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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2021; 35(1); 550-559; doi: 10.1111/jvim.16024

Glucagon, insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol in response to carbohydrates and fasting in healthy neonatal foals.

Abstract: The endocrine pancreas and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) are central to energy homeostasis, but information on their dynamics in response to energy challenges in healthy newborn foals is lacking. Objective: To evaluate glucagon, insulin, ACTH, and cortisol response to fasting and carbohydrate administration in healthy foals. Methods: Twenty-two healthy Standardbred foals ≤4 days of age. Methods: Foals were assigned to fasted (n = 6), IV glucose (IVGT; n = 5), PO glucose (OGT; n = 5), and PO lactose (OLT; n = 6) test groups. Blood samples were collected frequently for 210 minutes. Nursing was allowed from 180 to 210 minutes. Plasma glucagon, ACTH, serum insulin, and cortisol concentrations were measured using immunoassays. Results: Plasma glucagon concentration decreased relative to baseline at 45, 90, and 180 minutes during the OLT (P = .03), but no differences occurred in other test groups. Nursing stimulated marked increases in plasma glucagon, serum insulin, and glucose concentrations in all test groups (P < .001). Plasma ACTH concentration increased relative to baseline at 180 minutes (P < .05) during fasting and OLT, but no differences occurred in other test groups. Serum cortisol concentration increased relative to baseline during OLT at 180 minutes (P = .04), but no differences occurred in other test groups. Nursing resulted in decreased plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations in all test groups (P < .01). Conclusions: The endocrine response to enterally and parenterally administered carbohydrates, including the major endocrine response to nursing, suggests that factors in milk other than carbohydrates are strong stimulators (directly or indirectly) of the endocrine pancreas and HPAA.
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2021-01-07 PubMed ID: 33415818PubMed Central: PMC7848351DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16024Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research examines how energy regulation hormones react to fasting and carbohydrate intake in healthy newborn foals. It concludes that factors in milk besides carbohydrates strongly stimulate these hormones.

Objective and Methodology

The objective of the research was to evaluate how glucagon, insulin, adrenaline and cortisol — hormones crucial to maintaining energy balance — react to fasting and carbohydrate administration in neonatal foals. The research was conducted on twenty-two healthy Standardbred foals that were no more than four days old.

These foals were divided into four groups: subjected to fasting, intravenous glucose, orally administered glucose, and orally administered lactose. The team frequently collected blood samples for a period of 210 minutes. The foals were allowed to nurse from 180 to 210 minutes. The concentrations of glucagon, ACTH (the hormone that produces adrenaline), insulin and cortisol were measured using immunoassays.

Results

  • The concentration of glucagon in the plasma decreased relative to the baseline at 45, 90, and 180 minutes during the oral lactose test. No changes were observed in the other test groups. However, nursing stimulated an increase in plasma glucagon, insulin, and glucose concentrations in all test groups.
  • The concentration of ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone responsible for releasing adrenaline) increased relative to baseline at 180 minutes during fasting and the oral lactose test. No changes were observed in other test groups. However, nursing resulted in decreased plasma ACTH concentrations in all test groups.
  • There was an increase in serum cortisol concentration during the oral lactose test at 180 minutes relative to the baseline. No changes were noticed in other test groups. Nevertheless, nursing led to decreased serum cortisol concentrations in all test groups.

Conclusions

While the study concludes that the endocrine response to carbohydrates administered both enterally (via the gastrointestinal tract) and parenterally (outside of the digestive tract, typically through intravenous injection) stimulates glucagon, insulin, adrenaline and cortisol, it also suggests that nursing has a greater impact on these hormones. The research found that factors in milk other than carbohydrates are strong stimulators, either directly or indirectly, of the endocrine pancreas (the portion of the pancreas that produces and secretes hormones into the bloodstream) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (an interaction between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands that regulates things like mood, energy usage, and the body’s response to stress).

Cite This Article

APA
Kinsella HM, Hostnik LD, Rings LM, Swink JM, Burns TA, Toribio RE. (2021). Glucagon, insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol in response to carbohydrates and fasting in healthy neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med, 35(1), 550-559. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16024

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 35
Issue: 1
Pages: 550-559

Researcher Affiliations

Kinsella, Hannah M
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Hostnik, Laura D
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Rings, Lindsey M
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Swink, Jacob M
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Burns, Teresa A
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Toribio, Ramiro E
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

MeSH Terms

  • Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Carbohydrates
  • Fasting
  • Glucagon
  • Horses
  • Hydrocortisone
  • Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System
  • Insulin
  • Pituitary-Adrenal System

Grant Funding

  • Ohio Quarter Horse Association
  • The Ohio State University Equine Research Funds

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Hallowell KL, Dembek K, Horne CR, Knych HK, Messenger KM, Schnabel LV. Systemic absorption of triamcinolone acetonide is increased from intrasynovial versus extrasynovial sites and induces hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1388470.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1388470pubmed: 38828366google scholar: lookup
  2. Johnson K, Peterson J, Kopper J, Dembek K. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to ovine corticotropin-releasing-hormone stimulation tests in healthy and hospitalized foals. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):292-301.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16604pubmed: 36651191google scholar: lookup
  3. Kinsella HM, Hostnik LD, Snyder HA, Mazur SE, Kamr AM, Burns TA, Mossbarger JC, Toribio RE. Comparison of insulin sensitivity between healthy neonatal foals and horses using minimal model analysis. PLoS One 2022;17(1):e0262584.
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