau kartais pamirštama, kad apsauga nuo blusų ir erkių augintiniui reikalinga visus metus.

Vision is a primary sense that provides a distinct survival advantage to most animals. Topical ophthalmic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used in veterinary medicine to control chronic or acute low-grade ocular inflammation such as anterior uveitis and corneal epithelial lesions, as well as to reduce post-operative inflammation after phacoemulsification surgery. However, the difficulty in administering the drug to the tissues of the eye still leads to a number of challenges. The eye has a unique anatomy and physiology, but due to effective protective mechanisms and functions of the corneal barrier in the eye, limited bioavailability of eye drops occurs in the eye, short absorption time, which makes it difficult to get the necessary drug concentration to the site of damage, so a large part of the eye drops is washed out of the eye with tears. Less than 5 percent is absorbed lipophilic molecules and less than 0.5 percent hydrophilic molecules, so the viscosity of the eye drops helps to keep the active substance on the surface of the eye longer . One of the most important tasks in the production of an ophthalmic dosage form is the selection of the base - medicinal substances must be evenly distributed in the base. Their release depends on the composition of the base and the characteristics of the drug substance. The base must not react with other components, not change due to environmental factors, not cause allergies and must not irritate the tissues of the eye. The substance used for the base must effectively release the medicinal substance so that it reaches the site of action, maintain the necessary concentration of the medicinal substance to cause the required pharmacological effect. These are important factors that must be taken into account when choosing excipients for the production of eye drops. In this study, diclofenac sodium salt (diclofenac) was selected as the active ingredient due to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties, capable of managing pain and inflammation in eye diseases. The selected concentration of diclofenac sodium salt in eye drop formulations is 0.1 percent. [1]. A major challenge in modeling a hydrophilic ophthalmic formulation with diclofenac is its poor water solubility. Therefore, it is necessary to select excipients that would increase the stability of diclofenac. Polymeric materials were used as the bases of the formulations. Ophthalmic bases with polymers, chosen to increase the viscosity of the pharmaceutical form, reduce the washout of the drug with tears and prolong the contact time of the drug with the eye surface, and increase bioavailability. Natural and synthetic polymers have been shown to be useful in ophthalmic formulations due to their viscosity-enhancing properties [ 2 ]. Chitosan and poloxomer P407 were selected for the production of ophthalmic bases. [...].

Dermatofitozė - tai infekcinė liga, kurią sukelia mikroskopiniai grybai, kitaip vadinami dermatofitais, priklausantys Microsporum spp., Trichophyton spp. ir Dermatophyton spp. gentims. Tai yra paviršinė grybinės kilmės liga. Pagal užsikrėtimo šaltinį grybinės kilmės odos infekcijos skirstomos į zoofilines - kai patogenais užsikrečiama nuo kito gyvūno, geofilines - kai sukėlėjai randami dirvoje, žemėje, ir antropofilines - kai ligos sukėlėjais užsikrečiama nuo žmogaus. Kalbant apie dermatofitozes svarbu paminėti, kad šios infekcijos yra zoonotinės, tai reiškia, kad žmogus nuo gyvūno gali užsikrėsti patogeniniais mikroskopiniais grybais.

The balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.) buds that grow in Lithuania are a polyphenolrich plant material with a chemical composition close to that of propolis. In order to potentially adapt the extracts of this plant’s raw material for therapeutic purposes, it is important to carry out detailed studies on the chemical composition and biological activity of balsam poplar buds. An important step is to evaluate the yield of polyphenols by different extraction methods and using different solvents. According to our research, extracts of balsam poplar buds collected in Lithuania are dominated by pcoumaric (496.9–13,291.2 g/g), cinnamic acid (32.9–11,788.5 g/g), pinobanksin (34.9–1775.5 g/g) and salicin (215.3–1190.7 g/g). The antioxidant activity of poplar buds was evaluated by the ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power) methods, all extracts showed antioxidant activity and the obtained results correlated with the obtained amounts of total phenolic compounds in the extracts (ABTS r = 0.974; DPPH r = 0.986; FRAP r = 0.955, p < 0.01). Studies of antimicrobial activity have shown that ethanolic extracts have an antimicrobal activity effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli. The extracts showed a better antimicrobal activity against gram-positive bacteria.

Eye diseases are common in humans and animals. The supply of medications is vast, however, only in human medicine. In veterinary medicine, due to the lack of other options, medications designed for human use are the treatments of choice. While some of them are really effective, they can irritate the eye. In such cases, a human patient waits until the irritation fades, whereas an animal immediately starts scratching and rubbing the eye, thus aggravating the inflammation and sometimes spreading it to surrounding tissues [1]. The aim of this study was to identify the conjunctival microbiota in dogs with conjunctivitis and to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated strains. The research was performed in the Dr. L. Kriaučeliūnas Small Animal Clinic (LUHS VA). The samples were tested in the microbiology laboratory of Microbiology and Virology Institute, LUHS VA. Dogs (n=31) with symptoms of conjunctivitis were selected for primary ophthalmological assessment and research. Samples for bacterial testing were collected from the conjunctival sac. Susceptibility to antibiotics was tested by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The identified bacteria belonged to the families Staphylococcaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Bacillaceae. Amoxicillin and cefalexin showed the greatest efficacy against the Staphylococcaceae family bacteria (91.2%), and the least susceptibility was established to amoxicillin/clavulanate (67.6%). Amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid compound showed the greatest efficacy against the Corynebacteriaceae family isolates (100%), and the least susceptibility was established to clindamycin (33.3%). Amoxicillin, tetracycline, amoxicillin/clavulanate, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim showed the greatest efficacy against the Enterobacterales isolates (100%), and the least susceptibility was established to cephalexin and cefoxitin (83...[...].