A Preliminary Metabolomic Study of Yorkshire Terrier Enteropathy

Perturbations of metabolite profiles in human and canine enteropathies have been reported before. However, data in dogs are scarce and inconsistent. Currently, the metabolite profile in Yorkshire Terrier enteropathy (YTE) and the impact of treatment is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the plasma metabolome of 13 Yorkshire Terriers with YTE and compare it to 20 healthy Yorkshire Terriers. Furthermore, we studied the impact of treatment on the metabolome. In this prospective observational study, plasma metabolite profiles were analyzed by flow injection analysis-tandem mass spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using a targeted metabolomics kit. Metabolite analysis revealed that YTE is accompanied by changes in lipid and bile acid metabolism. YTE was associated with a significant decrease of long-chain fatty acids (octadecenoic acid, eicosadienoic acid, eicosatrienoic acid) and lower levels of long-chain acylcarnitines (tetradecanoylcarnitine, hexadecanoylcarnitine, hexadecenoylcarnitine, octadecenoylcarnitine) compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, taurodeoxycholic acid, a secondary bile acid, was decreased in plasma from YTE patients. These changes might be breed-specific and might be involved in the pathogenesis of YTE. Interestingly, changes in metabolite levels were not recovered after treatment and differed considerably from healthy controls.