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UMR 181, Experimental Pathophysiology and Toxicology, INRA National Veterinary School of Toulouse, 31076 Toulouse cedex 3, France
¹ Herbivore Research Unit, INRA, Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
² UMR 85, INRA, 37380 Nouzilly, France
³ UMR 501, Functional Interactions in Neuroendocrinology, INSERM-Université de la Méditerranée, Bd Pierre Dramard, 13015 Marseilles, France

(Requests for offprints should be addressed to C Viguié, UMR 181, INRA of Experimental Physiopathology and Toxicology, National Veterinary School of Toulouse, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076 Toulouse cedex 3, France; Email c.viguie{at}envt.fr)

This study aimed at investigating the possible linkage between natural scrapie and alterations of the somatotropic axis. Scrapie-affected ewes exhibited 2-fold higher mean GH concentrations during both autumn and spring. GH pulse frequencies were higher in scrapie-affected ewes than in control animals (mean±S.E.M. number of pulses/24 h: 10.4±0.9 and 7.6±0.9 for scrapie-affected and control ewes respectively) suggesting the involvement of central mechanisms. GH secretion induced by administration of an ₂-adrenergic agonist, which acts centrally to stimulate GH secretion, was similar between healthy and scrapie-affected ewes (ratios of the area under the curve (AUC) of GH concentration after to the GH AUC before the agonist administration were 3.6±1.6 and 4.9±1.0 for scrapie-affected and control ewes respectively). Finally, humoral markers and parameters of the metabolic status were determined to test the hypothesis that scrapie-associated alterations of GH secretion could be related to disruption of metabolic homeostasis. Glucose, insulin and urea plasma concentrations were higher in scrapie-affected than in healthy ewes. Neither leptin nor IGF-I levels were affected by scrapie. Total thyroxine (T4) was decreased in scrapie-affected ewes but free T4 and total and free triiodothyronine were not modified. In conclusion, our results showed the existence in scrapie-affected ewes of endocrine and metabolic alterations typical of acute illness proceeding, at least in part, from central mechanisms.

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