Natural estrous cycle in normal and diabetic bitches. II). Serum nonesterified fatty acids and serum free glycerol levels during glucose and insulin tests.

Actions and interactions of spontaneous diabetes mellitus (DM) and natural estrous cycles (sex seasons) on the regulation of serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and free glycerol (FG) levels in bitches in the fasting condition and during i.v. glucose (IVGTT) and insulin (ITT) tolerance tests, were studied. DM increased serum NEFAs concentration both in the basal condition and during IVGTT; it provoked a fall response to glucose load which is absent in normal controls. Estrous cycles did not modify these observations. Serum NEFAs levels during ITT were unresponsive in normal and diabetic bitches at every sex stage; flat, overlapped serum NEFAs profiles were then observed except for the diabetic group at A, which showed an early abrupt fall response of this variable from its high base line. DM increased also serum FG concentration in the fasting condition and during IVGTT. In the normal controls, serum FG base line was not affected by sex status; similarly shaped, increasing, overlapped curves during the test were observed. In the diabetic bitches "in season" (either phase), serum FG basal value was hardly above in respect to anestrous, but during IVGTT their flat profiles coincided. DM increased serum FG concentration in the basal condition and during ITT, and modified the profiles of this variable. In normal dogs in the basal condition, serum FG concentration remained unaffected by sex status; this variable hard, transiently increased during ITT, which was not influenced by "sex seasons"; therefore, similarly shaped, overlapped serum FG profiles were then observed. In the normal and diabetic bitches, serum-FG base line was not changed by "sex seasons". During ITT, serum FG mean profile in the diabetic bitches at EP was modestly above that observed in those at LP; differences for any other comparisons in normals or diabetic bitches were nonsignificant. As reported by us elsewhere, impaired glucose metabolism and absolute insulin deficiency induced ketose-prone, acidotic, insulin-dependent diabetic chryses in certain normal and diabetic beaches "in season" studied here. The unability of these animals for hydrolizing glyceride-glycerol via lipoproteinlipase (IVGTT) or via hormone sensitive fractions of lipase (ITT) and the abolished serum NEFAs suppressibility during modest hiperinsulinemia (ITT) appear to contribute to the production of such chryses. Results are discussed on the basis of interactions of serum NEFAs and FG with respective blood sugar and serum immunoreactive insulin levels as influenced by DM and estrous cycle.