Detection of heartworm infection in dogs via PCR amplification and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of nucleic acid extracts from whole blood samples (vol 73, pg 854, 2012)

摘要

Objective-To investigate the influence of dietary supplementation with L-carnitine on metabolic rate, fatty acid oxidation, weight loss, and lean body mass (LBM) in overweight cats undergoing rapid weight reduction. Animals-32 healthy adult neutered colony-housed cats. Procedures-Cats fattened through unrestricted ingestion of an energy-dense diet for 6 months were randomly assigned to 4 groups and fed a weight reduction diet supplemented with 0 (control), 50, 100, or 150 mu g of carnitine/g of diet (unrestricted for 1 month, then restricted). Measurements included resting energy expenditure, respiratory quotient, daily energy expenditure, LBM, and fatty acid oxidation. Following weight loss, cats were allowed unrestricted feeding of the energy-dense diet to investigate weight gain after test diet cessation. Results-Median weekly weight loss in all groups was >= 1.3%, with no difference among groups in overall or cumulative percentage weight loss. During restricted feeding, the resting energy expenditure-to-LBM ratio was significantly higher in cats that received L-carnitine than in those that received the control diet. Respiratory quotient was significantly lower in each cat that received L-carnitine on day 42, compared with the value before the diet began, and in all cats that received L-carnitine, compared with the control group throughout restricted feeding. A significant increase in palmitate flux rate in cats fed the diet with 150 mu g of carnitine/g relative to the flux rate in the control group on day 42 corresponded to significantly increased stoichiometric fat oxidation in the L-carnitine diet group (> 62% vs 14% for the control group). Weight gain (as high as 28%) was evident within 35 days after unrestricted feeding was reintroduced. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Dietary L-carnitine supplementation appeared to have a metabolic effect in overweight cats undergoing rapid weight loss that facilitated fatty acid oxidation. (Am J Vet Res 2012;73:1002-1015)