General and Comparative Endocrinology 171 (2011) 267–268

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General and Comparative Endocrinology

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Plasma insulin levels are rather similar in chicken and rat

A brief overview of literature permitted to conclude that fastingplasma insulin levels are in the same range in chicken and 6 mam-malian species (including rat, [35]). In a subsequent study from ourgroup, much higher plasma insulin levels were found in fasted ratsthan in fasted chickens (Dupont et al., [8]; quoted in a review byBraun and Sweazea [5]). This result could lead to hypothesize thatlow plasma insulin levels are contributing to the high constitutiveplasma glucose levels found in chickens. To clarify this point, wemore extensively reviewed the literature. As summarized in Table1, the high value found for plasma insulin of fasted rats in one as-say by our group is, for an unknown reason, totally out of range.Chicken plasma insulin levels (as determined by an homologousassay, McMurtry’s group at Beltsville, USA or an heterologous as-say, Simon’s group at Nouzilly, France) are in fact rather similarto those found in rat, both in the fasted or the fed status. Therefore,as previously hypothesized, the high glycemia found in chickensdespite the presence of an hyperactive insulin circulating at ‘‘nor-mal’’ levels is certainly due to multiple mechanisms; several ofthem are most likely related to the control of insulin release and/or the action of insulin in target tissues (see references quoted in[9,26]).

References

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Table 1Plasma glucose and insulin levels in fasted or fed rats and chickens.a

Species Rat C

Nutritional status Fasted Fed Fa

Research group N

Glucose (mg/100 ml) 88 ± 8n = 10

137 ± 8n = 11

2n

Insulin (ng/ml) 0.59 ± 0.13n = 10 (3.44)c

2.06 ± 0.27n = 11

0n

a Data (mean ± SE) are issued from experiments using regular diets or a moderately hiwere used for both species (i.e., lean or high growth breeds). Chickens were all of broiler texperiments, rat glucose levels were blood levels, which, in this species, are similar to preported in lU/ml; these data have been converted in ng/ml (1 lU = 40 pg). In both specto species were as follows: fasted rats [4,7,12,14–16,19,21,29,37], fed rats [7,13,14,18,22Nouzilly [2,3,17,28,31–33] (in [33], values were from re-fed chickens, at 90 min refeedinchickens at Beltsville: [1,6,10,11,20,27,34,38,40].

b These glucose levels were obtained using a glucose oxidase method not coupled toc This plasma insulin value (from [8]) was excluded from the mean.

0016-6480/$ - see front matter � 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.02.025

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hicken

sted Fed

ouzilly Beltsville Nouzilly Beltsville

15 ± 4b

= 8237 ± 5n = 5

241 ± 7b

n = 7233 ± 15n = 8

.60 ± 0.10= 8

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1.87 ± 0.42n = 7

2.17 ± 0.43n = 10

gh fat diet in one rat experiment. In each experiment, only data from control groupsype (i.e., heavy breeds or crosses). Rat experiments were chosen at random. In somelasma levels (for this, chickens differ). Also in rats, some plasma insulin levels wereies, young and adult individuals, mostly males, were involved. References according,23,25,29,30,39,41], fasted chickens at Nouzilly [2,3,8,17,28,31–33], fed chickens at

g following an overnight fast), fasted chickens at Beltsville: [11,24,27,34,36] and fed

a colorimetric reaction, avoiding interferences and leading to the minimal values.

268 Viewpoint / General and Comparative Endocrinology 171 (2011) 267–268

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Jean SimonNicole Rideau

INRA-Recherches Avicoles, 37380 Nouzilly, FranceFax: +33 (0)2 47 42 77 78

E-mail address: simon@tours.inra.fr (J. Simon)

Mohammed TaouisUniversité Paris-Sud 11, 91405 Orsay, France

Joëlle DupontINRA-PRC, 37380 Nouzilly, France

Available online 21 March 2011