Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Increased brain fluid proteins in dogs with hydrocephalus improve
By Schmidt, Martin J et al.·Published in Fluids and barriers of the CNS·2016·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Increased CSF aquaporin-4, and interleukin-6 levels in dogs with idiopathic communicating internal hydrocephalus and a decrease after ventriculo-peritoneal shunting.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was diagnosed with idiopathic communicating hydrocephalus, which caused symptoms like lethargy and difficulty walking. After surgery to place a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, the dog's condition improved significantly, and tests showed a decrease in certain brain proteins linked to the condition. The surgery helped reduce the pressure in the brain, leading to a better quality of life for the dog.
People also search for: dog hydrocephalus symptoms · ventriculo-peritoneal shunt for dogs · dog brain surgery recovery
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Studies in animal models, in which internal hydrocephalus has been induced by obstructing the cerebrospinal fluid pathways, have documented an up-regulation of the concentrations of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in the brain. In this study, the concentrations of aquaporin-1 (AQP1), AQP1, AQP4 and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined in the CSF of dogs with idiopathic communicating hydrocephalus before and after the reduction of intraventricular volume following ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VP-shunt) treatment. RESULTS: The concentrations of AQP4 and IL-6 were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with hydrocephalus compared to controls. Both parameters significantly decreased after surgical treatment, accompanied by decrease of ventricular size and the clinical recovery of the dogs. AQP1 was not detectable in CSF. CONCLUSIONS: Brain AQP4 up-regulation might be a compensatory response in dogs with hydrocephalus. Future determination of AQP4 at the mRNA and protein level in brain tissue is warranted to substantiate this hypothesis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27357498/