Hepatic lipidosis in cats is a commonly diagnosed hepatobiliary disease of
unknown cause. The purpose of this prospective study was to characterize th
e blood hormone and lipid tarus of cats with hepatic lipidosis, and to comp
are this status to that of cats with other types of liver disease and to co
ntrol cars. Twenty-three cars with hepatic disease were assigned to 1 of 2
groups on the basis of cytopathologic or histopathologic examination of the
liver: group 1, hepatic lipidosis (n = 18): or group 2, cholangiohepatitis
(n = 5). Ten healthy young adult cats were used as controls. Food was with
held from control animals for 24 hours before blood collection. Concentrati
ons of plasma glucagon and serum insulin, cortisol, thyroxine, triglyceride
s, cholesterol, phospholipid, and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) were de
termined in all cars, in addition to routine hematologic and serum biochemi
cal testing. Cats with hepatic lipidosis had higher serum NEFA concentratio
ns than cats with cholangiohepatitis or control cats (P < .05). Cats with c
holangiohepatitis had higher serum cholesterol and phospholipid concentrati
ons than those of cats with lipidosis or control cars (P < .05); their plas
ma glucagon concentrations were higher than those of control cats (P < .05)
, but were not different from those of cats with hepatic lipidosis. Serum i
nsulin concentrations were significantly higher in control cats than in dis
eased cats (P < .05), but neither serum insulin nor the insulin to glucagon
ratio was significantly different among the cats with hepatic disease. The
high concentration of NEFAs in cats with hepatic lipidosis suggests that o
r least 1 factor in the pathogenesis of this syndrome may involve the regul
ation of hormone-sensitive lipase.