Analyze Diet

Topic:Blood

The study of blood in horses encompasses the examination of its components, functions, and its role in equine health and disease. Blood consists of various elements, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, each serving specific functions such as oxygen transport, immune response, clotting, and nutrient distribution. Analyzing blood parameters can provide insights into the physiological and pathological states of horses. Common blood tests in equine medicine assess parameters like hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, and white cell counts to monitor health status, diagnose conditions, and guide treatment decisions. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the composition, function, and clinical applications of blood analysis in horses.
Climate change impact on blood haemogram in the horse: a three-year preliminary study.
Frontiers in veterinary science    December 16, 2024   Volume 11 1482268 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1482268
Deniz Ö, Aragona F, Murphy BA, Tümer KÇ, Bozacı S, Fazio F.The global climatic changes pose a substantial threat to the well-being and productivity of both humans and animals. Unassigned: This study examined the impact of climate changes during different seasons over a 3-year monitoring period (2021-2023) on various blood parameters including, white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HGB), red blood cells (RBC), platelets (PLT), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). The study focused on 25 Tho...
Correlation of fecal microbiome dysregulation to synovial transcriptome in an equine model of obesity associated osteoarthritis.
Annals of translational medicine    December 13, 2024   Volume 12, Issue 6 112 doi: 10.21037/atm-24-109
Chow L, Kawahisa-Piquini G, Bass L, Hendrickson D, Patel A, Rockow M, Dow S, Pezzanite LM.Osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly thought to be a multifactorial disease in which sustained gut inflammation serves as a continued source of inflammatory mediators driving degenerative processes at distant sites such as joints. The objective of this study was to use the equine model of naturally occurring obesity associated OA to compare the fecal microbiome in OA and health and correlate those findings to differential gene expression synovial fluid (SF) cells, circulating leukocytes and cytokine levels (plasma, SF) towards improved understanding of the interplay between microbiome and immun...
Potential use of beet-pulp concentrate supplementation in athletic horse.
Heliyon    December 10, 2024   Volume 11, Issue 1 e40961 doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40961
Souza LA, Hunka MM, Rezende Júnior SF, Silva CJFLD, Manso HECDCC, Simões J, Coelho CS, Fazio F, Aragona F, Manso Filho HC.The aim of this two-phase study was to evaluate the use of beet pulp concentrate (BPC) in athletic horses. On the first trial the effects of supplementation with 820g of BPC for 12 weeks were assessed and a crossover postprandial curves of blood biomarkers were determined in five adult Arabian mares. Differences were found in T-chol, HDL-chol, TPP and MCHC (p < 0.05). Postprandial curves varied among challenges (p < 0.05) for glucose, insulin, and hematocrit. These results confirmed that BPC supplementation led to changes in blood biomarkers, without inducing major metabolic disruption. Th...
Horses with previous episodes of laminitis have altered insulin responses to seasonal oral sugar testing and grazing compared to horses with no known history of laminitis.
Journal of equine veterinary science    December 4, 2024   Volume 145 105254 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105254
Kaufman KL, Suagee-Bedore JK, Johnson SE, Ely KM, Ghajar SJ, McIntosh BM.Forage is essential for equine health and performance, but intake of elevated pasture nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) may exacerbate metabolic disorders. This study aimed to investigate the influence of laminitis history on metabolic and morphometric responses in grazing horses. Twelve non-pregnant mares (15 ± 3.4 yrs) were selected based on previous diagnosis of laminitis (PRELAM; n=6) or not (NOLAM; n=6). Horses were maintained on 8.5-ha pasture. Weekly pasture samples were clipped at random for nutrient analysis. Monthly blood samples were collected and analyzed for glucose and insulin c...
Fluctuations of antimüllerian hormone, ovarian follicular reserve, and antioxidant status throughout the estrous cycle in aged mares.
Open veterinary journal    November 30, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 11 3132-3143 doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2024.v14.i11.44
Aboelmaaty AM, Elgharieb AEA, El-Debaky HA, Alkhadrawy JMH, Abou-Ahmed MM, Ghallab AM.Senility influences fertility in women and companion animals, especially horses. Unassigned: This study aimed to investigate the effect of aging in horses on the daily changes in the dominant follicle (DF) dynamics and hemodynamics, antimüllerian hormone (AMH), enzymes, antioxidants, and ovarian hormones during the estrous cycle. Unassigned: Ovaries of old mares ( = 5, age >20 years) and young native mares ( = 6, age <10 years) were scanned during 6 different estrous cycles from March 2022 to August 2023 with Doppler ultrasound. The DF diameter and color area, the corpus luteum (CL) dia...
