Comparative proteomic analysis of saliva from dogs with and without obesity-related metabolic dysfuntion.

Dogs develop only some of the components of the human metabolic syndrome (MetS). Thus, in order to study possible MetS-related alterations in dogs, human MetS criteria were adapted to define canine MetS or so-called obesity-related metabolic dysfunction (ORMD). The main objective of this study was to identify changes in the salivary proteome of obese dogs with ORMD in comparison with obese dogs without ORMD which may constitute potential salivary biomarkers for assessing ORMD. In a first phase, 12 adult obese dogs with ORMD (N = 6) and without ORMD (N = 6) were included in the study. Subsequently, and with the aim of validating and strengthening the results, additional 12 obese dogs (6 with and 6 without ORMD) were tested in an independent experiment following the same protocol. Saliva samples were subjected to a quantitative proteomics analysis and the levels of nine salivary proteins were found to be significantly different between groups, among them those which had greatest fold-change were proteins involved in glycolysis and oxidative stress. In conclusion, despite metabolic syndrome to include different combinations of diseases, the observation of differences in salivary proteome suggests a potential of this fluid to understand the pathophysiology of the disease. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study evaluating proteomes of saliva in dogs, as a non invasive sample, in order to increase knowledge about the metabolic/physiopathological changes related to obesity-related metabolic dysfunction (ORMD) together with the identification of potential biomarkers for its diagnosis. As approximately 20% of dogs with naturally occurring obesity were described to suffer ORMD associated with insulin resistance and hypoadiponectinemia, the fact that indicate possible links between ORMD and associated diseases.

European dog owner perceptions of obesity and factors associated with human and canine obesity.

Obesity is a common nutrition-related disorder leading to reduced life expectancy in both humans and dogs. With the aim of identifying new prevention and control options, the study objectives were (1) to investigate dog-owner perceptions about obesity in terms of themselves and their dogs, and (2) to identify factors associated with obesity and possible social, environmental and economic drivers for its development in dog owners and their pets. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed across multiple countries. The questionnaire focused on human and canine obesity, associated factors and potential drivers, and was distributed online and in the form of hard copies among dog owners in 11 European countries. In total, 3,185 responses from ten countries were included in multivariable analyses. Between 19.1% and 48.8% of the dog owners reported to be overweight/obese. Owner-reported overweight/obesity in dogs ranged from 6.0% to 31.3% based on body condition score charts, and 31.8% to 69.4% based on body fat index charts. Common factors associated with obesity in owners and their dogs were age, gender and owners' attitudes to diet and physical activity. Dog owners who did not consider obesity to be a disease were more likely to have obese dogs.

The Effect of Breed, Gender, and Acid Stimulation in Dog Saliva Proteome.

Saliva gained interest as a potential noninvasive source of biomarkers in humans and that interest starts to be extended also to other animal species. For this purpose, the knowledge of the salivary proteome in healthy conditions and the factors that affect it and how they affect it are necessary. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect that gender and breed have in saliva proteome and the changes in it induced by stimulation with acid. Saliva from 4 different purebred dogs (Portuguese Podengo, Greyhound, Rafeiro Alentejano, and Beagle) of both genders was collected without and after stimulation with lemon juice. SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) profiles were compared and the proteins of interest in-gel digested and identified by mass spectrometry. Acid stimulation decreased total protein concentration and the relative amounts of some protein bands/spots. Gender appeared to have minimal effect in saliva proteome, whereas the influence of breed varies. Beagles and Portuguese Podengos were the two breeds with higher differences. In conclusion, stimulation procedures and dog breed should be considered in data analysis when using salivary proteins for diagnostic purposes.