Avian Pathol: Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in pigeons.Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is the inability to properly digest food due to a lack of digestive enzymes made by the pancreas. This disease is found frequently in dogs. EPI is also found in humans afflicted with cystic fibrosis. (EPI) is a well-studied syndrome in domestic animals. EPI occurs when severe, progressive loss of tubulo-acinar tissue from atrophy or inflammatory destruction results in insufficient secretion of digestive enzymes and clinical signs of malabsorption. However, the literature on EPI in birds is limited. The syndrome has been previously described in several cases where the diagnosis was based on clinical signs due to malabsorption-like light-colored voluminous feces, voracious appetite, coprophagia, and weight loss, and on the response to treatment with pancreatic enzyme formulas. To enable a more scientific approach to the diagnosis of pancreatic functional disorders in pigeons, reference values of plasma amylase amylase (ăm`əlās'), enzyme having physiological, commercial, and historical significance, also called diastase. It is found in both plants and animals. Amylase was purified (1835) from malt by Anselme Payen and Jean Persoz. (382-556 IU/L), lipase lipase (lī`pās), any enzyme capable of degrading lipid molecules. The bulk of dietary lipids are a class called triacylglycerols and are attacked by lipases to yield simple fatty acids and glycerol, molecules which can permeate the membranes (0-5 IU/L), and fecal activities of amylase (13-16 IU/L) and trypsin (11-14 IU/L) were determined in 24 adult pigeons. A case of EPI in a racing pigeon (Columba livia domestica) is reported, based on the clinical signs and the measurement of fecal amylase and trypsin activity. 2006;35:58-62. |
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