Corticosteroid Administration Enhances the Glycemic, Insulinemic, and Incretin Responses to a High-Protein Mixed Meal in Adult Horses.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Corticosteroids are used routinely in horses and induce insulin dysregulation (ID). Nutrition is important for ID management and includes low nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) diets and, often, high-protein ration balancers (RB). Insulin and incretin secretion increase after high-protein meals; corticosteroids may influence these effects.

Hypothesis

A high-protein mixed meal will induce hyperinsulinemia and increased concentrations of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) in horses with ID; dexamethasone (DEX) will amplify this effect.

Animals

Five horses with naturally occurring ID.

Methods

Horses underwent an IV glucose tolerance test and a feed challenge test (FCT; 1 kg RB). Tests were repeated after

SUBMITTER: Palmer AT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11891927 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature