title: Evaluation of lung pathology in Dirofilaria immitis-experimentally infected dogs treated with doxycycline or a combination of doxycycline and ivermectin before administration of melarsomine dihydrochloride.
abstract: Adulticide therapy in heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis)-infected dogs can lead to thromboembolism, which can seriously compromise post-treatment health status. Lung pathology following adulticide therapy was evaluated in three groups of experimentally infected dogs. Group 1 was treated with doxycycline at 20 mg/kg per os once daily for 30 days post infection followed by an intramuscular injection of melarsomine dihydrochloride (2.5 mg/kg) at Week 12, followed 1 month later by two injections 24 h apart. Group 2 was treated as described for Group 1, with the addition of ivermectin at 6 mcg/kg given monthly per os for 24 weeks post-infection. Group 3 received melarsomine alone, as described above. All dogs were necropsied at Week 24 and lung pathology was evaluated. Lesion criteria included perivascular inflammation and endothelial proliferation. Lesions were scored by two independent pathologists who were blinded as to treatment. Results indicate that doxycycline treatment alone or combined with ivermectin had lower lesion scores than lungs from dogs who had received melarsomine alone. Dogs that received the combined doxycycline/ivermectin protocol and treated with adulticide showed less severe arterial lesions and the virtual absence of thrombi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health, University of Parma, Via del Taglio 10, 43100 Parma, Italy. kramerlh@unipr.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grandi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Passeri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gianelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Genchi
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Dzimianski
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Supakorndej
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Supakorndej
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McCall
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014227:Triazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D001152:Arsenicals; D014227:Triazines; C076253:melarsomine; D007559:Ivermectin; D004318:Doxycycline