Measurement of Ghrelin as a Marker of Appetite Dysregulation in Cats with and without Chronic Kidney Disease

Simple Summary: Cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently suffer from weight loss and inadequate caloric intake due to poor appetite. Ghrelin is a key hormone involved in the regulation of appetite, and it circulates in two forms: acylated and desacyl ghrelin. Acylated ghrelin is associated with initiating and stimulating appetite, whereas desacyl ghrelin is considered anorexigenic. To investigate appetite regulation in cats, this study compared plasma acylated, total, and calculated desacyl ghrelin concentrations in cats with and without CKD. The results demonstrate that cats with CKD have increased desacyl and total ghrelin concentrations in comparison to normal cats, consistent with dysregulation of appetite. This increase was correlated with disease severity. Appetite abnormalities and weight loss are important comorbidities in the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. Ghrelin, a key hormone involved in the regulation of appetite and metabolism, is a potential marker of appetite dysregulation in cats with CKD. The aim of this study was to compare the plasma concentrations of acylated, desacyl, and total ghrelin in normal cats and cats with CKD. Storage methodology was investigated prior to evaluating ghrelin concentrations in normal and CKD cats to facilitate clinical sample collection. Twelve normal cats and twelve cats with CKD were enrolled. Plasma acylated and total ghrelin concentrations were measured using radioimmunoassay. Desacyl ghrelin was calculated (total ghrelin minus acylated ghrelin). Cats with CKD had significantly increased total ghrelin and calculated desacyl ghrelin concentrations in comparison to normal cats (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0001). There was no significant difference in active ghrelin concentrations between groups. Both total ghrelin and calculated desacyl ghrelin were significantly correlated with serum creatinine concentrations (p < 0.0001, r = 0.70 and p < 0.0001, r = 0.73). Elevated plasma desacyl ghrelin concentrations in cats with CKD provides evidence for dysregulation of appetite in feline CKD.