Effects of Acute and Chronic Ingestion of Tolbutamide in the Chicken

Summary

The effects of acute and chronic ingestion of tolbutamide were studied in the growing chicken. After an oral load of 100 or 25 mg tolbutamide/kg b.w., plasma insulin levels increased in a dose-dependent manner but to relatively low levels for about 10 min, while 10-20 min following tolbutamide, plasma glucose levels were markedly decreased and remained so for 2-5 hr. After 100 mg tolbutamide/kg, the profound hypoglycaemia which developed, was generally accompanied by symptoms resembling an hypoglycaemic coma: panting, muscular flacidity and convulsion. Body temperature and plasma calcium levels were not changed during and after tolbutamide-induced insulin release. In the chicken, tolbutamide response is therefore characterized by a fugitive insulin release and a profound and prolonged hypoglycaemia which suggest that the action of insulin is potentiated by other factors. Chronic ingestion of tolbutamide in the diet transiently (for one week) increased the live body weight at a dose of 400 mg tolbutamide/kg of diet. Long term (5 weeks) fasting plasma glucose levels were unchanged and fasting plasma insulin levels were decreased in the chronic tolbutamide treated chickens.

Key-Words

Tolbutamide - Glucose - Insulin - Calcium - Temperature - Appetite - Chicken