Chromatographic Analysis of Lipid Fractions in Healthy Dogs and Dogs with Obesity or Hyperadrenocorticism

Abstract

Obesity and endogenous hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) are common clinical conditions in veterinary practice, and both conditions have clinical and laboratory similarities, such as weight gain and dyslipidemia. The objective of the present study was to characterize and compare the lipid profiles and plasma lipoprotein fractions in healthy dogs ( n = 10), in obese dogs ( n = 10), and in dogs with HAC ( n = 6). All of the dogs were client owned. The lipoproteins were separated by fast protein liquid chromatography, and the plasma concentrations of total cholesterol and total triacylglycerol (TAG) were determined by enzymatic methods. When compared with the healthy and obese groups, dogs with HAC had a significant increase ( P < 0.01) in the total concentrations of TAGs and cholesterol (CHOL), with higher distribution in the very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)–CHOL fractions. In addition, the distributions of the high-density lipoprotein (HDL)–CHOL and HDL–TAG fractions were significantly lower ( P < 0.01) in dogs with HAC than in healthy dogs. Considering the animals in this study, it was determined that the dogs with HAC differed significantly from the healthy and obese dogs regarding the metabolism of CHOL and TAG, as well as their VLDL and HDL fractions. Similar laboratory findings could allow veterinarians to distinguish obese dogs from those with HAC. In addition, dogs with HAC may be at higher risk for developing metabolic and atherosclerotic complications.