Efficacy of a topical combination of esafoxolaner, eprinomectin and praziquantel against Amblyomma maculatum infestations in cats.

Amblyomma maculatum, the Gulf Coast tick, infests a wide range of vertebrate species including livestock, dogs, cats, and humans. It is a species of significant veterinary and public health importance, especially as a vector of diseases, for instance American canine hepatozoonosis or tidewater spotted fever. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of NexGard® Combo, a topical endectoparasiticide product for cats combining eprinomectin, praziquantel and esafoxolaner, against induced infestations of A. maculatum in cats. This Good Clinical Practice (GCP) study used a randomized, negative controlled, masked design. Ten cats were allocated to an untreated group and ten to a treated group, dosed once on Day 0 at the minimum label dose. On Days -2, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42, cats were infested with ~50 unfed adult A. maculatum. On Days 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 38, and 45, i.e., 72 h after treatment and subsequent infestations, ticks were removed, counted and the numbers of live attached tick in each group were used for efficacy calculations. At each time-point, all untreated cats were adequately infested, demonstrating a vigorous tick population and an adequate study model. The curative efficacy after a single application against existing tick infestation, 72 h after treatment, was 98.7%. The preventive efficacy, 72 h after weekly infestations, over the following five weeks ranged from 93.8% to 99.4%.

Title: Efficacité d'une association topique d'esafoxolaner, d'éprinomectine et de praziquantel contre les infestations par Amblyomma maculatum chez le chat. Abstract: Amblyomma maculatum, la tique de la Gulf Coast, infeste un large éventail d'espèces de vertébrés, notamment le bétail, les chiens, les chats et les humains. Il s'agit d'une espèce d'importance significative en médecine vétérinaire et en santé publique, notamment en tant que vecteur de maladies, par exemple l'hépatozoonose canine américaine ou la fièvre pourprée des marées. Une étude expérimentale a été menée pour évaluer l'efficacité de NexGard® Combo, un produit endectoparasiticide topique pour chats associant éprinomectine, praziquantel et esafoxolaner, contre les infestations par A. maculatum provoquées chez le chat. Cette étude de bonnes pratiques cliniques (BPC) a utilisé une conception randomisée, contrôlée négativement et masquée. Dix chats ont été répartis dans un groupe non traité et dix chats dans un groupe traité, traités une fois au jour 0 à la dose minimale indiquée sur l'étiquette. Aux jours −2, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 et 42, les chats ont été infestés par environ 50 A. maculatum adultes non nourris. Les jours 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 38 et 45, c'est-à-dire 72 heures après le traitement et les infestations ultérieures, les tiques ont été retirées, comptées et le nombre de tiques vivantes attachées dans chaque groupe a été utilisé pour les calculs d'efficacité. À chaque instant, tous les chats non traités étaient correctement infestés, démontrant une population de tiques vigoureuse et un modèle d'étude adéquat. L'efficacité curative après une seule application contre une infestation de tiques existante, 72 heures après le traitement, était de 98,7%. L'efficacité préventive, 72 heures après les infestations hebdomadaires, au cours des cinq semaines suivantes, variait entre 93,8% et 99,4%.

Comparison of diagnostic methods for laboratory diagnosis of the zoonotic tapeworm Dipylidium caninum in cats.

The tapeworm Dipylidium caninum is the most widely distributed cestode infecting dogs, cats, and sometimes humans, worldwide. The diagnosis of the infection caused by D. caninum is achieved via the visualization of proglottids in feces or with traditional microscopic tests, but both lack sensitivity. The present study has evaluated and compared the diagnostic performance of a PCR protocol on different feline biological samples to detect D. caninum. A sample of feces, a Scotch tape test from the perianal area, and a rectal swab were collected from a total of 100 privately owned cats from Italy and Greece. All fecal samples were subjected to macroscopic examination and to floatation. Based on the results of the above tests the cats were divided in three groups, i.e. (i) cats positive for D. caninum (regardless of positivity for other endoparasites (Group A; n = 50 cats), (ii) cats negative for D. caninum but infected by other helminths (Group B; n = 25 cats), and (iii) cats negative for intestinal endoparasites (Group C; n = 25 cats). For each sample, the DNA was extracted from feces, floatation supernatant, Scotch tape test and rectal swabs and subjected to PCR. For 33 cats from Group A, at least one sample type scored positive at PCR. Of these, all were PCR-positive in the floatation aliquot, while nine and one cats were positive by PCR on feces and Scotch tape test, respectively. Swabs were negative by PCR for all the cats. None of the samples from cats of Groups B and C was positive by any PCR. Sequences obtained from amplicons generated from samples of cats enrolled in Italy had 99-100 % identity with the recently described D. caninum feline genotype. The data presented here suggest that PCR could be a useful tool for diagnosing D. caninum infections, under certain circumstances, e.g. when proglottids are unidentified, unseen or overlooked, even though it has limitations, e.g. false negative results due to fecal PCR inhibitors, uneven distribution of parasitic elements, or to intermittent proglottid and/or egg shedding. Thus, it may not be, currently, the best diagnostic choice for dipylidiosis.

