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Simple Summary: Intestinal microbiome dysbiosis in human patients with chronic liver disease is known to influence disease progression. Several studies show benefits from administering probiotics/prebiotics. Similar intestinal dysbiosis was identified in dogs with chronic liver disease, but clinical trials evaluating the benefits of gut microbiome modulation in these patients are lacking. In the study, 32 dogs with chronic hepatobiliary disease were divided into two groups: one treated with a probiotics/prebiotics complex for 4–6 weeks and untreated control group. All dogs underwent clinical evaluation, complete anamnesis, bloodwork, abdominal ultrasound, fecal bile acids, and gut microbiome evaluation. Treated dogs showed a significant reduction in biochemical markers of liver injury and resolution of gastrointestinal signs compared to the control group. Some qualitative modifications of the gut microbiome were observed, but no significant changes in the fecal bile acids profile were detected in association with the probiotics/prebiotics administration. Alteration in the gut microbiome in human patients with chronic liver disease is a well-known pathophysiological mechanism. Therefore, it represents both a diagnostic and therapeutical target. Intestinal dysbiosis has also been identified in dogs with chronic liver disease, but clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of synbiotic administration are lacking. Thirty-two dogs with chronic hepatobiliary disease were equally randomized into two groups: one treated with a synbiotic complex for 4–6 weeks (TG) and one untreated control group (CG). All dogs underwent clinical evaluation, complete anamnesis, bloodwork, abdominal ultrasound, fecal bile acids, and gut microbiome evaluation at T0–T1 (after 4–6 weeks). Treated dogs showed a significant reduction in ALT activity (p = 0.007) and clinical resolution of gastrointestinal signs (p = 0.026) compared to control dogs. The synbiotic treatment resulted in a lower increase in Enterobacteriaceae and Lachnospiraceae compared to the control group but did not affect the overall richness and number of bacterial species. No significant changes in fecal bile acids profile were detected with synbiotic administration. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of synbiotic administration in these patients and the metabolic pathways involved in determining the clinical and biochemical improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance is a global problem, searching for new antimicrobial agents is an urgent need. In this study, in vitro antibacterial and antimicrobial effects of milk-derived antimicrobial agents, lactoferrin-derived peptides, lactoferricin (Lfc) and lactoferrampin (Lfa) (alone or in combination) and their association with natural extracts have been explored. The assessment of antimicrobial activity was based on two measurements: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Fractional Inhibitory Concentration indexes. Lfc alone is more suitable for inhibiting Staphylococcus intermedius and Malassezia pachydermatis, while Lfa against Candida albicans, a synergistic effect of the two peptides against all the three pathogens has been detected. A strong synergy of all the natural extracts with Lfc and Lfa solution against selected microorganisms in vitro was pointed out. Our results suggest that natural-derived compounds, such as milk peptides and vegetal extracts could be promising tools to treat moderate fungal and bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Cats are commonly affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Many reactive carbonyl intermediates and end products originating from the oxidative stress pathways are recognised as uraemic toxins and may play a role in CKD progression. The aim of the present study is to confirm whether carbonyl end-product formation is higher in cats affected by CKD and to assess whether an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) might affect these hallmarks. Methods: Twenty-two cats were divided into three groups: a control group (CG), cats with CKD and cats with CKD treated with an ACEi. Serum levels of pentosidine, carboxymethyllysine, advanced oxidation protein products, malondialdehyde, methylglyoxal and hexanoyl-lysine were measured. In addition, biochemical parameters and systolic blood pressure were evaluated. After checking for normality, comparisons between groups were performed followed by multiple comparison tests. P values ⩽0.05 were considered significant. Correlations between concentrations of the considered biomarkers and of the other metabolic parameters were investigated. Results: Advanced oxidation protein products, malondialdehyde and hexanoyl-lysine concentrations were significantly higher in CKD and ACEi-treated groups compared with the CG (P <0.05). Carboxymethyllysine increased in the ACEi-treated group when compared with the CG, whereas intermediate values of these biomarkers were found in the CKD group (P <0.05). The ACEi-treated group showed the highest values of carboxymethyllysine, advanced oxidation protein products and hexanoyl-lysine. By contrast, the CKD group had the highest concentration of malondialdehyde. No statistically significant difference was found in the levels of pentosidine or methylglyoxal. End products correlated with creatinine and urea and with each other. Conclusions and relevance: Significantly high concentrations of both intermediate and end products of carbonyl/oxidative stress were detected in CKD cats. This is the first study to have concurrently taken into account several uraemic toxins and biochemical parameters in cats affected by CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis affects 3-15% of the general dog population and it has been diagnosed by veterinarians up to 58% of dogs affected with skin disease. It is usually a life-long pathology which can be controlled, but it can be seldom cured. The present investigation describes a case study in which lactoferricin and verbascoside are part of a formulation to obtain a dermatological lotion for canine dermatitis treatment. The study was an open-label trial design of two-week treatment. Thirty-eight dogs (23 females and 15 males), with atopic dermatitis and secondary bacterial or yeast overgrowth have been included. During treatment period the total clinical score progressively decreased associated with an improvement in clinical signs. No adverse effects were reported in any of the treated dogs. The present research suggests that daily applications of tested emulsion are effective in reducing bacterial overgrowth and clinical signs in skin folds and atopic dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]