Insulin responsiveness of sheep, ponies, miniature pigs and camels: results of hyperinsulinemic clamps using porcine insulin.
Abstract: It had been suggested that marked species differences in glucose tolerance tests were due to differences in insulin resistance. To compare insulin responsiveness, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps were carried out in sheep, ponies, miniature pigs and camels. Porcine insulin was infused as primed-continuous infusions for 2 h (6 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1)). The steady state glucose infusion rates in the pigs, sheep, ponies and camels were 96.0, 18.6, 7.1 and 6.1 micromol x kg(-1) x min(-1), respectively. The maximal plasma insulin concentrations during the insulin infusions were 2,700 microU x ml(-1) in the camels, 1,400 microU x ml(-1) in the sheep and ponies and 600 microU x ml(-1) in the pigs. The rate of insulin removal from plasma was lowest in the camels as compared to the sheep, ponies and pigs (0.019, 0.038, 0.035 and 0.070 min(-1), respectively). In all species the concentrations of plasma non-esterified fatty acids dropped significantly 10-30 min after the start of the insulin infusion. However, the rates of non-esterified fatty acid reduction were higher in the pigs and sheep than in the camels and ponies. Results confirm a considerably higher insulin responsiveness in the pigs as compared to the sheep. The ponies and camels were found to be even more insulin-resistant than the sheep.
Publication Date: 2001-11-01 PubMed ID: 11686613DOI: 10.1007/s003600100205Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article investigates the insulin sensitivity among different animal species- sheep, ponies, miniature pigs, and camels. The study employs a testing method called “euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps” and uses pig-based insulin. The findings suggest significant species variation in terms of insulin responsiveness, with pigs showing the highest sensitivity and camels and ponies displaying higher insulin resistance as compared to sheep.
Methodology and Process
- The study involved porcine insulin which was continuously infused in the subjects for 2 hours at a certain rate.
- The steady-state glucose infusion rates were recorded for each species. Pigs showed the highest rate, while camels showed the lowest one.
- The study also recorded the maximum plasma insulin concentrations while infusing. Camels showed the highest concentration while pigs showed the least.
- The researchers calculated the rate of insulin removal from the plasma and reported it to be the least in camels and the greatest in pigs.
- Insulin responsiveness was gauged by looking at the drop in plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations 10-30 minutes after the start of the insulin infusion.
Key Findings
- The glucose infusion rates suggested that pigs were the most responsive to insulin, with camels being the least responsive.
- Despite the maximum plasma insulin concentration, camels showed significantly higher resistance, underlined by the slowest insulin removal rate.
- The significant drop in non-esterified fatty acids indicated insulin’s effectiveness in breaking down fat, which was noticeably higher in pigs and sheep than in camels and ponies.
- The study concluded that pigs had a far higher insulin response when compared to sheep, and both the ponies and camels were more insulin-resistant than sheep.
Significance of the Study
- The study provides valuable information on insulin responsiveness in different livestock species, which is vital for veterinary medicine and animal husbandry practices.
- Understanding the differences in insulin resistance can help design species-specific treatments for diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
- This research may also have implications for studies on insulin resistance and diabetes in humans, considering that insulin resistance is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Cite This Article
APA
Kaske M, Elmahdi B, von Engelhardt W, Sallmann HP.
(2001).
Insulin responsiveness of sheep, ponies, miniature pigs and camels: results of hyperinsulinemic clamps using porcine insulin.
J Comp Physiol B, 171(7), 549-556.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s003600100205 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinic for Cattle, School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany. Martin.Kaske@tiho-hannover.de
MeSH Terms
- Adaptation, Physiological / drug effects
- Adaptation, Physiological / physiology
- Animals
- Animals, Domestic / metabolism
- Blood Glucose / metabolism
- Camelus
- Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / blood
- Female
- Glucose Clamp Technique
- Horses
- Hyperinsulinism / metabolism
- Hypoglycemic Agents / blood
- Hypoglycemic Agents / pharmacology
- Insulin / blood
- Insulin / pharmacology
- Insulin Resistance / physiology
- Male
- Sheep
- Species Specificity
- Swine, Miniature
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Kandeel M, Al-Taher A, Venugopala KN, Marzok M, Morsy M, Nagaraja S. Camel Proteins and Enzymes: A Growing Resource for Functional Evolution and Environmental Adaptation. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:911511.
- Kirat D, Hamada M, Moustafa A, Miyasho T. Irisin/FNDC5: A participant in camel metabolism. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021 Jan;28(1):693-706.
- Ali A, Baby B, Vijayan R. From Desert to Medicine: A Review of Camel Genomics and Therapeutic Products. Front Genet 2019;10:17.
- Jirimutu, Wang Z, Ding G, Chen G, Sun Y, Sun Z, Zhang H, Wang L, Hasi S, Zhang Y, Li J, Shi Y, Xu Z, He C, Yu S, Li S, Zhang W, Batmunkh M, Ts B, Narenbatu, Unierhu, Bat-Ireedui S, Gao H, Baysgalan B, Li Q, Jia Z, Turigenbayila, Subudenggerile, Narenmanduhu, Wang Z, Wang J, Pan L, Chen Y, Ganerdene Y, Dabxilt, Erdemt, Altansha, Altansukh, Liu T, Cao M, Aruuntsever, Bayart, Hosblig, He F, Zha-ti A, Zheng G, Qiu F, Sun Z, Zhao L, Zhao W, Liu B, Li C, Chen Y, Tang X, Guo C, Liu W, Ming L, Temuulen, Cui A, Li Y, Gao J, Li J, Wurentaodi, Niu S, Sun T, Zhai Z, Zhang M, Chen C, Baldan T, Bayaer T, Li Y, Meng H. Genome sequences of wild and domestic bactrian camels. Nat Commun 2012;3:1202.
- Al-Swailem AM, Shehata MM, Abu-Duhier FM, Al-Yamani EJ, Al-Busadah KA, Al-Arawi MS, Al-Khider AY, Al-Muhaimeed AN, Al-Qahtani FH, Manee MM, Al-Shomrani BM, Al-Qhtani SM, Al-Harthi AS, Akdemir KC, Inan MS, Otu HH. Sequencing, analysis, and annotation of expressed sequence tags for Camelus dromedarius. PLoS One 2010 May 19;5(5):e10720.
- Guo X, Jirimutu, Ming L, Wang Z. Deciphering genetic adaptations of Old World camels through comparative genomic analyses across all camelid species. iScience 2025 May 16;28(5):112477.
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