GI18 - Evaluation of Intestinal Permeability in Dogs with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Background: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is characterized by insufficient synthesis and secretion of enzymes by the exocrine pancreas. This in turn leads to maldigestion and intestinal dysbiosis, and may or may not lead to disturbances in intestinal integrity. Disturbances of intestinal integrity can be assessed by evaluation of intestinal permeability (IP) and have been reported in humans with EPI. Iohexol has recently been described as a marker for IP in healthy dogs and dogs with chronic enteropathy. Objectives: To compare IP between dogs with EPI and healthy control dogs receiving the same diet.
Animals: Twenty dogs were selected for this study: 10 dogs with EPI, currently showing no clinical signs and receiving pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), and 10 healthy control dogs. Study and control groups were matched according to size and age. Methods: Dogs received the same extruded commercial diet. Food was withheld for 12 hours before oral administration of 2.0mL/kg of iohexol. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein two hours after iohexol administration, centrifuged, and frozen. Results: Serum iohexol concentrations were significantly higher (p = 0.0147) in dogs with EPI on PERT (median: 60.6µg/mL range: 21.0-186.3) compared to healthy control dogs (median: 29.0µg/mL range: 20.7-56.7). Conclusions: This study suggests that despite receiving PERT, showing no clinical signs, and maintaining normal body condition, dogs with EPI show an increased IP when compared to healthy control dogs. An increase in IP may contribute to gastrointestinal dysfunctions in dogs with EPI.