title: Dietary L-carnitine supplementation in obese cats alters carnitine metabolism and decreases ketosis during fasting and induced hepatic lipidosis.
abstract: This study was designed to determine whether dietary carnitine supplement could protect cats from ketosis and improve carnitine and lipid metabolism in experimental feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL). Lean spayed queens received a diet containing 40 (CL group, n = 7) or 1000 (CH group, n = 4) mg/kg of L-carnitine during obesity development. Plasma fatty acid, beta-hydroxybutyrate and carnitine, and liver and muscle carnitine concentrations were measured during experimental induction of FHL and after treatment. In control cats (CL group), fasting and FHL increased the plasma concentrations of fatty acids two- to threefold (P < 0.0001) and beta-hydroxybutyrate > 10-fold (from a basal 0.22 +/- 0.03 to 1.70 +/- 0.73 after 3 wk fasting and 3.13 +/- 0.49 mmol/L during FHL). In carnitine-supplemented cats, these variables increased significantly (P < 0.0001) only during FHL (beta-hydroxybutyrate, 1.42 +/- 0.17 mmol/L). L-Carnitine supplementation significantly increased plasma, muscle and liver carnitine concentrations. Liver carnitine concentration increased dramatically from the obese state to FHL in nonsupplemented cats, but not in supplemented cats, which suggests de novo synthesis of carnitine from endogenous amino acids in control cats and reversible storage in supplemented cats. These results demonstrate the protective effect of a dietary L-carnitine supplement against fasting ketosis during obesity induction. Increasing the L-carnitine level of diets in cats with low energy requirements, such as after neutering, and a high risk of obesity could therefore be recommended.
authors.affiliation: UP de Nutrition, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94704 Maisons Alfort, France. blanchard@vet-alfort.fr
authors.forename: Géraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: Bernard M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Paragon
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Milliat
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lutton
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002415:Cats; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005215:Fasting; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007662:Ketosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008064:Lipidoses / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D002331:Carnitine; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid