Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lipid laden macrophages and reflux scores in dogs with acid reflux
By Nino, Gustavo et al.·Published in Pediatric pulmonology·2007·Maimonides Infants and Children's Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lipid laden macrophage indices and reflux finding score in canine gastroesophageal reflux model.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In this study, researchers looked at how acid reflux in dogs might affect their breathing and throat. They performed surgery on five mixed-breed dogs to create gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which is when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus. After the surgery, they found that the dogs had a significant increase in the amount and duration of reflux episodes, but there were no notable changes in throat or lung health indicators. This suggests that having GER doesn't automatically lead to problems in the throat or lungs. Overall, the treatment did not seem to cause any additional respiratory issues in the dogs.
Abstract
UNLABELLED: Laryngeal exposure to acid and aspiration of gastric contents may lead to severe respiratory disorders. This study utilizes the canine model of Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) to identify whether lower esophageal dysfunction is associated with upper and lower airway pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five mongrel dogs underwent GER-creating surgery (partial cardiomyectomy). Laryngeal reflux finding score (RFS), lipid-laden macrophage index (LLMI) and BAL fluid cell differential were obtained before and after surgery. RESULTS: Partial cardiomyectomy in dogs significantly increased the Reflux index (RI) from 0.38 +/- 0.21% to 7.56 +/- 2.89% (P = 0.048), the duration of the longest reflux episode (DLRE) from 1.22 +/- 1.19 min to 66.2 +/- 42.03 min postoperatively (P = 0.049) and the total number of episodes in 24 hr from 2.06 +/- 1.03 to a postoperative value of 19.24 +/- 4.79. There was no statistically significant change in values for RFS, LLMI, and BAL fluid cell differential after the induction of GER. CONCLUSIONS: Acid reflux to the proximal esophagus of this animal model did not cause laryngeal exposure to acid or aspiration of gastric content. The results of this study suggest that presence of GER, secondary to lower esophageal dysfunction is not necessarily associated with upper and lower airway pathology.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17926338/