Immune-Modulating Effects of Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Foods in Healthy Canines.

Background: Ketogenic foods limit digestible carbohydrates but contain high fat, and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as improving mitochondrial function. β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), 1 of the ketone bodies, reduces the proinflammatory NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasomes, as well as chemokines in cultures.

Objectives: We assessed the immune-modulating effects of 2 low-carbohydrate (LoCHO) foods varying in protein and fat and compared their effects with a food replete with high-carbohydrate (HiCHO) in healthy canines.

Betaine and L-Carnitine Synergistically Influence the Metabolome and Immune Response in Dogs.

This study used thirty-two dogs, which were assigned to a preferred period of 14 days and then assigned to one of the four treatment foods: control (containing no added betaine, no added L-carnitine), control with 0.5% added betaine (Treatment 2), control with no added betaine and 300 ppm added L-carnitine (Treatment 3), or control with 0.5% added betaine and 300 ppm added L-carnitine (Treatment 4).

Increased dietary vitamin D was associated with increased circulating vitamin D with no observable adverse effects in adult dogs.

Introduction: There is no consensus for the optimum concentration of vitamin D, although a minimum concentration of 100 ng/mL (250 nM) of circulating vitamin D, measured as 25(OH) D, has been suggested in order to support optimal health in dogs. Few studies have examined the relationship between dietary vitamin D (cholecalciferol) intake and the resulting concentrations of circulating 25(OH) D in adult dogs. Recommendations for dog foods for adult maintenance report a safe upper limit of 3,200 IU vitamin D/kg on a dry matter basis.

Scientific Validation of Cannabidiol for Management of Dog and Cat Diseases.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid of the plant L. CBD is increasingly being explored as an alternative to conventional therapies to treat health disorders in dogs and cats. Mechanisms of action of CBD have been investigated mostly in rodents and in vitro and include modulation of CB1, CB2, 5-HT, GPR, and opioid receptors.

Metabolomic changes in cats with renal disease and calcium oxalate uroliths.

Introduction: There is a significant incidence of cats with renal disease (RD) and calcium oxalate (CaOx) kidney uroliths in domesticated cats. Foods which aid in the management of these diseases may be enhanced through understanding the underlying metabolomic changes.

Objective: Assess the metabolomic profile with a view to identifying metabolomic targets which could aid in the management of renal disease and CaOx uroliths.

The Increase in Circulating Levels of Pro-Inflammatory Chemokines, Cytokines, and Complement C5 in Canines with Impaired Kidney Function.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a key contributor to the progression of kidney disease. The release of cytokines and other pro-inflammatory proteins may further contribute to detrimental kidney health by increasing interstitial edema and renal fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inflammatory markers in canines who developed renal disease naturally and were diagnosed with renal disease either during life or following necropsy, as assessed by a veterinarian.

Cats with Genetic Variants of AGXT2 Respond Differently to a Dietary Intervention Known to Reduce the Risk of Calcium Oxalate Stone Formation.

This study was completed to evaluate a genotype-specific nutritional intervention for reducing the risk of calcium oxalate stone formation. Serum metabolomic profiles and genotypes of 445 cats in the colony at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc (Topeka, KS, USA)were assessed in a genome-wide association study, and revealed an association between genetic variants of alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase 2 (AGXT2) and 2-oxoarginine. The most significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with 2-oxoarginine was at position chrA1:212069607, [G/A] (p < 3.

Dietary Carnitine and Carnosine Increase Body Lean in Healthy Cats in a Preliminary Study.

The need to maintain body lean as cats age is shown in both health and disease. In healthy cats, body lean is associated with enhanced movement and overall longevity. In many disease states (i.

Botanicals Reduce Circulating Concentrations of Cholesterol and Triglycerides and Work Synergistically With Arachidonic Acid to Reduce Inflammatory Cytokines in Cats.

Forty Eight cats were used to measure the effects of feeding a traditional adult cat food supplemented with either arachidonic acid (ARA), a botanical mix (botanicals) or both on circulating biochemical parameters and inflammatory cytokines. The cats were healthy adults (mean age, 3.0; range, 1.

Additive Effect of Resveratrol on Astrocyte Swelling Post-exposure to Ammonia, Ischemia and Trauma In Vitro.

Swelling of astrocytes represents a major component of the brain edema associated with many neurological conditions, including acute hepatic encephalopathy (AHE), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ischemia. It has previously been reported that exposure of cultured astrocytes to ammonia (a factor strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of AHE), oxygen/glucose deprivation, or to direct mechanical trauma results in an increase in cell swelling. Since dietary polyphenols have been shown to exert a protective effect against cell injury, we examined whether resveratrol (RSV, 3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene, a stilbenoid phenol), has a protective effect on astrocyte swelling following its exposure to ammonia, oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), or trauma in vitro.

The Benefit of Anti-Inflammatory and Renal-Protective Dietary Ingredients on the Biological Processes of Aging in the Kidney.

One of the significant organ systems which decline in aging is the kidney. While the causes of age-associated decline in renal function are likely multifactorial, oxidative stress and inflammation are hypothesized to play important roles in the structural and functional changes of the kidney. During aging there is a general decline in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a primary measurement used to assess kidney function.

Decreased STAT3 Phosphorylation Mediates Cell Swelling in Ammonia-Treated Astrocyte Cultures.

