Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How obesity changes cholesterol and adiponectin in cats
By Muranaka, S et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2011·School of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Obesity induced changes to plasma adiponectin concentration and cholesterol lipoprotein composition profile in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that obese cats had lower levels of a protein called adiponectin and higher levels of LDL cholesterol compared to healthy cats. While the obese cats showed increased cholesterol, glucose, and triglycerides, these differences weren't significant enough to classify them as severely obese. However, their insulin levels were notably higher, which could suggest the beginning of insulin resistance due to obesity. Monitoring these changes in adiponectin and cholesterol could help identify obesity in cats early on.
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Abstract
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.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20980035/