Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex, often lifelong allergic disease affecting around 10 % of both dogs and humans. The hallmark symptom is severe pruritus, causing a lowered quality of life. Mast cells (MCs) are known to play an important part of the immunopathogenesis, promoting a faulty T helper cell type 2 (Th-2) response which follows by a production of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies towards environmental allergens (Ag). To further investigate the role of MCs and its mediators in the progression of AD, a low-calcemic vitamin D3 analog (MC903) was used to induce AD-like symptoms locally on the ears of two different knock-out (KO) mouse strains. The first strain was Wsh-/- mice deficient in MCs.

Diabetes mellitus is a rising epidemic throughout the world and there is currently great interest in quantifying the beta-cell mass (BCM) in vivo non-invasively. In the present experiment, the feasibility of in vivo imaging of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in beta-cells was examined, using the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [68Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys40-exendin-4 as a marker, in native pancreatic beta-cells of a porcine diabetic animal model and healthy controls. Eight Swedish high-health domestic pigs were randomly assigned to be either controls or made diabetic using streptozotocin (STZ). The experiment proceeded during eight weeks, starting with an acclimatisation period. Once the pigs had been socialised they underwent surgery for the insertion of a jugular vein catheter, allowing induction of diabetes with STZ, intravenous (i.v.) injections and stress-free blood sampling. Development of diabetes was confirmed by clinical examinations, blood glucose values and insulin-staining of pancreatic sections post mortem. The diabetic pigs were insulin treated and responded well.

Sahlgrenska Academy at University of GothenburgDepartment of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition3AbstractTitle: How does isoflavones in combination with soy protein impact cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women relative to milk protein?Author: Emma Edberg och Emma NilssonSupervisor: Lena HulthénExaminer: Anna WinkvistProgramme: Dietician stydy programme,180/240 hpType of paper: Examination paper, 15 hpDate: 2014-05-26Background: Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and the number one cause of death among women in Western countries. Declining levels of estrogen at menopause could be a contribution factor. Isoflavones is a vegetable substance, with structural and functional similarities to the human estrogen. This is a potential reason for possible cholesterol-lowering effects.

Gastric and intestinal disorders are common and costly human health problems worldwide. Helicobacter pylori are a gram-negative, pathogen bacteria and the most common cause of duodenal and gastric ulcer in the stomach the intestinal mucosa. Prolonged infection and colonization can lead to chronic gastritis and stomach cancer. H. pylori are present in the gastric and intestinal mucosa of half of the world population and a relation between infection and low socioeconomic status has been shown.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a common virus present in most parts of the world. PCV2 has been pointed out as the major causative agent to post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) that affects pigs after weaning. The clinical symptoms of PMWS are impaired growth, diarrhoea, respiratory problems and increased mortality. At autopsy enlarged lymph nodes with depletion of lymphocytes are commonly found. Since 1991 PMWS has spread all over the world and was first described among Swedish pigs in 2003. Although PCV2 is widespread, only some pigs develop PCV2-related diseases. Why this is and what other factors that are required in order for the disease to develop is yet unknown. The main theories involve other infections, for example PRRS, and management issues but also genetic differences between pigs and/or virus strains have been suggested.

Sahlgrenska Academyat University of GothenburgDepartment of Internal Medicine and Clinical NutritionAbstractTitle: The effect of naturally existent beta-glucan in adults with hypercholesterolemia. - a systematic review with focus on the Swedish food market.Author: Ida Edman Hellberg, Frida HanssonSupervisor: Mette AxelsenExaminer: Anna WinkvistProgramme: Dietician study programme, 180/240 ECTSType of paper: Examination paper, 15 hpDate: May 01, 2014Background EFSA states in 2010 that there are good evidence that three grams of beta-glucan/day from oat as a part of a balanced diet, has a positive effect on total cholesterol and LDL.Objective Evaluate if there is evidence for primary treatment of lifestyle related hypercholesterolemia with products naturally containing beta-glucan.Search strategyIn February 2014 the databases PubMed and Scopus were used for article research. The search terms used were; cholesterol level, beta-glucan, hypercholesterolemia, oat and barley.Selection criteria Articles, written in Swedish and English, on RCT-studies conducted on otherwise healthy adults with hypercholesterolemia (serum cholesterol >5,0 mmol/L) were included. The intervention product must naturally contain beta-glucan, and an equally product should be retailed in Swedish grocery stores. The control group needed to be supplied with a placebo product and the participants could not be on any lipid-lowering medication.

