Relationship among Insulin Resistance, Growth Hormone, and Insulin‐Like Growth Factor I Concentrations in Diestrous Swedish Elkhounds

• Published in: Journal of veterinary internal medicine 2014-03, Vol.28 (2), p.419-428
• Main Authors: Strage, E.M, Lewitt, M.S, Hanson, J.M, Olsson, U, Norrvik, F, Lilliehöök, I, Holst, B.S, Fall, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Annan veterinärmedicin; blood sampling; c-peptide; clinical examination; diabetes mellitus; Diestrus; Diestrus - blood; Diestrus - physiology; Dog Diseases - etiology; Dog Diseases - physiopathology; Dogs; Dogs - blood; Dogs - physiology; equations; Female; Growth Hormone - blood; Growth Hormone - physiology; homeostasis; IGF-I; Insulin resistance; Insulin Resistance - physiology; insulin-like growth factor I; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - analysis; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - physiology; Insulin-like growth factors; medicine; mortality; Original; Other Veterinary Science; Progesterone; questionnaires; regression analysis; somatotropin; Tumors
• ISSN: 0891-6640; 1939-1676; 1939-1676
• DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12307

BACKGROUND: In the dog, the normal estrous cycle includes a prolonged luteal phase. Progesterone stimulates local canine mammary growth hormone (GH) production, which may act systemically and contribute to insulin resistance. Swedish Elkhounds are predisposed to progesterone‐related diabetes mellitus, and the relationship among insulin resistance, GH, and insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) is of particular interest. OBJECTIVE: To study insulin resistance in relation to GH and IGF‐I in nondiabetic Swedish Elkhounds during diestrus. We also assessed whether alterations in these hormones could predict diestrus‐linked diseases and all‐cause mortality. ANIMALS: Eighty‐four privately owned female intact Swedish Elkhounds >4 years of age. METHODS: Blood sampling and clinical examination during luteal phase, with a follow‐up questionnaire after 20 months. Insulin resistance was calculated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA‐IR). RESULTS: In multivariable regression analysis, GH was positively associated with HOMA‐IR (P = .009). An increase in GH of 1 ng/mL was associated with a 12.7% increase in HOMA‐IR. Moreover, C‐peptide was positively associated with IGF‐I (P = .04), and an increase in C‐peptide of 0.1 ng/mL was associated with a 6.9% increase in IGF‐I. Structural equation modeling supported these results. Twenty‐three animals were found to have previously unrecognized mammary masses and had higher GH (P