Evaluation of serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity and helical computed tomography versus conventional testing for the diagnosis of feline pancreatitis

Serum feline trypsinogen-like immunoreactivity (fTLI) concentrations and abdominal ultrasound have facilitated the noninvasive diagnosis of pancreatitis in cats, but low sensitivities (33% and 20–35%, respectively) have been reported. A radioimmunoassay has been validated to measure feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI), but the assay's sensitivity and specificity have not been established. In human beings, the sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) is high (75–90%), but in a study of 10 cats, only 2 had CT changes suggestive of pancreatitis. We prospectively evaluated these diagnostic tests in cats with and without pancreatitis. In all cats, serum was obtained for fTLI and fPLI concentrations, and pancreatic ultrasound images and biopsies were acquired. Serum fPLI concentrations ( P <.0001) and ultrasound findings ( P = .0073) were significantly different between healthy cats and cats with pancreatitis. Serum fTLI concentrations ( P = .15) and CT measurements ( P = .18) were not significantly different between the groups. The sensitivity of fTLI in cats with moderate to severe pancreatitis was 80%, and the specificity in healthy cats was 75%. Feline PLI concentrations were both sensitive in cats with moderate to severe pancreatitis (100%) and specific in the healthy cats (100%). Abdominal ultrasound was both sensitive in cats with moderate to severe pancreatitis (80%) and specific in healthy cats (88%). The high sensitivities of fPLI and abdominal ultrasound suggest that these tests should play an important role in the noninvasive diagnosis of feline pancreatitis. As suggested by a previous study, pancreatic CT is not a useful diagnostic test for feline pancreatitis.     

Clinical effects of short-term oral budesonide on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease

Six dogs were entered into a 30-day, prospective, nonrandomized, uncontrolled clinical trial evaluating the effects of an oral preparation of budesonide on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during therapeutic management of active inflammatory bowel disease. Oral budesonide, at a dose of 3 mg/m(2), was administered once daily. Upon entry and completion of the trial, serum basal cortisol, adrenocorticotropic (ACTH)-stimulated cortisol, endogenous ACTH concentration, serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) activity, and urine specific gravity were evaluated, as well as owner assessment of glucocorticoid-associated side effects. Significant suppression of the HPA axis occurred. No significant differences in SAP activity, urine specific gravity, or owner-subjective assessments were detected.     

Kinetics and postmucosal effects on urinary recovery of 5 intravenously administered sugars in healthy cats

The objective of this study was to describe the kinetics of urinary recovery and to evaluate the effects of postmucosal factors on urinary recovery of 5 intravenously administered saccharides. Ten cats received an isotonic sugar solution containing lactulose, rhamnose, xylose, methylglucose, and sucrose intravenously. These sugars were selected because of their prior use for intestinal permeability and mucosal function testing in humans and dogs. Urethral catheterization with a closed collection system was used for collection of cumulative urine samples prior to and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after administration of the sugar solution. High-pressure anion exchange liquid chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection was used to measure the concentrations of each sugar in the urine and calculate urinary recovery. Twenty-four hour cumulative urinary recovery for each sugar from the cats, was lower than expected compared to dogs and humans. All 5 sugars had the highest percentage of urinary recovery during the first 2 h after administration. Mean sugar elimination rate constants and half-lives ranged from 0.268/h for methylglucose to 0.415/h for lactulose and 1.67 h for lactulose to 2.59 h for methylglucose, respectively. Metabolism and incomplete urine collection are possible reasons for lower cumulative urinary recoveries of these 5 sugars in cats compared with dogs. Although these 5 sugars are not ideal marker molecules, they may still be useful for intestinal permeability and mucosal function testing in cats.     

Use of the in vitro cumulative gas production technique for pigs: an examination of alterations in fermentation products and substrate losses at various time points

An experiment was conducted to examine changes in VFA and ammonia concentrations at different time points using 4 fermentable carbohydrate-rich feed ingredients as substrates and feces of unweaned piglets as inoculum. Fecal inoculum was collected, pooled, and mixed from 9 specially raised (no creep feed or antibiotics) crossbred piglets at 3 wk of age. Inulin, lactulose, molasses-free sugar beet pulp, and wheat starch were used as substrates and were fermented in vitro for 72 h (3 replicates per substrate). Cumulative gas production was measured as an indicator of the kinetics of fermentation. In addition, 3 bottles of substrate per time point with similar contents (amounts of substrate, inoculum, and media) were incubated but were allowed to release their gas throughout incubation. For these latter bottles, fermentation fluid was sampled at incubation time points including every hour between 1 and 24 h and at 48 h, and fermentation end products (VFA, lactate, and ammonia) and OM disappearance were measured. Dry matter and ash were analyzed from the postfermentative samples. The pH of the contents from these bottles was also recorded. The correlation in time between fermentation end products and cumulative gas produced was determined. The results showed that the prolongation of fermentation to 72 h, especially in the case of fast-fermenting inulin and lactulose, may lead to a different end product profile (P < 0.001) compared with the profile observed at the time at which most of the substrate has disappeared. Therefore, we concluded that the fermentation product profile at the end of in vitro fermentation at a specific time point cannot be used to compare fermentability of carbohydrate sources with different fermentation kinetics in terms of gas production.