Metabolic Differences between Dogs of Different Body Sizes

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, Oct 2017

Introduction. The domesticated dog, Canis lupus familiaris, has been selectively bred to produce extreme diversity in phenotype and genotype. Dogs have an immense diversity in weight and height. Specific differences in metabolism have not been characterized in small dogs as compared to larger dogs. Objectives. This study aims to identify metabolic, clinical, and microbiota differences between small and larger dogs. Methods. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, clinical chemistry analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and 16S pyrosequencing were used to characterize blood metabolic, clinical, and fecal microbiome systems, respectively. Eighty-three canines from seven different breeds, fed the same kibble diet for 5 weeks, were used in the study. Results. 449 metabolites, 16 clinical parameters, and 6 bacteria (at the genus level) were significantly different between small and larger dogs. Hierarchical clustering of the metabolites yielded 8 modules associated with small dog size. Conclusion. Small dogs had a lower antioxidant status and differences in circulating amino acids. Some of the amino acid differences could be attributed to differences in microflora. Additionally, analysis of small dog metabolites and clinical parameters reflected a network which strongly associates with kidney function.

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Metabolic Differences between Dogs of Different Body Sizes

Metabolic Differences between Dogs of Different Body Sizes Rondo P. Middleton,1 Sebastien Lacroix,2 Marie-Pier Scott-Boyer,2 Nikola Dordevic,2 Adam D. Kennedy,3 Amanda R. Slusky,4 Jerome Carayol,5 Christina Petzinger-Germain,1 Alison Beloshapka,1 and Jim Kaput5 1Nestlé Purina Research, St. Louis, MO, USA 2The Microsoft Research, University of Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology (COSBI), Rovereto, Italy 3Metabolon, Inc., Morrisville, NC, USA 4North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, USA 5Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland Correspondence should be addressed to Rondo P. Middleton; [email protected] Received 13 July 2017; Accepted 25 September 2017; Published 26 October 2017 Academic Editor: Phillip B. Hylemon Copyright © 2017 Rondo P. Middleton et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract Introduction. The domesticated dog, Canis lupus familiaris, has been selectively bred to produce extreme diversity in phenotype and genotype. Dogs have an immense diversity in weight and height. Specific differences in metabolism have not been characterized in small dogs as compared to larger dogs. Objectives. This study aims to identify metabolic, clinical, and microbiota differences between small and larger dogs. Methods. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, clinical chemistry analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and 16S pyrosequencing were used to characterize blood metabolic, clinical, and fecal microbiome systems, respectively. Eighty-three canines from seven different breeds, fed the same kibble diet for 5 weeks, were used in the study. Results. 449 metabolites, 16 clinical parameters, and 6 bacteria (at the genus level) were significantly different between small and larger dogs. Hierarchical clustering of the metabolites yielded 8 modules associated with small dog size. Conclusion. Small dogs had a lower antioxidant status and differences in circulating amino acids. Some of the amino acid differences could be attributed to differences in microflora. Additionally, analysis of small dog metabolites and clinical parameters reflected a network which strongly associates with kidney function. 1. Introduction Significant genetic and metabolic variation occurs within the Canis lupus species that spans from the wolf through all domesticated canines. Artificial selection for phenotypic traits generated profound genetic differences within Canis lupus familiaris, the domesticated dog that is widespread in all human cultures. Dogs can vary in size between roughly 2 and 90 Kg. Segmenting dogs by size reveals some inherent characteristics. Small dogs are more likely to suffer from integumentary, cardiovascular, and dental diseases and have a higher incidence of endocrine-related deaths compared to larger dogs [1, 2]. Small dogs have a lower basal metabolic rate and a higher mass-specific metabolic rate than larger dogs [3]. Interestingly, small dogs have a longer lifespan than larger dogs [4], which differs from what is observed in other mammalian species. We conducted a diet- and environment-controlled study in canines to understand metabolic, clinical, and microbiota differences between small and larger dogs. Multiple differences were found, specifically in blood concentrations of antioxidants and amino acids, as well as in microbiota composition. To better understand these differences, we identified modules of highly cooccurring metabolites and further analyzed correlations between metabolic and clinical data. 2. Materials and Methods2.1. Cohort Study Design Eighty-three (83) canines from seven different breeds were all fed the same dry extruded kibble diet for 5 weeks. Small dogs (34 individuals; Beagle, Small Fox Terrier, and Miniature Schnauzer) had a mean weight of 9.3 kg (range of 6.1–15.6 kg). Larger dogs (49 individuals; Labrador Retriever, English Setter, Siberian Husky, and Rottweiler) had a mean weight of 31.5 kg (range of 18.4–54.4 kg). Small dogs had a mean age of 6.8 years (range of 2.4–13.3 years) while larger dogs had a mean age of 6.2 years (range of 2.2–9.8 years). All dogs except, Rottweilers, were housed in the same location. Samples were handled and processed in the same manner to avoid technical variability or bias. Plasma-EDTA and serum samples were taken after overnight fasting during the fifth week of feeding. Fecal samples were collected during the fifth week of feeding. Plasma, serum, and fecal samples not immediately analyzed were frozen at −80°C. 2.2. Canine Plasma Metabolites Metabolite profiling was performed as described previously [5]. In summary, metabolites from each blood sample were extracted and analyzed by GC/MS (Thermo Fischer, DSQ mass spectrometer) and LC/ (...truncated)


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Rondo P. Middleton, Sebastien Lacroix, Marie-Pier Scott-Boyer, Nikola Dordevic, Adam D. Kennedy, Amanda R. Slusky, Jerome Carayol, Christina Petzinger-Germain, Alison Beloshapka, Jim Kaput. Metabolic Differences between Dogs of Different Body Sizes, Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2017, 2017, DOI: 10.1155/2017/4535710