Microbial dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability are targets for prevention or reversal of weight gain in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity (DIO). Prebiotic milk oligosaccharides (MO) have been shown to benefit the host intestine but have not been used in DIO. We hypothesized that supplementation with bovine MO would prevent the deleterious effect of HF diet on the gut microbiota and intestinal permeability and attenuate development of the obese phenotype. C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet, HF (40% fat/kcal), or HF + prebiotic [6%/kg bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) or inulin] for 1, 3, or 6 wk. Gut microbiota and intestinal permeability were assessed in the ileum, cecum, and colon. Addition of BMO to the HF diet significantly attenuated weight gain, decreased adiposity, and decreased caloric intake; inulin supplementation also lowered weight gain and adiposity, but this did not reach significance. BMO and inulin completely abolished the HF diet-induced increase in paracellular and transcellular permeability in the small and large intestine. Both BMO and inulin increased abundance of beneficial microbes and in the ileum. However, inulin supplementation altered phylogenetic diversity and decreased species richness. We conclude that addition of BMO to the HF diet completely prevented increases in intestinal permeability and microbial dysbiosis and was partially effective to prevent weight gain in DIO. This study provides the first report of the effects of prebiotic bovine milk oligosaccharides on the host phenotype of high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice.

Case summaryA 5-month-old feral kitten developed worsening respiratory signs, including tachypnea, coughing and wheezing after standard anthelmintic treatment with fenbendazole at a local shelter. The kitten was referred to the University of California, Davis, William R Pritchard Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital for further evaluation. Thoracic radiographs revealed a severe diffuse bronchointerstitial pattern with bronchial cuffing, ill-defined nodules and lymphadenomegaly. Differentials included infectious etiologies such as toxoplasmosis, feline infectious peritonitis and cryptococcosis. Parasitic infection was considered less likely, owing to previous anthelmintic treatment. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed marked neutrophilic and eosinophilic inflammation, and parasitic larvae were observed in a swab of trachea mucus. PCR confirmed the larvae as Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. The kitten recovered with two more rounds of anthelmintic treatment.Relevance and novel informationParasitic pneumonia should be considered as a cause of respiratory distress in kittens and cats. Lungworm infections have been more commonly reported in free-roaming young and adult cats, but cannot be excluded as a differential diagnosis in cats from varied environments and in kittens. Kittens appear to be especially sensitive to lungworm infections, manifested by the development of more severe clinical signs; thus lungworm infection should always be considered when presented with a kitten in respiratory distress. In the absence of cytologic confirmation of infection via bronchoalveolar lavage or oropharyngeal swab, PCR provides a valuable means for identification of lungworms, such as A abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior.

Tracheoscopy-guided electrocautery and surgical diode laser resection was successful in removing an obstructive tracheal mass that was not resectable by means of a conventional open surgical approach. Minimally invasive procedures may decrease morbidity and mortality and improve outcome in appropriately selected small animal patients.