Prenatal tolbutamide treatment alters plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and negatively affects the postnatal performance of chickens.
To examine the relationship of insulin and glucose, broiler embryos were subjected to acute or prolonged hypoglycemia during the late embryonic phase by, respectively, injecting once (at embryonic day [ED] 16 or 17) or on 3 consecutive days (ED 16, 17, and 18) with tolbutamide (80 μg/g embryo weight), a substance that stimulates insulin secretion from the pancreas. After 1 tolbutamide injection, a prolonged (32 h) decrease of plasma glucose and a profound acute increase in plasma insulin were observed. The 3 consecutive tolbutamide injections induced hypoglycemia for 4 days (from ED 16 to ED 19). The postnatal performance after 3 consecutive tolbutamide injections in broiler embryos was also investigated. Body weight was lower in tolbutamide-treated chickens from hatch to 42 d compared with sham (P = 0.001) and control (P < 0.001) chickens. Feed intake was lower in the tolbutamide group from hatch to 42 d as compared with sham (P = 0.007) and control (P = 0.017) animals. In addition, at 42 d, plasma glucose concentrations, after an insulin injection challenge (50 μg/kg body weight), were higher in tolbutamide-treated chickens compared with the sham and the control group as were their basal glucose levels (P value of group effect <0.001). In conclusion, tolbutamide treatment during the late embryonic development in broilers resulted in prolonged hypoglycemia in this period and negatively influenced the posthatch performance.
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
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L
Franssens
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
J
J
Lesuisse
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
Y
Y
Wang
Division of MeBioS, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
B
B
De Ketelaere
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
E
E
Willems
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium; Animal Sciences Unit, Instituut voor Landbouw- en Visserijonderzoek, Melle 9090, Belgium.
A
A
Koppenol
College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Jiangxi 330045, China.
X
X
Guo
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium. Electronic address: johan.buyse@biw.kuleuven.be.
J
J
Buyse
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium.
E
E
Decuypere
Laboratory of Livestock Physiology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium; Animal Science Unit, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux 5030, Belgium.
N
N
Everaert
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000196:embryology / Q000662:veterinary; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000196:embryology; D013997:Time Factors; D014044:Tolbutamide / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D014044:Tolbutamide
Body weight; Embryonic injections; Feed intake; Hypoglycemia; Insulin tolerance test