The effect of xylazine and xylazine followed by insulin on blood glucose and insulin in the dairy cow

Abstract

The effect of xylazine and xylazine followed 20 minutes later by insulin upon glucose metabolism and plasma insulin concentrations was examined in three cows. After doses of 0.18 mg per kg xylazine given intramuscularly (IM) or 0.15 mg per kg given intravenously (IV) hepatic glucose production increased, plasma insulin concentrations decreased to 25 to 33 per cent of control values, and there was a prolonged hyperglycaemia. When 200 units of soluble insulin were given 20 minutes after similar doses of xylazine there was a rapid fall in blood glucose and a reduction in the rate of glucose production by the liver. Xylazine-induced hyperglycaemia arose from a combination of increased hepatic glucose production and reduced plasma insulin concentrations. Peripheral tissues were still responsive to insulin and when adequate insulin was available blood glucose concentrations rapidly decreased.

Effects of Atipamezole, an .ALPHA.2-Adrenergic Antagonist, and Somatostatin on Xylazine-lnduced Growth Hormone Release in Calves.

“…It has been reported that intravenous xylazine treatments increased glucose production directly on the liver in cattle [11]. In addition, xylazine has been reported to increase glucagon release from the pancreas in sheep [8].…”

“…We also reported that xylazine injection resulted in a GH increase in cattle [6] as in dogs [5]. Xylazine is also known to induce hypoinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in ruminants [6][7][8][9][10][11] but, as far as we know, no mechanism of xylazine-induced GH release has ever been reported in any animal species. It is likely that a2-adrenergic receptors regulate the response of GH to xylazine injection, since xylazine-induced sedation is mediated by a2-adrenoceptors [4].…”

A Model of Controlled Acute Hyperglycemia in Rats: Effects of Insulin and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Analog

“…Coadministration of ketamine with xylazine [ketamine/xylazine anesthesia (KX)] is commonly used in laboratory animals such as mice and rats to induce anesthesia and to enable surgical interventions to induce disease and develop animal models of human diseases. It has been reported that administration of xylazine alone or in combination with ketamine may cause hyperglycemia in dogs and cattle (Symonds and Mallinson, 1978;Goldfine and Arieff, 1979). Recently, we have demonstrated that KX produces acute hyperglycemia in fed rats and may be used as an animal model of acute hyperglycemia to test the efficacy and mechanism of glucoregulatory and other therapeutic agents (Saha et al, 2005b).…”

The Effects of Xylazine on Plasma Concentrations of Growth Hormone, Insulin-like Growth Factor-I, Glucose and Insulin in Calves.

“…It has become widely employed for veterinary clinical use and has proven to be relatively safe when used alone or in combination with other tranquilizers and anesthetics. It has been reported that the drug induced hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia in domestic animals [6][7][8][9][10]. However, the effects of xylazine on GH In the present study, we investigated the effects of xylazine injection on plasma GH and IGF-I concentrations and confirmed xylazine-induced hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia to monitor the action of the drug in calves.…”

“…to calves caused a significant doserelated increase in plasma glucose concentration. Symonds and Mallinson [10] reported that intravenous xylazine treatments increased hepatic glucose production. It has been reported that xylazine injection increased glucagon release from the pancreas in sheep [7].…”