Idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common chronic enteropathy in dogs. There are no published studies regarding the use of probiotics in the treatment of canine IBD. The objectives were ...to compare responses to treatment with either combination therapy (prednisone and metronidazole) or probiotic strains (VSL#3) in dogs with IBD.
Twenty pet dogs with a diagnosis of IBD, ten healthy pet dogs, and archived control intestinal tissues from three euthanized dogs were used in this open label study. Dogs with IBD were randomized to receive either probiotic (D-VSL#3, n = 10) or combination drug therapy (D-CT, n = 10). Dogs were monitored for 60 days (during treatment) and re-evaluated 30 days after completing treatment. The CIBDAI (P<0.001), duodenal histology scores (P<0.001), and CD3+ cells decreased post-treatment in both treatment groups. FoxP3+ cells (p<0.002) increased in the D-VSL#3 group after treatment but not in the D-CT group. TGF-β+ cells increased in both groups after treatment (P = 0.0043) with the magnitude of this increase being significantly greater for dogs in the D-VSL#3 group compared to the D-CT group. Changes in apical junction complex molecules occludin and claudin-2 differed depending on treatment. Faecalibacterium and Turicibacter were significantly decreased in dogs with IBD at T0, with a significant increase in Faecalibacterium abundance observed in the animals treated with VSL#3 strains.
A protective effect of VSL#3 strains was observed in dogs with IBD, with a significant decrease in clinical and histological scores and a decrease in CD3+ T-cell infiltration. Protection was associated with an enhancement of regulatory T-cell markers (FoxP3+ and TGF-β+), specifically observed in the probiotic-treated group and not in animals receiving combination therapy. A normalization of dysbiosis after long-term therapy was observed in the probiotic group. Larger scale studies are warranted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of VSL#3 in canine IBD.
In many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, women are outperformed by men in test scores, jeopardizing their success in science-oriented courses and careers. The current ...study tested the effectiveness of a psychological intervention, called values affirmation, in reducing the gender achievement gap in a college-level introductory physics class. In this randomized double-blind study, 399 students either wrote about their most important values or not, twice at the beginning of the 15-week course. Values affirmation reduced the male-female performance and learning difference substantially and elevated women's modal grades from the C to B range. Benefits were strongest for women who tended to endorse the stereotype that men do better than women in physics. A brief psychological intervention may be a promising way to address the gender gap in science performance and learning.
Background
A point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) protocol for evaluation of the cardiac and respiratory systems in horses does not exist.
Objectives
(a) Describe the windows of a POCUS protocol for ...cardiorespiratory assessment of horses (CRASH); (b) Estimate the number of acoustic windows that can be acquired by a sonographer‐in‐training; (c) Estimate the time required to complete the protocol for specific groups of horses; (d) Describe the sonographic abnormalities detected in horses presented with cardiovascular, respiratory, or systemic disease.
Animals
Twenty‐seven healthy horses, 14 horses competing in athletic events, and 120 horses with clinical disease.
Method
A pocket‐sized ultrasound device was used to acquire 7 sonographic cardiorespiratory windows in various clinical scenarios. The duration of the examination was timed, and images were evaluated for diagnostic quality. Abnormalities in horses with clinical disease were determined by an expert sonographer.
Results
The CRASH protocol could be performed in healthy and diseased horses in hospital, barn, and competition settings between 5.5 ± 0.9 (athletic horses) and 6.9 ± 1.9 min (horses with clinical disease). Thoracic windows were obtained most consistently, followed by right parasternal long‐axis echocardiographic windows. Frequently detected abnormalities were pleural fluid, lung consolidation, B‐lines, and moderate‐to‐severe left‐sided heart disease.
Conclusions
The CRASH protocol was feasible using a pocket‐sized ultrasound device in various groups of horses, could be completed rapidly in a variety of settings, and frequently identified sonographic abnormalities when evaluated by an expert sonographer. The diagnostic accuracy, observer agreement, and utility of the CRASH protocol merit further evaluation.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are routinely used in both veterinary and human medicine. Gastrointestinal injury is a frequent adverse event associated with NSAID use and evidence ...suggests that NSAIDs induce gastrointestinal microbial imbalance (i.e., dysbiosis) in both animals and people. It is unknown, however, whether cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-selective NSAIDs induce dysbiosis, or if this phenomenon occurs in horses administered any class of NSAIDs. Therefore, our objectives were to determine whether the composition and diversity of the fecal microbiota of adult horses were altered by NSAID use, and whether these effects differed between non-selective and COX-2-selective NSAIDs. Twenty-five adult horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: control (n = 5); phenylbutazone (n = 10); or, firocoxib (n = 10). Treatments were administered for 10 days. Fecal samples were collected every 5 days for 25 days. DNA was extracted from feces and the 16S rRNA gene amplified and sequenced to determine the composition of the microbiota and the inferred metagenome. While the fecal microbiota profile of the control group remained stable over time, the phenylbutazone and firocoxib groups had decreased diversity, and alteration of their microbiota profiles was most pronounced at day 10. Similarly, there were clear alterations of the inferred metagenome at day 10 compared to all other days, indicating that use of both non-selective and selective COX inhibitors resulted in temporary alterations of the fecal microbiota and inferred metagenome. Dysbiosis associated with NSAID administration is clinically relevant because dysbiosis has been associated with several important diseases of horses including abdominal pain (colic), colitis, enteric infections, and laminitis.