Brain edema, due largely to astrocyte swelling, and the subsequent increase in intracranial pressure and brain herniation, are major complications of acute liver failure (ALF). Elevated level of brain ammonia has been strongly implicated in the development of astrocyte swelling associated with ALF. The means by which ammonia brings about astrocyte swelling, however, is incompletely understood.

The beneficial role of anti-inflammatory dietary ingredients in attenuating markers of chronic low-grade inflammation in aging.

Aging in humans is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation (systemic), and this condition is sometimes referred to as "inflammaging". In general, canines also age similarly to humans, and such aging is associated with a decline in mobility, joint problems, weakened muscles and bones, reduced lean body mass, cancer, increased dermatological problems, decline in cognitive ability, reduced energy, decreased immune function, decreased renal function, and urinary incontinence. Each of these conditions is also associated with an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Ischemia-induced endothelial cell swelling and mitochondrial dysfunction are attenuated by cinnamtannin D1, green tea extract, and resveratrol in vitro.

Polyphenols possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cytotoxic brain edema in cerebral ischemia. In addition, OS and pro-inflammatory cytokines also damage the endothelial cells and the neurovascular unit.

Cinnamon polyphenols attenuate the hydrogen peroxide-induced down regulation of S100β secretion by regulating sirtuin 1 in C6 rat glioma cells.

Aims: It is well established that the brain is particularly susceptible to oxidative damage due to its high consumption of oxygen. The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of a water soluble polyphenol-rich extract of cinnamon and the possible mechanisms, under conditions of oxidative stress-induced by hydrogen peroxide, in rat C6 glioma cells.

Main Methods: After 24h of H2O2 incubation, the secretion and intracellular expression of S100β were determined by immunoprecitation/immunoblotting and immunofluorescence imaging.

Cinnamon polyphenols regulate S100β, sirtuins, and neuroactive proteins in rat C6 glioma cells.

Objective: Increasing evidence suggests that cinnamon has many health benefits when used in herbal medicine and as a dietary ingredient. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an aqueous extract of cinnamon, high in type A polyphenols, on molecular targets in rat C6 glioma cells that underlie their protective effects.

Methods: C6 rat glioma cells were seeded in 35-mm culture dishes or six-well plates, then were incubated with cinnamon polyphenols at doses of 10 and 20 μg/mL for 24 h.

Dietary and plant polyphenols exert neuroprotective effects and improve cognitive function in cerebral ischemia.

Cerebral ischemia is caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain which generally leads to irreversible brain damage. Ischemic injury is associated with vascular leakage, inflammation, tissue injury, and cell death. Cellular changes associated with ischemia include impairment of metabolism, energy failure, free radical production, excitotoxicity, altered calcium homeostasis, and activation of proteases all of which affect brain functioning and also contribute to longterm disabilities including cognitive decline.

Effects of dietary polyphenols on neuroregulatory factors and pathways that mediate food intake and energy regulation in obesity.

Polyphenols are natural substances and are enriched in vegetables, fruits, grains, bark, tea, and wine. Some polyphenols have insulin-potentiating and anti-inflammatory effects, both of which are important in obesity. Dietary supplementation with polyphenolic compounds is associated with reduced diet-induced obesity and/or metabolic syndrome in animal and human studies.

Beneficial effects of herbs, spices and medicinal plants on the metabolic syndrome, brain and cognitive function.

Herbs and spices have been used since ancient times to not only improve the flavor of edible food but also to prevent and treat chronic health maladies. While the scientific evidence for the use of such common herbs and medicinal plants then had been scarce or lacking, the beneficial effects observed from such use were generally encouraging. It is, therefore, not surprising that the tradition of using such herbs, perhaps even after the advent of modern medicine, has continued.

Effect of polyphenols on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in neuronal death and brain edema in cerebral ischemia.

Polyphenols are natural substances with variable phenolic structures and are elevated in vegetables, fruits, grains, bark, roots, tea, and wine. There are over 8000 polyphenolic structures identified in plants, but edible plants contain only several hundred polyphenolic structures. In addition to their well-known antioxidant effects, select polyphenols also have insulin-potentiating, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-viral, anti-ulcer, and anti-apoptotic properties.

Na-K-Cl cotransporter-1 in the mechanism of cell swelling in cultured astrocytes after fluid percussion injury.

Brain edema and associated increased intracranial pressure are major consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). An important early component of the edema associated with TBI is astrocyte swelling (cytotoxic edema). Mechanisms for such swelling, however, are poorly understood.

Corticorelin, a synthetic human corticotropin-releasing factor analog, for the treatment of peritumoral brain edema.

Corticorelin is a synthetic analog of the naturally occurring human peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Several studies have indicated the ability of CRF to reduce the brain edema caused by brain tumors. Peritumoral brain edema (PBE), caused by an intracerebral tumor, manifests several features of vasogenic edema, which is a type of edema characterized by disruption of the blood-brain barrier.

Cinnamon: potential role in the prevention of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with insulin resistance, elevated glucose and lipids, inflammation, decreased antioxidant activity, increased weight gain, and increased glycation of proteins. Cinnamon has been shown to improve all of these variables in in vitro, animal, and/or human studies. In addition, cinnamon has been shown to alleviate factors associated with Alzheimer's disease by blocking and reversing tau formation in vitro and in ischemic stroke by blocking cell swelling.