Background: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) are potential cellular sources of therapeutic stem cells. MSCs are a multipotent population of cells capable of differentiating into a number of mesodermal lineages. Treatment using MSCs appears to be a helpful approach for structural restoration in regenerative medicine. Correct identification of these cells is necessary, but there is inadequate information on the MSC profile of cell surface markers and mRNA expression in dogs. In this study, we performed molecular characterization of canine BM-MSCs and AT-MSCs using immunological and mRNA expression analysis.

Plasma glucose and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) concentrations and activities of enzymes related to glucose metabolism in livers were measured in dogs and cats. Nucleotide sequences of the conserved region of glucokinase (GK) cDNA that contained ATP- and glucose-binding domains were determined in canine liver and feline pancreas for design of the species-specific oligonucleotide primers for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. There were no significant differences in plasma glucose and IRI concentrations between dogs and cats. In feline liver, although GK activities were not detected, activities of hexokinase, fructokinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase were significantly higher than those in canine liver. The partial sequences of canine liver GK and feline pancreas GK cDNA were respectively 88% and 89% identical with the rat liver GK cDNA. Expression of GK gene was observed in canine liver and pancreas and feline pancreas with RT-PCR using species specific primers based on the cDNA sequences.

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A common sign of obesity, in dogs, is hyperlipidemia, which is characterized by hypercholesterolemia and/or hypertriglycemia. Hyperlipidemia can be caused by a quantitative increase in circulating lipoproteins (LP) or by a higher lipid concentration in the various LP classes. In this study, we sought to determine whether aberrations occur with cholesterol lipoprotein profile, especially with sub HDL-cholesterol fraction % in obese dogs. Using clinically healthy and disease free (no overt signs) body condition score classified obese dogs, of all ages, we attempted to determine the influence of age, gender and obesity status on cholesterol lipoprotein profiling. Overall, no aberration in pattern was observed in obese dogs <8 years of age. However, in older obese animals (≥8 years of age), the general aberration pattern to cholesterol lipoprotein observed was that a significant decrease in HDL2 and 3 fraction % occurs with a concomitant increase in either HDL1-Cho or VLDL and LDL -Cho fraction % depending on gender. Linear regression analysis indicated that obesity status appears to significantly affect total cholesterol, HDL2 and 3-Cho, VLDL and LDL-Cho levels (P=0.02, 0.046, and 0.045, respectively), whereas it is borderline with HDL1-Cho (P=0.062). On the other hand, age significantly influenced TG, Total cholesterol, and HDL1-Cho levels (P=0.009, 0.006, and 0.002, respectively), while gender influenced VLDL and LDL-Cho (P=0.024) level. Therefore, aberrations in cholesterol lipoprotein profile pattern might be of potential use to assess and diagnose obesity status, in conjunction with BCS, especially of older overweight animals which might be considered borderline obese.