Abstract:
Glucose turnover parameters were obtained in fed and fasted wethers, ewes and pregnant ewes in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters, using a jugular bolus injection of D-glucose-2-³H. Fasting significantly (P<0,05) reduced glucose turnover (c. 40%) in both the wether and the non-pregnant ewe.
A somewhat larger difference (c. 54%) between the fed and fasted ewes was found in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy due to an increase when fed (c. 29% higher turnover than in the non-pregnant ewe) rather than a decrease when fasted, since there was no statistical difference (P< 0, 1) between glucose turnover values of pregnant or non-pregnant fasted ewes. Glucose tolerance was estimated from an intrajugular glucose load (1 g/kg⁰'⁷⁵ body mass) in these 3 groups of sheep under both fed and fasted conditions, and the resulting insulin response was followed for 4 h after the injection.
Fasting reduced the plasma clearance rate of glucose by c. 63% in both the wether and the nonpregnant ewe while the reduction was somewhat smaller (c. 51%) during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Only the pregnant ewe group showed a corresponding reduction in the resulting insulin response of 46% which was similar in magnitude to the diminished clearance, indicating that factors other than insulin are responsible for the reduced glucose clearance associated with fasting in the
weather and non-pregnant ewe. Despite similar baseline plasma glucose values the glucose load appeared to distribute in a space that was significantly less than that found in all 3 groups of fed sheep when trace amounts were injected.
