Biomarcadores metabólicos de cães obesos tratados com alimentação natural

Abstract

Obesity is the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue resulting from positive energy balance, associated with significant metabolic and endocrine changes in the body. It has been increasing in prevalence, thus gaining more and more importance in companion animal medicine. Adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ, with an important physiological role. However, fat releases pro-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. Additionally, it characterizes low-grade chronic inflammation in obese dogs, resulting in numerous adverse effects on the health of affected animals. The treatment of obesity with a homemade natural cooked diet is a new therapeutic option that can present positive results, especially for those patients who are refractory to treatments or who do not accept commercial dry food well, as well as to meet the interest of owners in feeding their animals with natural, fresh food and free of chemical additives. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of weight loss in obese dogs treated with a balanced cooked natural diet for 120 days, through weight, body condition score (BCS), body fat percentage (BF%), abdominal circumference (AC), hematological and biochemical parameters and to compare the occurrence of insulin resistance before and after obesity treatment by evaluating the hormones insulin, fructosamine, blood glucose and indexes HOMA-IR and HOMA-B, correlating them with body condition. Twenty-four obese animals were assessed, and a weekly weight loss of 1.00±0.37% was observed. There was a significant decrease in weight, BCS, AC, BF%, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, globulin, calcium, triglycerides, cholesterol, homocysteine, glucose, insulin, fructosamine, and HOMA-IR after weight loss with the use of a homemade natural cooked diet. A strong positive correlation was found between insulin and the HOMA-IR index (r=0,88; p<0,001), and a strong negative correlation between glucose and the HOMA-B index (r=-0,74; p<0,001). A moderate positive correlation was observed between homocysteine and BCS (r=0,51; p=0,001), BF% (r=0,55; p<0,001), insulin (r=0,53; p=0,001), HOMA-IR index (r=0,50; p=0,001), and calcium (r=0,60; p<0,001); between cholesterol and ECC (r=0,59; p<0,001), BF% (r=0,54; p=0,0005) and AC (r=0,52; p=0,0008); between triglycerides and %BF (r=0,52; p=0,0007); and also between insulin and the HOMA-B index (r=0,62; p<0,001). All other correlations were considered weak. It is concluded that obese animals presented changes in lipid profile and lower peripheral sensitivity to insulin and that the natural homemade cooked supplemented diet used for 120 days proved to be effective in promoting weight loss and improving the metabolic profile of dogs.