Relationship between Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) and kidney injury in pug and french bulldog dogs

• Grant number: 24/08662-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Paola Castro Moraes
• Grantee: Mirella Miconi Neves
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) is a common disorder in brachycephalic dog breeds, causing airway obstruction and clinical signs such as dyspnea, exercise intolerance, and stertor. Similar to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in humans, BOAS can lead to episodes of hypoxia, which causes kidney injuries, increasing the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study in question aims to evaluate the relationship between BOAS and the development of CKD in brachycephalic dogs of the Pug and French Bulldog breeds, in order to correlate the results obtained with the clinical severity of the patients. A total of 40 dogs will be selected (10 dogs for each grade of the syndrome), aged between 1 and 8 years, healthy, and not subjected to corrective surgical procedures for one or more components of the syndrome. The patients will be clinically evaluated with a general physical examination and subjected to an exercise test to assess the degree of BOAS (0 to III). Hematological analysis will be performed to evaluate the general condition of the patient, and serum biochemistry will be conducted to assess kidney function using markers such as symmetric dimethylarginine, urea, and creatinine. Electrolytes (sodium, calcium, and potassium) will also be evaluated via blood gas analysis, and urinalysis and protein-to-creatinine ratio evaluation will be performed. Morphological evaluation of the renal parenchyma and renal perfusion will be carried out using B-mode ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced microbubble imaging, respectively. The results obtained from these analyses will be compared and correlated with the grades of BOAS and breeds, with a significance level set at 95% (p<0.05) for all statistical tests used.