Validation of Ultrasonography for Assessment of Gastric Emptying Time in Healthy Cats by Radionuclide Scintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of gastric emptying (GE) disorders in cats is unknown due to lack of clinically applicable diagnostic tests. OBJECTIVES: The principal aim of this study was to assess correlation between scintigraphic and ultrasonographic measurements of GE time (GET) in healthy cats. Additionally, variability of ultrasonographic GET, and correlation between scintigraphy and ultrasonographic parameters of gastric motility were evaluated. ANIMALS: Eight healthy domestic shorthair cats. METHODS: Prospective study. Scintigraphic GET was determined using a solid test meal containing 4 mCi 99m Tc-mebrofenin. Each cat had 3 separate ultrasonographic assessments of GE, performed independent of scintigraphic assessment, after solid test meal consumption. The motility index (MI) of antral contractions was plotted against time and time for each fraction of the area under the MI curve determined. Ultrasonographic GET and MI were correlated to scintigraphic GET. RESULTS: Scintigraphic GET (mean ± SD) for 25, 50, and 75% GE was 103 ± 32 minutes, 196 ± 45 minutes, and 288 ± 62 minutes, whereas sonographic GET for 25, 50, and 75% GE was 106 ± 13 minutes, 203 ± 19 minutes, and 305 ± 27 minutes. There was good correlation between scintigraphic and sonographic GET (r = 0.72-0.82) at 45-90% fractional GE and between scintigraphic GET and time of corresponding MI curve fraction (r = 0.78-0.86) at 40-90% fraction of the MI curve. There was moderate intraindividual variability for sonographic GET and MI curve fraction times as well as significant variation among individuals. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Ultrasonography is a valid alternative to scintigraphy for assessment of solid-phase GE and allows assessment of postprandial gastric motility in healthy cats.

Effect of endoscopic forceps on quality of duodenal mucosal biopsy in healthy dogs.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist regarding influence of endoscopic forceps on duodenal mucosal biopsy quality and adequacy for histologic examination/assessment in dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Hypothesizing that larger forceps would procure superior specimens, we evaluated effect of 6 disposable forceps on duodenal biopsy weight, depth, crush artifact, and adequacy for histologic examination/assessment. ANIMALS: Seventeen healthy adult dogs. METHODS: Prospective study. Two operators each obtained 4 duodenal specimens from each dog with each forceps. Lightest sample discarded. One pathologist evaluated blindly other 3 specimens. A total of 612 specimens evaluated. Results analyzed by one-way ANOVA of forceps effects with dog as blocking factor. Posthoc pairwise comparisons examined with Tukey's test when indicated. RESULTS: Biopsies performed with large capacity forceps heavier (10.56 ± 0.90 and 11.6 ± 0.62 mg (mean ± SD) versus 5.55 ± 0.53 to 8.61 ± 0.49; P < .0001) and adequacy for histologic examination/assessment superior to standard oval and 'pediatric' (scores 2.52 ± 0.41 and 2.58 ± 0.37 versus 2.08 ± 0.33 and 2.14 ± 0.29; P < .0001). No statistically significant difference in depth scores. Large capacity forceps with spike associated with less crush artifact than all smaller forceps (scores 1.19 ± 0.16 versus 1.38 ± 0.21 to 1.52 ± 0.21; P < .0001). In same size forceps, presence of spike had no effect on crush artifact and adequacy for histologic examination/assessment (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Large capacity forceps are superior, providing higher quality and greater numbers of samples achieving adequacy for histologic examination/assessment. Choice of endoscopic biopsy forceps for duodenal samples influences sample volume and diagnostic utility.

