Glucagon, insulin, and growth hormone responses to glucose infusion in lactating dairy cows

Early lactation in the dairy cow is associated with an increased demand for energy that can only be met by hormone-mediated partitioning of nutrients. The purpose of this study was to determine adaptive responses of basal and glucose-stimulated glucagon (IRG), insulin (IRI), and growth hormone (GH) concentrations to early lactation. Blood was collected via jugular cannulas from nonpregnant nonlactating (NPNL) cows and cows 14 days antepartum (AP) and 5 and 30 days postpartum (PP). Basal concentrations of IRI decreased with lactation, IRG was essentially unchanged, and GH was increased with lactation. The molar IRI/IRG (I/G) ratio was decreased from 4.6 at day 14 AP to 1.3 at day 30 PP. The effects of exogenous glucose (0.56 mM/kg body wt) on IRI were greatest during pregnancy and declined with lactation. IRG responses to glucose were similar except in NPNL cows, which had a minimal but prolonged IRG inhibition, GH responses to glucose infusion were absent in NPNL cows and were most significant at 5 days PP. The decreased I/G and elevated GH concentrations suggests that both IRG and GH play a role in nutrient partitioning during early lactation.