Assessment of intestinal function in cats with chronic diarrhea after infection with feline immunodeficiency virus.
OBJECTIVE
To identify consistent relevant mechanisms of small intestinal dysfunction in cats with experimentally induced feline immunodeficiency virus infection (FIV) that developed chronic diarrhea during the time they were being used in studies of pathogenicity and transmission of FIV.


METHODS
10 cats.


METHODS
The following investigative tests and techniques were performed on each of the cats: routine hematologic and serum biochemical analyses; urinalysis; fecal parasitologic and microbiologic examinations; breath hydrogen lactulose (BH2LT) and xylose (BH2XT) tests; intestinal permeability test; endoscopic examination of the intestinal mucosa; bacteriologic culture of endoscopically collected small intestinal juice; and histologic examination of endoscopically obtained intestinal biopsy specimens.


RESULTS
Neutrophilia was evident in 3 cats, and lymphopenia was detected in 2 cats. Serum biochemical abnormalities were not observed. Urinalysis results were unremarkable. Fecal bacteriologic and parasitologic results were normal, except for isolation of Campylobacter sp from 1 cat. Abnormal BH2XT values suggestive of D-xylose malabsorption were identified in 2 cats, and BH2LT values indicated evidence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in 1 cat. Finally, permeability test results, quantitation of bacterial flora from the proximal part of the small intestine and histologic examination of biopsy specimens did not reveal any abnormalities.


CONCLUSIONS
Enteric pathogens did not account for the development of diarrhea in cats with experimentally induced FIV infection, and consistent relevant mechanisms of small intestinal dysfunction were not identified.
Papasouliotis
K
K
Division of Companion Animals, University of Bristol, Langford, England.
Gruffydd-Jones
T J
TJ
Werrett
G
G
Brown
P J
PJ
Hopper
C D
CD
Stokes
C R
CR
Harbour
D A
DA
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002415:Cats; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000662:veterinary; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000382:microbiology; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006089:Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
D000956:Antigens, Viral