Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low fecal short chain fatty acids in dachshunds with colorectal polyps
By Igarashi, Hirotaka et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2017·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Analysis of fecal short chain fatty acid concentration in miniature dachshunds with inflammatory colorectal polyps.
Plain-English summary
A group of miniature dachshunds with inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs) showed lower levels of important fatty acids in their feces compared to healthy dogs. This study found that the affected dogs had less propionic acid and fewer beneficial bacteria, which may be linked to their condition. The researchers suggest that restoring these fatty acids through treatments like probiotics or special diets could help manage ICRPs in these dogs. Further investigation is needed to confirm the best treatment options.
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Abstract
Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play an important role in the maintenance of colonic homeostasis, and their depletion has been reported in various gastrointestinal disorders. Inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs) are a recently recognized disease specific to miniature dachshunds (MDs), and fecal dysbiosis with a reduction of SCFA-producing bacteria has been reported with this disease. Therefore, this study was performed based on the hypothesis that a reduced SCFA concentration associates with the development of ICRPs. We recruited 11 ICRP-affected MDs and 25 control MDs. Their fecal SCFA concentrations and bacterial proportions were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. The feces of ICRP-affected MDs contained lower amounts of propionic acid and lower proportions of Bifidobacterium than the feces of control MDs. Furthermore, fecal proportions of Bifidobacterium, Firmicutes and Lactobacillus exhibited significant positive correlations with fecal concentrations of total SCFAs and/or propionic acid; fecal Escherichia coli proportions correlated negatively with fecal concentrations of total SCFAs, as well as acetic, propionic and butyric acid. This result indicates an association between fecal dysbiosis and fecal SCFA concentrations; these phenomena may contribute to ICRP pathogenesis in MDs. Potential therapeutic targeting of the reduced propionic acid concentration using probiotics, prebiotics or SCFA enemas merits further study.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28867685/