title: Use of the 13C-octanoic acid breath test for assessment of solid-phase gastric emptying in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the 13C-octanoic acid breath test for determining gastric emptying in dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  6 healthy adult dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food was withheld for 12 hours before each test. Expired air was collected 30 minutes and immediately before each test and at frequent intervals thereafter for 6 hours. Concentration of 13CO2 in expired air was determined by use of continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Basal concentration of 13CO2 was measured in dogs that were not fed a test meal. Effects of the standard unlabeled test meal on basal concentration of 13CO2 were then assessed. The optimum dose of substrate was determined by measuring 13CO2 concentration after ingestion of the standard test meal containing 50 or 100 mg of 13C-octanoic acid, whereas effect of energy density of the test meal on gastric emptying was determined after ingestion of the standard or high-energy labeled test meal. Gastric emptying coefficient (GEC), time to peak 13CO2 concentration (tmax), and half-dose recovery time (t(1/2)) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Basal concentration of 13CO2 in expired air was not significantly affected by ingestion of the unlabeled test meal. However, 13CO2 concentration significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner after ingestion of the labeled meal. Gastric emptying coefficient, and were significantly different between dogs fed the standard and high-energy test meals, indicating that ingestion of a high-energy meal delays gastric emptying.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 13C-octanoic acid breath test may be a useful noninvasive and nonradioactive method for assessment of gastric emptying in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Wyse
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Preston
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Yam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002210:Caprylates / Q000378:metabolism*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000662:veterinary; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D002210:Caprylates; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C031492:octanoic acid