Metabolic responses to fasting and alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in steers.

To induce diabetes mellitus in 8 steers, they were fasted for 96 hours and given 110 mg of alloxan/kg of body weight (IV, in 1 dose) immediately before refeeding. Subsequently, 4 of the steers were treated with insulin (0.1 to 3 U/kg) to control hyperglycemia and 4 were not given insulin. Four control steers were fasted and refed. Fasting increased serum phosphorus, total protein, and bilirubin and decreased serum magnesium and potassium. Refeeding returned serum values of magnesium, potassium, total protein, and bilirubin toward base-line values, regardless of treatment group. However, serum phosphorus remained increased in steers with alloxan-induced diabetes and was not lowered by insulin injections. Sodium and chloride values were depressed in steers with alloxan-induced diabetes; these values remained significantly (P less than 0.05) lower than base-line values, even in steers given insulin. Fat infiltration was evident in the pancreas, liver, and to some extent, kidneys of steers with alloxan-induced diabetes, but was occasionally present in tissues of steers given insulin.