Obesity induced changes to plasma adiponectin concentration and cholesterol lipoprotein composition profile in cats.

Feline obesity generally results in aberrations to plasma metabolite levels, such as lipid concentrations and lipoprotein composition. This study sought to investigate the resultant effect of obesity on cholesterol lipoprotein composition and circulating adiponectin concentrations in cats. Plasma glucose, lipids (triglyceride, cholesterol and free fatty acid), insulin and adiponectin concentrations, and cholesterol lipoprotein composition were measured and compared between body condition score (BCS) determined normal healthy control and obese cats. Although the obese group demonstrated higher levels of plasma cholesterol, glucose, and triglycerides, as compared to healthy controls, the difference was insignificant thus indicating that the BCS determined obese cats may have been overweight and not morbidly obese. Plasma insulin levels were significantly higher (25-30%) versus healthy control animals thereby possibly hinting at the ensuing emergence of obesity induced insulin resistance. However, the BCS determined obese cat demonstrated a significant reduction (p<0.05) in plasma adiponectin concentration and a significant increase (p<0.05) in LDL-cholesterol % as compared to age matched healthy control animals. This would indicate that changes in plasma adiponectin concentration and cholesterol lipoprotein composition may be good early indicators of obesity in cats.

Hypertriglyceridemia with increased plasma insulin concentrations in cats.

Metabolite, insulin and adiponectin concentrations and LDH, AST and ALT activities were measured in plasma of 142 client-owned cats (1-13years old, 16 breeds) to set up a new criterion of hypertriglyceridemia (hyper-TG) with increased plasma insulin concentrations for early diagnosis of lipid metabolism abnormality including obesity. 25 cats with over 165mg/dl of plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations were decided as hyper-TG with increased plasma insulin concentrations, and prevalence of hyper-TG was 16.7% in young (1-6years old) and 18.3% in old (>7years old) cats examined. In the hyper-TG cats, their plasma TG concentrations increased to 6.6-7.4-fold of the values of control cats with 35-50mg/dl of plasma TG and their plasma cholesterol, FFA and insulin concentrations and LDH and ALT activities increased significantly, whereas their plasma adiponectin concentrations decreased significantly compared to those in the control cats. Hyper-TG cats with significantly increased body weights and plasma insulin and decreased plasma adiponectin seemed to be in early stage of obesity accompanying increased plasma insulin concentrations. Increased TG, insulin, LDH and ALT and decreased adiponectin values in plasma seemed to be key factors for diagnosis of lipid metabolism abnormality at early stage in cats.