2015 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

All 4 histamine receptors were identified in the canine gastrointestinal tract, with the H1, H2, and H3 receptors having a greater distribution than the H4 receptor. Validation of the immunohistochemical technique with the H4 receptor antibody was successful. Additional validation methods for the H2 receptor antibody are warranted. Despite non-specific staining with the H1 and H3 receptor antibodies on Western blot, the distribution of H1 and H3 receptors in the canine gastrointestinal tract was similar to that seen in the human gastrointestinal tract. Further studies to compare the density and distribution of these receptors in dogs with gastrointestinal disease are needed. Intestinal dysbiosis in dogs is defined as a relative shift in the bacterial populations of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and has been associated with chronic enteropathy (CE). Our group has previously reported small intestinal or fecal dysbiosis and decreased species richness in canine spontaneous inflammatory bowel disease. However, due to functional redundancy between bacterial groups, determining the biochemical changes in the GIT requires direct analysis of the biomolecules that are present. The study aim was to evaluate differences in fecal metabolite profiles between dogs with chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and healthy control dogs.