Effects of intravenous xylazine hydrochloride on blood glucose, plasma insulin and rectal temperature in neonatal foals.
Abstract: The effects of intravenous xylazine hydrochloride on blood glucose, plasma insulin and rectal temperature were investigated in six foals at 10 and 28 days of age. These variables were also measured in three foals at 19 days of age when saline alone was injected. Rectal temperature fell significantly after 30 mins in both groups of xylazine treated foals and was still depressed after 120 mins. Hypothermia did not occur in the saline control group. There was no significant change in blood glucose or plasma insulin concentrations during the 120 mins following either xylazine or saline administration and no significant differences between the three groups of foals. When foals were allowed to suckle after being away from their dams for 2 h, there was a significant (P less than 0.01) rise in plasma insulin levels in all the groups. Blood glucose showed a concomitant rise but this was only significant in the saline group. Unlike adults, intravenous xylazine (1.1 mg/kg) does not produce hypoinsulinaemia and hyperglycaemia in foals. This study suggests that the inhibition of insulin release from pancreatic beta-cells by xylazine, which in adults is alpha 2-adrenoceptor mediated, is immature or absent in foals under one month of age.
Publication Date: 1990-01-01 PubMed ID: 2404755DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1990.tb04204.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research investigates the effects of the drug xylazine hydrochloride on blood glucose, insulin levels, and rectal temperature in newborn horses (foals). The study finds that the drug doesn’t impact blood glucose or insulin levels in young foals like it does in adults, but it does decrease their body temperature.
Research Background and Methodology
- The objective of this study was to explore the impact of intravenously administered xylazine hydrochloride on blood glucose levels, plasma insulin levels, and rectal temperature in neonatal foals.
- The study involved six foals at ages 10 and 28 days, as well as three 19-day old foals that were injected with saline alone as a control group.
Key Findings
- The research suggests that xylazine hydrochloride significantly reduced rectal temperature in treated foals, with the temperature staying low for up to 120 minutes after administration. This effect was not observed in the control group that only received saline.
- On the contrary, xylazine didn’t significantly impact blood glucose or plasma insulin levels in the 120 minutes following administration. The same was observed in the foals that received saline, indicating no significant differences between the treated and control groups.
- Interestingly, researchers found a significant rise in plasma insulin levels when foals were allowed to suckle after being separated from their dams for two hours. This was observed in all groups.
- The rise in blood glucose levels was also noticed after foals suckled, but the increase was only significant in the saline control group.
Implications and Conclusion
- This study provided a significant finding that xylazine hydrochloride’s impact on blood glucose and insulin levels in foals is different from adults. Unlike in adults, xylazine does not produce hypoinsulinaemia (low insulin) and hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) in foals.
- These observations suggest that the drug’s inhibitory impact on insulin release from pancreatic beta-cells, which typically occurs in adults and is mediated by alpha 2-adrenoceptor, is either undeveloped or non-existent in foals less than one month old.
Cite This Article
APA
Robertson SA, Carter SW, Donovan M, Steele C.
(1990).
Effects of intravenous xylazine hydrochloride on blood glucose, plasma insulin and rectal temperature in neonatal foals.
Equine Vet J, 22(1), 43-47.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1990.tb04204.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn / blood
- Animals, Newborn / metabolism
- Blood Glucose / analysis
- Body Temperature / drug effects
- Female
- Horses / blood
- Horses / metabolism
- Injections, Intravenous / veterinary
- Insulin / blood
- Male
- Thiazines / pharmacology
- Xylazine / administration & dosage
- Xylazine / pharmacology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Xiao YF, Wang B, Wang X, Du F, Benzinou M, Wang YX. Xylazine-induced reduction of tissue sensitivity to insulin leads to acute hyperglycemia in diabetic and normoglycemic monkeys. BMC Anesthesiol 2013 Oct 20;13(1):33.
- Arnemo JM, Søli NE. Immobilization of mink (Mustela vison) with medetomidine-ketamine and remobilization with atipamezole. Vet Res Commun 1992;16(4):281-92.
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