• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.134-140
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• 2012

This retrospective study was performed to describe and evaluate ultrasonographic characteristics of splenic disorders and to pursue any relationship with cytologic or histopathologic diagnoses. Medical records were reviewed for patients that had undergone both abdominal ultrasonographic procedures and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) or surgical biopsy of splenic lesions or necropsy from January 2002 to July 2011 at Seoul National University Hospital for Animals. Total 124 dogs, 76 cases with FNA and 48 cases with biopsy, were available for this investigation. The age of dogs ranged from 2 to 17 years ($mean{\pm}SD$ = $9.54{\pm}3.34$ years), with the gender distribution of 61 females (26 spayed) and 63 males (40 neutered). In breed distribution, 114 were purebred dogs and 10 were mixed breed dogs. The dogs represented 26 breeds, with 113 dogs categorized into small-sized breeds. The ultrasonographic appearances of splenic disorders could be classified into 10 types including normal appearance, depending on the distribution and echogenicity of splenic lesions as well as the increase in spleen size and diffuse parenchymal changes. Among 124 cases, 44 (35.4%) had hypoechoic nodules/masses with the highest frequency, followed by 23 (18.5%) with multiple small hypoechoic nodules. Of 124 cases, 70 (56.5%) were benign and 54 (43.5%) were malignant lesions at cytologic or histopathologic results. Each ultrasonographic appearance had variable cytologic or histopathologic diagnoses. However, diffuse heterogenicity and diffuse hypoechogenicity were significantly associated with malignancy (p < 0.05), whereas hyperechoic nodules/masses were more often associated with benignity (p < 0.05). Based on our results, it may be considered that the ultrasonographic examination for spleen could be able to provide the least information necessary for benign and malignant lesions in prioritizing differential diagnoses.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1207-1213
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• 2016

Schisandrae fructus (SF) and Mori folium (MF) have been used as traditional medicines for thousands of years in parts of Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan. Recent researches on SF and MF have documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, including anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenesis effects. However, the toxicity and safety of SF and MF, and their mixture (medicinal herber mixture, MHMIX) were not confirmed. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the acute toxicity and safety of SF, MF and MHMIX. SF, MF and MHMIX were orally administered at a dose of 5,000 mg/kg in ICR mice. Animals were monitored for the mortality and changes in the body weight, clinical signs and gross observation during the 14 days after dosing, upon necropsy. We also measured parameters of organ weight, clinical chemistry, and hematology. No dead and no clinical signs were found during the experiment period after administration of a single oral dose of SF, MF and MHMIX. There were no adverse effects on clinical signs, body weight, or organ weight and no gross pathological findings in any treatment group. Therefore, LD50 value of SF, MF and MHMIX may be over 5,000 mg/kg and it may have no side toxic effect to ICR mice. The results on the single-dose toxicity of SF, MF and MHMIX indicate that it is not possible to reach oral dose levels related to death or dose levels with any harmful side effects.