Pergolide mesylate administration does not decrease blood thyroid hormone concentrations and thyroid function in horses.
American journal of veterinary research    November 27, 2024   1-5 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.24.09.0257
Jargielo MM, Kritchevsky JE, Bertin FR.Pergolide, labeled for the treatment of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, is 90% protein bound and might cause a decrease in blood thyroid hormone concentrations by displacing them from binding proteins. This study investigated the effect of pergolide on the equine thyroid function. Methods: This was an analytic, observational, cohort study. Six horses (17 to 24 years old and 530 to 599 kg) received 1 mg of pergolide mesylate orally once a day from days 1 to 6. Total T4 (tT4) was measured daily from day 0 to 11 (before, during, and after pergolide treatment). Thyrotropin-releasing hormone...
Correction to “Plasma syndecan-1 concentration as a biomarker for endothelial glycocalyx degradation in septic adult horses”.
Equine veterinary journal    November 26, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14441
No abstract available
Correction to “Plasma syndecan-1 concentration as a biomarker for endothelial glycocalyx degradation in septic adult horses”.
Equine veterinary journal    November 26, 2024   doi: 10.1111/evj.14441
No abstract available
Changes in blood physiological and biochemical parameters and intestinal flora in newborn horses and mares with angular limb deformities.
Frontiers in veterinary science    November 26, 2024   Volume 11 1503117 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1503117
Ma Y, Liu Y, Li H, Yang K, Yao G.Angular limb deformities (ALDs) are a common skeletal development disorder in newborn foals. This condition affects the growth and development of foals and severely impacts their future athletic performance and economic value, causing significant financial losses to the horse industry. Placentitis, metritis, and severe metabolic diseases during mare pregnancy are significant causes of ALDs in newborn foals. It has been established that intestinal flora disorders can easily lead to inflammatory and metabolic diseases in the host. However, the incidence of ALDs in foals in Zhaosu County, Xinjian...
A study on the measurement of the reference range of the whole blood viscosity in Thoroughbred horses.
Veterinarni medicina    November 22, 2024   Volume 69, Issue 11 381-388 doi: 10.17221/24/2024-VETMED
Ha Y, Yi K, Park C, Kim G, Choi D, Lee J, Kim N.This study aimed to measure the whole blood viscosity (WBV) in racehorses using a new viscometer and establish reference values, as well as to investigate the correlation between the WBV and the haematological parameters and serum chemistry. WBV measurements were conducted on 51 Thoroughbred horses using a novel U-shaped scanning capillary-tube viscometer. The reference values for the WBV were determined at various shear rates ranging from 1 s to 1 000 s. Correlation analyses were performed to examine the correlation between the WBV and the haematological and serum chemistry parameters. The fi...
Robinia pseudoacacia poisoning in two horses: A case report.
Veterinarni medicina    November 21, 2024   Volume 69, Issue 11 395-400 doi: 10.17221/55/2024-VETMED
Novotna T, Samonilova E, Klan J, Frgelecova L, Mala A, Svobodova Z, Drabkova Z.This case report describes the poisoning of two mares from the same paddock with Robinia pseudoacacia (Black locust) bark. The poisoning manifested itself by the sudden onset of weakness and fever with transient improvement after the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and fluids. After the initial stabilisation, the mares were left unattended overnight. One of them was found dead in the morning. The surviving mare developed colic and severe encephalopathy and had to be referred to the clinic. Blood tests revealed severe hyperammonaemia. After four days of symptomatic treat...
Short-term clinical and biochemical responses following treatment with dapagliflozin or ertugliflozin in horses with hyperinsulinemia: A retrospective case series.
Domestic animal endocrinology    November 19, 2024   Volume 90 106894 doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2024.106894
Sundra T, Knowles E, Rendle D, Kelty E, Lester G, Rossi G.The metabolic and lipid profiles of horses treated with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are not well understood. This retrospective study evaluated blood parameters in hyperinsulinemic horses treated with either ertugliflozin (0.05 mg/kg) or dapagliflozin (0.02 mg/kg) orally once daily. Blood samples were collected at baseline (day 0) and after 7 and/or 30 days of treatment. Statistical analyses were conducted using Wilcoxon signed-rank, Mann-Whitney and Spearman's rank correlation tests. Thirty-four horses received dapagliflozin and 24 received ertugliflozin. Significant (p<0.05)...
Plasma alpha-fetoprotein in neonatal foals affected by prematurity, sepsis and neonatal encephalopathy.
