2018 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program: Seattle, Washington, June 14 - 15, 2018

Our results show differences between the mucosal proteome of healthy cats, cats with IBD, and cats with SCL. These proteins might hold potential for the development of minimally-invasive biomarkers for the differentiation of IBD and SCL in cats with chronic enteropathy. Further studies to validate these findings are warranted. The essential amino acid tryptophan and its degradation products (e.g., serotonin) are important in the regulation of T-cell response within the intestine as well as intestinal motility. Furthermore, bacteria metabolize tryptophan into various indole-derivatives, which also serve as signaling molecules, activating pathways in other organ systems (e.g., brain, liver, kidney). Alterations in tryptophan metabolism is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans, and dietary supplementation with tryptophan has been shown to have antiinflammatory effects in experimental colitis models. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the tryptophan-serotonin-indole pathway in dogs with intestinal disease.