Energy hormone response to fasting-induced dyslipidemia in obese and non-obese donkeys.
Authors: Perez-Ecija A, Gonzalez-Cara C, Aguilera-Aguilera R, Toribio R E, Mendoza F J
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Energy Hormone Response to Fasting-Induced Dyslipidemia in Donkeys Donkeys are particularly prone to metabolic disorders including dyslipidemia, a condition often triggered when negative energy balance forces rapid fat mobilisation during fasting, illness or stress. Researchers compared endocrine and metabolic responses in eight obese and non-obese donkeys subjected to 66 hours of fasting, measuring insulin, glucagon, leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin and insulin-like growth factor-1 alongside lipid and glucose parameters. Obese donkeys demonstrated accelerated fat mobilisation, with elevated triglycerides and cholesterol appearing earlier than in lean animals, accompanied by reduced glucose and leptin concentrations; after 60 hours fasting, obese donkeys showed significantly elevated glucagon with a markedly increased glucagon-to-insulin ratio, whilst insulin and the insulin-to-glucagon ratio declined in both groups. These findings reveal that overweight donkeys have an exaggerated glucagon response to fasting that drives more aggressive lipid mobilisation, a mechanism that likely underpins their heightened susceptibility to dyslipidemia. For practitioners managing donkey nutrition and metabolic health, this underscores the importance of preventing prolonged feed restriction in obese animals and maintaining consistent energy intake, as their hormonal profile predisposes them to rapid and potentially dangerous fat mobilisation during negative energy balance.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Obese donkeys are at higher risk of developing dyslipidemia during periods of negative energy balance (illness, fasting, stress), requiring proactive nutritional management and monitoring
- •Monitor plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels in obese donkeys under metabolic stress, as they mobilize fat faster than lean animals and may require intervention to prevent severe dyslipidemia
- •Body condition management in donkeys is critical for metabolic health—obesity increases vulnerability to energy-deficit conditions that trigger pathological lipid mobilization
Key Findings
- •Obese donkeys developed lipid mobilization (increased triglycerides and cholesterol) earlier than non-obese donkeys during 66-hour fasting
- •After 60 hours fasting, obese donkeys showed significantly increased glucagon and decreased leptin concentrations
- •Glucagon-to-insulin ratio (GIR) significantly increased while insulin and insulin-to-glucagon ratio (IGR) decreased in both groups during fasting
- •Greater glucagonemia in obese donkeys correlates with faster lipid mobilization and predisposition to dyslipidemia