Blood glucose concentration in caviomorph rodents

Opazo, JC; Soto-Gamboa, M; Bozinovic F.

Abstract

Hystricomorph rodents are a group of species that belong to the suborder Hystricognathi. They mainly inhabit South American (caviomorph) and African (phiomorph) habitats. This group of rodents has a divergent insulin structure. For example, insulin in this group of rodents exhibits only 1-10% of biological activity in comparison to other mammals. Therefore, hystricomorph rodents may hypothetically be unable to regulate blood glucose concentration as non-hystricomorph mammals. In this work we evaluated blood glucose concentration in nine species of caviomorph rodents, with emphasis on species belonging to the families Abrocomidae, Ctenomyidae and Octodontidae. Specifically we: (1) measured glucose concentrations after a fasting period; and (2) conducted a glucose tolerance test. In the latter assay we used Octodon degus as a representative species of the genus Octodon. Results showed that blood glucose concentration values after fasting, and in the glucose tolerance test, were within the expected range for mammals. We postulate that this group of rodents has compensatory traits that may permit the maintenance of standard values of plasma glucose. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Más información

Título según WOS: Blood glucose concentration in caviomorph rodents
Título según SCOPUS: Blood glucose concentration in caviomorph rodents
Título de la Revista: COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
Volumen: 137
Número: 1
Editorial: Elsevier Science Inc.
Fecha de publicación: 2004
Página de inicio: 57
Página final: 64
Idioma: English
URL: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S109564330300268X
DOI:

10.1016/j.cbpb.2003.09.007

Notas: ISI, SCOPUS