Rhodococcus equi can cause severe infections in people, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The R. equi virulence plasmids (vap) encoding vapA and vapB are linked to development of ...infections in domestic animals. Recently, a novel virulence plasmid, vapN, was identified in isolates cultured from cattle, but its prevalence or significance in human R. equi infections has not been extensively studied. To determine the prevalence of vapN in a diverse collection of human-derived isolates from different countries, 65 R. equi isolates collected by various institutions from 1984 to 2002 were screened for the presence of vapN and other virulence plasmids through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using redesigned primer sets. Of the isolates that carried plasmids, 43% (16/37) were vapN-positive and fewer were vapB or vapA-positive (30 and 16%, respectively). This is the first report of vapN carriage in R. equi isolated from human infections. One isolate (H-30) carried vapN but did not amplify the conjugal plasmid transfer gene traA associated with carriage of vap, which could be explained by sequence variation within the traA gene. Another isolate (H-55) amplified traA, but did not amplify vapA, B, or N (traA+ vapABN-) with previously described primer sets or those developed for this study. The H-55 traA sequence had 98% identity to traA sequences in vapA plasmids, which suggests that it may carry a variant of previously characterized virulence plasmids or a novel virulence plasmid. Carriage of vapN in R. equi isolates derived from people is not uncommon and more research is needed to determine its significance in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of human R. equi infections.
Pneumonia in foals caused by the bacterium Rhodococcus equi has a worldwide distribution and is a common cause of disease and death for foals. The purpose of this narrative review was to summarise ...recent developments pertaining to the epidemiology, immune responses, treatment, and prevention of rhodococcal pneumonia of foals. Screening tests have been used to implement earlier detection and treatment of foals with presumed subclinical R. equi pneumonia to reduce mortality and severity of disease. Unfortunately, this practice has been linked to the emergence of antimicrobial‐resistant R. equi in North America. Correlates of protective immunity for R. equi infections of foals remain elusive, but recent evidence indicates that innate immune responses are important both for mediating killing and orchestrating adaptive immune responses. A macrolide antimicrobial in combination with rifampin remains the recommended treatment for foals with R. equi pneumonia. Great need exists to identify which antimicrobial combination is most effective for treating foals with R. equi pneumonia and to limit emergence of antimicrobial‐resistant strains. In the absence of an effective vaccine against R. equi, passive immunisation remains the only commercially available method for effectively reducing the incidence of R. equi pneumonia. Because passive immunisation is expensive, labour‐intensive and carries risks for foals, great need exists to develop alternative approaches for passive and active immunisation.
Metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans have been linked to alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota and metabolome. Knowledge of these associations has improved our ...understanding of the pathophysiology of these diseases and guided development of diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic interventions. The cellular and molecular pathophysiology of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and obesity in horses, however, remain ill-defined. Thus, the objectives of this study were to characterize the fecal microbiome, fecal metabolome, and circulating lipidome in obese and non-obese horses. The fecal microbiota, fecal metabolome, and serum lipidome were evaluated in obese (case) horses (n = 20) and non-obese (control) horses (n = 20) matched by farm of origin (n = 7). Significant differences in metabolites of the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle and circulating free fatty acids were identified in the obese horses compared to the non-obese horses. These results indicate that the host and bacterial metabolism should be considered important in obese horses. Further studies to determine whether these associations are causal and the mechanistic basis of the association are warranted because they might reveal diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic interventions to mitigate obesity, EMS, and sequelae including laminitis.
Rhodococcus equi foal pneumonia Cohen, Noah D
The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice,
12/2014, Volume:
30, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of disease and death in foals. This article reviews current knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, ...and control of R equi pneumonia in foals.
•A large negative bias was observed between rectal temperatures between a noncontact thermal infrared. (NCIT) device and a digital rectal thermometer.•Reliability of the NCIT was good despite the ...large bias.•Neck readings were more reliable than forehead readings with the NCIT.•NCITs do not appear to be a good alternative to rectal thermometry for detecting fever in horses.
Evaluating the body temperature of horses is an essential tool for monitoring horse health and biosecurity in groups of horses. Temperatures of horses and foals are determined most often using rectal thermometry. Rectal thermometry has limitations that include safety considerations for horses and humans. Thus, we investigated the agreement between a noncontact infrared thermometer (NCIT) and a rectal digital thermometer in 142 horses and 34 foals. For each horse and foal, measurements using the NCIT were collected from the forehead (n = 2) or neck (n = 1) and with a rectal digital thermometer (n = 1). Although the NCIT demonstrated good reliability (i.e. repeatability of measurements), a large negative bias (nearly 2°F (-16.7°C) in adult horses and >3°F (-16.1°C) in foals) was observed between readings from the NCIT and the rectal thermometer in healthy horses. Although horses with febrile illness were not included in the study, our results indicate that the large and inconsistent bias observed with the NCIT indicates that these devices will not be a suitable substitute for rectal thermometry for obtaining valid estimates of core body temperature in horses.
PDF
