title: Plasma insulin and glucagon levels and leg measurements of lame turkeys.
abstract: As insulin is a regulator of cartilage and bone growth, plasma levels of pancreatic hormones were determined in 41 lame male turkeys with long bone distortion and 42 control toms without leg deformities. Blood samples were collected 3.5 h following the removal of feed and then 1 h after the return of feed. The day following blood collection, toms, 119 days of age, were slaughtered to obtain leg measurements. Body weight, width, and length of the tarsometatarsus, presence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) lesions, pancreas weight, and plasma glucose did not differ between lame and control turkeys. A significantly greater proportion of growth plates of the tarsometatarsus was closed in the control as compared to the lame turkeys. Pancreas weight relative to BW was significantly greater for lame as compared to control turkeys. Plasma insulin was undetectable in both fasted lame and control turkeys. When feed was returned to the turkeys, plasma insulin concentrations were significantly lower in lame compared to control turkeys. The return of feed had no effect on plasma glucagon levels in controls, but concentrations were decreased significantly in lame birds. These data suggest that the regulation of plasma insulin and glucagon may be altered in lame turkeys perhaps contributing to the cause of long bone distortion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907.
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Hester
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kohl
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McMurtry
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005508:Food Deprivation; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology; D014422:Turkeys / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D005934:Glucagon