Dysbiosis index and fecal concentrations of sterols, long-chain fatty acids and unconjugated bile acids in dogs with inflammatory protein-losing enteropathy.

Introduction: Canine protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a syndrome characterized by gastrointestinal loss of proteins. While fecal microbiome and metabolome perturbations have been reported in dogs with chronic enteropathy, they have not been widely studied in dogs with PLE. Therefore, the study aims were to investigate gut microbiome and targeted fecal metabolites in dogs with inflammatory PLE (iPLE) and evaluate whether treatment affects these changes at short-term follow-up.

First description of oesophageal melanoma in a cat and palliative treatment by endoscopic argon plasma coagulation laser.

Case Summary: An 11-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat presented with chronic regurgitation and weight loss. Despite a 2-month history of weight loss, regurgitation intensified over 4 weeks, occurring with every food intake, even on a semi-liquid diet. Physical examination revealed thinness and dehydration, and a focal oval mass was noted in the middle mediastinum on thoracic radiography.

The fecal bacterial microbiota is not useful for discriminating between lymphoplasmacytic enteritis and low-grade intestinal T-cell lymphoma in cats nor for predicting therapeutic response.

Objective: To evaluate the fecal bacterial microbiota at the time of diagnosis (T0) and after 1 month of therapy (T1) in cats diagnosed with lymphoplasmacytic enteritis (LPE) or cats with low-grade intestinal T-cell lymphoma (LGITL) and to compare these findings with those of healthy cats.

Animals: 5 healthy cats, 13 cats with LPE, and 7 cats with LGITL were prospectively enrolled between June 2020 and June 2021.

Methods: Fecal samples were collected at T0 and T1, and DNA was extracted for 16S ribosomal amplicon sequencing.

A case series of urinary bladder rhabdomyosarcoma in seven dogs.

Background: Juvenile urinary bladder rhabdomyosarcoma (ubRMS) is a known entity; however, literature regarding its clinical behavior and endoscopic features is scarce. The aim of this study was to describe clinical and endoscopic features, and outcomes of ubRMS in dogs.

Case Description: Dogs undergoing transurethral endoscopy and with a histological diagnosis of ubRMS were retrospectively collected.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of a polyester synthase-like gene delays flowering time in alfalfa.

T-DNA and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of polyester synthase-like genes delays flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago sativa (alfalfa). Thus, we here present the first report of edited alfalfa with delayed flowering.

Comparative Evaluation of Peripheral Blood Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio, Serum Albumin to Globulin Ratio and Serum C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio in Dogs with Inflammatory Protein-Losing Enteropathy and Healthy Dogs.

Few routinely available biomarkers are clinically useful in assessing dogs with inflammatory protein-losing enteropathy caused by immunosuppressive-responsive enteropathy (IRE-PLE). Only the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been studied, while no information exists on the use of the albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CRP/ALB). We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of the NLR, AGR and CRP/ALB in a population of dogs with IRE-PLE.

Relationship between Serum Protein Electrophoresis, Endoscopic and Histopathological Scores in 99 Cats with Chronic Enteropathy.

Few studies have investigated total protein (TP) and serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) in cats with chronic enteropathy (CE). Cats diagnosed with CE were evaluated to investigate the relationships between TP, SPE and endoscopy, histopathology, and extraintestinal involvement. Medical records were searched for cats with a history of chronic gastrointestinal signs and a final diagnosis of CE.

It is time to mate: population-level plasticity of wild boar reproductive timing and synchrony in a changing environment.

On a population level, individual plasticity in reproductive phenology can provoke either anticipations or delays in the average reproductive timing in response to environmental changes. However, a rigid reliance on photoperiodism can constraint such plastic responses in populations inhabiting temperate latitudes. The regulation of breeding season length may represent a further tool for populations facing changing environments.

Usefulness of squash preparation cytology in the diagnosis of canine urinary bladder carcinomas.

Background: Epithelial cells show varying degrees of cytologic atypia in dogs with nonmalignant lesions (NML) and carcinomas (ubC) of the bladder, making histopathologic examination necessary for a definitive diagnosis.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of squash preparation cytology and identify several cytomorphologic features of ubC to assist in diagnoses.

Methods: Squash preparations were made and reviewed in dogs that underwent transurethral cystoscopy.

Gastroduodenal ulceration detected endoscopically in cats: retrospective study of 61 patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the endoscopic appearance of gastroduodenal ulcers (GDUs), and to assess the clinical, ultrasonographic and histological data, as well as long-term follow-up, in cats.

Methods: The medical record databases of five veterinary endoscopists were evaluated between January 2016 and 2020, in a retrospective study. Cats with at least one gastric or duodenal ulcer detected by endoscopic examination were included.

Clinical evaluation and microbiota analysis in 9 dogs with antibiotic-responsive enteropathy: A prospective comparison study.

Background: Antibiotic-responsive enteropathy (ARE) is diagnosed by excluding other causes of diarrhea and when there is a short-term response to administration of antibiotics.

Objectives: To characterize the gut microbiota and clinical trend of dogs with suspected ARE and to evaluate the variation in microbiota before (T0), after 30 days (T30) of tylosin treatment, and 30 days after discontinuation of treatment (T60). A further objective was to evaluate whether changes in gut microbiota are related to relapses of diarrhea when the therapy is tapered.

