The intravenous glucose tolerance test in water buffalo

Objective: The response to intravenous glucose loading in the buffalo using the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IGTT) was investigated to provide a reference for intravenous glucose injection in buffaloes. Method: Twelve healthy, fasted, male swamp buffaloes were divided into three groups. Group I: six buffaloes were given 50% glucose at a dosage of 1 g/kg body weight via the jugular vein. Group II: three buffaloes received normal saline. Group III: three buffaloes were not injected. Blood samples were taken from the opposite vein at 60 and 10 min pre-injection (pre60 and pre10), and at 1, 5, 10, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360 and 420 min post-glucose injection (PGI). Plasma glucose was analyzed by the oxidase method. Insulin and glucagon were soon determined with a human radioimmunoassay kit. The insulin (pmol/l)/glucose (mmol/l) ratios (IGR) were also calculated for each sampling time. Results: Mean plasma glucose, insulin and glucagon concentrations of buffaloes in groups II and III were similar at all the sampling times ( p>0.05) and the curves of the IGR for group II and group III were flat throughout. Group I Buffaloes showed an immediate 20 times increase in the mean plasma glucose concentration PGI, over the pre60 and pre10. The peak plasma insulin concentration occurred at 30 min PGI. The mean plasma glucose and insulin concentrations remained above pre-administration levels untill 420 min PGI ( p