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Glucose clearance in grazing mares is affected by diet, pregnancy, and lactation¹

R. M. Hoffman^*,2, D. S. Kronfeld^*, W. L. Cooper^* and P. A. Harris

^* Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061-0306 and and Equine Studies Group, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, Melton Mowbray, U.K.

² Correspondence:
Virginia Tech MARE Center, 5527 Sullivans Mill Rd., Middleburg, VA 20117 (phone: 540-687-3521; fax: 540-687-5362; E-mail:
Rhonda.Hoffman{at}vt.edu).

The glucose tolerance test in the horse may be used to determine metabolic responses to diet, disease, or physiologic state. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of reproductive stage (gestation and lactation) and supplemental dietary energy source (sugar and starch [SS] or fiber and fat [FF]) on glucose metabolism in grazing mares using an oral glucose tolerance test. Twelve mares, six on each supplement, were examined on three occasions: one in the third trimester of pregnancy, the second in early lactation, and the third in late lactation. During each test, venous samples were taken at 30 and 1 min before, and 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 240, and 300 min after a nasogastric dose of glucose at 0.2 g/kg of BW. Plasma was assayed for glucose, insulin, and cortisol. Statistical analysis was a mixed model with repeated measures with horse, diet, and reproductive stage as fixed effects. The incremental glucose area under the curve (AUC) in response to oral glucose was lower in SS than in FF mares (P = 0.022). Mares tended to have a lower incremental glucose AUC in early lactation than in late gestation (P = 0.057), and insulin AUC was lower in early lactation than in late gestation (P = 0.002) and late lactation (P = 0.013). Glucose clearance was more rapid (P = 0.007) in SS than in FF mares. The glycemic response to the oral glucose tolerance test was consistent with adaptation to dietary sugar and starch as well as metabolic changes associated with pregnancy and lactation. Feeding twice-daily grain meals rich in SS influenced glucose metabolism in horses to an extent that the natural adaptation of glucose metabolism to pregnancy was moderated. Feeding a diet rich in FF more closely mimics the natural grazing state of pasture and allows for adaptation of glucose metabolism to pregnancy and lactation.

Key Words: Fat • Glucose Tolerance Test • Lactation • Mares • Pregnancy

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