The aim of the study was to assess the physiological stiffness of the normal canine jejunal mucosa based on shear wave elastography. The study was carried out on 60 dogs. In all the animals studied, the abdominal ultrasound was carried out using the SuperSonic Imagine Aixplorer system. The site of the jejunal elastography was determined using standard ultrasonography and all the measurements were carried out thrice. The stiffness of the area examined was determined during each measurement. Mean values were calculated based on the results obtained. The normal stiffness of the jejunal mucosa ranged from 1.305 kPa to 9.319 kPa (mean 5.31 ± 2.04 kPa). Based on our findings, we determined the range of normal values of the jejunal mucosal stiffness in healthy dogs. In addition, shear wave elastography was found to be safe and easy to perform. Moreover, it did not require anaesthesia or patient immobilisation for long periods.

The aim of the study was to choose and validate the tool(s) to predict the number of hospitalized patients by testing three predictive algorithms: a linear regression model, Auto-Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) model, and Generalized Auto-Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model. The study used data from the collection of data on infl ammatory bowel diseases (IBD) from the public database of the National Health Fund for the years 2009–2017, data recalculation taking into account the population of provinces and the country in particular years, and prediction making for the number of patients who would require hospitalization in 2017. Th e anticipated numbers were compared with real data and percentage prediction errors were calculated. Results of prediction for 2017 indicated the number of hospitalizations for Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) at 17 and 16 respectively per 100,000 persons and 72 per 100,000 persons for all IBD cases. Th e actual outcomes were 21 for both CD and UC (81% and 75% accuracy of prediction, respectively), and 99 for all IBD cases (73% accuracy). The prediction results do not diff er signifi cantly from the actual outcome, this means that the prediction tool (in the form of a linear regression) actually gives good results. Our study showed that the newly developed tool may be used to predict with good enough accuracy the number of patients hospitalized due to IBD in order to organize appropriate therapeutic resources.

Fumonisins are highly toxic metabolites produced by Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium verticillioides. Little is known about the effects of a chronic low level of fumonisins on intestinal structure and innervation in monogastric animals, even though the intestine is the first organ exposed to fumonisins. The influence of the most prevalent strains of fumonisins, FB1 and FB2, on intestinal and liver morphology, the enteric nervous system and intestinal epithelial cell prolif- eration was investigated in an experimental rat model of fumonisin intoxication. Adolescent (5-weeks-old), male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (C group) not treated with fumonisins or intoxicated with fumonisins (FB group). FB1 together with FB2 were daily administered intragastrically at a dose of 90 mg/kg body weight for 21 days. The damaging effect was assessed by determination of the activity of ALAT and AspAT. Samples from the small intes- tine and liver were taken and blood samples were collected to determine the activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and amylase. The exposure to FBs resulted in histopathological degenerative alterations in hepatocytes, including mild vacuolar degeneration and ballooning. FB exposure was also toxic in the duodenum and jejunum, where significant changes in morphology, cell proliferation, collagen wall fibres and innervation were observed. Taken together, the results obtained strengthen the hypothesis that chronic exposure to FBs could induce intestinal damage, including damage to the enteric nervous system and may have consequences for general health.

The aim of this study was to determine the beneficial effect of natural substances – enterocin M (Ent M; the proteinaceous substance produced by Enterococcus faecium CCM8558) and sage plant ( Salvia officinalis L.) extract on the production of mucus in the rabbits small intestine and caecum. Sixty four post-weaned rabbits (meat line M91) were divided into three experimental groups (EG – Ent M; SG – sage extract; ESG – combination Ent M with sage extract) and control group (CG). The experiment lasted for 35 days, the natural substances were administered during the first 21 days, Ent M in EG/ESG, sage extract in SG/ESG. The beneficial effect on mucus production quantity occured in the duodenum (p<0.001) and jejunum (p<0.01) in ESG compared to that found in CG on day 21, the prolonged effect in EG in the duodenum (p<0.001) compared to that observed in CG at the end of the experiment and to that in EG on day 21. The novelty of the study is in the application and monitoring the effect of non-rabbit-derived probiotic strain ( Enterococcus faecium CCM8558) bacteriocin – Enterocin M and sage plant extract on mucus quantity (expressed in gram) in different segments of the rabbit small intestine as well as the caecum. The results obtained indicate that supplementation of selected natural substances in the feed has the potent stimulatory effects on mucus production in the rabbit small intestine.

B a c k g r o u n d: Regulation of energy balance in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) is disturbed due to lack of significant part of the intestine. The goal of the research was to analyse the plasma concentrations of selected regulatory peptides — ghrelin, visfatin, and irisin — in children with SBS.

M e t h o d s: To achieve this aim we recruited study group consisted of 28 children with SBS fed parenterally for at least two weeks, mean age 14 ± 5 months and mean standardised body mass index (SDS-BMI) –1.26 ± 0.84. The control group was represented 25 healthy children of matching age and SDS-BMI. The plasma concentrations of peptides (ghrelin, visfatin, and irisin) were determined using immunoassays, and liver enzymes (AST, ALT, GGT) using an auto-analyser.

R e s u l t s: We observed lower visfatin and ghrelin levels in the study group as compared to controls (both P <0.0001). The lowest total ghrelin concentration was observed in SBS children after ileal resection (P = 0.0016). Irisin concentration did not differ between the groups. Most of the SBS children showed elevated liver enzymes activities at the first measurement and during one-year follow-up.

C o n c l u s i o n: Our findings showed that plasma ghrelin and visfatin themselves may play a role in the course of SBS, while a lack of disturbance in irisin might imply that it is neither playing any role nor it is affected by SBS itself.

Eighty five faecal samples of the Svalbard reindeer inhabiting the coastal terrace of the northern side of Hornsund were collected in July 2005 and analyzed coprologically. The standard flotation method revealed a 97.6% prevalence of infection at an average intensity of 20 eggs in a single subsample. The quantitative, modified McMaster method helped to estimate the mean number of eggs in a gram of faeces (EPG) at 134.7. In the studied samples eggs of nematodes representing two species, i.e. Ostertagia gruehneri (97.6%, on average 20 eggs in a sample) and Marshallagia marshalli (2.3%, single eggs), were identified.

The development of the enteric nervous system (ENS) is still a valid and intensely studied issue. However, literature in the field has no data on this topic in the dog. The present investiga- tions were performed in three groups of fetuses from mongrel dogs – from the third, sixth- -seventh, and ninth week of pregnancy – and in 3-5-day-old puppies (3 specimens for each age group). The tissues (the medial parts of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum with the cecum and a small portion of the adjacent ascending colon) were cut using a cryostat and the sections were processed for single- and double-labeling immunohistochemistry using antisera against acetylat- ed tubulin (AcTub), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), galanin (GAL), neuropeptide Y (NPY), substance P (SP), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In the 3-week-old fetuses, some oval cells invading the gut wall were found. From the seventh week of pregnancy onwards, two different enteric ganglia were present: submucosal and myenteric. The estimated number of nerve elements in the 9-week-old fetuses was much higher than that observed in the 6-7-week-old individuals. There was no significant difference in the estimated number of nerve structures between the 9-week-old fetuses and the 3-5-day-old puppies. The colonization pattern and the develop- ment of the ENS in the canine small intestine are very similar to those observed in other mam- mals. However, a few exceptions have been confirmed, regarding the time of appearance of the VIP-, GAL-, and CGRP-immunoreactive neurons, and their distribution in different portions of the canine bowel during development.

