Adiponectin mRNA Expression in the Cat (Felis domesticus)

Abstract

Problem statement: Adiponectin is a hormone expressed from adipose tissue in people, rodents and dogs. Adiponectin has anti-inflammatory action with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and insulin sensitivity. With increasing fat mass, adiponectin concentrations paradoxically decrease. Adiponectin’s role in metabolism and diabetes mellitus is of interest in feline medicine because cats are susceptible to developing type II diabetes with weight gain. This study determined relative amounts of adiponectin mRNA expression from various body tissues and organs in domestic cats. Approach: Two intact male cats and one intact female cat were evaluated post-mortem. All cats were estimated to be young adults and had lean body conditions. Tissues samples from inguinal subcutaneous adipose, visceral mesenteric adipose, liver, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, aorta, stomach fundus, duodenum, pancreas, thyroid gland, adrenal gland (cortex and medulla) and renal cortex were collected and frozen. Following RNA extraction, adiponectin mRNA expression of each tissue was detected using Reverse Transcriptase (RT) real-time (Q) PCR. Results: Visceral adipose tissue had the highest level of expression, averaging 12% higher than subcutaneous adipose. All other tissues had negligible levels of expression compared to adipose samples. Conclusion: This study provided a valuable step for adiponectin research in cats by determining which tissues express this hormone. Cats differ from human beings by expressing higher levels of adiponectin in visceral compared to subcutaneous fat. The metabolic impact of this expression pattern is not known and provides a basis for future research.