Changes in metabolic and physiological biomarkers in Mangalarga Marchador horses with induced obesity

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize and correlate physiological and metabolic changes in horses fed a hypercaloric diet (HD). Nine mature horses with a mean initial body condition score of 2.9 ± 1 (scale, 1–9) were fed a high-calorie diet for 5 months. Fasting blood samples were collected before the study and biweekly for the duration of the project to determine the concentrations of cholesterol (CHOL), very low (VLDL), low (LDL) and high-density (HDL) lipoproteins, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, and fructosamine. A low-dose oral glucose tolerance test (LGTT) was conducted before, 75 and 150 days after HD introduction. Mean arterial blood pressure was measured monthly. Following HD introduction, CHOL, LDL, HDL, and fructosamine blood concentrations increased (P < 0.001). These four variables were also positively and significantly correlated with the blood insulin response to LGTT. These findings confirm the occurrence of hypercholesterolemia concomitantly with insulin dysregulation development in horses exposed to HD.