US cat caregivers' attitudes on veterinary video telemedicine.

OBJECTIVES: Many cats do not see a veterinarian on an annual basis, and their caregivers face many barriers to accessing veterinary care. A potential solution to overcome some of these barriers is video telemedicine. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand companion cat caregivers' perceptions of using veterinary video telemedicine with their cats. METHODS: An online quantitative questionnaire was used to survey US cat caregivers on their experiences of and attitudes to using video telemedicine with their cats. Participants were required to reside in the USA, be the primary caregiver of at least one cat and be aged 18 years or older. RESULTS: The majority (97.3%) of the 1254 respondents indicated they had never used a video telemedicine appointment with their cat(s) before; however, most (85.7%) indicated they were very or somewhat interested in using video telemedicine with their cat. Overall, caregivers perceived video telemedicine visits as less stressful for themselves (P <0.0002) and their cats (P <0.0001), and as increasing their access to veterinary care (P <0.0001) compared with in-clinic visits. Participants also indicated they would prefer a video telemedicine appointment over an in-clinic appointment for most cat behavioral concerns but preferred in-clinic appointments for most health concerns. Most respondents (51.3%) indicated they would be willing to pay a little less for a telemedicine appointment than an in-clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Cat caregivers represent an important population that could benefit from the implementation of video telemedicine into veterinary care. Our results suggest many US cat caregivers indicate an interest and willingness to pay for video telemedicine visits to increase their access to veterinary care and reduce stress associated with veterinary visits for both themselves and their cats. Caregivers showed more interest in using video telemedicine for behavioral concerns than health concerns.

CAT: a computational anatomy toolbox for the analysis of structural MRI data.

A large range of sophisticated brain image analysis tools have been developed by the neuroscience community, greatly advancing the field of human brain mapping. Here we introduce the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT)-a powerful suite of tools for brain morphometric analyses with an intuitive graphical user interface but also usable as a shell script. CAT is suitable for beginners, casual users, experts, and developers alike, providing a comprehensive set of analysis options, workflows, and integrated pipelines. The available analysis streams-illustrated on an example dataset-allow for voxel-based, surface-based, and region-based morphometric analyses. Notably, CAT incorporates multiple quality control options and covers the entire analysis workflow, including the preprocessing of cross-sectional and longitudinal data, statistical analysis, and the visualization of results. The overarching aim of this article is to provide a complete description and evaluation of CAT while offering a citable standard for the neuroscience community.

Feline acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation scores and other prognostic factors in cats with first-time diabetic ketoacidosis.

