Mv. Root et al., EFFECT OF PREPUBERTAL AND POSTPUBERAL GONADECTOMY ON HEAT-PRODUCTION MEASURED BY INDIRECT CALORIMETRY IN MALE AND FEMALE DOMESTIC CATS, American journal of veterinary research, 57(3), 1996, pp. 371-374
Objective-To use indirect calorimetry to compare heat production betwe
en gonadectomized and sexually intact male and female cats. Design-Mal
e (n = 6) and female (n = 6) kittens were gonadectomized at 7 weeks or
7 months of age, or left sexually intact. Body heat production was me
asured by indirect calorimetry in all cats at 12, 18, and 24 months of
age. Animals-18 male and 18 female clinically normal domestic shortha
ir cats. Procedure-Heat production was measured, using an open-circuit
, respiratory, indirect calorimeter. All cats underwent calorimetry at
12, 18, and 24 months of age. The heat coefficient, a measure of rest
ing metabolic rate, was calculated for each cat at each test; heat coe
fficient is defined as logarithm of heat (kcal/h) divided by logarithm
of body weight (kg). Results-Heat production did not vary with age in
male or female cats. Heat coefficient was higher in sexually intact m
ale and female cats than in gonadectomized male and female cats at 12,
18, and 24 months of age (12 months, females, P < 0.01, males, P = 0.
04; 18 months. females, P < 0.01, males, P = 0.02; and 24 months, fema
les and males, P < 0.01). Conclusions-These data suggest that resting
metabolic rate in cats decreases after gonadectomy. Clinical Relevance
-A decrease in metabolic rate is synonymous with a decrease in caloric
requirements. Gonadectomized animals fed in a manner similar to sexua
lly intact animals may be predisposed to obesity and its sequelae.