Ecimovic, Luka
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Obesity is currently one of the major medical problems affecting humans and companion animals, including cats; however, a detailed understanding of the metabolic processes altered in feline obesity remains limited. This study aimed to investigate obesity-related changes in the serum metabolome of three groups of cats, metabolically healthy normal-weight (MHN) cats, metabolically healthy overweight (MHO) cats, and metabolically unhealthy overweight (MUO) cats. Metabolome changes were assessed using LC-MS (untargeted), LC-MS (targeted), and FIA-MS (targeted) methods. Untargeted analysis detected 141 significant annotated features, while targeted approach identified 48 metabolites significantly associated with obesity. Both untargeted and targeted analyses showed lower kynurenine levels in the MUO group compared to the MHN group. Targeted LC-MS analysis identified 11 significant metabolites, whereas the FIA-MS approach detected 37. Four metabolites-glycine, citrulline, and two phosphatidylcholines-were found at lower levels in the MHO group compared to the MHN group. Arginine and proline metabolism, along with methionine metabolism, were significantly altered pathways, while thyroid hormone synthesis was independently altered with the highest enrichment ratio. The obtained results suggest that cats with a healthy phenotype exhibit an intermediate-metabolic-risk profile and provide new insights into the metabolic mechanisms and pathways underlying feline obesity.
Keywords
metabolomics; feline; obesity; mass spectrometry
Published in
Veterinary Sciences
2025, volume: 12, number: 8, article number: 697
Publisher: MDPI
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Clinical Science
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12080697
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/143722