title: Cushing's disease in dogs: cabergoline treatment.
abstract: The treatment of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) in dogs has for a long time been focused on inhibiting the adrenal gland using drugs such as o-p'-DDD, Ketoconazole and Trilostane, without attacking the primary cause: the corticotrophinoma. Corticotroph cells can express the D2 dopaminergic receptor; therefore cabergoline (Cbg) could be effective as a treatment. Follow-up over 4 years was carried out in 40 dogs with PDH that were treated with Cbg (0.07 mg/kg/week. Out of the 40 dogs, 17 responded to Cbg (42.5%). A year after the treatment, there was a significant decrease in ACTH (p<0.0001), alpha-MSH (p<0.01), urinary cortisol/creatinine ratio (p<0.001), and of the tumor size (p<0.0001) evaluated by nuclear magnetic resonance. Dogs responding to Cbg lived significantly longer (p<0.001) than those in the control group. To conclude, Cbg is useful in 42.5% of dogs with PDH, justifying its use as a treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Escuela-Unidad de Endocrinología, A. Clínica Médica de Pequeños Animales, Fac. de Ciencias Veterinarias-UBA, Av. Chorroarin 280, 1427 C. Buenos Aires, Argentina. vcastill@fvet.uba.ar
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lalia
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cabrera Blatter
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000077465:Cabergoline; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004873:Ergolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D047748:Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D013997:Time Factors; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D004873:Ergolines; D000521:alpha-MSH; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D000077465:Cabergoline; D007654:Ketoconazole