Generation of a multi-herbicide-tolerant alfalfa by using base editing.

We present the first report on base editing in alfalfa. Specifically, we showed edited alfalfa with tolerance to both sulfonylurea- and imidazolinone-type herbicides.

Presence of bronchial nodules, younger age, and heavier body weight are associated with a diagnosis of eosinophilic lung disease in dogs with cough.

Objective: To describe the association between a diagnosis of eosinophilic lung disease (ELD) in dogs with signalment and bronchoscopic features and evaluate the accuracy of visualization of nodules for the diagnosis of ELD.

Animals: 781 dogs with cough that underwent bronchoscopy between 2014 and 2016.

Procedures: Data were extracted from the medical records of each included dog.

Immunosuppressant-Responsive Enteropathy and Non-Responsive Enteropathy in Dogs: Prognostic Factors, Short- and Long-Term Follow Up.

A multicentre prospective study was performed to assess whether clinical, hematobiochemical, endoscopic and histopathological parameters were associated with mortality, clinical response and relapse of disease in short- and long-term follow-up of a total of 165 dogs with chronic inflammatory enteropathy, of which 150 had immunosuppressant responsive enteropathy (IRE), and 15 had non-responsive enteropathy (NRE) dogs. Clinical severity (CCECAI) was evaluated from presentation (T0) to 18 months (T18) from diagnosis. T0 body condition score (BCS), selected haematological parameters and endoscopic and histopathological scores were evaluated.

Diagnosis and outcome of nasal polyposis in 23 dogs treated medically or by endoscopic debridement.

This study describes the clinical, diagnostic, and pathological characteristics of canine nasal polyps and how they responded to medical, endoscopic, and surgical treatments. The database of a multi-center veterinary endoscopy group was searched from 2010 to 2018. All dogs with a histological diagnosis of nasal polyposis that were undergoing endoscopic investigation (N = 23), were included.

Comparison of different methods used in drugs of abuse for sample validity testing including pH methods, specific gravity methods, TECO™ Drug Adulteration Test Strip and oxidant assay.

Objectives: In the absence of sample validity testing, a healthcare provider may fail to identify a patient's adulteration of their urine sample. This study compared different methods for specific gravity (SG), pH, TECO™ Drug Adulteration Test Strip (dipstick) and oxidant assay to explain the differences and also make an informative decision on method selection.

Methods: Creatinine, SG and pH measurements are essential in sample validity testing.

Capital-income breeding in wild boar: a comparison between two sexes.

Organisms differ in the strategy adopted to fuel reproduction by using resources either previously acquired and stored in body reserves (capital breeding) or, conversely, acquired during their reproductive activity (income breeding). The choice of one or the other strategy is related to several internal and external factors which are counteractive in wild boar. Based on a large dataset of culled wild boar, we investigated individual body weight variability throughout the period of 1st September-31st January, which included the main part of the mating season, among different sex and age classes to determine their position along the capital-income breeding continuum.

Evaluation of duodenal endoscopic and histologic findings, including counts of forkhead box P3-positive regulatory T cells, in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the clinical and prognostic importance of duodenal endoscopic and histologic findings, including duodenal mucosal counts of forkhead box P3-positive regulatory T cells (Foxp3+ Tregs), in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy (IRE).

Animals: 57 client-owned dogs with IRE.

Procedures: The canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI) was used to assess each dog when IRE was diagnosed (T0) and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months later.

Preliminary comparative serological evaluation of Histamine H2 receptors in dogs with an acute onset of vomiting treated with Ranitidine and healthy dogs.

Despite the lack of evidence of the ability to suppress gastric acid secretion in dogs, ranitidine (RT) is often used to control clinical signs in dogs with acute vomiting even if the way it happens it is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate the therapeutic effect of ranitidine on H2 receptors in dogs with acute vomiting. To investigate the RT activity a preliminary study was performed in dogs which underwent gastroscopy analyses, demonstrating that the level of H2R observed in the serum and gastric wall tissue was the same [1.

Serum homocysteine concentration in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy.

Background: Homocysteine (HCY) was evaluated in healthy and chronic enteropathic dogs, however no studies on dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy are available.

Objectives: The aim was to evaluate serum HCY concentrations and its prognostic role in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy compared to healthy dogs.

Methods: Serum HCY concentration was statistically compared between 24 healthy dogs and 29 dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy.

Upper digestive tract abnormalities in dogs with chronic idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis.

Background: Chronic idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis (CILPR) is a common inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology affecting the nasal cavity of dogs. The diagnosis is made by exclusion of other causes of nasal disease and specific therapeutic protocols are lacking. In human medicine, a relationship between CILPR and gastrointestinal clinical signs has been postulated, and remission of respiratory signs after clinical trials with medications for gastrointestinal disorders has been observed.

pBAR-H3.2, a native-optimized binary vector to bypass transgene silencing in alfalfa.

A novel genetic tool to bypass transgene silencing in alfalfa.

Ecological conditions experienced by offspring during pregnancy and early post-natal life determine mandible size in roe deer.

Population dynamics studies and harvesting strategies often take advantage of body size measurements. Selected elements of the skeletal system such as mandibles, are often used as retrospective indices to describe body size. The variation in mandibular measurements reflects the variation in the ecological context and hence the variation in animal performance.