2016 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

GC-MS analyses identified 25 metabolites significantly (P < 0.05) different between Burmese and non-Burmese cats. In Burmese cats, metabolites that are involved in amino acid metabolism were either increased (phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, serine, threonine, cysteine, proline and arginine) or decreased (cysteine, alanine and b-alanine) compared to non-Burmese cats. Some metabolites in carbohydrate metabolism were decreased (glucose, fructose, lactic acid), as were some involved in lipid metabolism (glucose 3 phosphate, phosphoric acid, stearic acid, cholesterol). When these metabolites were correlated with known measures of glucose metabolism, numerous amino acids were positively correlated with insulin and triglyceride (tyrosine, phenylalanine cysteine, proline, glutamine and arginine were all positively correlated with insulin, and tyrosine and phenylalanine were also correlated with triglyceride). These results agreed with human studies where future risk of developing diabetes was found to be associated with these changes in metabolites. The amino acid metabolites alanine, threonine and tyrosine were negatively correlated with adiponectin and glucose and fructose were positively associated with 2-hr blood glucose following a glucose tolerance test. However, some metabolites considered discriminators of impaired fasting glucose and increased in humans at risk of diabetes (phosphoric acid, alanine and stearic acid) were decreased in Burmese cats, as were metabolites of glycerolipid metabolism (glycerate, glycerol 3 phosphate, glucose and fructose).