Cerebrospinal Fluid Cytokine and Chemokine Analysis in Dogs With Meningoencephalitis of Unknown Origin or Idiopathic Epilepsy.

Background: Current diagnosis of brain disease in dogs is dependent on imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, including total nucleated cell counts and albumin concentrations.

Hypothesis/objectives: To determine whether multiplex cytokine/chemokine (Ct/Cm) analysis can differentiate among dogs with meningoencephalitis of unknown origin (MUE), idiopathic epilepsy (IE), and brain neoplasia.

Animals: Client owned dogs diagnosed with brain disease with MRI and CSF diagnostics.

Immunoglobulin J chain as a non-invasive indicator of pregnancy in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).

The North American cheetah population serves as a reservoir for the species, and acts as a research population to help understand the unique biology of the species. Little is known about the intrauterine physiology of the cheetah, including embryo differentiation, implantation, and the development of the placenta. After mating, cheetah females frequently experience (30-65% of matings) a non-pregnant luteal phase where progestogen metabolite levels match those found in pregnant females for the first ~55 days of gestation, but parturition does not occur.