Energy-related parameters and their association with age, gender, and morphometric measurements in healthy donkeys.
Donkeys are commonly afflicted by endocrine and metabolic disturbances but few studies have investigated endocrine variables involved in energy regulation and their association with morphometric indices, age or gender in this species. Hemostatic and clinical differences have been demonstrated between horses and donkeys, so to consider both species as metabolically and endocrinologically similar could lead to misdiagnosis. In this study, plasma concentrations of glucose, triglycerides and endocrine factors involved in energy homeostasis (insulin, glucagon, leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin and insulin-like growth factor [IGF]-1) were measured and their association with morphometric variables (body condition score, neck scoring and body mass index), gender and age was determined in 62 healthy donkeys. In addition, a neck scoring system specific for donkeys was developed. Insulin, glucagon, leptin and IGF-1 concentrations were found to be similar between donkeys and other species, but adiponectin and active ghrelin were lower in donkeys than horses. Donkeys with larger neck scores and body mass indices had higher triglyceride, leptin and IGF-1 concentrations. A sexual dimorphism was observed on all morphometric measurements and plasma glucose concentrations independent of adiposity. Younger animals had lower morphometric measurements and triglyceride and leptin concentrations.
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Campus Rabanales, Ctra. Madrid-Cadiz km 396, Cordoba 14104, Spain. Electronic address: fjmendoza@uco.es.
F J
FJ
Mendoza
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Campus Rabanales, Ctra. Madrid-Cadiz km 396, Cordoba 14104, Spain.
J C
JC
Estepa
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Campus Rabanales, Ctra. Madrid-Cadiz km 396, Cordoba 14104, Spain.
C A
CA
Gonzalez-De Cara
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Campus Rabanales, Ctra. Madrid-Cadiz km 396, Cordoba 14104, Spain.
R
R
Aguilera-Aguilera
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, 601 Vernon Tharp Street, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
R E
RE
Toribio
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Campus Rabanales, Ctra. Madrid-Cadiz km 396, Cordoba 14104, Spain.
A
A
Perez-Ecija
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018397:Equidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D005934:Glucagon
Body measurement; Donkey; IGF-1; Insulin and glucagon axis; Leptin–adiponectin–ghrelin axis