Journal of equine veterinary science    November 14, 2024   Volume 144 105231 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105231
Lanci A, Ellero N, Castagnetti C, Perina F, Dondi F, Mariella J.Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations have been reported in healthy foals and proposed as a biomarker of sepsis in foals born from mares with experimentally induced placentitis. This study aimed to describe the diagnostic and prognostic value of plasma AFP in foals spontaneously affected by different diseases. The study included all foals less than 72 h old that were diagnosed with either: (1) prematurity (PRE), when born prior to 320 days of gestation with immature physical characteristics; (2) sepsis (SEP), in the presence of both positive blood culture and SIRS or (3) neonatal encephalopat...
Impact of the mare colostral immunoglobulins on the expression of TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7 in foals.
Animal science journal = Nihon chikusan Gakkaiho    November 13, 2024   Volume 95, Issue 1 e70007 doi: 10.1111/asj.70007
Migdał A, Migdał Ł, Oczkowicz M, Tombarkiewicz B, Okólski A.Colostrum contains substances such as hormones, enzymes, polyamides, nucleic acid derivatives, and amino acid derivatives and also includes immunomodulating substances, proline-rich polypeptides, immunoglobulins (Ig) as well as bacteriostatic compounds. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of colostral Ig on the level of expression of selected Toll-like receptor genes (TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7). The experiments were conducted on 25 Polish Pony foals. Blood samples were collected according to the following scheme: before first suckling, at the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 10th, 20th, and 30th, day of ...
Identification of altered blood metabolic pathways in equines following ethyl pyruvate administration using non-targeted metabolomics.
Scientific reports    November 12, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 1 27684 doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75734-1
Kwak YB, Seo SA, Kim M, Yoon J.Ethyl pyruvate (EP) has emerged as a promising compound with potential therapeutic benefits attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study aimed to understand the effects of EP on plasma metabolites and immune cells in horses, utilizing advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and blood chemistry analyses. Our comprehensive analysis detected 2,366 ions, and 126 metabolites were accurately identified. Remarkably, EP administration induced significant changes in 28 metabolites at 1 h a...
Hair and Blood Trace Elements (Cadmium, Zinc, Chrome, Lead, Iron and Copper) Biomonitoring in the Athletic Horse: The Potential Role of Haematological Parameters as Biomarkers.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 8, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 22 3206 doi: 10.3390/ani14223206
Aragona F, Giannetto C, Piccione G, Licata P, Deniz Ö, Fazio F.The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), Chrome (Cr), Lead (Pb), Iron (Fe) and Copper (Cu), in the blood, serum, tail and mane of horses from the industrialized area of Milazzo (Messina, Sicily), to understand the relationships between haematological parameters: Red Blood Cells (RBCs), White Blood Cells (WBCs), Haemoglobin (Hb), Haematocrit (Hct), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Platelets (PLTs) and the concentrations of trace elements. Blood and hair ...
Prevalence of gastrointestinal and blood parasites in horses of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand.
Veterinary world    November 5, 2024   Volume 17, Issue 11 2460-2468 doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2460-2468
Phetkarl T, Fungwithaya P, Lewchalermvong K, Sontigun N.The global prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) and blood parasite infections in horses is a significant concern due to their substantial impact on morbidity, mortality, and economic losses in the horse industry. In Thailand, limited research has been conducted on these parasites in horse populations, and data from southern Thailand are lacking. Consequently, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of GI and blood parasites in horses in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand. Unassigned: In total, 79 fecal and blood samples were collected from horses across 11 farms in Nakhon Si Thammarat p...
Age-dependent haemogram and sex-dependent serum biochemistry values in semi-feral Konik horses.
Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde    October 29, 2024   Volume 166, Issue 11 582-592 doi: 10.17236/sat00437
Thielebein J, Bartling B, Hönicke C, Schmicke M.Semi-feral, free-roaming Konik polski horses are used in some European countries for preserving semi-open pasture landscapes. The estimation of their health status is still limited by insufficient data on various blood parameters. Therefore, our study aimed at the sex- and age-dependent analysis of haemogram and selected biochemistry parameters in healthy, semi-feral Koniks. In order to reach this aim, we took blood samples from 53 female and 18 male (8 uncastrated, 10 castrated) Koniks living in two Middle German nature reserves. They were of different age (9-266 months) and without signs of ...
Comparison of blood parameters in two genetically different groups of horses for functional longevity in show jumping.
