Oral administration of fermented probiotics improves the condition of feces in adult horses.

The effects of probiotics on horses are still controversial. The present study was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study designed to evaluate the ability of probiotics to improve intestinal conditions in adult horses. Fermented probiotics were administered to 10 healthy adult geldings for 28 days. The clinical condition of the horses was monitored daily, and the blood and feces were biochemically analyzed every 14 days. In the probiotic-treated group, the concentration of carboxylic acids in the feces was increased at days 14 and 28. In contrast to the fecal pH in the control group, which increased at days 14 and 28, the fecal pH in the probiotic-treated group did not increase. Additionally, the relative amounts of enteropathogenic bacterial DNA were diminished in the probiotic-treated group. These results suggest that probiotic bacteria proliferated in the equine intestine. No instances of abnormal clinical conditions or abnormal values in blood tests were observed throughout the study. Oral administration of fermented probiotics may have the ability to improve the intestinal environment biochemically and microbiologically without the risk of adverse effects.

Pilot evaluation of the efficacy of shampoo treatment with ultrapure soft water for canine pruritus.

Ultrapure soft water (UPSW) is water in which calcium and magnesium ions have been replaced with sodium ions using a cation-exchange resin. We recently demonstrated that washing with soap and UPSW reduced the clinical severity of dermatitis and improved the skin barrier function in NC/NgaTnd mice, a murine model for human atopic dermatitis. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of shampoo treatment with UPSW for dogs with pruritus. Eleven dogs with pruritus were randomly assigned to two groups depending on whether they received weekly shampoo treatment with UPSW or tap water for 4 weeks. After a washout period, the treatment protocol was switched such that each dog received both treatments. The pre-treatment and post-treatment values of the following were compared: pruritus scores assessed by the owners; dermatitis scores recorded by an investigator; and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Shampoo treatment with UPSW significantly decreased pruritus and dermatitis scores in the dogs, whereas shampoo treatment with tap water did not. In addition, shampoo treatment with UPSW, but not with tap water, significantly reduced TEWL in the dogs. Adverse events due to the treatment were not observed in the dogs. Furthermore, we found that topical application of UPSW for barrier-disrupted skin caused by tape stripping in healthy dogs decreased TEWL more rapidly than topical application of tap water. Our findings suggest that shampoo treatment with UPSW promotes skin barrier recovery and thus could be considered as a possible therapeutic option in the management of pruritus and dermatitis in dogs.

Wet heat inactivation of lipopolysaccharide from E. coli serotype 055:B5.

Wet heat inactivation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli Serotype 055:B5 was investigated. The LPS solutions were heated at study temperatures ranging from 78 degrees C to 175 degrees C, and were assayed using the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test. Plots of the log of the amount of endotoxin remaining versus heating time showed biphasic decreases. The initial slopes are associated with a faster rate of decrease to about a 0.5-log unit reduction, and were followed by a slower, linear rate of decline in the secondary slopes. The curves were applied to the biexponential model expressed by the equation (Et = E1e-klt + E2e-k2t). The LPS inactivation rates (k1 and k2) each conformed to their own Arrhenius equation. Therefore, the processes required to achieve the desired level of LPS inactivation can be obtained by mathematical means.