Effects of recombinant equine somatotropin on wound healing, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and endogenous somatotropin responses to secretagogues in geldings.

The primary purpose of this experiment was to assess the possible beneficial effects of recombinant equine somatotropin (reST) administration on wound healing in adult geldings. The effects of the 21-d reST treatment on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and on endogenous ST characteristics were monitored as well. Single, full-thickness skin incisions (7.62 x 7.62 cm) were made in the pectoral region of all geldings on d 0. Treated geldings received reST at 20 microg/kg BW i.m., and control geldings received vehicle (10 mM sodium borate) at equivalent volumes daily from d 0 (immediately after surgery) through d 20. Tracings of the wounds were made with acetate transparencies, and wound areas were calculated via a digital analyzer. In addition to once-daily blood samples collected at specified days throughout the treatment period, an i.v. glucose tolerance test was performed on d 16, and three assessments of endogenous ST secretion were performed in the 2 d immediately following the end of treatment: epinephrine administration during the morning of d 21, an exercise test during the afternoon of d 21, and i.v. aspartic acid infusion on d 22. There was no effect (P > . 1) of reST treatment on wound healing as assessed by changes in wound areas. Daily plasma ST, IGF-I, glucose, and insulin concentrations were higher (P < .05) and urea-nitrogen concentrations were lower (P < .001) in geldings receiving reST relative to controls. Glucose, NEFA, and insulin concentrations were all higher (P < .01) in reST-treated geldings before glucose infusion on d 16, and the responses to glucose were greater (P < .05) as well. Epinephrine administration increased (P < .02) ST concentrations in control geldings on d 21 but not in reST-treated geldings; a similar suppressive effect of reST treatment was observed for the ST response to exercise (P < .001). After aspartic acid infusion on d 22, reST-treated geldings had a much smaller (P < .001) ST response than did control geldings. In conclusion, reST administered to geldings at 20 microg/kg BW i.m. caused hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin insensitivity, mobilization of fatty acids, and an apparent negative feedback on the pituitary's ST response to various stimuli known to induce ST secretion. However, there was no beneficial effect of reST treatment with the wound model used in this experiment.