Frontiers in genetics    October 29, 2024   Volume 15 1455790 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1455790
Harari S, Deretz S, Dumont Saint Priest B, Richard E, Ricard A.In order to find early selection criteria to improve the longevity of show jumping horses, a specific protocol was designed. Unassigned: Before entering competition, young horses selected from extreme stallions for longevity were measured for many traits, including blood parameters. Blood samples were taken from 952 horses aged 2-4 years old, sired by two groups of stallions: one with unfavorable (U) and the other with favorable (F) extreme estimated breeding values for functional longevity. These breeding values were previously calculated from data on 202,320 horses that participated in show...
Calcium propionate is an alkalizing agent in exercising Standardbreds.
Journal of equine veterinary science    October 29, 2024   Volume 143 105212 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105212
Herbst AC, Puglia AT, Malinowski K, McKeever KH.The objective of this study was to determine if calcium propionate is an alkalizing agent in exercising Standardbreds and if it alters plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations. This study used a randomized crossover design to test the hypotheses that calcium propionate alters total CO2 (tCO), Ca, pH, strong ion difference (SID), glucose, and insulin in Standardbreds completing a simulated race test (SRT) on a high-speed equine treadmill. Blood was collected from eight horses (mean age ± SD = 16 ± 2.7 years; range = 13 - 21 years) at 10 and 5 min prior to treatment or control administr...
Decreased Circulating Red Cell Mass Induced by Intravenous Acepromazine Administration Alters Viscoelastic and Traditional Plasma Coagulation Testing Results in Healthy Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 28, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 21 3102 doi: 10.3390/ani14213102
Mersich I, Bishop RC, Diaz Yucupicio S, Nobrega AD, Austin SM, Barger AM, Fick ME, Wilkins PA.Coagulopathy is common in equine critical illness, with its early recognition being crucial for patient management and prognosis. In vitro viscoelastic (VE) hypercoagulability with decreased RCM/PCV has been demonstrated in dogs but not horses. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of acepromazine-induced (0.1 mg/kg IV) decreased RCM on VE and plasma coagulation parameters using a prospective interventional study of eight adult horses. Complete blood count (CBC), fibrinogen, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), packed cell volume (PCV), total solids (TS), and VCM Vet...
Comparison of a customized glycemic pellets challenge with the oral sugar test to measure glycemic and insulinemic responses in horses.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine    October 28, 2024   Volume 38, Issue 6 3281-3287 doi: 10.1111/jvim.17191
Thane K, Sonntag J, Warnken T, Reiche D, Uricchio C, Frank N.Testing for insulin dysregulation (ID) in horses is commonly performed to guide management and therapeutic strategies. Objective: To evaluate a newly developed glycemic pellets challenge (GPC) and compare results to those obtained using the low-dose oral sugar test (OST). Methods: Twenty-four adult horses with unknown insulin status. Methods: A randomized crossover trial was performed. Horses underwent GPC (0.5 g glycemic carbohydrates/kg body weight) and OST (0.15 mL corn syrup/kg body weight) 7 days apart. Feed was withheld before testing and blood samples were collected at T0, T60, T1...
Influence of Loading Density and Gender on the Welfare and Meat Quality of Horses During Transport for Slaughter.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 24, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 21 3069 doi: 10.3390/ani14213069
Božić Jovanović V, Trailović R, Vićić I, Grković N, Radaković M, Karabasil N, Kaić A, Čobanović N.The aim of this study was to determine the effects of loading density and gender on blood welfare indicators, carcass bruises and horsemeat quality. Data were collected from twelve transports of 89 slaughter horses originating from the same collection centre. The transportation of slaughter horses at high loading densities (>200 kg/m), especially stallions, resulted in increased levels of lactate ( = 0.021), glucose ( < 0.0001), ceruloplasmin ( < 0.0001) and AOPP ( < 0.0001), but lower GSH levels ( 200 kg/m) during transport had lower levels of the aforementioned blood metabolites....
Effect of furosemide on comprehensive renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity of Thoroughbred horses.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine    October 22, 2024   doi: 10.1111/jvim.17208
Lehman ML, Domenig O, Ames MK, Morgan JM.Furosemide, a commonly used diuretic, activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in other species. Little is known about RAAS peptide activation in horses. Objective: To evaluate equilibrium analysis as a practical method for RAAS quantification in horses and describe the RAAS response to a single dose of furosemide. We hypothesize that furosemide would cause transient increase in RAAS peptides in horses. Methods: 14 healthy adult thoroughbreds from a university teaching herd. Methods: Horses received either furosemide (1 mg/kg IV) or saline IV in a crossover study design. Pro...
Assessing muscle function and oxidative profile in criollo horses participating in long loop rodeo before and after exercise.
