Pancreatic beta-cell function in the fetal foal and mare.
Abstract: Insulin secretion and the factors influencing beta-cell function were investigated in the chronically catheterized fetal foal and mare during the second half of gestation. The response of the fetal beta cells to exogenous glucose was also examined. The mean concentration of insulin in the fetal foal was 7.5 +/- 0.5 (S.E.M.) microunit./ml (n = 20) which was significantly less than the corresponding maternal value of 49.0 +/- 5.0 microunit./ml (n = 20, P < 0.01). The insulin concentration in non-pregnant horses was 24.5 +/- 1.5 microunit./ml (n = 5) which was significantly less than the value in the pregnant animals (P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the mean glucose concentration between the groups of adult animals. The insulin concentration was related to the endogenous glucose level in both adult and fetal horses. Wide variation in the maternal insulin concentration was observed above a glucose concentration of about 5.0 mmol/l. The mean concentration of insulin in pregnant mares decreased with increasing gestational age while the mean glucose concentration remained unaltered throughout the second half of gestation. There was no change in the basal concentrations of insulin or glucose in the fetus with gestational age although the fetal beta-cell response to exogenous glucose appeared to increase with increasing fetal age after 270 days of gestation (term 330 days). There was a significant arterio-venous difference in the concentration of insulin across the gravid uterus in the mare when the arterial insulin level was greater than 30 microunits./ml. Below this value, there was no consistent uptake of insulin by the uterus. The observations are discussed in relation to the regulation of insulin release in utero and the effects of pregnancy on maternal beta-cell function.
Publication Date: 1980-11-01 PubMed ID: 7000958DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.0870293Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research explores the insulin secretion and its influencing factors in pregnant horses and their fetuses during the second half of the pregnancy period. The responses of fetal beta-cells to glucose were also evaluated.
Methodology and Findings
- The researchers engaged in a detailed investigation of insulin secretion as well as the factors that influence beta-cell functionality in both chronically catheterized mares and their fetal offspring during the second half of gestation.
- They utilized exogenous glucose to test the reaction of the fetal beta cells.
- The researchers found out that the average insulin concentration in the fetal foal was significantly less than the mother’s value. The insulin level in the non-pregnant horses was also found to be significantly lower than that in pregnant mares.
- The research did however establish there were no substantial differences in the mean glucose concentration when comparing the different adult horses’ groups.
Relating Insulin Concentration and Endogenous Glucose Level
- The researchers discovered that the insulin concentration was related to the endogenous glucose level in both adult and fetal horses.
- They also noted marked fluctuations in maternal insulin concentration when the glucose concentration was more than 5.0 mmol/l.
Gestational Age Influence
- As the gestational age increased, the mean insulin concentration in pregnant mares decreased, while the glucose concentration remained unchanged during the gestation’s second half.
- However, gestational age didn’t affect basal insulin or glucose concentrations in the fetus. However, the fetal beta-cell response to exogenous glucose seemed to escalate with the fetus’s age after 270 days of gestation.
Evaluating Arterio-Venous Insulin Differences
- The researchers identified a significant arterio-venous difference in insulin concentration across the gravid uterus in the mare when the arterial insulin level was over 30 microunits/ml.
- They also found that the uterus did not consistently take up insulin when the value was below this.
The above findings are important for understanding the regulation of insulin release in utero and how pregnancy affects maternal beta-cell function.
Cite This Article
APA
Fowden AL, Barnes RJ, Comline RS, Silver M.
(1980).
Pancreatic beta-cell function in the fetal foal and mare.
J Endocrinol, 87(2), 293-301.
https://doi.org/10.1677/joe.0.0870293 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blood Glucose / analysis
- Female
- Fetal Blood / analysis
- Gestational Age
- Glucose
- Horses / physiology
- Insulin / metabolism
- Islets of Langerhans / drug effects
- Islets of Langerhans / embryology
- Islets of Langerhans / physiology
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy, Animal
- Uterus / metabolism
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Hallman I, Karikoski N, Kareskoski M. The effects of obesity and insulin dysregulation on mare reproduction, pregnancy, and foal health: a review.. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1180622.
- 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.
- Kinsella HM, Hostnik LD, Rings LM, Swink JM, Burns TA, Toribio RE. Glucagon, insulin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol in response to carbohydrates and fasting in healthy neonatal foals.. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jan;35(1):550-559.
- Johnson PJ, Wiedmeyer CE, Messer NT, Ganjam VK. Medical implications of obesity in horses--lessons for human obesity.. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2009 Jan;3(1):163-74.
- Reddy S, Elliott RB. Ontogenic development of peptide hormones in the mammalian fetal pancreas.. Experientia 1988 Jan 15;44(1):1-9.
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