Determination of serum thymidine kinase 1 (TK-1) activity is used as a tumour marker in both human and veterinary medicine. TK-1 is an intracellular enzyme involved in a salvage pathway of DNA synthesis. The expression of TK-1 is cell cycle dependent and the activity increases markedly after the G1 to S transition in the cell cycle and then declines rapidly in G2. The pronounced proliferative activity in tumour cells result in a higher TK-1 enzyme activity within the cell. The fact that the increased TK-1 activity can be measured in serum makes TK-1 a useful marker in diagnostics of neoplastic diseases and it provides information regarding prognosis and treatment effectiveness. In human medicine a radioactive based test is used to determine the TK-1 serum activity.

Oxytocin is a hormone which plays a crucial role in many reproductive and behavioural functions. It affects many organs and the classical peripheral targets are the mammary glands during lactation and uterus during labour. Oxytocin receptors have recently been described in a variety of normal tissues and primary cell cultures, but also in neoplastic tissues and established neoplastic cell lines, as breast cancer cell lines. The signalling pathways and biological effects of the oxytocin/oxytocin receptor system seem to depend on species, type of tissue, physiological versus neoplastic state and receptor location within the cell membrane.The aim of this project was to find out if the cell proliferation in the canine mammary carcinoma cell line CMT-U27 was affected upon stimulation of oxytocin, and to investigate the presence of oxytocin receptors in these cells. The cell proliferation was examined by using an ELISA-kit, where the absorbance measured is relative to the amount of living cells.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common non-melanoma skin cancer. It can be divided in different subtypes. The most common type is superficial and is most frequently occurring on the trunk and on the face. In severe cases it can be difficult to differentiate basal cell carcinoma from other skin tumors, therefore a skin biopsy is conclusive diagnostic method. In terms of treatment, curettage is a common non-surgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma.

Smärta i samband med intrakraniell kirurgi liknar smärta i samband med all annan form av kirurgi. Syftet var att granska hur barn med hjärntumör smärtbedömts och smärtbehandlats postoperativt efter tumörkirurgi.Metod: Totalt har journaler för 40 barn (20 barn på Akademiska barnsjukhuset i Uppsala och 20 barn på Astrid Lindgrens barnsjukhus vid Karolinska sjukhuset, Stockholm) som opererats för tumörer i hjärnan granskats, avseende smärtbedömning, användandet av smärtskalor, farmakologiska och ickefarmakologisk smärtbehandling de tre första postoperativa dygnen.Resultat: Studien visade att smärtskattning med smärtskalor användes på 12 av 40 barn. Den vanligaste formen av smärtbedömning som återfanns dokumenterad var en bedömning av sjuksköterskan. På Akademiska sjukhuset återfanns ingen dokumenterad smärtbedömning i 60 % av de granskade dygnen, på Astrid Lindgrens barnsjukhus var motsvarande siffra 20 %. De vanligaste läkemedlen som används på båda sjukhusen var paracetamol och opioider, framförallt morfin.

Working as a veterinary nurse includes advising animal owners, helping them to make discisions through well-based facts and experience. Preemptive spaying of the healthy bitch brings many advantages and disadvantages. It leads to cessation of gonadal hormone production, and how the exact extent the surgery affects the dog is not yet fully understood. The sex hormones mainly control the reproductive system, but receptors of these hormones are found in many tissues of the body, and have complex relationships with other hormone systems. Spaying decreases the metabolism although the bitch gets an increased appetite, which enhance the risk of obesity, unless the owner restricts food intake.