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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Relationships among Body Condition, Insulin Resistance and S...
PloS one2015; 10(5); e0125968; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125968

Relationships among Body Condition, Insulin Resistance and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Gene Expression during the Grazing Season in Mares.

Abstract: Obesity and insulin resistance have been shown to be risk factors for laminitis in horses. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of changes in body condition during the grazing season on insulin resistance and the expression of genes associated with obesity and insulin resistance in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Sixteen Finnhorse mares were grazing either on cultivated high-yielding pasture (CG) or semi-natural grassland (NG) from the end of May to the beginning of September. Body measurements, intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), and neck and tailhead SAT gene expressions were measured in May and September. At the end of grazing, CG had higher median body condition score (7 vs. 5.4, interquartile range 0.25 vs. 0.43; P=0.05) and body weight (618 kg vs. 572 kg ± 10.21 (mean ± SEM); P=0.02), and larger waist circumference (P=0.03) than NG. Neck fat thickness was not different between treatments. However, tailhead fat thickness was smaller in CG compared to NG in May (P=0.04), but this difference disappeared in September. Greater basal and peak insulin concentrations, and faster glucose clearance rate (P=0.03) during IVGTT were observed in CG compared to NG in September. A greater decrease in plasma non-esterified fatty acids during IVGTT (P<0.05) was noticed in CG compared to NG after grazing. There was down-regulation of insulin receptor, retinol binding protein 4, leptin, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and up-regulation of adiponectin (ADIPOQ), adiponectin receptor 1 and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene expressions in SAT of both groups during the grazing season (P<0.05). Positive correlations were observed between ADIPOQ and its receptors and between SCD and ADIPOQ in SAT (P<0.01). In conclusion, grazing on CG had a moderate effect on responses during IVGTT, but did not trigger insulin resistance. Significant temporal differences in gene expression profiles were observed during the grazing season.
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Publication Date: 2015-05-04 PubMed ID: 25938677PubMed Central: PMC4418745DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125968Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study explored the impact of changes in body condition during the grazing season on insulin resistance in horses, along with the expression of genes tied to obesity and insulin resistance. It discovered that the type of pasture the horses grazed on moderately affected insulin responses, but did not cause insulin resistance, and that there were significant changes in the gene expression profiles during the grazing period.

Study overview

  • The research focused on examining the relationship between obesity, insulin resistance, and the expression of certain genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue (under-skin fat) in horses.
  • Specifically, the scientists aimed to discern the impact of body condition changes during the grass feeding season on insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition where the body’s cells are less responsive to the hormone insulin, which can lead to type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
  • The study was prompted by prior evidence, suggesting obesity and insulin resistance could increase the likelihood of laminitis, a painful inflammatory condition affecting the hoof in horses.

Methodology

  • The researchers involved 16 Finnhorse mares in the study, dividing them between a cultivated high-yielding pasture and a semi-natural grassland.
  • Body measurements, intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT), and gene expression sampling from neck and tailhead subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were conducted in May and September, covering the grazing season.
  • Parameters like body condition score, body weight, and waist circumference were considered in the measurements.
  • The expressions of several genes linked with obesity and insulin resistance, including insulin receptor, retinol binding protein 4, leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, adiponectin (ADIPOQ), adiponectin receptor 1, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), were studied in the SAT tissue.

Findings

  • At the end of the grazing season, horses in the cultivated pasture were found to have higher median body condition scores, body weight, and larger waist circumferences compared to horses on semi-natural grassland.
  • Despite the aforementioned differences, tailhead fat thickness, found to be smaller in cultivated-grazing horses in May, did not show variation between the groups in September, indicating differences in the distribution of fat in the body.
  • The cultivated pasture group exhibited higher basal and peak insulin concentrations during IVGTT, indicating that the type of pasture influenced insulin responses. However, these differences did not cause insulin resistance.
  • Significant changes in expression levels of genes related to insulin resistance and obesity were observed during the grazing season. Several of these, however, were common for the horses on both types of pasture, suggesting that these changes are influenced more by changes in the season or diet rather than the type of grazing land.
  • Positive correlations were noticed between the expression of adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and its receptors, suggesting that these interconnected variables might own significant roles in the link between diet and insulin resistance.

Cite This Article

APA
Selim S, Elo K, Jaakkola S, Karikoski N, Boston R, Reilas T, Särkijärvi S, Saastamoinen M, Kokkonen T. (2015). Relationships among Body Condition, Insulin Resistance and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Gene Expression during the Grazing Season in Mares. PLoS One, 10(5), e0125968. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125968

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 5
Pages: e0125968
PII: e0125968

Researcher Affiliations

Selim, Shaimaa
  • Department of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 28, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Elo, Kari
  • Department of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 28, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Jaakkola, Seija
  • Department of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 28, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Karikoski, Ninja
  • Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, P.O. Box 57, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Boston, Ray
  • Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America.
Reilas, Tiina
  • Department of Green Technology, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Opistontie 10 A 1, FI-32100 Ypäjä, Finland.
Särkijärvi, Susanna
  • Department of Green Technology, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Opistontie 10 A 1, FI-32100 Ypäjä, Finland.
Saastamoinen, Markku
  • Department of Green Technology, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Opistontie 10 A 1, FI-32100 Ypäjä, Finland.
Kokkonen, Tuomo
  • Department of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 28, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Area Under Curve
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Body Size
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Glucose Tolerance Test
  • Grassland
  • Horses / anatomy & histology
  • Horses / genetics
  • Insulin / blood
  • Insulin Resistance / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Seasons
  • Subcutaneous Fat / metabolism

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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