The repeatability of an oral glucose test in ponies.
Abstract: Insulin dysregulation can be difficult to diagnose from basal insulin and glucose concentrations, so a field-based oral glucose test (OGT) is preferred. However, the repeatability of this test has not been reported. Objective: To determine the repeatability of an in-feed OGT in ponies and examine some factors affecting the palatability of the test meal. Methods: A repeated measures, longitudinal study. Methods: An in-feed OGT was performed at 08.00 h on 3 consecutive occasions under controlled conditions in 8 mixed breed ponies. d-glucose (0.75 g/kg bwt) was dissolved in water and combined with wheat bran and lucerne chaff. Blood samples were taken before and 90, 120, 180 min and 24 h after d-glucose. The repeatability of the test was analysed with repeated measures ANOVA. Insulin and glucose responses to d-glucose were also compared to an equivalent dose of dietary carbohydrate provided with a commercial grain mixture. Results: The overall insulin responses to the OGTs did not differ between tests. Individual insulin responses were more variable (P<0.05) than glucose responses. There was no difference in insulin concentration in post d-glucose samples over time. Insulin and glucose responses to grain and d-Glucose were not different. Conclusions: An OGT is reasonably repeatable in ponies. The currently recommended post-glucose sampling time point of 2 h is acceptable, with sampling at 90 min also likely to produce a consistent result. The use of an alternative carbohydrate source to d-glucose, such as a commercial grain-based product, may be a viable and more palatable option for the test.
© 2016 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2016-05-23 PubMed ID: 27038020DOI: 10.1111/evj.12579Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
Summary
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This study focused on an in-feed oral glucose test (OGT) used in ponies for diagnosing insulin dysregulation. The researchers assessed the repeatability of the test and explored factors affecting the test meal’s palatability. It was found that OGT is fairly repeatable in ponies and that an alternative carbohydrate source, like a commercial grain product, could be a more appealing test meal option.
Research Methodology
- The study took a longitudinal approach with repeated measures.
- Ideally conducted at 08:00 h, the in-feed OGT was performed thrice under controlled circumstances with 8 mixed breed ponies.
- The single dose of d-glucose used was 0.75g/kg bwt. This was mixed with water, wheat bran and lucerne chaff to produce the test meal.
- Each pony’s blood samples were taken prior to the test and then 90, 120, 180 minutes later as well as 24 hours post the d-glucose dosage.
- A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the repeatability of the test.
- The researchers also compared the insulin and glucose responses to d-glucose against a similar range of dietary carbs that were provided via a commercial grain mixture.
Research Findings
- The researchers did not observe any differences in insulin responses to the OGTs between the tests.
- Individual insulin responses were found to be more variable than glucose responses, which were marked as statistically significant (P<0.05).
- There was no observed difference in insulin concentration in post d-glucose samples over time, implying the repeatability of the test.
- Insulin and glucose responses to the grain mixture and d-Glucose didn’t show any significant differences.
Conclusion
- The study concludes that the in-feed OGT is reasonably repeatable in ponies.
- The currently recommended time point for post-glucose sampling of 2 hours is found acceptable, and taking samples at 90 minutes would likely yield a consistent result as well.
- The study recommends exploring alternative carbohydrate sources like commercial grain products, as they might be a more palatable and feasible option for the test.
Cite This Article
APA
de Laat MA, Sillence MN.
(2016).
The repeatability of an oral glucose test in ponies.
Equine Vet J, 49(2), 238-243.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12579 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
- Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed
- Animals
- Blood Glucose / physiology
- Eating
- Glucose Tolerance Test / veterinary
- Horses / blood
- Horses / physiology
- Insulin / blood
- Reproducibility of Results
Citations
This article has been cited 19 times.- Warnken T, Schaub C, Delarocque J, Frers F, Feige K, Sonntag J, Reiche DB. Palatability, glycemic, and insulinemic responses to various carbohydrate formulations: Alternatives for the diagnosis of insulin dysregulation in horses?. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):282-291.
- de Laat MA, Warnken T, Delarocque J, Reiche DB, Grob AJ, Feige K, Carslake HB, Durham AE, Sillence MN, Thane KE, Frank N, Brojer J, Lindase S, Sonntag J. Carbohydrate pellets to assess insulin dysregulation in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):302-314.
- 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).
- Carslake HB, Pinchbeck GL, McGowan CM. Equine metabolic syndrome in UK native ponies and cobs is highly prevalent with modifiable risk factors. Equine Vet J 2021 Sep;53(5):923-934.
- Kritchevsky JE, Muir GS, Leschke DHZ, Hodgson JK, Hess EK, Bertin FR. Blood glucose and insulin concentrations after alpha-2-agonists administration in horses with and without insulin dysregulation. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Mar;34(2):902-908.
- Kellon EM, Gustafson KM. Possible dysmetabolic hyperferritinemia in hyperinsulinemic horses. Open Vet J 2020 Jan;9(4):287-293.
- Fitzgerald DM, Pollitt CC, Walsh DM, Sillence MN, de Laat MA. The effect of different grazing conditions on the insulin and incretin response to the oral glucose test in ponies. BMC Vet Res 2019 Oct 16;15(1):345.
- Fitzgerald DM, Anderson ST, Sillence MN, de Laat MA. The cresty neck score is an independent predictor of insulin dysregulation in ponies. PLoS One 2019;14(7):e0220203.
- Durham AE, Frank N, McGowan CM, Menzies-Gow NJ, Roelfsema E, Vervuert I, Feige K, Fey K. ECEIM consensus statement on equine metabolic syndrome. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):335-349.
- Fitzgerald DM, Walsh DM, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC, de Laat MA. Insulin and incretin responses to grazing in insulin-dysregulated and healthy ponies. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jan;33(1):225-232.
- de Laat MA, Kheder MH, Pollitt CC, Sillence MN. Sweet taste receptor inhibitors: Potential treatment for equine insulin dysregulation. PLoS One 2018;13(6):e0200070.
- Bertin FR, Ruffin-Taylor D, Stewart AJ. Insulin dysregulation in horses with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Jul;32(4):1420-1427.
- Sleutjens J, Serra Bragança FM, van Empelen MW, Ten Have RE, de Zwaan J, Roelfsema E, Oosterlinck M, Back W. Mouldable, thermoplastic, glue-on frog-supportive shoes change hoof kinetics in normal and obese Shetland ponies. Equine Vet J 2018 Sep;50(5):684-689.
- Warnken T, Delarocque J, Schumacher S, Huber K, Feige K. Retrospective analysis of insulin responses to standard dosed oral glucose tests (OGTs) via naso-gastric tubing towards definition of an objective cut-off value. Acta Vet Scand 2018 Jan 19;60(1):4.
- Frank N, Walsh DM. Repeatability of Oral Sugar Test Results, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Measurements, and Serum High-Molecular-Weight Adiponectin Concentrations in Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Jul;31(4):1178-1187.
- 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.
- Thane K, Sonntag J, Warnken T, Reiche D, Uricchio C, Frank N. Comparison of a customized glycemic pellets challenge with the oral sugar test to measure glycemic and insulinemic responses in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Nov-Dec;38(6):3281-3287.
- Kemp KL, Skinner JE, Bertin FR. Effect of phenylbutazone on insulin secretion in horses with insulin dysregulation. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):1177-1184.
- de Laat MA, Fitzgerald DM, Harris PA, Bailey SR. A glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor antagonist reduces the insulin response to a glycemic meal in ponies. J Anim Sci 2023 Jan 3;101.
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