BACKGROUND: Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLE) scores have not been reported in cats with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). HYPOTHESIS: In cats with DKA, APPLE scores will be significantly higher in non-survivors compared with survivors and these scores will predict mortality. ANIMALS: Sixty-eight cats with DKA. METHODS: Retrospective study. The APPLE scores, blood glucose concentration (BG), venous pH, and ketone concentrations were compared between survivors and non-survivors. Simple logistic regression was used to determine if these variables predict the binary variable of survival or non-survival, and if they did, an empirical optimal cut point for mortality prediction was calculated. RESULTS: The APPLEfast and APPLEfull scores were significantly higher in non-survivors (30 cats; 24.6 ± 7.4 $$ 24.6\pm 7.4 $$ and 45.2 ± 7.3 $$ 45.2\pm 7.3 $$ , respectively) compared with survivors (38 cats; 20.9 ± 6.2 $$ 20.9\pm 6.2 $$ and 41.7 ± 6.5 $$ 41.7\pm 6.5 $$ ; P = .01 and P = .02, respectively). The APPLEfast (P = .03) but not the APPLEfull scores (P = .06) predicted mortality. For every 1 unit increase in the APPLEfast score, the odds of death increased by 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.006-1.17; P = .03). Median BG was significantly higher in non-survivors (431 mg/dL; range, 260-832 mg/dL) compared with survivors (343 mg/dL; range, 256-738 mg/dL; P = .01) and BG predicted mortality (P = .02). For every 1 mg/dL increase in BG, the odds of death increased by 1.004 (95% CI, 1.0006-1.008). Empirical optimal cut points for APPLEfast and BG mortality prediction were 24.5 and 358 mg/dL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The APPLEfast score and BG predict mortality in cats with DKA and can be used to stratify populations by risk of mortality in clinical trials of DKA in cats.

Early postnatal development of the primary visual areas 17 and 18 of the cat cerebral cortex: An SMI-32 study.

Using anti-neurofilament H non-phosphorylated antibodies (SMI-32) as markers for the neuronal maturation level and Y channel responsible for motion processing, we investigated early postnatal development of the primary visual areas 17 and 18 in cats aged 0, 10, 14, and 34 days and in adults. Two analyzed parameters of SMI-32-immunolabeling were used: the total proportion of SMI-32-labeling and the density of labeled neurons. (i) The developmental time course of the total proportion of SMI-32-labeling shows the general increase in the accumulation of heavy-chain neurofilaments. This parameter showed a different time course for cortical layer development; the maximal increment in the total labeling in layer V occurred between the second and fifth postnatal weeks and in layers II-III and VI after the fifth postnatal week. In addition, the delay in accumulation of SMI-32-labeling was shown in layer V of the area 17 periphery representation during the first two postnatal weeks. (ii) The density of SMI-32-labeled neurons decreased in all layers of area 18, but was increased, decreased, or had a transient peak in layers II-III, V, and VI of area 17, respectively. The transient peak is in good correspondence with some transient neurochemical features previously revealed for different classes of cortical and thalamic neurons and reflects the time course of the early development of the thalamocortical circuitry. Some similarities between the time courses for the development of SMI-32-labeling in areas 17/18 and in A- and C-laminae of the LGNd allow us to propose heterochronous postnatal development of two Y sub-channels.

Insights into the interplay between gut microbiota and lipid metabolism in the obesity management of canines and felines.

Obesity is a prevalent chronic disease that has significant negative impacts on humans and our companion animals, including dogs and cats. Obesity occurs with multiple comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and osteoarthritis in dogs and cats. A direct link between lipid metabolism dysregulation and obesity-associated diseases has been implicated. However, the understanding of such pathophysiology in companion animals is limited. This review aims to address the role of lipid metabolism in various metabolic disorders associated with obesity, emphasizing the involvement of the gut microbiota. Furthermore, we also discuss the management of obesity, including approaches like nutritional interventions, thus providing novel insights into obesity prevention and treatment for canines and felines.

Development of a UPLC-MS/MS method for quantifying KPT-335 (Verdinexor) in feline plasma for a study of PK.

KPT-335 (Verdinexor) is a novel SINE that potently inhibits the nucleoprotein Exportin 1 (XPO1/CRM1) of tumor cell lines and reduces the replication level of the influenza virus. KPT-335 is mainly used for the treatment of canine tumors. Drugs for the effective treatment of feline tumors are currently unavailable in China. KPT-335 may have potential in the treatment of cat tumors. However, the effects of KPT-335 in cats are unreported, and no relevant methodology has been established for pharmacokinetic studies. In this study, a UPLC-MS/MS method was developed to determine KPT-335 concentrations in cat plasma, followed by pharmacokinetic studies. Briefly, plasma proteins are precipitated with acetonitrile, and the supernatant was collected for detection after centrifugation. The linearity for KPT-335 in cat plasma was in the range of 5-1,000 ng/mL. Satisfactory accuracy and precision were obtained. The intra-day accuracy was between -4.10% and 10.48%, the precision was ≤4.65%; the inter-day accuracy was between -0.11% and 8.09%, and the precision was ≤5.85%. Intra-day and inter-day accuracy and precision were within regulatory limits. The results of preliminary pharmacokinetic studies were as follows: Tmax was 1.46 ± 0.51 h; Cmax was 239.54 ± 190.60 ng·mL-1; T1/2 was 5.16 ± 2.30 h; AUC0-t was 1439.85 ± 964.64 ng·mL-1·h. The AUC0-∞ was 1589.82 ± 1003.75 ng·mL-1·h. The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid and simple UPLC-MS/MS method to detect KPT-335 concentration in cat plasma and to conduct preliminary pharmacokinetic studies to support the future application of KPT-335 in felines.

