Effects of a therapeutic weight loss diet on weight loss and metabolic health in overweight and obese dogs.

Obesity has become a major health issue in dogs. Obesity in dogs increases the risk of many chronic diseases and chronic low-grade inflammation. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a therapeutic weight loss (TWL) diet on weight loss and metabolic health in overweight and obese dogs. Thirty overweight and obese dogs were randomized into two groups with 15 dogs per group based on key baseline (BSL) parameters and allotted to either a control or TWL diet for 6 mo. At the start of the study, the control group had six females and nine males with mean age of 9.12 ±â€…0.48 (mean ±â€…SEM) yr; there were seven females and eight males with mean age of 9.73 ±â€…0.63 yr in the TWL group. The control group and the TWL group had comparable body weight (34.78 ±â€…0.76 and 34.63 ±â€…0.86 kg, respectively), % body fat (BF; 39.77 ±â€…1.18 and 39.89 ±â€…0.93, respectively), and body condition score (BCS; 7.80 ±â€…0.14 and 7.67 ±â€…0.16 on a 9-point BCS scale, respectively). The control (CTRL) diet was formulated based on the macronutrient ratio of a commercial metabolic diet, and the TWL diet was enriched with dietary protein, fish oil, and soy germ meal. Both diets were fortified with essential nutrients to account for caloric restriction during weight loss. Dogs were fed with 25% less than BSL maintenance energy requirement (MER) for the first 4 mo and if they did not reach a BCS of 5, they were fed 40% less than BSL MER for the last 2 mo. Body composition was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Postprandial glucose profiles were determined by continuous glucose monitoring devices. Serum samples were collected for analyses of blood parameters, hormones, and cytokines. All data were analyzed using SAS 9.3, with significance being P < 0.05. At the end of the study, the control group and the TWL group had comparable weight loss (-5.77 ±â€…0.31 and -6.14 ±â€…0.32 kg, respectively; P = 0.4080). But the TWL group lost significantly (P = 0.034) more BF (-13.27 ±â€…1.28%) than the control group (-9.90 ±â€…1.23%). In addition, the TWL diet completely prevented loss of lean body mass (LBM) in dogs compared with BSL. Dogs fed with the TWL diet had significantly lower fasting serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, leptin, mean postprandial interstitial glucose, and pro-inflammatory cytokines compared with dogs fed with the CTRL diet. In summary, the TWL diet prevented loss of LBM, promoted weight loss and metabolic health, and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in overweight and obese dogs during weight loss.

Obesity has become a major health issue in dogs and increases the risk of many chronic diseases and chronic low-grade inflammation. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a therapeutic weight loss (TWL) diet on weight loss and metabolic health in overweight and obese dogs. Thirty overweight and obese dogs were randomized into two groups with 15 dogs per group and assigned to either a control (CTRL) diet or TWL diet for a 6 mo weight loss study. Changes in body composition were determined every 2 mo. Blood samples were collected to measure changes in lipid profiles, hormones, cytokines, and chemokines. Postprandial glucose profiles were determined by a continuous glucose monitoring system. The results of the study showed that the TWL diet completely prevented loss of lean body mass (LBM) in dogs compared with baseline. Dogs fed with the TWL diet had significantly lower fasting serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, leptin, mean postprandial glucose, and pro-inflammatory cytokines compared with dogs fed with the CTRL diet. In summary, the TWL diet prevented loss of LBM, promoted weight loss and metabolic health, and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines in overweight and obese dogs during weight loss.

Antidiabetic Effects of Gegen Qinlian Decoction via the Gut Microbiota Are Attributable to Its Key Ingredient Berberine.

Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has long been used for the treatment of common metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the main limitation of its wider application is ingredient complexity of this formula. Thus, it is critically important to identify the major active ingredients of GQD and to illustrate mechanisms underlying its action. Here, we compared the effects of GQD and berberine, a hypothetical key active pharmaceutical ingredient of GQD, on a diabetic rat model by comprehensive analyses of gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, proinflammatory cytokines, and ileum transcriptomics. Our results show that berberine and GQD had similar effects on lowering blood glucose levels, modulating gut microbiota, inducing ileal gene expression, as well as relieving systemic and local inflammation. As expected, both berberine and GQD treatment significantly altered the overall gut microbiota structure and enriched many butyrate-producing bacteria, including Faecalibacterium and Roseburia, thereby attenuating intestinal inflammation and lowering glucose. Levels of short-chain fatty acids in rat feces were also significantly elevated after treatment with berberine or GQD. Moreover, concentration of serum proinflammatory cytokines and expression of immune-related genes, including Nfkb1, Stat1, and Ifnrg1, in pancreatic islets were significantly reduced after treatment. Our study demonstrates that the main effects of GQD can be attributed to berberine via modulating gut microbiota. The strategy employed would facilitate further standardization and widespread application of TCM in many diseases.

