Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Winterthurerstrasse 268, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
BMC Vet Res. 2020 Feb 3;16(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-2257-2.
Ketosis is a metabolic disorder often triggered by anorexia in animals fed on high energy diets. Although mostly described in pregnant female guinea pigs, under the name of pregnancy toxicosis; there is limited information on ketosis in males and non-pregnant females, often presented to clinics with anorexia or inappetence. The objective of this study was to observe progression of ketosis in guinea pigs, document the changes and evaluate diagnostic methods and a therapeutic approach.
Twenty eight adult guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), castrated males and intact females of obese and slim body condition were fasted for 3 days and refed afterwards. The slim animals served as control group for body condition. Either slim and fat animals were divided into two treatment groups: half of them received fluid replacements with glucose subcutaneously, the other half did not receive any injection and served as treatment control. Serum beta-hydroxybutyrate, and urine acetoacetate and acetone were measured during and after fasting. Serum ALT, bile acids and liver histology were also analyzed after 7 days of refeeding (and therapy). Females and obese guinea pigs showed a significantly higher increase in ketone bodies in serum and urine. Obese, female, or animals not receiving therapy needed more time to regulate ketone bodies to normal levels than slim animals, males or animals receiving therapy. Liver histology revealed increased hepatocyte degeneration and higher glycogen content in obese animals and animals receiving therapy, and additionally more glycogen content in males. Only minor hepatic fat accumulation was documented. Bile acids showed good correlation to histological liver changes whereas ALT did not.
Female and obese animals react more intensively to fasting. As preventive management, animals should be kept in adequate body condition, fasting should be avoided, and anorexia should be treated immediately. In such a case, urinary dip sticks to detect ketone bodies are a useful diagnostic tool. Glucose therapy leads to faster cessation of ketogenesis and should be recommended in cases of ketosis. However, it needs to be adjusted to avoid hepatocyte glycogen overload and degeneration. Measuring bile acids presents a valuable indicator of liver damage.
酮症是一种代谢紊乱，通常由高能量饮食喂养的动物的厌食症引发。虽然大多在怀孕的雌性豚鼠中描述，以妊娠毒血症的名称命名；但关于雄性和非怀孕雌性动物的酮症的信息有限，常因厌食或食欲不振而就诊于诊所。本研究的目的是观察豚鼠酮症的进展，记录变化，并评估诊断方法和治疗方法。
28 只成年豚鼠（Cavia porcellus），去势雄性和完整的肥胖和苗条体型的雌性禁食 3 天，然后重新进食。苗条的动物作为体型对照组。无论是苗条还是肥胖的动物都分为两组治疗：一半接受皮下葡萄糖补液，另一半不接受任何注射作为治疗对照。在禁食期间和之后测量血清β-羟丁酸、尿液乙酰乙酸和丙酮。在重新喂食（和治疗） 7 天后还分析了血清 ALT、胆汁酸和肝组织学。雌性和肥胖豚鼠的血清和尿液中酮体的增加明显更高。肥胖、雌性或未接受治疗的动物比苗条动物、雄性或接受治疗的动物需要更多的时间将酮体调节到正常水平。肝组织学显示肥胖动物和接受治疗的动物的肝细胞变性和糖原含量增加，雄性动物的糖原含量增加。仅记录到轻微的肝脂肪堆积。胆汁酸与肝组织学变化具有良好的相关性，而 ALT 则没有。
雌性和肥胖动物对禁食的反应更为强烈。作为预防管理，动物应保持适当的体型，避免禁食，并立即治疗厌食症。在这种情况下，检测酮体的尿液试纸是一种有用的诊断工具。葡萄糖治疗可更快地停止酮体生成，应在酮症病例中推荐。然而，需要进行调整以避免肝细胞糖原过载和变性。测量胆汁酸是肝损伤的一个有价值的指标。
