Faecal proteome in clinically healthy dogs and cats: Findings in pooled faeces from 10 cats and 10 dogs

Abstract

Background In the scientific literature, there are only a few manuscripts available on small animal faecal proteomics. Methods In the present pilot study, this evaluation was performed using pooled faecal samples from 10 clinically healthy dogs and, for the first time, in 10 clinically healthy cats by mean of two‐dimensional electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. Results Our results showed the presence of nine (albumin, alkaline phosphatase, chymotrypsin‐C‐like, cytosol aminopeptidase, elastase‐3B/proteinase E, immunoglobulins and nuclear pore membrane glycoprotein 210) and 14 (albumin, caspase recruitment domain‐containing protein, chymotrypsin‐like, deleted in malignant brain tumours 1 protein‐like, hypothetical protein LOC107375, immunoglobulin, kallikrein‐1, superoxide dismutase, transthyretin precursor, interstitial collagenase‐like) different proteins in canine and feline faeces, respectively. Conclusion These preliminary findings document the presence of a range of proteins in the faeces of apparently healthy dogs and cats and may serve as a basis for larger, prospective studies to establish reference proteomic data against which diseased populations can be compared.

Clinicopathological and Fecal Proteome Evaluations in 16 Dogs Presenting Chronic Diarrhea Associated with Lymphangiectasia

“…Lastly, in dogs of the present study, we did not find some spots (attributed to specific proteins), previously detected in healthy dogs [ 23 ]: a serum albumin isoform X1, other than our spot Y, a nuclear pore membrane glycoprotein-210, and a cytosol aminopeptidase.…”

“…Figure 1 shows the protein expression profile obtained after 2DE in the feces of dogs affected by IL. This protein profile was compared to that obtained from the feces of healthy dogs in a previous study [ 23 ].…”

“…As shown in Table 2 , after the mass spectrometry analysis, we identified 15 main spots, three of which (M, N, and S), corresponding to the Fc fragment of IgG binding protein (Fcgbp), transthyretin (TTR), and proproteinase E, respectively, were present in the feces of dogs with lymphangiectasia but not in healthy dogs [ 23 ].…”

“…The experimental design of the present proteome analysis was based on the complete sample pooling strategy, as described in previous studies [ 23 , 28 , 29 ]. Before performing 2DE analysis, fecal samples were treated as described previously; 15 g of the feces pool coming from 13 patients of the ILG (in three cases, it was not possible to obtain a fecal sample to use specifically for proteomics) was resuspended in 22.5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) diluted 1:100, containing a protease inhibitor cocktail (Sigma-Aldrich, Saint Louis, MO, USA), and extracted as described by Cerquetella and coworkers [ 22 ].…”

“…Fecal proteomics (FP) was recently introduced in veterinary medicine in both healthy dogs and healthy cats, as well as in dogs suffering from food-responsive diarrhea [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. The study of the proteome of a certain body district involves an analysis of all the proteins present in it, in both physiological and pathological conditions, aiming at the possible discovery of new markers, allowing an earlier or more precise diagnosis of different diseases, while also permitting a better evaluation of the response to therapies or the onset of any relapses [ 22 , 23 ].…”