Association of circulating adipokine concentrations with indices of adiposity and sex in healthy, adult client owned cats

BACKGROUND: Both diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity are common in cats. The adipokines leptin, adiponectin, resistin and omentin are thought to have important roles in human obesity and glucose homeostasis; however, their functions in the pathophysiology of feline diabetes mellitus and obesity are poorly understood. We determined whether sexual dimorphism exists for circulating concentrations of these adipokines, whether they are associated with adiposity, and whether they correlate with basic indices of insulin sensitivity in cats. Healthy, client-owned male and female cats that were either ideal weight or obese were recruited into the study. Fasting blood glucose, fructosamine, cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin and plasma concentrations of adipokines were evaluated. RESULTS: Obese cats had greater serum concentrations of glucose and triglycerides than ideal weight cats, but fructosamine and cholesterol concentrations did not differ between groups. Body weight and body mass index were greater in male than female cats, but circulating metabolite cocentrations were similar between sexes of both the ideal weight and obese groups. Plasma concentrations of insulin and leptin were greater in obese than ideal weight cats, with reciprocal reduction in adiponectin concentrations in obese cats; there were no sex differences in these hormones. Interestingly, plasma omentin concentrations were greater in male than female cats but with no differences between obese and ideal weight states. CONCLUSION: Together our findings suggest that rather than gender, body weight and adiposity are more important determinants of circulating concentrations of the adipokines leptin and adiponectin. On the contrary, the adipokine omentin is not affected by body weight or adiposity but instead exhibits sexual dimorphism in cats.