Evaluation of a wireless ambulatory capsule (SmartPill®) to measure gastrointestinal tract pH, luminal pressure and temperature, and transit time in ponies.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: This study investigated the use of a wireless ambulatory capsule (WAC; SmartPill(®) pH.p GI Monitoring System) to determine WAC-gastric emptying time (GET) in ponies. OBJECTIVES: To measure WAC-GET and compare it to those findings with GET assessed by nuclear scintigraphy (S-GET). HYPOTHESIS: WAC-GET will be slower than S-GET, but will be significantly correlated. METHODS: Seven healthy adult mixed-breed pony mares were used in this study. Feed was withheld for 12 h prior to the WAC administration. After administration, a complete-feed diet was fed to allow the WAC to pass into the stomach. Luminal pH, temperature and pressure were collected by a modified receiver secured to the pony. Once the pH reached a value of ≥ 8.0, it was determined that gastric emptying had occurred, and ponies were fed grass hay. After 5 days, data were downloaded and analysed using proprietary software. During the second period of the study, after at least 2 weeks, 4 of the ponies underwent a standard S-GET test. RESULTS: The WAC was successfully administered, and data were collected from all ponies. The mean percentage of data packets collected by the receiver was 84.9 ± 3.51% (range 66.8-95.1%). Mean WAC-GET was 7.38 h (range 0.15-46.65 h). Mean gastric pH was 4.75 (range 2.07-6.99). Mean small intestinal transit time was 4.6 h. The mean pH for the small intestine was 8.0. The mean S-GET time (in hours) when 10% of the radioactive feed is present in the stomach (T-90%) was 2.3 h. The S-GET did not correlate significantly with the WAC-GET. CONCLUSIONS AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The WAC was safely administered to ponies, and data were collected using a modified receiver. The WAC-GET varied considerably between ponies, but was ≤ 3 h in 5 of the 6 ponies. The WAC used in this study provided a noninvasive technique that produced novel information about the pony gastrointestinal tract, but owing to the substantial variability in GET values and long transit time it may not be a reliable clinical tool at this time.

Survival and prognostic indicators for cycad intoxication in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Cycad palms are commonly used in landscaping and ingestion by dogs can cause disease or death. OBJECTIVES: Determine the morbidity and case fatality of cycad palm toxicosis in dogs from Louisiana, and examine putative prognostic factors. ANIMALS: Thirty-four client-owned dogs with confirmed cycad palm toxicosis between 2003 and 2010. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Search of all medical records for animals with cycad palm toxicosis. RESULTS: Seventeen of 34 (50%) dogs died or were euthanized as a direct consequence of cycad intoxication. There were no differences in presenting signs and physical examination findings between survivors and nonsurvivors. Nonsurvivors had higher serum alanine transaminase activity (median 196 U/L; range 16-4,123 versus 113.5; 48-1,530) and total bilirubin concentration (0.5 mg/dL; 0.1-6.2 versus 0.25; 0-1.7) upon presentation, and their initial serum concentrations of albumin (2.9 g/dL; 1.4-4.1 versus 3.3; 2.2-3.9) were lower than those of survivors. Nadir serum albumin concentration was also lower in nonsurvivors (1.9; 1.4-3.7 versus 3.2; 1.8-3.5). A higher proportion of nonsurvivors had prolonged coagulation times, prothrombin time. and partial thromboplastin time. In a multivariate model, administration of charcoal at initial presentation was associated with longer survival (heart rate [HR] 0.019, 95% CI 0.001-0.644), while high serum aspartate aminotransferase activity was a negative prognostic factor (HR 118.2, 95% CI 2.89-4,826). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cycad intoxication is associated with a higher case fatality than previously published. Several laboratory parameters might help differentiating potential nonsurvivors from survivors. Administration of charcoal as part of the emergency treatment appears to have a protective effect.

Intralesional corticosteroid injection in addition to endoscopic balloon dilation in a dog with benign oesophageal strictures.

A three-year-old female spayed Golden retriever presented with a two-week history of regurgitation due to oesophageal stricture formation. Further diagnostics revealed two oesophageal strictures located at the thoracic inlet and caudal to the heart base, respectively. Endoscopic balloon dilation was performed four times at weekly intervals but recurrence of stricture formation was noted clinically within a few days after each procedure and was confirmed endoscopically. Finally, intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide was performed in combination with the fifth balloon dilation procedure. The dog recovered clinically and a final endoscopic examination performed 16 weeks after the injection did not reveal any evidence of oesophageal strictures.

Lymphocyte blastogenic response to ovalbumin in a model for canine allergy.

Lymphocyte stimulation tests (LST) were performed in five dogs sensitised with ovalbumin (OVA) and seven healthy dogs. In addition, all five OVA-sensitised and two control dogs were tested after two in vivo provocations with OVA-containing eye drops. The isolated cells were suspended in culture media containing OVA and were cultured for up to 12 days. Proliferation was measured as reduction in 5,6-carboxylfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) intensity by flow cytometry on days 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12. A cell proliferation index (CPI) for each day and the area under the curve (AUC) of the CPI was calculated for each dog. All OVA-sensitised dogs demonstrated increased erythema after conjunctival OVA application. The presence of OVA-specific lymphocytes was demonstrated in 2/5 OVA-sensitised dogs before and 4/5 after in vivo provocation. Using the AUC, the difference between OVA-sensitised and control dogs was significant in all three LST before in vivo provocation (P<0.05) and borderline significant (P=0.053) in 2/3 LST after provocation. The most significant difference in CPI was observed after 9 days of culture (P=0.001). This pilot study indicates that the LST allows detection of rare antigen specific memory T-cells in dogs previously sensitised to, but not concurrently undergoing challenge by a specific antigen.

