Glucose biokinetics in sheep

¹ Department of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, and Department of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, University of California, Davis, California

The transfer rate of the glucose pool in sheep was estimated by methods using labeled glucose. Transfer rates ranged from 0.28 to 0.39 g/hr/kg^3/4 when estimated 1 or 16 hr after feeding, but were only 0.18 and 0.20 g/hr/kg^3/4 when estimated 96 hr after feeding. Comparable values calculated from data in the literature for rats, dogs, and man range from 0.25 to 0.40 g/hr/kg^3/4 at 16 hr after feeding, although they are higher for rats only 4 hr after feeding (0.89 g/hr/kg^3/4). Comparison of postabsorptive values (4 hr in rats, 16 hr in sheep) or fasting values (16 hr in rats, dogs, and man, 96 hr in sheep) suggests that the over-all rate of glucose metabolism is lower in sheep.