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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Immunoreactive insulin stability in horses at risk of insuli...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2019; 33(6); 2746-2751; doi: 10.1111/jvim.15629

Immunoreactive insulin stability in horses at risk of insulin dysregulation.

Abstract: Diseases associated with insulin dysregulation (ID), such as equine metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, are of interest to practitioners because of their association with laminitis. Accurate insulin concentration assessment is critical in diagnosing and managing these diseases. Objective: To determine the effect of time, temperature, and collection tube type on insulin concentrations in horses at risk of ID. Methods: Eight adult horses with body condition score >6/9. Methods: In this prospective study, subjects underwent an infeed oral glucose test 2 hours before blood collection. Blood samples were divided into ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, heparinized, or serum tubes and stored at 4 or 20°C. Tubes were centrifuged and analyzed for insulin by a chemiluminescent assay over 8 days. Changes in insulin concentrations were compared with a linear mixed effects model. Results: An overall effect of time, tube type and temperature was identified (P = .01, P = 0.001, and P = 0.001, respectively). Serum and heparinized samples had similar concentrations for 3 days at 20°C and 8 days at 4°C; however, after 3 days at 20°C, heparinized samples had significantly higher insulin concentrations (P = .004, P = .03, and P = .03 on consecutive days). Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid samples had significantly lower insulin concentrations regardless of time and temperature (P = .001 for all comparisons). Conclusions: These results suggest an ideal protocol to determine insulin concentrations involves using serum or heparinized samples with analysis occurring within 3 days at 20°C or 8 days at 4°C.
© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2019-10-16 PubMed ID: 31617618PubMed Central: PMC6872612DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15629Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research evaluates how time, temperature, and type of collection tube affects insulin concentrations in horses at risk of insulin dysregulation (ID), a condition associated with diseases like equine metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.

Research Objectives and Methods

  • The primary aim of this research is to ascertain the effect of factors such as time, temperature, and the type of collection tube on insulin concentrations in horses at risk of ID.
  • The researchers undertook a prospective study involving eight adult horses which had body condition scores greater than 6 out of 9. These horses were subjected to an oral glucose test about 2 hours before blood collection.
  • The collected blood samples were then divided into three types of tubes – ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, heparinized, or serum tubes. These samples were stored at temperatures of either 4 or 20°C.
  • Once stored, the tubes were centrifuged and then analyzed for insulin via a chemiluminescent assay for a total time of 8 days. The resulting changes in insulin concentrations were compared using a statistical tool known as a linear mixed-effects model.

Research Findings

  • The analysis found a significant effect of time, tube type, and temperature on insulin concentrations (P-values were 0.01, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively).
  • More specifically, the serum and heparinized samples displayed similar concentrations for the first 3 days at 20°C and 8 days at 4°C. After 3 days at 20°C though, the concentration of insulin in the heparinized samples was higher.
  • The tubes containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid consistently displayed lower insulin concentrations, regardless of the time or the temperature condition, when compared to the other types of tubes used.

Conclusion

  • Based on the results, it’s suggested that using serum or heparinized samples with an analysis occurring within a three-day period at 20°C or an eight-day period at 4°C is the ideal protocol. This protocol will support accurate determination of insulin concentrations.
  • This study contributes valuable insights for managing and diagnosing diseases linked with insulin dysregulation, enhancing our understanding of the effects of time, temperature, and collection tube types on insulin stability.

Cite This Article

APA
Leschke DH, Muir GS, Hodgson JK, Coyle M, Horn R, Bertin FR. (2019). Immunoreactive insulin stability in horses at risk of insulin dysregulation. J Vet Intern Med, 33(6), 2746-2751. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15629

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 33
Issue: 6
Pages: 2746-2751

Researcher Affiliations

Leschke, Dakota H
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Muir, Genevieve S
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Hodgson, Jack K
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Coyle, Mitchell
  • School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Horn, Remona
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
Bertin, François-René
  • School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Specimen Collection / veterinary
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / blood
  • Horses
  • Insulin / blood
  • Insulin / metabolism
  • Male
  • Metabolic Syndrome / veterinary
  • Pituitary Diseases / blood
  • Pituitary Diseases / veterinary
  • Pituitary Gland, Intermediate

Grant Funding

  • John and Mary Kibble Trust
  • The University of Queensland, Early Career Researcher Award

Conflict of Interest Statement

François‐René Bertin has consulted for and received funding from Boehringer Ingelheim Pty Ltd for his research.

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. de Tonnerre DJ, Medina Torres CE, Stefanovski D, Robinson MA, Kemp KL, Bertin FR, van Eps AW. Effect of sirolimus on insulin dynamics in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Mar;37(2):703-712.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16650pubmed: 36840433google scholar: lookup
  2. Hicks GR, Fraser NS, Bertin FR. Changes Associated with the Peri-Ovulatory Period, Age and Pregnancy in ACTH, Cortisol, Glucose and Insulin Concentrations in Mares. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 20;11(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11030891pubmed: 33804751google scholar: lookup
  3. Boshuizen B, De Maré L, Oosterlinck M, Van Immerseel F, Eeckhaut V, De Meeus C, Devisscher L, Vidal Moreno de Vega C, Willems M, De Oliveira JE, Hosotani G, Gansemans Y, Meese T, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Deforce D, Vanderperren K, Verdegaal EL, Delesalle C. Aleurone supplementation enhances the metabolic benefits of training in Standardbred mares: impacts on glucose-insulin dynamics and gut microbiome composition. Front Physiol 2025;16:1565005.
    doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1565005pubmed: 40276369google scholar: lookup
  4. Kemp KL, Skinner JE, Bertin FR. Effect of phenylbutazone administration on the enteroinsular axis in horses with insulin dysregulation. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jan-Feb;39(1):e17256.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.17256pubmed: 39578373google scholar: lookup
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