title: Markedly reduced pancreatic glucagon levels in broiler chickens with spiking mortality syndrome.
abstract: Pancreata from 19 hypoglycemic field broilers with spiking mortality syndrome and 19 clinically normal field broilers with normal blood glucose levels were collected and quick-frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after the chicks were bled and killed. All chicks were 16 days old and were of the same genetic cross. Pancreata were weighed, and acid-alcohol extractions were made on each specimen. Radioimmunoassays for glucagon levels were made on each extract. Mean pancreatic glucagon content of the hypoglycemic chicks was depressed 14-fold (93.1%) compared with that of the non-hypoglycemic group. There was a close correlation between plasma glucose levels and pancreatic glucagon levels (P = 0.0001).
authors.affiliation: Georgia Poultry Laboratory, Oakwood 30566, USA.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vasilatos-Younken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism*; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D009929:Organ Size; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D005934:Glucagon