Adiponectin and leptin are related to fat mass in horses.
Authors: Kearns Charles F, McKeever Kenneth H, Roegner Vivien, Brady Shannon M, Malinowski Karyn
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Editorial Summary This 2006 study examined whether two metabolic hormones—adiponectin and leptin—reflect body fatness in horses, given their established roles in regulating energy metabolism in humans and other species. Researchers measured plasma concentrations of both adipocytokines in 23 mature Standardbred mares and 12 weanling fillies, correlating hormone levels against rump fat thickness and calculated body fat percentage determined by ultrasound. Leptin showed a strong positive relationship with adiposity (r=0.556 for fat mass; P<0.001), with mature mares displaying significantly higher concentrations (3.47 ng/mL) than weanlings (1.90 ng/mL), whilst the adiponectin-to-leptin ratio demonstrated an inverse relationship with fatness (r=−0.631; P<0.001) and was markedly elevated in younger, leaner animals. These findings establish leptin as a biomarker proportional to fat mass and adiponectin as an inverse indicator of adiposity in horses, potentially offering clinicians an objective biochemical approach to assess body condition alongside traditional ultrasound and visual assessment. For practitioners managing weight-related metabolic conditions—particularly laminitis risk in susceptible animals—measuring these adipocytokines could provide quantifiable data to monitor nutritional interventions and guide feeding decisions more precisely than visual scoring alone.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Plasma leptin and adiponectin levels could potentially be used as biomarkers to assess body fat composition in horses, providing an objective complement to visual and ultrasound-based fatness scoring
- •Age-related differences in adipocytokine concentrations suggest caution when interpreting these markers across different life stages; weanlings show different adiponectin-leptin ratios than mature horses
- •Understanding these metabolic markers may help identify horses at risk for obesity-related conditions and inform nutritional management strategies
Key Findings
- •Plasma leptin concentration was positively correlated with percent body fat (r=0.543; P<0.001) and fat mass in horses
- •The adiponectin-to-leptin ratio was negatively correlated with percent body fat (r=-0.621; P<0.001) and fat mass
- •Weanling fillies had significantly lower leptin concentrations (1.90±0.34 ng/mL HE) than mature mares (3.47±0.50 ng/mL HE; P=0.03)
- •Leptin is proportional while adiponectin is inversely proportional to adiposity in horses, similar to humans