Identifying key priorities for research to protect the consumer with food hypersensitivity: A UK Food Standards Agency Priority Setting Exercise.

INTRODUCTION: Food hypersensitivity (FHS), including food allergy, coeliac disease and food intolerance, is a major public health issue. The Food Standards Agency (FSA), an independent UK Government department working to protect public health and consumers' wider interests in food, sought to identify research priorities in the area of FHS. METHODS: A priority setting exercise was undertaken, using a methodology adapted from the James Lind Alliance-the first such exercise with respect to food hypersensitivity. A UK-wide public consultation was held to identify unanswered research questions. After excluding diagnostics, desensitization treatment and other questions which were out of scope for FSA or where FSA was already commissioning research, 15 indicative questions were identified and prioritized by a range of stakeholders, representing food businesses, patient groups, health care and academia, local authorities and the FSA. RESULTS: 295 responses were received during the public consultation, which were categorized into 70 sub-questions and used to define 15 key evidence uncertainties ('indicative questions') for prioritization. Using the JLA prioritization framework, this resulted in 10 priority uncertainties in evidence, from which 16 research questions were developed. These could be summarized under the following 5 themes: communication of allergens both within the food supply chain and then to the end consumer (ensuring trust in allergen communication); the impact of socio-economic factors on consumers with FHS; drivers of severe reactions; mechanism(s) underlying loss of tolerance in FHS; and the risks posed by novel allergens/processing. DISCUSSION: In this first research prioritization exercise for food allergy and FHS, key priorities identified to protect the food-allergic public were strategies to help allergic consumers to make confident food choices, prevention of FHS and increasing understanding of socio-economic impacts. Diagnosis and treatment of FHS was not considered in this prioritization.

A longitudinal study of the faecal microbiome and metabolome of periparturient mares.

BACKGROUND: Periparturient mares are at increased risk of colic including large colon volvulus, which has a high mortality rate. Alterations in colonic microbiota related to either physiological or management changes, or both, that occur at this time have been suggested as potential causes for increased colic risk in this population of horses. Although the effect of management changes on the horse faecal microbiota has been investigated, limited work has been conducted to investigate changes in faecal microbiota structure and function in the periparturient period. The objectives of the current study were to investigate temporal stability of the faecal microbiota and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the faecal metabolome in periparturient mares. METHODS: Faecal samples were collected weekly from five pregnant mares from 3 weeks pre-foaling to 7 weeks post-foaling. The microbiome data was generated by PCR amplification and sequencing of the V1-V2 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA genes, while the VOC profile was characterised using headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The mare faecal microbiota was relatively stable over the periparturient period and most variation was associated with individual mares. A small number of operational taxonomic units were found to be significantly differentially abundant between samples collected before and after foaling. A total of 98 VOCs were identified. The total number of VOCs did not vary significantly between individual mares, weeks of sample collection and feeds available to the mares. Three VOCs (decane, 2-pentylfuran, and oct-2-ene) showed significant increase overtime on linear mixed effects modelling analysis. These results suggest that the mare faecal microbiota is structurally and functionally stable during the periparturient period. The findings also suggest that if changes in the gut microbiota are related to development of colic postpartum, altered risk may be due to inherent differences between individual mares. VOCs offer a cost-effective means of looking at the functional changes in the microbiome and warrant further investigation in mares at risk of colic.

Effects of fenoldopam mesylate on systemic hemodynamics and indices of renal function in normotensive neonatal foals.

BACKGROUND: Fenoldopam mesylate, a dopamine-1 receptor agonist, has dose- and species-dependent effects on hemodynamics and renal function. The effects of this drug in normotensive neonatal foals have not been reported. HYPOTHESIS: Two doses of fenoldopam would result in distinct changes in the systemic circulation, urine output, and creatinine clearance of neonatal foals. ANIMALS: Six Thoroughbred foals. METHODS: Each foal received 2 dosages of fenoldopam (low dose, 0.04 microg/kg/min; high dose, 0.4 microg/kg/min) and a control administration of saline, in a masked, placebo-controlled study. RESULTS: High-dosage fenoldopam had no effect on renal function but caused a significant increase in heart rate and decrease in mean, systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure compared with saline. Low-dosage fenoldopam had no effects on systemic hemodynamics, significantly increased urine output, and had no significant effect on creatinine clearance or the fractional excretions of sodium, potassium, or chloride compared with saline. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: These data suggest that high-dosage fenoldopam increases heart rate, decreases arterial blood pressure, and has no significant effects on renal function, whereas low-dosage fenoldopam has no significant effects on systemic hemodynamics while increasing urine output. This contrast is unique to this species and warrants further investigation.