Alterations in serum concentrations of visfatin and betatrophin in dogs with hypothyroidism

Abstract Background Hypothyroidism in dogs is associated with obesity and altered lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. The adipokines, visfatin, and betatrophin, affect glucose tolerance. Betatrophin is involved in lipid regulation. Hypothesis Visfatin and betatrophin serum concentrations are altered in hypothyroid dogs. Animals Dogs with naturally occurring hypothyroidism (n = 25) and healthy dogs (n = 25). Methods Insulin, visfatin, and betatrophin serum concentrations were measured in all dogs and 19 of the hypothyroid dogs after 30 days of thyroxine treatment. Body condition score (BCS) was determined (1‐9 scale). Results Visfatin concentrations were lower in hypothyroid compared with healthy dogs (mean, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 2.0 ng/mL, 1.2‐3.3 vs 5.1 ng/mL, 3.3‐7.8; P = .004) and increased post‐treatment (3.1 ng/mL, 1.9‐4.9 vs 2.6 ng/mL, 1.6‐4.1; P = .05). Betatrophin concentrations were lower in lean to normal (body condition score [BCS], 3‐5) hypothyroid dogs compared to lean to normal healthy dogs (52 pg/mL, 9‐307 vs 597 pg/mL, 216‐1648; P = .03), but were not different between overweight (BCS, 6‐9) hypothyroid and healthy dogs (341 pg/L, 168‐695 vs 178 pg/mL, 77‐415; P = .26), and decreased post‐treatment in overweight dogs (206 pg/mL, 87‐488 vs 268 pg/mL, 112‐640; P = .004). Visfatin concentrations were higher in overweight compared with lean to normal dogs (4.7 ng/mL, 3.3‐6.6 vs 2.2 ng/mL, 1.2‐4.2; P = .04). Betatrophin concentrations were positively correlated with BCS (r = .47, P = .02) and insulin concentrations (r = .48, P = .03) in hypothyroid dogs and negatively correlated with BCS (r = −.47, P = .02) and thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations (r = −.56, P = .01) in healthy dogs. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Hypothyroidism in dogs is associated with alterations in visfatin and betatrophin concentrations that partially resolve with thyroxine treatment.