The effects of several treatments and their routes of administration on the reduction of
hyperbilirubinemia in 9 pony mares after a 3-day fast were studied. Treatments were as follows:
glucose given at doses of 1.2, 2.4, and 3.7 mg/min/kg of
body weight; refeeding the base-line diet; feeding straw; and IV administration of
taurocholic acid at a dosage of 0.07 mumol/min/kg. The 3
glucose dosages were each given by 3 different routes: IV, intraduodenal, and intragastric. The smallest dosage of
glucose given by IV route reduced the plasma
bilirubin concentration only 7%, even though other measured values associated with fasting returned toward their base line; increased
free fatty acid concentration was reduced by 50%; plasma
insulin increased above base-line values. Except for the smallest
glucose dose given by IV route, the effects of the routes of administration (IV less than intraduodenal less than intragastric) and of the doses of
glucose were not significantly different.
Taurocholic acid (given IV) was ineffective in reducing the plasma fasting
bilirubin concentration. Refeeding the base-line diet reduced the
hyperbilirubinemia by 66% in 12 hours, which was a significantly greater reduction than the effect of all other treatments except the largest dose of
glucose given by intragastric route. Feeding straw was less effective than refeeding, causing only about a 30% reduction.