Abstract
The ability of 8 pregnant ewes to maintain glucose homeostasis following an intravenous glucose load (glucose tolerance test) and during starvation in late pregnancy was studied. Following an intravenous load 2 out of 7 ewes tested showed an impaired insulin secretion during the first 10–15 min. An increase in plasma insulin concentration was found 50–60 min after the injection.
The results of the effect of a starvation on a number of blood constituents are demonstrated. Two of the twin–pregnant ewes developed symptoms of pregnancy disease following starvation, these were the same ewes that showed an impaired insulin secretion after the glucose load. However, no difference was demonstrated in the clinical chemical parameters whether the experimental ewes developed pregnancy disease or not.
Sammendrag
Højdrægtige fårs evne til at opretholde glukose homeostasen under en belastning blev undersøgt, både ved en intravenøs injektion af glukose (glukose tolerance test) og ved at suite fårene. Hos to får fandtes ingen stigning i insulinkoncentrationen i løbet af de første 10–15 min. efter glukoseinjektionen. Der registreredes en sekundær stigning i plasma insulinkoncentrationen 50–60 min. efter injektionen af glukose. Effekten af sult på en række klinisk kemiske parametre er belyst. Resultatet af sulteforsøget blev, at to tvillingdrægtige får udviklede symptomer på drægtighedssyge. Hos præcis de samme får fandtes ingen stigning i insulinkoncentrationen ved glukose tolerance testen. Herudover fandtes ingen forskel på blodparametre registreret hos de to tvillingdrægtige får som udviklede symptomer på drægtighedssyge, og de øvrige får som ikke viste symptomer på sygdommen. De opnåede resultater diskuteres, især i forhold til tidligere teorier om patogenesen for drægtighedssyge.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Icelandic Science Foundation. I wish to thank the members of the Clinical Central Laboratory and the Department of Internal Medicine, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen for their contribution. Further I would like to thank Statens Husdyrbrugs–forsog and Novo A/S Copenhagen for carrying out insulin and glucagon analyses.
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Sigurdsson, H. Susceptibility to Pregnancy Disease in Ewes and its Relation to Gestastional Diabetes. Acta Vet Scand 29, 407–414 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548636
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548636