Insulin and glucagon secretory patterns during propionate and arginine tolerance tests in Japanese black cattle with growth retardation.

To evaluate the energy condition of cattle with growth retardation, propionate (PTT) and arginine tolerance tests (ATT) were carried out. The insulin/glucagon concentration ratio immediately before PTT or ATT in the cattle with growth retardation was lower than in the control. In the growth-retarded cattle, insulin-AUC(0-120 min) during PTT was lower than in the control, while glucagon-AUC(0-120 min) was the same as in the control. Insulin-AUC(0-120 min) during ATT in the cattle with growth retardation tended to be lower than in the control, whereas glucagon-AUC(0-120 min) was the same. Therefore, insulin-AUC(0-120 min)/glucagon-AUC(0-120 min) in the cattle with growth retardation was lower than in the control during both tolerance tests. The growth-retarded cattle showed lower insulin/glucagon ratio similar to that found in starved and lactating cattle, suggesting a lack of energy.