Basal plasma insulin and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) are indicators of insulin sensitivity in cats

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare simpler indices of insulin sensitivity with the minimal model-derived insulin sensitivity index to identify a simple and reliable alternative method for assessing insulin sensitivity in cats. In addition, we aimed to determine whether this simpler measure or measures showed consistency of association across differing body weights and glucose tolerance levels. Data from glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity tests performed in 32 cats with varying body weights (underweight to obese), including seven cats with impaired glucose tolerance, were used to assess the relationship between Bergman's minimal model-derived insulin sensitivity index (S(I)), and various simpler measures of insulin sensitivity. The most useful overall predictors of insulin sensitivity were basal plasma insulin concentrations and the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), which is the product of basal glucose and insulin concentrations divided by 22.5. It is concluded that measurement of plasma insulin concentrations in cats with food withheld for 24 h, in conjunction with HOMA, could be used in clinical research projects and by practicing veterinarians to screen for reduced insulin sensitivity in cats. Such cats may be at increased risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Early detection of these cats would enable preventative intervention programs such as weight reduction, increased physical activity and dietary modifications to be instigated.

Fructosamine as a Tool on the Evaluation of Insulin Resistant Obese Dogs

“…Other researchers observed that insulin resistant obese dogs keep their glucose concentrations inside reference range [14]. The lower measurements of glucose observed in the present experiment in obese dogs were expected due to the higher stimulus of insulin in obese than in control animals, since serum basal insulin levels were higher in insulin-resistant dogs than in other groups, which agrees with data reported in dogs [15] and other species [10,16,17]. It is difficult to access insulin sensitivity in clientowned animals, as the ones that composed the present study.…”

“…It is difficult to access insulin sensitivity in clientowned animals, as the ones that composed the present study. High levels of fasting insulin and I/G ratio have been used as indirect measures of this metabolic unbalance [1,16,18,19]. Expectedly higher values of I/G ratio were found in insulin-resistant dogs, since this index was used to group the animals.…”

Testosterone deprivation accelerates cardiac dysfunction in obese male rats

“…Insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) (Appleton et al 2005), which was calculated from fasting plasma insulin and fasting plasma glucose concentrations. A higher HOMA index indicates a higher degree of insulin resistance (Pratchayasakul et al 2011).…”

DPP-4 inhibitors improve cognition and brain mitochondrial function of insulin-resistant rats

“…Plasma insulin and GLP-1(7-36 amide) levels were determined via the Sandwich ELISA kit (LINCO Research, St Charles, MO, USA). Peripheral insulin resistance was assessed via the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) as described in the previous studies (Haffner et al 1997, Appleton et al 2005. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined using a HPLC-based assay (Grotto et al 2007).…”