Effects of food intake and food withholding on plasma ghrelin concentrations in healthy dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the physiologic endocrine effects of food intake and food withholding via measurement of the circulating concentrations of acylated ghrelin, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), glucose, and insulin when food was administered at the usual time, after 1 day's withholding, after 3 days' withholding and after refeeding the next day in healthy Beagles.


METHODS
9 healthy Beagles.


METHODS
Blood samples were collected from 8:30 AM to 5 PM from Beagles when food was administered as usual at 10 AM, after 1 day's withholding, after 3 days' withholding, and after refeeding at 10 AM the next day.


RESULTS
Overall mean plasma ghrelin concentrations were significantly lower when food was administered than after food withholding. Overall mean plasma GH and IGF-I concentrations did not differ significantly among the 4 periods. Circulating overall mean glucose and insulin concentrations were significantly higher after refeeding, compared with the 3 other periods.


CONCLUSIONS
In dogs, food withholding and food intake were associated with higher and lower circulating ghrelin concentrations, respectively, suggesting that, in dogs, ghrelin participates in the control of feeding behavior and energy homeostasis. Changes in plasma ghrelin concentrations were not associated with similar changes in plasma GH concentrations, whereas insulin and glucose concentrations appeared to change reciprocally with the ghrelin concentrations.
Bhatti
Sofie F
SF
Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
Hofland
Leo J
LJ
van Koetsveld
Peter M
PM
Van Ham
Luc M
LM
Duchateau
Luc
L
Mol
Jan A
JA
van der Lely
Aart Jan
AJ
Kooistra
Hans S
HS
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D054439:Ghrelin; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D011897:Random Allocation
D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone