2016 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

This study is the first to report metabolite differences between healthy non-Burmese and Burmese cats and identifies some biomarkers involved in amino acid, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism that are altered in Burmese cats in a similar pattern to those identified in humans at risk of diabetes. Further research is required to determine if these are useful as markers of metabolic dysfunction in cats at risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common feline endocrinopathy and pathophysiologically similar to human type 2 diabetes (T2DM). T2DM occurs due to a combination of insulin resistance and b-cell dysfunction. Several studies have identified environmental and genetic susceptibility factors for T2DM. In cats, environmental factors such as obesity and physical inactivity have been linked with DM; however, identification of genetic factors has been challenging. To date, MC4R is the only gene shown to be associated with increased susceptibility to DM in overweight domestic short hair (DSH) cats. The aim of the present study was to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify loci associated with DM in lean DSH cats.