311 Investigating metabolomic profiles associated with canine fearfulness

IF 2.9 2区 农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE
Scarlett Burron, Dave J Seymour, Candace Croney, Alexandra Harlander, Anna K Shoveller
{"title":"311 Investigating metabolomic profiles associated with canine fearfulness","authors":"Scarlett Burron, Dave J Seymour, Candace Croney, Alexandra Harlander, Anna K Shoveller","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf300.112","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Chronic fear and anxiety experienced by domestic dogs pose significant welfare concerns, yet the molecular mechanisms related to these states remain poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the relationships between type and level of fear shown by dogs and peripheral metabolites, aiming to identify metabolic markers that could inform future nutritional strategies for managing fearfulness. One hundred and one client-owned adult dogs of various breeds (48 females; 53 males, 4.2 ± 2.1 years, and 25.7 ± 11.6 kg [mean ± SD]) were recruited for this study. Included dogs ranged from those described by their owners as not generally fearful to very fearful and none were on medications or supplements. Owners completed a questionnaire, based on the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), which includes scenario-based questions scored on a scale from 0 (no fear) to 4 (extreme fear). Responses were categorized into three fear subtypes: stranger-oriented (fear of unfamiliar people), dog-oriented (fear of other dogs), and non-social (fear of unfamiliar situations, objects, or noises) for analysis. To standardize dietary nutrient profiles, dogs were fed a commercial kibble (Acana, Classics Red Meat Recipe) for ≥ 4 weeks prior to blood collection. Serum samples underwent non-targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolite profiling. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between fear subtypes and individual metabolites using SAS Studio, with dog as a random effect. Multiple comparisons were corrected using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment and data was considered significant at pFDR < 0.05. Two metabolites, L-homophenylalanine and indoleacetate, were associated with higher owner-reported non-social fear (pFDR < 0.04). No associations were found between metabolites and human- or dog-oriented fear (pFDR > 0.05). Indoleacetate is a microbial metabolite of tryptophan that acts as a signaling molecule in the gut-brain axis in other mammals, suggesting a potential link between gut-derived metabolites and some types of fear in dogs. While the role of L-homophenylalanine is not well understood in mammals, it is commonly detected in the canine fecal microbiome, further supporting a possible connection between gut microbial metabolism and pathways involved in fear responses. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence highlighting the important role of gut-brain interactions in fear and anxiety, laying the groundwork for future research in this area. By identifying specific metabolites associated with canine fearfulness, this study provides a foundation for continued exploration of microbiome-metabolite links and the development of targeted nutritional strategies to support behavioral well-being in dogs.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of animal science","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf300.112","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Chronic fear and anxiety experienced by domestic dogs pose significant welfare concerns, yet the molecular mechanisms related to these states remain poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the relationships between type and level of fear shown by dogs and peripheral metabolites, aiming to identify metabolic markers that could inform future nutritional strategies for managing fearfulness. One hundred and one client-owned adult dogs of various breeds (48 females; 53 males, 4.2 ± 2.1 years, and 25.7 ± 11.6 kg [mean ± SD]) were recruited for this study. Included dogs ranged from those described by their owners as not generally fearful to very fearful and none were on medications or supplements. Owners completed a questionnaire, based on the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), which includes scenario-based questions scored on a scale from 0 (no fear) to 4 (extreme fear). Responses were categorized into three fear subtypes: stranger-oriented (fear of unfamiliar people), dog-oriented (fear of other dogs), and non-social (fear of unfamiliar situations, objects, or noises) for analysis. To standardize dietary nutrient profiles, dogs were fed a commercial kibble (Acana, Classics Red Meat Recipe) for ≥ 4 weeks prior to blood collection. Serum samples underwent non-targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolite profiling. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between fear subtypes and individual metabolites using SAS Studio, with dog as a random effect. Multiple comparisons were corrected using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment and data was considered significant at pFDR < 0.05. Two metabolites, L-homophenylalanine and indoleacetate, were associated with higher owner-reported non-social fear (pFDR < 0.04). No associations were found between metabolites and human- or dog-oriented fear (pFDR > 0.05). Indoleacetate is a microbial metabolite of tryptophan that acts as a signaling molecule in the gut-brain axis in other mammals, suggesting a potential link between gut-derived metabolites and some types of fear in dogs. While the role of L-homophenylalanine is not well understood in mammals, it is commonly detected in the canine fecal microbiome, further supporting a possible connection between gut microbial metabolism and pathways involved in fear responses. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence highlighting the important role of gut-brain interactions in fear and anxiety, laying the groundwork for future research in this area. By identifying specific metabolites associated with canine fearfulness, this study provides a foundation for continued exploration of microbiome-metabolite links and the development of targeted nutritional strategies to support behavioral well-being in dogs.