Cognitive enhancement in old dogs from dietary supplementation with a nutrient blend containing arginine, antioxidants, B vitamins and fish oil.

This study focused on the hypothesis that cognitive decline in aged dogs could be attenuated by dietary supplementation with a nutrient blend consisting of antioxidants, B vitamins, fish oil and l-arginine, referred to hereafter as the Brain Protection Blend (BPB). Baseline cognitive assessment before the start of treatment was used to establish cognitively equivalent control (10·464+2·33 kg) and treatment (12·118+3·386 kg) groups of aged dogs between 9·1 and 11·5 years of age and with body condition score of 5. After an initial wash-in period, all dogs were tested over a 6-month period on cognitive test protocols that assessed four phases of a landmark discrimination learning protocol, which assessed a spatial learning skill based on utilisation of external cues, and egocentric discrimination task, which assessed spatial learning based on internal body-centred cues. The BPB-supplemented group showed significantly better performance than the controls on the landmark 1 (P=0·0446) discrimination learning tasks, and on two egocentric discrimination reversal learning tasks (P=0·005 and P=0·01, respectively). The groups did not differ significantly (P>0·10) on the landmark zero discrimination task and the egocentric discrimination learning task. These results suggest beneficial effects are positively linked to task complexity. Many of the nutrients supplemented in the BPB diet were significantly higher in plasma, including arginine, α-tocopherol, DHA and EPA. These results indicate that long-term supplementation with the BPB can have cognition-improving effects and support the use of nutritional strategies in targeting brain ageing-associated risk factors as an intervention to delay cognitive ageing.

Cognitive enhancement in middle-aged and old cats with dietary supplementation with a nutrient blend containing fish oil, B vitamins, antioxidants and arginine.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is a major disease affecting old cats and is the consequence of severe and irreversible loss of brain cells and brain atrophy. The present study focused on the hypothesis that the optimal strategy for promoting successful brain ageing is to target risk factors associated with brain ageing and dementia. We used a nutritional strategy involving supplementation with a blend of nutrients (antioxidants, arginine, B vitamins and fish oil) to test this hypothesis. Middle-aged and old cats between 5·5 and 8·7 years of age were assigned to cognitively equivalent control or treatment groups based on prior cognitive experience and performance on baseline cognitive tests. The cats in the treatment group were maintained on a diet supplemented with the nutrient blend and the cats in the control group were maintained on the identical base diet without the additional supplementation. After an initial wash-in period, all cats were tested on a battery of cognitive test protocols. The cats fed the test diet showed significantly better performance on three of four test protocols: a protocol assessing egocentric learning, a protocol assessing discrimination and reversal learning and a protocol focused on acquisition of a spatial memory task. The results support the hypothesis that brain function of middle-aged and old cats can be improved by the nutrient blend that was selected to minimise or eliminate the risk factors associated with brain ageing and dementia.

Dietary supplementation with medium-chain TAG has long-lasting cognition-enhancing effects in aged dogs.

The present study focused on the hypothesis that dietary supplementation with medium-chain TAG (MCT) will improve cognitive function in aged dogs by providing the brain with energy in the form of ketones. Aged Beagle dogs were subjected to a baseline battery of cognitive tests, which were used to establish cognitively equivalent control or treatment groups. The dogs in the treatment group were maintained on a diet supplemented with 5.5 % MCT. After an initial wash-in period, all the dogs were tested with a battery of cognitive test protocols, which assessed sequentially landmark discrimination learning ability, egocentric visuospatial function and attention. The groups were maintained on the diets for 8 months. The MCT-supplemented group showed significantly better performance in most of the test protocols than the control group. The group differences also varied as a function of task difficulty, with the more difficult task showing greater supplementation effects than the easier tasks. The group given the MCT supplement showed significantly elevated levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate, a ketone body. These results indicate, first, that long-term supplementation with MCT can have cognition-improving effects, and second, that MCT supplementation increases circulating levels of ketones. The results support the hypothesis that brain function of aged dogs can be improved by MCT supplementation, which provides the brain with an alternative energy source.