Targeted lipidomics showed altered serum phosphatidylcholine levels in fearful dogs
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- 2Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- 3CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, Naples, Italy
- 4Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Viale Europa, Catanzaro, Italy
- 5Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Open University, Rome, Italy
Abstract
Fearfulness accounts for most disorders affecting family dogs, who generally experience several behavioral traits, including trembling, hiding, flinching at noises, panting, or ears held back. Intense and persistent exposure to threatening situations might escalate to phobia, which easily makes patients more prone to inter- and intra-specific aggression. Factors like pain, adverse environment, and poor nutrition, as well as medical conditions, may contribute to the onset and severity of fear, although molecular pathways underlying such a dysfunctional emotional status are not yet fully understood. Among them, growing evidence highlighted the importance of lipid dynamics in mood-related disorders, both in humans and animals. Accordingly, lipids are the main components of brain structure, facilitating neuronal activities, including energy storage, signaling, and membrane integrity. In the present work, we identified a distinct lipidomic pattern significantly altered in the serum of fearful dogs, characterized by the differential abundance of several lipid species, primarily phosphatidylcholines. This predominance of phosphatidylcholine dysregulation underscores the central role of membrane phospholipid metabolism in canine fear behavior and suggests that lipid dysmetabolism is associated with behavioral disorders in companion animals. Collectively, our data pave the way for a deeper characterization of the impact of lipid dysregulation upon mood-related dysfunctions in dogs and for identifying diagnostic biomarkers in veterinary practice to cope with this behavioral disorder.
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BibTeX
@article{sacchettino2026targeted,
title = {{Targeted lipidomics showed altered serum phosphatidylcholine levels in fearful dogs}},
author = {Luigi Sacchettino and Michele Costanzo and Sabrina Bianco and Iolanda Veneruso and Valeria D’Argenio and Viviana Orsola Giuliano and Pietro Lombardi and Francesco Napolitano and Danila d’Angelo},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0356063},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356063},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Targeted lipidomics showed altered serum phosphatidylcholine levels in fearful dogs
AU - Luigi Sacchettino
AU - Michele Costanzo
AU - Sabrina Bianco
AU - Iolanda Veneruso
AU - Valeria D’Argenio
AU - Viviana Orsola Giuliano
AU - Pietro Lombardi
AU - Francesco Napolitano
AU - Danila d’Angelo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0356063
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356063
AB - Fearfulness accounts for most disorders affecting family dogs, who generally experience several behavioral traits, including trembling, hiding, flinching at noises, panting, or ears held back. Intense and persistent exposure to threatening situations might escalate to phobia, which easily makes patients more prone to inter- and intra-specific aggression. Factors like pain, adverse environment, and poor nutrition, as well as medical conditions, may contribute to the onset and severity of fear, although molecular pathways underlying such a dysfunctional emotional status are not yet fully understood. Among them, growing evidence highlighted the importance of lipid dynamics in mood-related disorders, both in humans and animals. Accordingly, lipids are the main components of brain structure, facilitating neuronal activities, including energy storage, signaling, and membrane integrity. In the present work, we identified a distinct lipidomic pattern significantly altered in the serum of fearful dogs, characterized by the differential abundance of several lipid species, primarily phosphatidylcholines. This predominance of phosphatidylcholine dysregulation underscores the central role of membrane phospholipid metabolism in canine fear behavior and suggests that lipid dysmetabolism is associated with behavioral disorders in companion animals. Collectively, our data pave the way for a deeper characterization of the impact of lipid dysregulation upon mood-related dysfunctions in dogs and for identifying diagnostic biomarkers in veterinary practice to cope with this behavioral disorder.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -