The objective was to evaluate the influence of prenatal exposure to endophyte-infected tall fescue (toxic fescue) on postweaning glucose metabolism in crossbred steers. Pregnant multiparous cows (n = 36) were maintained on replicated novel or toxic fescue pastures throughout gestation and bermudagrass pastures following calving. From the subsequent calf crop, weaned steers (257±28 d of age) of similar body weight (234±32 kg Toxic; 236±44 kg Novel) were randomly selected (n = 8 Toxic; n = 7 Novel) for a glucose tolerance test. Steers were fitted with jugular vein catheters and fasted for a minimum of 12 h before intravenous administration of a 50% dextrose solution (0.5 mL/kg of body weight). Blood was collected at -10, 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min (0 min=glucose administration). Plasma glucose and serum insulin were determined by hexokinase colorimetric assay and radioimmunoassay, respectively. Glucose, insulin, and the insulin to glucose (I:G) ratio were analyzed using MIXED procedures of SAS specific for repeated measures with treatment as a fixed effect and sire as random. All other variables were analyzed using MIXED procedures of SAS with treatment as a fixed effect and sire as random. As expected, glucose, insulin, and the I:G ratio increased in response to glucose administration (time P < 0.01). There was no effect of treatment (P > 0.39) or the treatment by time interaction (P > 0.19) for glucose, insulin, or the I:G ratio. However, Toxic steers exhibited numerically increased glucose, decreased insulin, and decreased I:G ratios relative to Novel steers following glucose administration. There was no difference (P > 0.13) in baseline, peak, time at peak, or time at return to baseline concentrations for insulin or glucose. While prenatal exposure to toxic fescue did not influence glucose or insulin homeostasis in response to exogenous glucose administration in this preliminary study, numerical differences warrant future evaluation with increased animal numbers.
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