From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2009-08-13 00:15:24 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] abstract
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
> Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2009 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print]
> Response to fasting in an unnaturally obese carnivore, the captive
> European polecat Mustela putorius.
> Mustonen AM, Puukka M, Rouvinen-Watt K, Aho J, Asikainen J,Nieminen P.
> University of Joensuu.
>
> The European polecat (Mustela putorius) is a naturally lean
> carnivore prone to excessive weight gain in captivity. This study
> assessed its suitability to investigate the natural history of the
> obese phenotype displayed in overweight humans, domestic animals and
> seasonally obese wild mammals. Ten farm-bred polecats were subjected
> to a 5-day fast with 10 controls. Obesity (40% body fat) was
> associated with an unfavorable plasma lipid profile and high glucose
> and insulin concentrations. The polecats were in phase II of fasting
> with normoglycemia, low liver carbohydrate stores and decreased
> plasma concentrations of urea and most amino acids. Although the
> plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels were elevated, the
> adipose tissue lipase activities suggested a blunted lipolytic
> response. Lipid mobilization was more efficient from intraabdominal
> fat. The animals developed hepatic lipidosis with elevated NEFA
> influx into the liver and losses of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
> and arginine as hypothetical etiological factors. The plasma leptin,
> insulin and triiodothyronine levels decreased but were not
> accompanied by reduced sex steroid or increased stress hormone
> concentrations. The blunted lipolytic response often encountered in
> obesity suggests that the organism is trying to defend the obese
> phenotype. Liver lipidosis and decreased insulin and
> triiodothyronine levels seem to be among the most consistent
> responses to fasting manifested in diverse mammalian orders and
> different levels of body fatness. The polecat could be recommended
> as an easily accessible carnivorean model to study the natural
> history of the obese phenotype and its comorbidities.
>
> PMID: 19657073
>
but perhaps not really given the liver sections in:
http://www.afip.org/consultation/vetpath/ferrets/Clin_Path/ClinPath.html
and
http://www.afip.org/consultation/vetpath/ferrets/PDF/Ferret_GI_path_reports.pdf
Still the high insulin AND high glucose figures in the obese polecats
seems interesting...
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
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