A research team from Ohio State University in the United States has issued the idea that domestic cats could contribute to a better understanding of the potential role of the intestinal microbiota in the development of cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. “”Domestic animals share our beds. They eat our ice cream. There are all these things that people do with their pets that show that the latter can constitute a natural disease model, with environmental exhibitions similar to those of human beings“Said Jenessa Winston, assistant professor of veterinary sciences at the University of the State of Ohio and the main author of the study, in a press release.
To test their hypothesis, Jenessa Winston and her colleagues followed a diet at seven overweight cats for sixteen weeks. During the first two weeks of the experience, cats could eat food specially designed for them, available commercially. They then had to follow a weight loss diet for a week, before switching to a hypocaloric diet intended to make them lose 1 to 2% of body mass per week. This penultimate phase lasted eleven weeks. Following this, the felines returned to their basic diet.
Throughout the experience, the researchers took samples of fecal matter to see if the various diets followed by cats have an impact on the production of short -chain fatty acids. These molecules, produced by intestinal bacteria during fermentation of dietary fibers, are important for metabolism. They provide energy to colon cells, strengthen the intestinal barrier and regulate appetite. Scientific work claim that they would also be involved in the prevention of diseases such as obesity, diabetes and intestinal inflammatory disorders.
Study cats to better help humans
Jenessa Winston and her colleagues found that cats produced more propionic acid when they lost weight thanks to a hypocaloric diet. It has previously been demonstrated that this type of short -chain fatty acid regulates appetite, reduces the accumulation of fat and protects against obesity and diabetes in certain mammals.
Researchers explain in their study, published in the Scientific Reports newspaper, that the increase in propionic acid is associated with the proliferation of Prevotella 9 Copri, a bacteria with the determining role for intestinal health. “”When cats follow the diet specially designed for weight loss, propionic acid increases and remains high, then descend when they regain their usual diet“Explains Jenessa Winston in the same statement.”This shows that when the caloric intake of obese cats are limited, you can change their microbial ecosystem“.
In other words, it appears that the set of bacteria, viruses, parasites and non -pathogenic fungi which constitute the intestinal microbiota of domestic cats plays a decisive role in the development of obesity. Studying the intestinal flora of felines could therefore allow us to access a better understanding of the causes and biological mechanisms leading to this complex chronic disease, which affects almost 16% of the world’s population.