Respirometry techniques for the study of the energy requirements of dogs and cats

• Grant number: 14/13270-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: November 15, 2014
• End date: February 14, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Aulus Cavalieri Carciofi
• Grantee: Aulus Cavalieri Carciofi
• Host Investigator: Richard C. Hill
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Florida, Gainesville (UF), United States

Abstract

Dogs and cats are carnivores, animals with high requirements of amino acids. Their capacity of use starch had been studied, but several aspects remain unclear. We have a research line on carbohydrates for dogs and cats, and this was the subject of our Associate-Professor Thesis. Our research group has been conducting studies about digestibility and gut fermentation, and glucose and insulin meal responses to starch. Now we are planning more detailed studies, about carbohydrate intermediary metabolism and heat increment induced by starch intake. Such studies are justified since more the 90% of dogs and cats are currently fed extruded commercial diets, which have between 25% to 60% of starch in their composition. Our research group has some publications on the implications of body composition (obesity) and diet formulation (protein, starch and fiber amounts) over the metabolism of carbohydrates, specifically their influence on postprandial glucose and insulin responses of dogs and cats. The future step we are planning is more important and challenging, towards the comprehension of carbohydrate versus protein oxidation on intermediary metabolism to energy production, and their outcome over the maintenance energy requirement, heath increment, liquid energy, and specifically to felines on the endogenous production of oxalate and the oxalate uroliths formation. There are several implications of this comprehension, extending over a better knowledge of obesity formation, dyslipidemias, the process of carbohydrate intolerance and insulin resistance, appetite regulation, components of the daily energy expenditure, and to improve the estimations of the energy value of a food based on its chemical composition. Respirometry techniques measuring carbon dioxide production and oxygen consumption are the gold standard techniques nowadays to study the energy metabolism of animals. Is our objective be able to conduct this type of study at the Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias da UNESP, campus de Jaboticabal. To learn and be trained, I am requesting a grant to stay three months on the University of Florida, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Richard Hill. Dr. Hill is an international recognized expert on studies of energy metabolism of dogs using the techniques of respirometry. He is now developing research and accepted to receive me to follow his studies, when I will receive complete training on the required procedures, techniques, equipment's and calculations process (AU)