PSVIII-5 New insights into feline UTI prevention: Anti-adhesion effects of Mannose, Glucosamine, and Xyloglucans.

Abstract Most feline urinary tract infections (UTI) are caused by pathogens originating from the host’s enteric or distal urogenital flora, with uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) accounting for 80% of the cases. The high recurrency of UTI and rising antimicrobial resistance highlight the need for preventive strategies and the development of alternative antimicrobial therapies. This study evaluated the efficacy and mechanism of action of D-Mannose (M), Glucosamine-HCl (GA) and Xyloglucans from tamarind seed (XG) in preventing the adhesion of feline origin UPEC strain to the modelled bladder lining utilising human epithelial bladder (HTB-4) cells. The UPEC strain was isolated from a feline UTI case and identified through 16S sequencing, with confirmation via BLASTN alignment. A cell viability assay using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was performed in HTB-4 cells to determine non-toxic range of concentrations of each ingredient. Data were normalised, and statistical analysis was conducted using one-Way ANOVA in GraphPad Prism, comparing control and treatment groups. Significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05. Results showed that D-Mannose, Glucosamine-HCl exhibited dose-dependent anti-infective effects, reducing (P < 0.05) bacterial adhesion to the bladder lining. Glucosamine-HCl had the most pronounced (P < 0.0001) effect, while Xyloglucans also demonstrated significant (P < 0.001) anti-adhesive properties. No synergistic effect was observed between XG and GA, with Glucosamine-HCl being the primary driver of the combination’s anti-infective action. Overall, this study successfully developed and validated a new anti-adhesion model using a feline UPEC strain and HTB-4 cells, providing a platform for testing antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory ingredients for feline UTI prevention. The findings confirm that Mannose and Glucosamine, widely used in feline UTI management, can reduce infection risk by preventing bacterial adhesion to the bladder lining. Additionally, Xyloglucans emerged as a novel anti-adhesion ingredient, highlighting its potential for inclusion in supplements aimed at reducing recurrent feline UTIs.