2017 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

The most profound changes in fecal sterols observed were at baseline between dogs with AHDS and healthy control dogs, but many of these changes normalized rapidly. The observed differences between dogs with SRD and FRD at follow-up after 2-3 months may be largely due to the effect of diet. Future studies are required to evaluate the utility of these compounds as markers of disease phenotype or response to therapy. Cholesterol is the most abundant sterol in mammalian tissues, playing a critical role in cell membrane function and serving as a precursor molecule for hormones, vitamins, and bile acids. Structurally similar to cholesterol, phytosterols have been associated with anti-inflammatory effects in rodent models of colitis. Previous studies have shown altered fecal sterol concentrations in dogs with chronic enteropathy. Fatty acids are an important source of energy, and along with sterols, they are also critical for intestinal epithelial cell membrane structure and function. The aim of this study was to analytically validate a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) assay for the measurement of several sterols (i.e., cholesterol, coprostanol, cholestanol, b-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, sitostanol, and fucosterol) and fatty acids (i.e., palmitic, oleic, linoleic, a-linolenic, stearic, gondoic, and erucic acids) in canine fecal samples.