Dissertation: Chronic bile duct inflammations in felines: examination and treatment

Veterinarian and PhD Candidate Corma Otte has studied chronic bile duct inflammations in felines, a condition whose symptoms are very similar to those observed in humans. The cat can be considered as a naturally occurring model for humans, in whom bile duct inflammations require liver transplants and an increased risk of cancer of the bile ducts and intestines.

Among Otte’s recommendations is to skip the standard treatment with antibiotics, which is often used to treat bile duct inflammations, as the bacteria in the bile ducts are a consequence of the inflammation, not a cause. The inflammation inhibits the normal flow of bile, which causes the bacteria to accumulate in the duct. Antibiotics may, however, be useful in cats suffering from clinical symptoms as a result of a bile duct infection caused by all of those bacteria.

Otte will defend her dissertation on chronic bile duct inflammations on 10 October . The disease is most common in older cats, especially tomcats and Norwegian Forest cats. Proper treatment can help extend the cat’s life considerably.  In her research, Otte compared the available therapies and determined that treatment with prednison is preferable to the other options. On one hand, prednison stimulates the appetite, which is beneficial for patients that suffer from nausea and do not want to eat. But prednison also helps inhibit the inflammation of the bile ducts.

A chronic bile duct inflammation can cause liver damage. Initially, the liver can heal itself by multiplying the liver and bile duct cells that are already present. Prednison is also more effective than therapy using synthetic bile acids. Only if this is not sufficient are so-called pioneer cells, which develop out of stem cells, activated to help repair the damage.

Corma Otte has also developed cell dyes especially for cats. These dyes make cells visible under the microscope, helping researchers to better understand the healing process. This technique may offer potential starting points for new therapies in the future.