Abstract
BackgroundAdipose tissue may have different metabolic and endocrine functions depending on the region of the body in which it is located. While visceral or intra-abdominal fat has been found to contribute to leptin concentrations, insulin resistance and obesity-related diseases, there are only a few imaging studies documenting the preferential distribution of body fat to either the intra-abdominal or subcutaneous compartments in dogs. This study aimed to determine if CT-measured abdominal fat distributed preferentially to the visceral space (V) relative to the subcutaneous space (SQ), with increasing DXA-determined total body fat percentage; and if ultrasound measurements of the ventral midline subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose thickness (VAT) can be used to estimate the distribution of fat to the subcutaneous and visceral abdominal spaces, in a sample of 22 dogs with variable body condition.ResultsMultivariate analysis showed no statistically significant correlation between visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio (V/SQ) and increasing total body fat percentage (β = − 0.07, p = 0.733), but strong correlation with age (β = 0.71 p = 0.002). A substantial amount of variation for the ultrasound visceral adipose thickness to subcutaneous fat thickness (VAT/SAT) could be explained by both CT V/SQ and sex (R2Adjusted = 0.477, p = 0.001), with female dogs having significant lower VAT/SAT ratios compared to the male dogs (p = 0.047). The ultrasound fat measurements appeared moderately reliable, but a larger sample number is required to confirm this.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that dogs with a relatively healthy to slightly overweight body condition score, distribute fat relatively similarly between their peritoneal (visceral) and subcutaneous abdominal compartments with increasing total body fat percentage. However, there was increased fat distribution to the peritoneal space relative to the subcutaneous space with increasing age. Further, abdominal ultrasound may be useful in estimating the ratio of fat distribution to both the abdominal visceral and subcutaneous spaces.
Highlights
Adipose tissue may have different metabolic and endocrine functions depending on the region of the body in which it is located
This study aimed to determine if Computed tomography (CT)-measured abdominal fat distributed preferentially to the peritoneal space relative to the subcutaneous space, with increasing Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-determined total body fat percentage; and if ultrasound measurements of the ventral midline subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat can be used to estimate the distribution of fat to the subcutaneous and visceral abdominal spaces, in a population of dogs with variable body condition
Both DXA total body fat percentage and age reached the set criteria of a linear relationship (r ≥ 0.3) for both abdominal fat percentage and V/abdominal subcutaneous fat volume (SQ) and were included in the multivariate analyses
Summary
Adipose tissue may have different metabolic and endocrine functions depending on the region of the body in which it is located. While visceral or intra-abdominal fat has been found to contribute to leptin concentrations, insulin resistance and obesity-related diseases, there are only a few imaging studies documenting the preferential distribution of body fat to either the intra-abdominal or subcutaneous compartments in dogs. DXA is currently unable to determine the compartmental distribution of fat within dogs’ abdomens, as the geometric modelling algorithms used in human DXA analysis have not been validated in dogs [15]. These human geometric models rely on an assumed distribution of fat within the abdomen, with ethnic variation; and may not apply to various dog conformations [15, 16]
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