Daily treatment of horses with equine somatotropin from 4 to 16 months of age.
Abstract: Fourteen foals between 4 and 4.5 mo of age were used to determine the effects of 12 mo of daily treatment with equine somatotropin (eST) on growth, metabolic, and hormonal characteristics. The foals were paired by sex, type, and lineage, and one of each pair was administered eST daily at 20 microg/kg of BW. Body weights, body measurements, and assessments of glucose tolerance and feedback effects on endogenous somatotropin (ST) secretion were made routinely. Treatment with eST did not alter (P > 0.10) BW, height at withers, length of body, widths of chest and rump, heart girth, length of head, front or rear cannon lengths, front or rear cannon circumferences, gaskin circumference, or skin thickness, even though plasma IGF-I concentrations were doubled (P = 0.012). Glucose concentrations were higher (P = 0.03) in treated horses before glucose infusion; there was no difference (P > 0.10) in the glucose response to infusion. The insulin response to glucose infusion in the treated horses was generally higher (P = 0.0069) than in controls. Endogenous ST secretion in response to a ST secretagogue was reduced (P = 0.0001) in foals treated with eST in all months. The prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone on June 1 were not affected (P > 0.10) by treatment. In conclusion, daily treatment of growing horses with eST for 12 mo at the recommended dose altered the hormonal and metabolic characteristics known to be affected by ST but did not alter the growth characteristics of the animals.
Publication Date: 2002-01-29 PubMed ID: 11811470DOI: 10.2527/2001.79123137xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Evaluation Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article discusses an experiment conducted on fourteen foals aged between 4 and 4.5 months, to understand the impact of daily treatment with equine somatotropin (eST) over 12 months on their growth, metabolism, and hormonal characteristics.
Research Methodology
- The research involved fourteen foals between the age of 4 and 4.5 months. These foals were paired by their sex, type, and lineage.
- One foal from each pair was administered with equine somatotropin (eST) everyday at a dosage of 20 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.
- The researchers regularly recorded body measurements, body weights and assessed each foal’s glucose tolerance and endogenous somatotropin (ST) secretion.
Research Findings
- The treatment with eST did not significantly change the body weight, height, body length, chest and rump widths, heart girth, head length, front or rear cannon lengths, front or rear cannon circumferences, gaskin circumference, or skin thickness of the treated foals.
- However, it was found that plasma Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) concentrations had doubled in the foals treated with eST.
- The glucose concentration in treated horses was higher before glucose infusion, although the glucose response to infusion itself did not show notable difference.
- The insulin response towards glucose infusion was generally higher in the eST treated horses than in the untreated ones.
- The eST treated foals showed a decrease in the secretion of endogenous somatotropin (ST) in response to ST secretagogue.
- The prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone remained unchanged by the treatment with eST.
Research Conclusion
- The study concluded that administering equine somatotropin (eST) to growing horses for a year at the recommended dose could alter their hormonal and metabolic characteristics, which are known to be affected by ST.
- However, the growth characteristics of the horses remained unchanged.
Cite This Article
APA
Capshaw EL, Thompson DL, Kulinski KM, Johnson CA, French DD.
(2002).
Daily treatment of horses with equine somatotropin from 4 to 16 months of age.
J Anim Sci, 79(12), 3137-3147.
https://doi.org/10.2527/2001.79123137x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Science, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge 70803, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Blood Glucose / analysis
- Body Height / drug effects
- Body Weight / drug effects
- Female
- Growth Hormone / administration & dosage
- Growth Hormone / metabolism
- Horses / growth & development
- Horses / metabolism
- Insulin / blood
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / drug effects
- Longitudinal Studies
- Male
- Oligopeptides / pharmacology
- Prolactin / blood
- Thyrotropin / blood
- Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / pharmacology
- Treatment Outcome
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