Atypical Haemorrhagic Presentation of Neuro-Retinitis and Serous Retinal Detachment Secondary to Cat-Scratch Disease.

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is a self-limited disease caused by Bartonella henselae, a fastidious gram-negative intracellular bacillus bacterium. Neuroretinitis, a form of optic neuropathy characterised clinically by optic disc swelling and a macular star, is an uncommon manifestation of CSD occurring in approximately 1-2% of cases. We report a case of a 14-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of acute painless vision loss described as a large black spot in the centre of her right eye vision 2 weeks after being scratched by cats. Fundus examination revealed Frisen grade 5 disc oedema with an atypically diffuse disc and peripapillary haemorrhages with associated subretinal fluid and a macular star in the right eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the macula and retinal nerve fibre layer showed subretinal fluid involving the fovea, a serous retinal detachment of the nasal macula, and significant optic disc oedema in the right eye. The patient was admitted and treated with doxycycline, rifampin, and prednisone taper. After completing the treatment course, the patient's vision improved, fundus examination showed significantly improved disc oedema and haemorrhages, and OCT demonstrated resolution of the subretinal fluid in the right eye.

Extraction, Characterization, and Nutraceutical Potential of Prosthechea karwinskii Orchid for Insulin Resistance and Oxidative Stress in Wistar Rats.

Prosthechea karwinskii is an endemic orchid of Mexico with cultural significance for its ornamental, food, religious, and medicinal uses. In traditional medicine, diabetic patients use the leaves of this plant to lower glucose levels. The present study evaluated the effect of P. karwinskii leaves extract on the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in a model of obese rats with insulin resistance for its nutraceutical potential to reduce insulin resistance and oxidative stress. Obesity and insulin resistance were induced with 40% sucrose in water for 20 weeks. Four groups (control rats, obese rats, obese rats administered the extract, and obese rats administered metformin) were evaluated. Extract compounds were identified by UHPLC-ESI-qTOF-MS/MS. Glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and insulin resistance indices (HOMA-IR and TyG), as well as the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, increased in rats in the obese group. Administration of P. karwinskii extract and metformin reduced glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and insulin resistance indices and antioxidant enzyme activity to values similar to those of the control group. Therefore, this study shows the nutraceutical potential of P. karwinskii extract as an ingredient in the formulation of dietary supplements or functional foods to help treat diseases whose pathophysiology is related to oxidative stress and insulin resistance.

Evaluation of Stress Scores of Healthy Adult Cats during Barometric Whole-Body Plethysmography and Its Correlation with Measurement Parameters.

Barometric whole-body plethysmography (BWBP) is considered to be a particularly gentle method of assessing lung function in cats. However, there have been no studies to date investigating the stress experienced by cats during measurements. The prospective study included 48 healthy adult cats. Each cat was measured in the plethysmographic chamber for a total of 30 min and stress levels were determined every 10 min using a stress ethogram. At the beginning of measurements, 75% of cats were assessed as tense. Over the three time periods, a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in the total stress score was observed. In addition, all measurement parameters correlated significantly with the stress score, with the exception of enhanced pause and tidal volume. It can therefore be assumed that cats will initially experience stress during examination in the plethysmographic chamber, but stress will decrease significantly over time. As the stress level correlates with many measurement parameters, this should be taken into account when interpreting the results.

Endocannabinoid system and phytocannabinoids in the main species of veterinary interest: a comparative review.

