To investigate the role of insulin in partitioning nutrients between the mammary gland and other tissues during lactation in ruminants, euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps were performed in goats during early lactation (15-26 days postpartum), midlactation (78-91 days postpartum), and dry period (169-194 days postpartum). Insulin was infused at 0.4, 0.7, 1.9, 4.4, and 10 micrograms/min. Basal plasma glucose was constant during all periods despite the fact that basal glucose utilization was approximately 3 times higher during lactation than dry period. Basal plasma insulin was similar during early lactation and dry period but increased during midlactation. Insulin infusion resulted in a dose-dependent stimulation of glucose utilization. The insulin-stimulated glucose utilization above basal was greatly impaired during early lactation when compared with dry period, but this only occurred at very high plasma insulin. Insulin infusion also resulted in a decrease in glucose production; the maximal insulin effect is achieved at the lowest insulin infusion rate. The ability of insulin to decrease glucose production was significantly improved during early lactation when compared with dry period. This phenomenon may provide a mechanism to save gluconeogenic substrates during early lactation. In contrast, midlactation did not result in any significant change in insulin action with both glucose utilization and glucose production.
The metabolism and action of insulin and glucagon were investigated in goats during mid lactating (50 days postpartum) and during the dry period. The animals were fed hay and concentrate during lactation (1:1) and only hay during dry period. Pulse doses of unlabelled insulin and glucagon were injected intravenously. The disappearance of insulin from the circulation was faster during lactation than during dry period; the metabolic clearance rate of insulin was significantly increased during lactation. In contrast, the kinetic parameters of glucagon disappearance were very similar during the two periods. Basal plasma hormones (i.e. before hormone injection) were higher during lactation than during dry period; the molar ratio insulin:glucagon was left unchanged. The increase in plasma insulin following glucagon-stimulated hyperglycaemia was similar during the two periods. The ability of insulin to elicit a decrease in blood glucose was markedly impaired during lactation when compared to dry period. In contrast the ability of glucagon to increase blood glucose was slightly improved during lactation. Those endocrine changes could be related to the effect of both lactation and diet.
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