311研究与犬类恐惧相关的代谢组学特征
长期的恐惧和焦虑经历的家狗带来了重大的福利问题,但与这些状态相关的分子机制仍然知之甚少。因此,本研究的目的是探索狗表现出的恐惧类型和水平与周围代谢物之间的关系,旨在确定代谢标志物,为未来管理恐惧的营养策略提供信息。本研究共招募客户养成年犬101只(母犬48只,公犬53只,年龄4.2±2.1岁,体重25.7±11.6 kg [mean±SD])。被研究的狗从主人描述的一般不害怕到非常害怕,没有狗服用药物或补充剂。狗主人完成了一份基于犬类行为评估和研究问卷(C-BARQ)的调查问卷,其中包括基于场景的问题,得分范围从0(无恐惧)到4(极度恐惧)。反应被分为三种恐惧类型:陌生人导向(害怕不熟悉的人)、狗导向(害怕其他狗)和非社交(害怕不熟悉的情况、物体或噪音)进行分析。为了使饮食营养成分标准化,在采血前给狗喂食商业粗粉(Acana,经典红肉配方)≥4周。血清样品进行非靶向液相色谱-质谱分析。采用SAS Studio进行Logistic回归,以狗为随机效应,检验恐惧亚型与个体代谢物之间的关系。使用Benjamini-Hochberg错误发现率(FDR)调整和pFDR &;lt的数据被认为是显著的对多个比较进行校正。0.05. 两种代谢物,l -同苯丙氨酸和吲哚乙酸,与较高的主人报告的非社交恐惧相关(pFDR < 0.04)。代谢物与人类或狗导向的恐惧之间没有关联(pFDR > 0.05)。吲哚乙酸酯是色氨酸的微生物代谢物,在其他哺乳动物中充当肠-脑轴的信号分子,这表明肠道衍生代谢物与狗的某些类型的恐惧之间存在潜在联系。虽然l -同苯丙氨酸在哺乳动物中的作用尚不清楚,但它在犬类粪便微生物群中普遍存在,这进一步支持了肠道微生物代谢与恐惧反应相关途径之间的可能联系。这些发现为越来越多的证据强调了肠道-大脑相互作用在恐惧和焦虑中的重要作用,为该领域的未来研究奠定了基础。通过鉴定与犬恐惧相关的特定代谢物,本研究为继续探索微生物组代谢物之间的联系和制定有针对性的营养策略提供了基础,以支持犬的行为健康。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Journal of animal science
Journal of animal science 农林科学-奶制品与动物科学
CiteScore
4.80
自引率
12.10%
发文量
1589
审稿时长
3 months
期刊介绍: The Journal of Animal Science (JAS) is the premier journal for animal science and serves as the leading source of new knowledge and perspective in this area. JAS publishes more than 500 fully reviewed research articles, invited reviews, technical notes, and letters to the editor each year. Articles published in JAS encompass a broad range of research topics in animal production and fundamental aspects of genetics, nutrition, physiology, and preparation and utilization of animal products. Articles typically report research with beef cattle, companion animals, goats, horses, pigs, and sheep; however, studies involving other farm animals, aquatic and wildlife species, and laboratory animal species that address fundamental questions related to livestock and companion animal biology will be considered for publication.
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:604180095
Book学术官方微信