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Journal of veterinary internal medicine2016; 30(5); 1726-1731; doi: 10.1111/jvim.14529

The Effect of Fasting Duration on Baseline Blood Glucose Concentration, Blood Insulin Concentration, Glucose/Insulin Ratio, Oral Sugar Test, and Insulin Response Test Results in Horses.

Abstract: Published descriptions of the oral sugar test (OST) and insulin response test (IRT) have been inconsistent when specifying the protocol for fasting horses before testing. The purpose of our study was to examine the effect of fasting duration on blood glucose concentration, blood insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, OST, and IRT results in horses. Methods: Ten healthy adult horses. Methods: Both OST and IRT were performed on horses without fasting and after fasting for 3, 6, and 12 hours. Thus, 8 tests were performed per horse in a randomized order. Blood collected at the initial time point of the OST was analysed for both blood glucose and serum insulin concentrations so that baseline concentrations and the glucose/insulin ratio could be determined. Unless fasted, horses had free-choice access to grass hay. Results: There was no effect of fasting and fasting duration on blood glucose concentration, serum insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, or the OST. Response to insulin in the IRT was decreased in fasted horses. The effect increased with fasting duration, with the least response to insulin administration after a 12-hour fast. Conclusions: These data indicate that insulin sensitivity is not a fixed trait in horses. Fasting a horse is not recommended for a glucose/insulin ratio or IRT, and fasting a horse for 3 hours is recommended for the OST.
Copyright © 2016 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: 2016-08-02 PubMed ID: 27481572PubMed Central: PMC5032872DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14529Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

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 article investigates the impact of different fasting durations on blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as glucose/insulin ratio, oral sugar test (OST), and insulin response test (IRT) results in horses. The study reveals that fasting duration does not significantly alter glucose concentration, insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, or OST results. However, it does affect insulin sensitivity in the IRT, with sensitivity decreasing as fasting duration increases.

Research Design and Methods

  • The research involved ten healthy adult horses, and applied a comprehensive methodology to analyze the effect of various fasting durations on the baseline concentration of blood glucose and insulin, and on results of OST and IRT in horses.
  • A series of OST and IRT were conducted on these horses both when they were not fasted, and after fasting for durations of 3, 6, and 12 hours. A randomized order was maintained, leading to each horse undergoing eight tests in total.
  • For the baseline data, blood samples collected at the initial time point of the OST were used, and both blood glucose and serum insulin were measured. This data was to determine baseline concentrations and the glucose/insulin ratio.
  • The feeding condition of the horses varied based on the experiment design. The horses were allowed free-choice access to grass hay unless they were supposedly fasted.

Results and Findings

  • The research demonstrates no significant effect of fasting or fasting duration on blood glucose concentration, serum insulin concentration, glucose/insulin ratio, or the OST.
  • A contrasting trend was found when testing the insulin response in the IRT. It was observed that horses who were fasted had a decreased insulin response, with this effect intensifying with the length of the fasting duration.
  • This pointed to the result that after a 12-hour fast, the horses exhibited the least response to the administration of insulin.

Conclusions and Recommendations

  • Based on the study’s outcomes, the researchers concluded that insulin sensitivity in horses is a variable trait and not a fixed one. This variability is influenced by the fasting status and duration.
  • From a practical standpoint, the researchers recommend against fasting a horse for conducting a glucose/insulin ratio or IRT. However, when carrying out an OST, fasting a horse for a period of 3 hours is suggested.

Cite This Article

APA
Bertin FR, Taylor SD, Bianco AW, Sojka-Kritchevsky JE. (2016). The Effect of Fasting Duration on Baseline Blood Glucose Concentration, Blood Insulin Concentration, Glucose/Insulin Ratio, Oral Sugar Test, and Insulin Response Test Results in Horses. J Vet Intern Med, 30(5), 1726-1731. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.14529

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 30
Issue: 5
Pages: 1726-1731

Researcher Affiliations

Bertin, F R
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Taylor, S D
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Bianco, A W
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Sojka-Kritchevsky, J E
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. sojkaje@purdue.edu.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / drug effects
  • Food Deprivation / physiology
  • Glucose Tolerance Test / veterinary
  • Horses / blood
  • Horses / metabolism
  • Insulin / blood
  • Insulin / metabolism

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Citations

This article has been cited 12 times.
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  2. Timko KJ, Hostnik LD, Watts MR, Chen C, Bercz A, Toribio RE, Belknap JK, Burns TA. Diagnostic evaluation of insulin and glucose dynamics in light-breed horses receiving dexamethasone. Can Vet J 2022 Jun;63(6):617-626.
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