Clinical signs, histology, and CD3-positive cells before and after treatment of dogs with chronic enteropathies.

BACKGROUND: Histopathology is widely used for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. Variations in lesions and unavailability of uniform grading systems limit the usefulness of histologic examination. HYPOTHESIS: CD3 cell numbers in chronic enteropathies of dogs correlate with clinical activity of the disease and with severity of histopathologic changes. ANIMALS: Nineteen client-owned dogs examined because of chronic diarrhea, vomiting, or both. METHODS: Samples of duodenal and colonic mucosa were collected endoscopically before and after treatment. Dogs that responded to a hypoallergenic diet were grouped as food-responsive diarrhea dogs (FRD, n=10). Dogs with no clinical improvement after 10 days of treatment then received prednisolone (immunosuppressive doses) and were grouped as steroid-responsive diarrhea dogs (SRD, n=9). Histopathologic assessment with a standardized grading system was performed retrospectively on the intestinal samples. Histologic score, total number of infiltrating cells, and CD3-positive cells were counted and compared with the clinical scoring. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was detected among histologic grading, total number of cells in the lamina propria, and T-cell numbers in biopsies before and after treatment in either group (FRD and SRD). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Currently used histopathologic grading scores, total numbers of cells, and numbers of CD3-positive cells did not allow differentiation between FRD and SRD and did not correlate with clinical response to therapy. Based on these results, new grading scores assessing other criteria than total cell numbers and CD3-positive cells should be evaluated in the future.

Chronic enteropathies in dogs: evaluation of risk factors for negative outcome.

HYPOTHESIS: Certain variables that are routinely measured during the diagnostic evaluation of dogs with chronic enteropathies will be predictive for outcome and a new clinical disease activity index incorporating these variables can be applied to predict outcome of disease. ANIMALS: Seventy dogs were entered into a sequential treatment trial with elimination diet (FR, food-responsive group) followed by immunosuppressive treatment with steroids if no response was seen with the dietary trial alone (ST, steroid-treatment group). A 3rd group consisted of dogs with panhypoproteinemia and ascites (PLE, protein-losing enteropathy) that were treated with immunosuppressive doses of steroids. METHODS: Three years of follow-up information was available for all dogs. Clinicopathologic variables were tested for their ability to predict negative outcome, defined as euthanasia due to refractoriness to treatment. Different scoring systems including different combinations of these variables were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Thirteen of 70 (18%) dogs were euthanized because of intractable disease. Univariate analysis identified a high clinical activity index, high endoscopic score in the duodenum, hypocobalaminemia (<200 ng/L) and hypoalbuminemia (<20 g/L) as risk factors for negative outcome. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Based on the factors identified by logistic regression and ROC curve analysis, a new clinical scoring index (CCECAI) was defined that predicts negative outcome in dogs suffering from chronic enteropathies.

Characterization of Anaplasma phagocytophilum major surface protein 5 and the extent of its cross-reactivity with A. marginale.

Major surface protein 5 (Msp5) of Anaplasma marginale is highly conserved in the genus Anaplasma and the antigen used in a commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for serologic identification of cattle with anaplasmosis. This study analyzes the degrees of conservation of Msp5 among various isolates of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and the extent of serologic cross-reactivity between recombinant Msp5 (rMsp5) of Anaplasma marginale and A. phagocytophilum. The msp5 genes from various isolates of A. phagocytophilum were sequenced and compared. rMsp5 proteins of A. phagocytophilum and A. marginale were used separately in an indirect ELISA to detect cross-reactivity in serum samples from humans and dogs infected with A. phagocytophilum and cattle infected with A. marginale. Serum samples were also tested with a commercially available competitive ELISA that uses monoclonal antibody ANAF16C1. There were 100% sequence identities in the msp5 genes among all of the A. phagocytophilum isolates from the United States and a horse isolate from Sweden. Sheep isolates from Norway and dog isolates from Sweden were 99% identical to one another but differed in 17 base pairs from the United States isolates and the horse isolate. Serologic cross-reactivity was identified when serum samples from cattle infected with A. marginale were reacted with rMsp5 of A. phagocytophilum and when serum samples from humans and dogs infected with A. phagocytophilum were reacted with rMsp5 of A. marginale in an indirect-ELISA format. Serum samples from dogs or humans infected with A. phagocytophilum did not cross-react with rMsp5 of A. marginale when tested with the commercially available cELISA. These results suggest that rMsp5 of A. phagocytophilum is highly conserved among United States and European isolates and that serologic distinction between A. phagocytophilum and A. marginale infections cannot be accomplished if rMsp5 from either organism is used in an indirect ELISA.