Since the discovery of the endocannabinoid system and due to the empirical evidence of the therapeutic effects on several illnesses both in humans and animals that follow the administration of exogenous cannabinoids (i.e., phytocannabinoids), numerous studies have been conducted. These investigations aimed to identify the expression and distribution of cannabinoid receptors in healthy and pathologic organs and tissues of different animal species and to define the interactions of phytocannabinoids with these receptors. In the last decade, pharmacokinetics, efficacy and tolerability of many Cannabis derivatives formulations, mainly containing cannabidiol, in the main species of veterinary interest, have been also investigated. This manuscript summarizes the findings reported by the scientific studies published so far on the molecular mode of action of the main phytocannabinoids, the localization of cannabinoid receptors in organs and tissues, as well as the pharmacokinetics, efficacy and tolerability of Cannabis derivatives in dogs, cats, horses and other species of veterinary interest. A deep knowledge of these issues is crucial for the use of phytocannabinoids for therapeutic purposes in animal species.

Cat Scratch Disease Presenting with Right Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion and Left Neuroretinitis.

Introduction: Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of cat scratch disease (CSD), presents with diverse ocular manifestations, posing diagnostic challenges. This study aimed to elucidate the diagnostic complexities through a unique case. Case Presentation: A 42-year-old male presented with vision loss in the right eye, subsequent to flu-like symptoms following exposure to a stray kitten. Clinical examination revealed branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) in the right eye and neuroretinitis in the left, indicating concurrent ocular manifestations of CSD. Thorough investigations, including serological testing, ruled out alternative causes, highlighting the rarity of such coexisting ocular complications. Conclusions: The coexistence of BRAO and neuroretinitis in different eyes underscores the variable presentation of CSD. Recognition of infectious etiologies, particularly Bartonella, is paramount in diagnosing ocular vasculopathies. This case emphasizes the importance of considering Bartonella infection in patients with ocular vascular occlusions, especially in the context of recent cat exposure and systemic symptoms suggestive of CSD.

Lipid content and G6PDH activity in relation to ooplasm morphology and oocyte maturational competence in the domestic cat model.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between ooplasm morphology, lipid content, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity (G6PDH) and maturation potential of domestic cat oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were classified according to ooplasm morphology: evenly dark (dCOC), heterogeneous/mosaic (hCOC), or light/transparent (lCOC), however only dCOCs are thought to be the best-quality, the remaining ones are usually rejected, therefore little is known about their intracellular properties. Lipid droplets (LDs) were visualized and quantified using Oil Red O. G6PDH activity was assessed before in vitro maturation (IVM), using the brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) test. IVM-control oocytes underwent IVM without BCB staining. The dCOCs and hCOCs had different patterns of LD spatial distribution, but similar amounts of lipid, although this tended towards being lower in hCOCs. Low G6PDH activity (BCB+) was observed in 74 %, 60 % and 24 % (P < 0.01) of dCOCs, hCOCs, and lCOCs, respectively. Significantly more BCB+ /oocytes than BCB-/oocytes reached the metaphase II stage in all groups. The maturation rate of BCB+ /hCOCs was higher than that of IVM/hCOC-controls (40 % v.s. 20 %, P < 0.001), and was comparable to that of BCB+ /dCOCs (54 %; P > 0.05). lCOCs were the smallest (P < 0.01), contained fewer (P < 0.01) lipids than dCOCs or hCOCs, and displayed reduced maturational potential. Overall, LD content and distribution, as well as G6PDH activity, in cat oocytes were strongly associated with ooplasm morphology and oocyte maturational competence. Deeper understanding of the intrinsic properties of oocytes with different ooplasm morphology using the domestic cat model, may be particularly important in the context of the conservation of endangered felids.

A novel sand cat swarm optimization algorithm-based SVM for diagnosis imaging genomics in Alzheimer's disease.

In recent years, brain imaging genomics has advanced significantly in revealing underlying pathological mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and providing early diagnosis. In this paper, we present a framework for diagnosing AD that integrates magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) genetic preprocessing, feature selection, and a support vector machine (SVM) model. In particular, a novel sand cat swarm optimization (SCSO) algorithm, named SS-SCSO, which integrates the spiral search strategy and alert mechanism from the sparrow search algorithm, is proposed to optimize the SVM parameters. The optimization efficacy of the SS-SCSO algorithm is evaluated using CEC2017 benchmark functions, with results compared with other metaheuristic algorithms (MAs). The proposed SS-SCSO-SVM framework has been effectively employed to classify different stages of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's Disease using imaging genetic datasets from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. It has demonstrated excellent classification accuracies for four typical cases, including AD, early mild cognitive impairment, late mild cognitive impairment, and healthy control. Furthermore, experiment results indicate that the SS-SCSO-SVM algorithm has a stronger exploration capability for diagnosing AD compared to other well-established MAs and machine learning techniques.

