Expression of genes encoding inflammasome sensor subunits in the duodenal and colonic mucosae of dogs with chronic enteropathy

Abstract

Inflammasomes play a pivotal role in gastrointestinal homeostasis and inflammation. However, it remains elusive whether the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR) family inflammasomes, such as NLR family pyrin domain-containing (NLRP)3, NLRP6, and NLRP12, are involved in the pathogenesis of canine chronic enteropathy (CE), which includes antibiotic-responsive enteropathy (ARE), food-responsive enteropathy (FRE), immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy (IRE), and non-responsive enteropathy (NRE). Thus, we measured mRNA expression of NLRP3, NLRP6, and NLRP12 in the intestinal mucosa of 35 dogs with CE (ARE, four dogs; FRE, 11 dogs; IRE and NRE, 20 dogs) and seven healthy dogs. As per real-time PCR analysis, significant increases in mRNA expression of NLRP3 and NLRP12 were noted in the colonic but not in the duodenal mucosa of dogs with FRE compared to healthy dogs. These findings suggested that the NLRP3 and NLRP12 inflammasomes might contribute to the development of colitis in dogs with FRE.

Expression of genes encoding interleukin 15 and its receptor subunits in the duodenal and colonic mucosae of dogs with chronic enteropathy

“…This study included 30 dogs diagnosed with CE at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Animal Medical Center. CE was diagnosed as we previously described ( Hirokawa et al., 2021 ; Osada et al., 2017 ). The inclusion criteria for CE were chronic GI signs, such as vomiting, small bowel diarrhea (melena, normal fecal frequency, and increased fecal volume), and/or large bowel diarrhea (mucus, hematochezia, tenesmus, increased frequency of defecation, and decreased fecal volume) for a duration of >3 weeks, as well as histopathological evidence of inflammation, such as lymphoplasmacytic enteritis, in the duodenal and colonic mucosae in endoscopic biopsy.…”

“…Endoscopic examination of the duodenum and colon was performed according to the procedure in our previous report ( Hirokawa et al., 2021 ). Duodenal and colonic samples were collected from all dogs.…”

“…Total RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and real-time PCR were performed as previously described ( Hirokawa et al., 2021 ). The fluorescence intensities of the PCR products were measured in real-time using a Thermal Cycler Dice® Real Time System Lite (Takara Bio, Shiga, Japan).…”

Clinical characteristics of dogs presenting with vomiting as a gastrointestinal sign of chronic enteropathy

“…During the survey period, a total of 6,946 dogs were referred to TUAT-AMC and AdAM. CE was diagnosed based on the previous reports ( Dandrieux, 2016 ; Hirokawa et al., 2021 ; Ogawa et al., 2018 ; Osada et al., 2017 ). The criteria for CE diagnosis included chronic GI signs, such as vomiting, small bowel diarrhea (melena, normal fecal frequency, and increased fecal volume), and/or large bowel diarrhea (mucus, hematochezia, tenesmus, increased frequency of defecation, and decreased fecal volume) for a duration of over 3 weeks.…”

“…Pancreatitis was clinically excluded as a primary cause of vomiting based on blood tests and abdominal ultrasound results. After exclusion of other causes of chronic GI signs, endoscopic examination of the duodenum with or without the colon was performed in 57 of the 66 dogs according to the procedure described in our previous report ( Hirokawa et al., 2021 ). For the histopathological analysis, more than 6 specimens were obtained by endoscopic biopsy from each region.…”