Effects of probiotic bacteria in dogs with food responsive diarrhoea treated with an elimination diet.

We evaluated whether a probiotic supplementation in dogs with food responsive diarrhoea (FRD) has beneficial effects on intestinal cytokine patterns and on microbiota. Twenty-one client-owned dogs with FRD were presented for clinically needed duodeno- and colonoscopy and were enrolled in a prospective placebo (PL)-controlled probiotic trial. Intestinal tissue samples and faeces were collected during endoscopy. Intestinal mRNA abundance of interleukin (IL)-5, -10, -12p40 and -13, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, transforming growth factor-beta1 and interferon (IFN)-gamma were analysed and numbers of Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., Enterococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae and supplemented probiotic bacteria were determined in faeces. The Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index, a scoring system comprising general attitude, appetite, faecal consistency, defecation frequency, and vomitus, decreased in all dogs (p < 0.0001). Duodenal IL-10 mRNA levels decreased (p = 0.1) and colonic IFN-gamma mRNA levels increased (p = 0.08) after probiotic treatment. Numbers of Enterobacteriaceae decreased in FRD dogs receiving probiotic cocktail (FRD(PC)) and FRD dogs fed PL (FRD(PL)) during treatment (p < 0.05), numbers of Lactobacillus spp. increased in FRD(PC after) when compared with FRD(PC before) (p < 0.1). One strain of PC was detected in five of eight FRD(PC) dogs after probiotic supplementation. In conclusion, all dogs clinically improved after treatment, but cytokine patterns were not associated with the clinical features irrespective of the dietary supplementation.

Pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of cyclosporine treatment of dogs with steroid-refractory inflammatory bowel disease.

The usual treatment of dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consists of administration of immunosuppressive doses of steroids. However, some dogs are refractory to steroid treatment and pose a significant challenge to the veterinarian. Because cyclosporine A (cyA) has been shown to be effective in steroid-resistant IBD in humans, the purpose of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of PO cyA treatment in dogs with steroid-refractory IBD (n = 14). All dogs were treated with cyA 5 mg/kg PO q24h for a period of 10 weeks. A clinical activity score was assigned to assess severity of clinical signs before and after treatment. The total number of infiltrating lymphocytes and T cells in duodenal biopsies were assessed before and after treatment in 9 dogs. In addition, serum concentration of cyA was measured in 8 dogs over a 24-hour period. Pharmacokinetic profiles in dogs with IBD were similar to those of healthy dogs. Improvement of clinical signs was observed in 12 of 14 dogs with IBD. Median clinical activity score after treatment with cyA was significantly reduced from a median score of 9 to a median score of 5 (P = 0.001). T cell numbers in duodenal biopsies were significantly decreased after treatment from a median +/- 95% range in the villous region of 28 (19-30) cells/10,000 microm2 before versus 7 (0-10)/10,000 microm2 after treatment, P = 0.01; and from a median +/- 95% range number in the crypt region of 15 (6-23) cells/10,000 microm2 before versus 4 (0-9)/10,000 microm2 after treatment, P = 0.02, implying T cell lysis as a possible mechanism of action. In conclusion, based on this small study, cyA appears to be an effective alternative drug in dogs with IBD that are refractory to immunosuppressive doses of steroids.

Evaluation of colonoscopic allergen provocation as a diagnostic tool in dogs with proven food hypersensitivity reactions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the colonoscopic allergen provocation (COLAP) test as a new tool for the diagnosis of IgE-mediated food allergy. METHODS: Oral food challenges as well as COLAP testing were performed in a colony of nine research dogs with proven immediate-type food allergic reactions. In addition, COLAP was performed in five healthy dogs. RESULTS: When compared with the oral challenge test, COLAP accurately determined 18 of 23 (73 per cent) positive oral challenge reactions (73 per cent) in dogs with food allergies and was negative in the healthy dogs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The accuracy of this new test may be higher than that for gastric sensitivity testing. Therefore, COLAP holds promise as a new test to confirm the diagnosis of suspect IgE-mediated food allergy in dogs.

