Adiposity in mares induces insulin dysregulation and mitochondrial dysfunction which can be mitigated by nutritional intervention

Abstract Obesity is a complex disease associated with augmented risk of metabolic disorder development and cellular dysfunction in various species. The goal of the present study was to investigate the impacts of obesity on the metabolic health of old mares as well as test the ability of diet supplementation with either a complex blend of nutrients designed to improve equine metabolism and gastrointestinal health or L-carnitine to mitigate negative effects of obesity. Mares (n = 19, 17.9 ± 3.7 years) were placed into one of three group: normal-weight (NW, n = 6), obese (OB, n = 7) or obese fed a complex diet supplement for 12 weeks (OBD, n = 6). After 12 weeks, OB mares received L-carnitine alone for 6 weeks. Obesity in mares was significantly associated with insulin dysregulation, reduced (p < 0.05) muscle mitochondrial function, and decreased (p < 0.05) skeletal muscle oxidative capacity with greater (p < 0.05) ROS production when compared to NW. Obese mares fed the complex diet supplement had better insulin sensivity (p < 0.05), greater (p < 0.05) cell lipid metabolism, and higher (p < 0.05) muscle oxidative capacity with reduced (p < 0.05) ROS production than OB. L-carnitine supplementation alone did not significantly alter insulin signaling, but improved (p < 0.05) lipid metabolism and muscle oxidative capacity with reduced (p < 0.05) ROS. In conclusion, obesity is associated with insulin dysregulation and altered skeletal muscle metabolism in older mares. However, dietary interventions are an effective strategy to improve metabolic status and skeletal muscle mitochondrial function in older mares.