Brazilian journal of veterinary medicine    October 11, 2024   Volume 46 e005823 doi: 10.29374/2527-2179.bjvm005823
Pereira AT, Pozzobon R, Dos Anjos BL, Chaves LT, Smilgys ÉC, Thoma AJS, Lunkes VL, de Oliveira JS, de Andrade CM, Soares JCM.Criollo breed is quite popular in Brazil, mainly in the Southern Region, and the long loop rodeo is one of the main sports modality adapted to this breed. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in the muscle and oxidative functions caused by exercises practiced in this sports modality. Data such as exercising frequency, covered distance, mean duration time and number of runs, and blood samples at the following times: before the tournament, on the final day of the event, and 18-24 h after the end of the tournament were collected. Were assessed lactate and the enzymes aspartate aminotra...
Featuring long-loop tournaments: breeding and training profiles and blood changes in criollo horses before and after exercise.
Brazilian journal of veterinary medicine    October 11, 2024   Volume 46 e005723 doi: 10.29374/2527-2179.bjvm005723
Pereira AT, Pozzobon R, Dos Anjos BL, Kunz AR, Chaves LT, Smilgys EC, Andrade BDS, Lunkes VL, de Andrade CM, Costa MM.Long-loop rodeo is a major competition for Criollo horses. We aimed to feature long-loop tournaments and to assess the profiles of competing horses. The animals (n = 49) were registered, and their body mass/scores, information about breeding, feeding, and training management, loaded weight, and tournament track (n = 11) were collected; speeds reached were estimated. Heart and respiratory rates of horses (n = 27) were collected before the tournament, on the final day of the event, and 18-24 h after the end of the tournament. Blood samples were collected from the animals at the same time. Blood ...
Accuracy and validation of a point-of-care blood glucose monitoring system for use in horses.
Frontiers in veterinary science    October 10, 2024   Volume 11 1436714 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1436714
Velineni S, Schiltz P, Chang KH, Peng YM, Cowles B.Abnormal blood glucose (BG) levels often seen in critically ill horses are significantly associated with adverse patient outcomes and increased mortality. Rapid and accurate BG monitoring is now considered an essential component of evidence-based equine practice and can provide critical information quickly for treatment. Although several point-of-care (POC) BG monitoring hand-held devices are commercially available for veterinary use, none contains a unique algorithm validated for use in horses. The AlphaTrak 3 (AT3) BG monitoring system is a first-of-its-kind device with an equine-specific al...
A proteomics perspective on 2 years of high-intensity training in horses: a pilot study.
Scientific reports    October 10, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 1 23684 doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75266-8
Johansson L, Ringmark S, Bergquist J, Skiöldebrand E, Widgren A, Jansson A.The human plasma proteome is rather well studied, but not that of other species, including horses. The aims of this study were to (1), explore differences in plasma proteomic profile of young elite harness trotters kept under standardised conditions and subjected to two different training programmes for 2 years and (2) explore changes in proteomic profile over time during the training period. From September at age 1.5 year to March at age 2 years, 16 Standardbred horses were exposed to the same training programme. In March, high-intensity training was introduced and the horses were divided int...
Comparison of Citrated Whole Blood to Native Whole Blood for Coagulation Testing Using the Viscoelastic Coagulation Monitor (VCM Vet™) in Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 8, 2024   Volume 14, Issue 19 2892 doi: 10.3390/ani14192892
Vokes JR, Lovett AL, de Kantzow MC, Rogers CW, Wilkins PA, Sykes BW.Viscoelastic monitoring of horse coagulation is increasing due to its advantages over traditional coagulation testing. The use of a point-of-care viscoelastic coagulation monitor (VCM Vet™) has been validated for use in horses using native whole blood (NWB) but has not been assessed using citrated whole blood (CWB), a technique that might have advantages in practicality and precision. Blood was collected from 70 horses, tested in duplicate immediately using NWB (T0), and stored at room temperature as CWB for testing in duplicate at 1 (T1) and 4 (T4) hours after venipuncture for comparison to...
Physiological and metabolic effects of short-term dopamine reduction in healthy horses using a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor (alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine).
Domestic animal endocrinology    October 5, 2024   Volume 90 106891 doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2024.106891
Galinelli NC, Bamford NJ, Erdody ML, Warnken T, de Laat MA, Sillence MN, Harris PA, Bailey SR.Alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMPT) is a reversible inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis. This study aimed to determine whether AMPT could reduce dopamine concentrations in horses. Six healthy adult Standardbred geldings were administered AMPT (40 mg/kg BW, orally) or placebo in a randomised crossover study design. Clinical examination findings were recorded, and blood samples were collected for up to 6 h after administration of AMPT or placebo, for measurement of blood glucose, plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations, and plasma metabolomic anal...