P-glycoprotein expression in lamina propria lymphocytes of duodenal biopsy samples in dogs with chronic idiopathic enteropathies.

P-glycoprotein (p-gp) is a transmembrane protein functioning as a drug-efflux pump in the intestinal epithelium. Human patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who fail to respond to treatment with steroids express high levels of p-gp in lamina propria lymphocytes. The purpose of this study was to investigate p-gp expression in duodenal biopsy samples of dogs with chronic enteropathies and to evaluate the expression of p-gp after treatment with a known inducer of p-gp (prednisolone). Duodenal biopsy samples from 48 dogs were evaluated immunohistochemically with the mouse monoclonal antibody C219 for expression of p-gp in lamina propria lymphocytes. Biopsy samples were available from 15 dogs after treatment with prednisolone and 16 dogs after dietary therapy alone ("elimination diet"). Treatment with prednisolone resulted in an increase in p-gp expression (P=0.005). In contrast, dietary treatment alone produced no significant change in p-gp expression (P=0.59). A low p-gp score before initiation of steroid treatment was significantly associated with a positive response to treatment (P=0.01). These results indicate that lamina propria lymphocyte expression of p-gp is upregulated after prednisolone treatment in dogs with IBD, and that mucosal expression of p-gp may be of value in predicting the response to therapy.

Abundance of mRNA of growth hormone receptor and insulin-like growth factors-1 and -2 in duodenal and colonic biopsies of dogs with chronic enteropathies*.

Repair processes of the inflamed intestine are very important for dissolution of chronic enteropathies (CE). Therefore, we examined the mRNA abundance of growth hormone receptor (GHR), insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-1 and -2 in duodenal and colonic biopsies of dogs with CE such as food-responsive diarrhoea (FRD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) before and after treatment as compared with each other and healthy dogs. A clinical score (Canine IBD Activity Index = CIBDAI) was applied to judge the severity of CE. Biopsies of duodenum and colon from client-owned dogs with CE were sampled before (FRD(bef), n = 5; IBD(bef), n = 5) and after treatment (FRD(aft), n = 5; IBD(aft), n = 5). Intestinal control samples were available from a homogenous control population (n = 15; C). Intestinal samples were homogenized, total RNA was extracted, reverse transcribed and analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure mRNA levels of GHR, IGF-1 and IGF-2. Results were normalized with glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase as housekeeping gene. The CIBDAI decreased during the treatment period in FRD and IBD (P < 0.01). In duodenum, GHR mRNA levels were higher in all groups than in C (P < 0.001). Duodenal IGF-1 mRNA levels in FRD(aft) and IBD(aft) tended to be higher than in C (P < 0.1). The IGF-2 mRNA abundance in FRD(aft) was higher than in C (P < 0.05) in duodenum. In colon, mRNA levels of IGF-1 in IBD(aft) were higher than in FRD(aft) (P < 0.05) and levels differed between IBD(aft) and C (P < 0.05). In conclusion, mRNA levels of GHR, IGF-1 and IGF-2 in the gastrointestinal tract were increased during CE when compared with gastrointestinally healthy dogs. The data suggest that GHR, IGF-1 and IGF-2 are involved in gastrointestinal repair processes.

Cytokine expression in an ex vivo culture system of duodenal samples from dogs with chronic enteropathies: modulation by probiotic bacteria.

There is evidence that probiotics have immune-modulating effects on intestinal inflammation during chronic enteropathies (CE). In an ex vivo culture system we investigated the influence of probiotics on mRNA and protein expression levels of cytokines in intestinal samples from dogs suffering from CE. Duodenal samples of client-owned dogs with CE (group CE; n = 12) were collected during diagnostic endoscopy. Additional duodenal samples of gastrointestinally healthy dogs (group C; n = 4) from an unrelated study were available. Based on histopathological analyses, no pathological changes or only mild to moderate eosinophilic and/or lymphoplasmacytic duodenitis were diagnosed. Tissue samples were cultured: (1) with cell culture medium alone (negative control), (2) with a probiotic cocktail (PC), constituted of three Lactobacilli spp. from healthy canine fecal isolates, (3) with the individual strains of PC, and (4) with a placebo powder. Viability of intestinal tissue and probiotic bacteria before and after culture was evaluated. The mRNA abundance of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12p40, interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Protein concentrations of IFN-gamma and IL-10 were measured in culture supernatant by ELISA. Results of RT-PCR were expressed as 2(-2DeltaCrossing Point) x 100 after normalization with beta-actin. There was a loss of about 1 log CFU/mL of probiotic bacteria during the incubation period. Viability of tissue was maintained as confirmed by non-significant release of lactate dehydrogenase. In C, addition of PC increased IL-10 mRNA levels (P < 0.1). In CE, PC increased mRNA and protein levels of IL-10 (P < 0.05). On the mRNA level, the ratio of TNFalpha-/IL-10, IFN-gamma/IL-10, and IL-12p40/IL-10 decreased after addition of PC (P < 0.05). The results demonstrate favorable effects of PC on regulatory cytokines relative to inflammatory cytokines that might contribute to reduction of intestinal inflammation.

