Equine insulin resistance: The quest for sensitivity

摘要

Reduction in tissue sensitivity to circulating insulin (insulin resistance; IR) is becoming an increasingly recognised health problem in horses (Geor, 2008). Insulin has a wide array of biological responses, including stimulation of glucose uptake bycells, lipogenesis, diminishing lipolysis, DNA synthesis and cell replication. Tissue sensitivity to insulin is essential to achieve metabolic and haemodynamic homeostasis, and IR results in a reduced insulin-mediated response in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and the liver to blood glucose levels (Kahn, 1978 C.R. Kahn, Insulin resistance, insulin insensitivity, and insulin unresponsiveness: a necessary distinction.