Endogenous retrovirus ERV-DC8 highly integrated in domestic cat populations is a replication-competent provirus.

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections in vertebrate genomes and are inherited by offspring. ERVs can produce pathogenic viruses through gene mutations or recombination. ERVs in domestic cats (ERV-DCs) generate feline leukemia virus subgroup D (FeLV-D) through viral recombination. Herein, we characterized the locus ERV-DC8, on chromosome B1, as an infectious replication-competent provirus. ERV-DC8 infected several cell lines, including human cells. Transmission electron microscopy of ERV-DC8 identified the viral release as a Gammaretrovirus. ERV-DC8 was identified as the FeLV-D viral interference group, with feline copper transporter 1 as its viral receptor. Insertional polymorphism analysis showed high ERV-DC8 integration in domestic cats. This study highlights the role, pathogenicity, and evolutionary relationships between ERVs and their hosts.

Molecular epidemiological investigation of Cryptococcus spp. Isolated from cats in Japan using multi-locus sequence typing.

Cryptococcosis is an important fungal infection for both humans and cats, but molecular epidemiological studies on strains isolated from cats are limited. We conducted multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis and antifungal susceptibility testing of 14 Cryptococcus spp. strains from domestic cats in Japan and one strain isolated from a cat in Singapore. All 14 strains from domestic cats in Japan were identified as Cryptococcus neoformans molecular type VNI. The sequence types (STs) included eight cases of ST5, five cases of ST31, and one novel ST. VNI ST5 is the most frequently isolated strain in Japanese patients as well, while there are no records of VNI ST31 being isolated from Japanese patients. The Singaporean cat strain was identified as C. gattii VGIIb (Cryptococcus deuterogattii), ST7. We compared these results with strains previously reported to have been isolated from cats. This comparison suggested that molecular types of Cryptococcus spp. isolated from cats may differ depending on the country. In the antifungal susceptibility testing of C. neoformans, one strain each exceeded the epidemiological cutoff value (ECV) for amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine, while two strains exceeded the ECV for fluconazole. This study reveals the molecular epidemiology of Cryptococcus spp. isolated from cats with cryptococcosis in Japan. It suggests that investigating Cryptococcus spp. carried by cats, which share close living environments with humans, may contribute to the health of both cats and human populations.

Cryptococcosis is an important fungal disease in both humans and cats. We genotyped strains isolated from cats with cryptococcosis in Japan. Our findings revealed that the most common genotype infecting both cats and humans in Japan is identical.

Airway mechanics alters generation of cough motor pattern.

Effects of sequential increase in airway resistance: no, low (5 kPa.s/l), high (24 kPa.s/l), and complete block in the inspiratory or expiratory phase of mechanically induced cough on the cough motor pattern were studied in 16 anesthetized (pentobarbital) spontaneously breathing cats (3.70±0.15 kg, 11♂, 5♀). Esophageal pressure and electromyographic activities of the diaphragm during inspiration and abdominal muscles during expiration were analyzed. No significant changes in the number of coughs occurred. Inspiratory occlusion caused a prolongation of cough inspiratory phase, cough inspiratory diaphragm activity, and all cough-related activity. Inspiratory occlusion along with high resistance increased inspiratory esophageal pressure amplitude, total cough cycle duration and the time between maximum activity of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. High expiratory resistance and occlusion resulted in increased cough expiratory esophageal pressure amplitude, a longer active portion of cough expiration, and cough abdominal activity. Expiratory occlusion also prolonged cough expiratory phase, all cough activity, and total cough cycle. Significantly increased airway resistance and occlusion induce secondary, in addition to mechanical, changes in cough by significantly modulating the generated cough motor pattern. A certain level of resistance appears to be successfully compensated, resulting in minimal changes in coughing characteristics, including expiratory airflow and the rising time of the airflow. Afferent feedback from the respiratory tract, particularly volume feedback, represents a significant factor in modulating cough, mainly under various pathological conditions in the respiratory system.