Kattpest är sjukdom orsakat av felint panleukopenivirus (FPV), vilket är ett smittoämne som regelbundet ger upphov till sjukdomsutbrott både inom Sverige och i övriga världen. Sjukdomen drabbar främst unga individer där en mortalitet över 90 % kan observeras. Gällande fetal och neonatal infektion har FPV en affinitet för nervceller och infektionen ger klassiskt upphov till cerebellär hypoplasi. Infektionen yttrar sig med neurologiska symptom som ataxi, hypermetriska rörelser, inkordination, tremor och blindhet. Gällande adulta individer påvisar FPV istället en affinitet för celler i benmärg, gastrointestinalkanal och lymfoid vävnad, vilket inducerar immunosuppression, panleukopeni och segmentell enterit.

Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is a respiratory disorder that most commonly affects young horses performing at a high level. The clinical signs are often mild but the disorder can cause a marked decrease in performance to a point where the horse has to be taken of training and competing. The aetiology underlying IAD is not yet fully understood. One current theory is that a type I-hypersensitivity reaction due to allergens in the environment is the cause in some horses. The most reliable diagnostic method is a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) since it reflects the inflammatory status in the most distal parts of the lungs, which are affected in IAD.

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.

Milk fever, or parturient paresis, is the second most common disease in Swedish dairy cows. The disorder is associated with the onset of lactation when some cows are unable to meet the metabolic demands of calcium to support milk production and therefore develop a state of hypocalcaemia. Clinical hypocalcaemia (milk fever) may lead to coma and death in severe cases but subclinical hypocalcaemia has also been shown to have negative effects on e.g. feed intake and production and to increase the susceptibility of the cow to develop secondary diseases. The nutritional strategy applied precalving is of great importance in preventing milk fever and e.g.

Equestrian sports and the interest in horses have existed for hundreds of years. It is only in the last thirty years the technological development have enabled closer studies of equine locomotion. The production of both soft- and hardware that manages to capture and analyze the fast movement of the horse has resulted in a large increase in locomotion research. Even though the interest in horses and the different disciplines they compete in is great, there is a small understanding in how the rider influences the movement of the horse in different types of training. There are several studies available where horses moving freely without the influence of a rider have been studied. What happens with locomotion and ground reaction forces when a rider and equipment are added is not well studied. The objective of this study was to investigate if there are any differences in the ground reaction forces between sitting and rising trot. The study contained seven horses. Six Grand Prix dressage horses and one dressage horse competing at intermediate level.

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disorder affecting a range of different mammals, including dogs, cats, horses and humans. Worldwide, 347 million people have diabetes, and the disease is an increasing burden on the world?s poorest countries. The disease is characterised by chronic hyperglycaemia and afflicted individuals experience increased thirst, polyuria and weight loss, sometimes despite increased appetite. Diabetes mellitus is either insulin dependent or non-insulin dependent.

BakgrundSverige har en åldrande befolkning. År 2030 beräknas antalet invånare över 80 år vara nästan fördubblat mot idag, det vill säga 800 000. De mest sjuka äldre som är i behov av omfattande vård och omsorg utgör cirka 17 % av befolkningen över 65 år och har omfattande nedsättningar i sitt funktionstillstånd till följd av åldrande, skada eller sjukdom. När äldre personer drabbas av sjukdom eller skada är vägen vanligen in via akutmottagningen. Där utsätts ofta den äldre för långa väntetider med ökad risk för avvikelser såsom fall, konfusion, eller dehydrering.

Renal dysplasia is a developmental anomaly of the kidneys which is considered to be the primary lesion in juvenile progressive nephropathy, a condition leading to chronic renal failure in young dogs. It is defined as disorganised development of the renal parenchyma due to abnormal differentiation, and pathological lesions include persistent foetal structures, dysplastic tubules and cartilaginous and osseus metaplasia. The aetiology of renal dysplasia in dogs is still unknown, but possible causes are infection with canine herpesvirus, teratogenic substances or intrauterine ureteral obstruction. In some breeds renal dysplasia is a familial or inherited disease. Clinical signs of chronic renal failure, such as polyuria, polydipsia, vomiting, weight loss, anorexia, lethargy and anemia, usually appear before the age of 2 years.

Concentration of protein in bovine milk is one of the most significant milk quality parameters, to a large extent determining the price for milk to the producer. Mastitis is a common disease among dairy cows, negatively affecting not only milk yield but also milk protein composition. Milk from mastitic cows tends to have lower cheese yield, negatively affected processability properties and sensory quality, due to changed protein quality and composition. Poorer milk protein quality would have an economically negative impact on dairy industry. Only few studies have investigated the short term effects of mastitis on milk protein composition.