Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy assessment in bitches - literature review

Doppler ultrasound enables the assessment of blood flow in real time and has been widely used to aid in pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring in dogs and cats. This technique has a diferencial when compared with the B-mode ultrasound, as it allows the evaluation of vascular hemodynamic characteristics, while the two-dimensional ultrasound allows the diagnosis of pregnancy and fetal viability. Thus, the objective of this review is to describe how circulation is characterized in the uterine and fetal arteries in bitches during pregnancy using Doppler ultrasonography.

Comparative study of ultrasonographic methods for assessment of pregnancy age in bitches

Compared with human beings, the application of ultrasound in estimating fetal age in bitches is limited due to the large variation of breed and size in this species. Several formulas were developed to calculate the gestational age and to provide the date of birth in dogs, but the efficacy of these formulas on the different gestational stages and dog breeds is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare sonographic methods for assessment of gestational age and days before parturition in dogs with different body weights and pregnancy stages. Twenty seven bitches of several sizes were examined and divided into three groups according to the initial body weight (A: <10kg; B: 10.1 - 20kg; C: >20.1kg); then each group was divided into three subgroups according to pregnancy stage (1st: 18 to 30 days; 2nd: 31 to 40 days; 3rd: >40 days) estimated according to the first day of copulation. Ultrasonography was performed weekly from the first stage of pregnancy. In the first and second stage the following formulas were applied: GA = (6XGSD) + 20; DBP = 65 - IG; by Nyland & Matton (2002); GA: gestational age; DBP: days before parturition; DSG: gestational sac diameter; in the third stage: DBP = 61,2 - (24,6 X BD); DBP = 43,5 - (10,9 X CD); by Burk & Ackerman (1996); BD: biparietal diameter; CD: body diameter, and: GA = (15 X BD) + 20; GA = (7 X CD) + 29; GA = (6 X BD) + (3 X CD) + 30; DBP = 65 - GA; by Nyland & Matton (2002). Results were compared statistically. The equations proposed by Nyland & Matton (2002), were more accurate in all pregnancy stages, with a margin of error of only three days, regardless of the size of the animal; therefore these methods are the best option in veterinary practice.

Ultrasonography of the conceptus development from days 15 to 60 of pregnancy in non-cyclic recipient mares

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Intrauterine growth restricted rats exercised at pregnancy: maternal-fetal repercussions

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Microorganisms in the female genital tract during pregnancy: tolerance versus pathogenesis

Microorganisms in the pregnant female genital tract are not always associated with pathology. The factors that influence the maternal response to microorganisms remain ill defined. We review the state of knowledge of microbe-host interactions in gestational tissues and highlight mechanisms that promote tolerance or pathogenesis. Tolerance to microorganisms is promoted during pregnancy by several mechanisms including upregulation of anti-inflammatory mediators, induction of endotoxin tolerance, and possibly by regulation of autophagy. Conversely, an altered vaginal microbiota or a pre-existing viral presence may result in induction of excessive inflammation and preterm labor. Although infections play a prevalent role in preterm birth, microbes are present in gestational tissues of women with healthy outcomes and may provide beneficial functions. The complex interactions between different microbial species and the maternal immune system during gestation remain incompletely elucidated.

The PI3K-Akt-eNOS pathway is involved in aortic hyporeactivity to Phenylephrine associated with late pregnancy in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of NAMPT polymorphisms and haplotypes on circulating visfatin/NAMPT levels in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Changes in maternal body composition and metabolism of dairy goats during pregnancy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Impact of the temperament of Nellore cows on the quality of handling and pregnancy rates in fixed-time artificial insemination

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Correlations among antiangiogenic factors and trace elements in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Supplementation with sunflower seed increases circulating cholesterol concentrations and potentially impacts on the pregnancy rates in Bos indicus beef cattle

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Expression of receptors for ovarian steroids and prostaglandin E2 in the endometrium and myometrium of mares during estrus, diestrus and early pregnancy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Manifestation of estrous behavior and subsequent progesterone concentration at timed-embryo transfer in cattle are positively associated with pregnancy success of recipients

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)