title: Serum concentrations of adiponectin and characterization of adiponectin protein complexes in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess serum concentrations of adiponectin and characterize adiponectin protein complexes in healthy dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  11 healthy dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera collected from 10 dogs were evaluated via velocity sedimentation and ultracentrifugation, SDS-PAGE, western immunoblotting, and radioimmunoassay. Visceral adipose tissue (approx 90 g) was collected from the falciform ligament of a healthy dog undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy, and adiponectin gene expression was assessed via a real-time PCR procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adiponectin gene expression was detected in visceral adipose tissue. Serum adiponectin concentrations ranged from 0.85 to 1.5 microg/mL (mean concentration, 1.22 microg/mL). In canine serum, adiponectin was present as a multimer, consisting of a low-molecular-weight complex (180 kd); as 3 (180-, 90-, and 60-kd) complexes under denaturing conditions; as 2 (90- and 60-kd) complexes under reducing conditions; and as a dimer, a monomer, and globular head region (60, 30, and 28 kd, respectively) under reducing-denaturing conditions. It is likely that adiponectin also circulates as a high-molecular-weight (360- to 540-kd) complex in canine serum, but resolution of this complex was not possible via SDS-PAGE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After exposure to identical experimental conditions, adiponectin protein complexes in canine serum were similar to those detected in human and rodent sera. Circulating adiponectin concentrations in canine serum were slightly lower than concentrations in human serum. Adiponectin gene expression was identified in canine visceral adipose tissue. Results suggest that adiponectin could be used as an early clinical marker for metabolic derangements, including obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Brunson
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Kristen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Deepa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bedi
authors.forename: Tim D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Braden
authors.forename: Edzard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Santen
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Judd
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000662:veterinary; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin