GI06 - Expanded Fecal Bile Acid Profile in Dogs with Chronic Enteropathy

Background – Bile acids (BA) are key signalling molecules in the intestine, regulating metabolism and inflammation, and maintaining gut health. Some BA produced through gut microbial isomerization (iso-BA) or oxidation (oxo-BA) of BA are relatively abundant members of the human fecal BA pool, but have not yet been fully characterized in dogs.

 

Objectives - Compare fecal BA concentrations between dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE) and healthy control dogs (HC).

 

Animals –10 dogs with CE and 10 HC dogs.

 

Methods – Retrospective cross-sectional study. Fecal concentrations of 30 BA (including unconjugated, taurine- and glycine-conjugated, and iso- and oxo-BA) were measured with an LC-MS/MS method using a novel online solid phase extraction method. BA concentrations were compared between groups with Mann-Whitney tests.

 

Results - Fecal concentrations of primary unconjugated BA, primary glycine-conjugated, taurocholic, iso-cholic, and 3-oxo-cholic acid were significantly higher in dogs with CE than in HC dogs. Fecal concentrations of secondary unconjugated, secondary glycine-conjugated, iso-chenodeoxycholic, and 3-oxo-deoxycholic acid were significantly lower in dogs with CE than in HC dogs (Table 1). In HC dogs, iso-BA comprised 5-23% (median: 12%) of the total BA pool, and oxo-BA comprised 12-31% (median: 25%) of the total BA pool.

 

Conclusions – Oxo- and iso-BA are abundant members of the fecal BA pool in dogs and show altered concentrations in dogs with CE. Future studies are warranted to elucidate the role these BA play in canine CE, as well as their relation to members of the intestinal microbiota.