Supplementation of omega-3 and dietary factors can influence the cholesterolemia and triglyceridemia in hyperlipidemic Schnauzer dogs: A preliminary report.

Paula De Albuquerque,Marcio Antonio Brunetto,Edna Regina Nakandakare,Sergio Catanozi,Viviani De Marco,Andressa Rodrigues Amaral,Kelly Gomes Santana,Thiago Henrique Annibale Vendramini,Valéria Sutti Nunes,Juan J Loor

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0258058

Abstract

Primary hyperlipidaemia in Schnauzer is characterized by increased plasma triglycerides (TG) and/or total cholesterol (TC) concentration and is associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatitis, insulin resistance and seizures. In humans, omega-3 fatty acids in addition to a low-fat diet can be used to reduce TG and TC. This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids associated to a diet management with two different fat content in Schnauzer with primary hyperlipidaemia. Eighteen dogs with primary hyperlipidaemia were divided into two groups: group 1, n = 10, 8 females, 2 males, age (mean ± standard deviation) of 7.13 ± 2.70 years and body weight (BW) (mean ± standard deviation) of 7.25 ± 1.22 kg were treated with fish oil (approximately 730 mg/day of omega-3) associated with a low-fat and low-calorie diet (approximately 24g of fat/1000 kcal) for 90 days (T90); and group 2, n = 8 dogs, 6 females, 2 males, with 7.0 ± 1.77 years old and average BW of 8.36 ± 1.51 kg, treated with fish oil (approximately 730 mg/day of omega-3) and maintenance diet with moderate amount of fat (approximately 33g of fat/1000 kcal) for 90 days. Plasma TG and TC concentrations and lipoprotein (LP) profile (VLDL, LDL, HDL) were evaluated before and after treatment. TG and TC serum concentrations, expressed in mg/dL (mean ± standard deviation), before and after treatment in group 1 were: TG = 391.30 ± 487.86 (T0) and 118.7 ± 135.21 (T90); TC = 308.2 ± 63.06 (T0) and 139 ± 36.91 (T90). As for group 2, TG = 391.63 ± 336.89 (T0) and 250.75 ± 211.56 (T90); TC = 257.25 ± 92.88 (T0) and 207.25 ± 63.79 (T90). A reduction (p<0.05) of TG and TC was observed in both groups. The distribution of TG and TC among LP was not different between the pre (T0) and post treatment (T90) periods. After 90 days of treatment, the administration of omega-3 fatty acids, associated with a low-fat or maintenance diet reduced triglyceridemia and cholesterolemia without altering LP profile. The current investigation shows that both therapies were effective in reducing plasma TC and TG concentrations without altering LP profile.

Highlights

The increase in blood lipid concentrations is called hyperlipidaemia
Primary hyperlipidemia was identified in 15% of the investigated healthy Schnauzers and both protocols of therapies were effective in reducing plasma total cholesterol (TC) and TG concentrations, especially when omega-3 and low-calorie diet were associated
Xenoulis et al [20] reported that hyperlipidemia is a common finding in the United States, where 32.8% of the 192 Schnauzers assessed in the study had hyperlipidaemia after a 12-hour fast

Summary

Introduction

The increase in blood lipid concentrations is called hyperlipidaemia. Dyslipidemia refers to any type of disorder that changes the characteristics of lipids and lipoproteins (LP) and to the increase in blood lipid concentrations [3]. Postprandial hyperlipidemia is physiological and transient and resolves in 7 to 12 hours after a meal and is dependent on the amount of fat consumed [3,4,5]. For this reason, determination of serum lipid concentration should be performed with a 12-hour fast, Xenoulis and Steiner [3] implements a 15-hour fast before evaluating dogs for hyperlipidemia

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