Montmorillonite (MMT), a natural absorbent agent, has widely been accepted for its antidiarrhea function in human and farm animals; however, its specific physicochemical property limits its biological function in practical use. In the current study, raw MMT was loaded by andrographolide, namely andrographolide loaded montmorillonite (AGP-MMT). The microstructure of AGP-MMT was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of AGP-MMT on the growth performance, intestinal barrier and inflammation was investigated in an enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) challenged mice model. The results show that the microstructure of MMT was obviously changed after andrographolide modification: AGP-MMT exhibited a large number of spheroid particles, and floccule aggregates, but lower interplanar spacing compared with MMT. ETEC infection induced body weight losses and intestinal barrier function injury, as indicated by a lower villus height and ratio of villus height/crypt depth, whereas the serum levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), D-xylose and ETEC shedding were higher in the ETEC group compared with the CON group. Mice pretreated with AGP-MMT showed alleviated body weight losses and the intestinal barrier function injury induced by ETEC challenge. The villus height and the ratio of villus height/crypt depth, were higher in mice pretreated with AGP-MMT than those pretreated with equal levels of MMT. Pretreatment with AGP-MMT also alleviated the increased concentration of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and the corresponding genes in the jejunum induced by ETEC infection in mice. The protein and mRNA levels of IL-1β were lower in mice pretreated with AGP-MMT than those with equal levels of MMT. The results indicate that AGP-MMT was more effective in alleviating intestinal barrier injury and inflammation in mice with ETEC challenge than MMT.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the intestinal and cardiac biomarkers in the determination of intestinal and cardiac damage in dogs with parvoviral enteritis. The material of this study consisted of 10 healthy dogs (control group) and 30 dogs with parvoviral enteritis (experimental group) admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University.

Serum samples were extracted from the collected blood samples taken from vena cephalica venipuncture for analysis of blood gases, haemogram and to measure the levels of intestinal-fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), trefoil factor 3 (TFF-3), claudin-3 (CLDN-3), heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kits.

Statistically significant decreases in the blood gas hydrogen ion concentration (pH), partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), sodium (Na), bicarbonate (HCO3), and oxygen saturation (SatO2) levels and significant increase in the levels of I-FABP, TFF-3, CK-MB, cTnI and also in the haemogram, a decrease in leukocyte (WBC) level and an increase in platelet (THR) level were detected in parvoviral dogs compared to the control group (p<0.05). Also ROC analysis revealed on 0th hour for the utility of I-FABP and on 48th hour for TFF-3 in differentiating in the experimental group between the survivor and non-survivor dogs. Other intestinal-related biomarker (CLDN-3) and none of the cardiac-related biomarkers (H-FABP, CK-MB and cTnI) are not high enough for prediction of mortality.

In conclusion, it was determined that I-FABP and TFF-3 for the intestinal injury and mortality prediction, and CK-MB and cTnI for the cardiac injury were useful and reliable biomarkers to determine the damage caused by parvovirus in dogs.

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a group of chronic inflamma-tory disorders characterized by dysbiosis and altered short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) level. The association between individual SCFA levels and cytokine levels is unknown.
Objectives: We aimed to determine the fecal SCFA levels in patients with IBD in relation to disease severity and the serum levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Patients and Methods: The study included 61 patients with IBD (inactive, 22; active, 39) and 16 controls. Fecal levels of organic acids (acetic, lactic, propionic, butyric, isovaleric, isobutyric, and valeric), serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-17, and IL-22, complete blood count and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured.
Results: Patients with active IBD had reduced butyric, acetic, valeric, and isovaleric acid levels and elevated lactic acid levels in stool. Hemoglobin levels were positively correlated with the levels of acetic and butyric acids ( R = 0.266 and R = 0.346, respectively; P <0.05). In addition, CRP levels were inversely correlated with butyric acid levels ( R = –0.573; P <0.05). Higher serum TNF-α levels were observed in patients with active IBD compared with controls (6.64 pg/ml vs 2.05 pg/ml, P <0.05). No relationship was noted between the SCFA profile and cytokine levels.
Conclusions: The study showed that determination of SCFA levels can be used to evaluate the activity of IBD. The relationship between individual SCFA and cytokine levels seems to be complex and requires further studies.