Electrodiagnostic evaluation in feline hypertrophic muscular dystrophy.

Standard needle electromyography (EMG) of 56 muscles and nerve conduction velocities (NCV) of the ulnar and common peroneal nerves were investigated in each of six cats affected with hypertrophic feline muscular dystrophy, 10 related heterozygote carriers and 10 normal cats. The EMG findings were considered normal in carrier and control cats, and consisted of 33% normal readings, 22% myotonic discharges, 18% fibrillation potentials, 11% prolonged insertional potentials, 10% complex repetitive discharges and 6% positive sharp waves in affected cats. Muscles of the proximal limbs were most frequently affected. No differences in NCV were found between the three cat groups. It was concluded that dystrophin-deficient dystrophic cats have widespread and frequent EMG changes, predominantly myotonic discharges and fibrillation potentials, which are most pronounced in the proximal appendicular muscles.

Influence of food composition on splanchnic blood flow during digestion in unsedated normal dogs: a Doppler study.

The effect of dietary components in gastrointestinal blood flow was investigated non-invasively in dogs. Doppler ultrasound (US) waveform analysis of the celiac artery (CA) and the cranial mesenteric artery (CMA) of eight healthy dogs was performed both in the fasting state and at 20, 40, 60 and 90 min after feeding maintenance, high protein, high carbohydrate and high fat diets. Resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI) and the percentage differences between measurements were calculated. In fasted dogs, the CA showed significantly (p<0.05) lower resistance than the CMA. With all diets, post-prandial RI and PI values decreased significantly in both vessels (CA: RI=-12-13%; PI=-25-29%; CMA: RI=-13-15%; PI=-27-29% [p<0.05]), and in all cases significantly earlier in the CA than in the CMA (p<0.05). With all diets except high fat the maximum decrease in RI and PI was reached in the CA at 40 min and in the CMA at 60 min. High fat diets were unique in that the maximum decrease in RI and PI in the CMA occurred earlier (at 20 min) and values were slower to return to normal (p<0.05). We conclude that Doppler US can be used in dogs to quantify significant differences in the response of splanchnic blood flow to different dietary components.

[Chronic intestinal diseases in the dog: a review]. / Chronische Darmerkrankungen beim Hund: Eine Ubersicht.

The most commonly encountered chronic enteropathies in dogs are inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), food allergies, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Recent research in the field of immunopathogenesis of IBD and food allergy in human beings have made available new therapeutic options with immunomodulatory drugs. However, the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of canine IBD and food allergy have not been elucidated so far. Further studies focusing on the immunological dysregulation in the mucosa as well as clinical trials with new therapeutic modalities are needed to improve our knowledge and approach to these chronic diseases in dogs.

Restoration of dystrophin expression in cultured hybrid myotubes.

Absence of dystrophin, as found in Duchenne boys, mdx mice and HFMD cats, leads to destabilization of the sarcolemmal-associated protein complex. Gene and cell therapy strategies aim to restore the dystrophin-associated protein complex. In order to better understand the cellular events involved in such therapy in feline and human muscular dystrophy, we asked whether dystrophin-deficient myoblasts would fuse with myoblasts expressing normal dystrophin, and whether the complex would be restored after such a fusion. Cat and human myoblasts were isolated from skeletal muscle of normal subjects and of patients with dystrophin deficiency and proliferated well. After co-culture with normal myoblasts, they fused to form hybrid myotubes. These hybrid myotubes expressed dystrophin, utrophin and dystrophin- associated proteins. Expression of these proteins were restored also in the vicinity of nuclei from dystrophin-deficient donors. These results demonstrate that dystrophin can be expressed and handled normally by hybrid myotubes. They show that myoblasts with a normal dystrophin gene can restore dystrophin expression in dystrophin-deficient myoblasts.