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Antibiotics are used in poultry production not only for therapeutic purposes; some producers also administer sub-therapeutic dosages for growth promoting purposes, and residues can be detected in eggs and poultry meat if proper withdrawal protocols are not followed. Furthermore, zoonotic bacteria may acquire resistance to antibiotics as a result of administration of sub-therapeutic dosages. Consumers perceive organic meat as a more healthful food because the birds are not raised with antibiotics, and this is a primary reason why consumers purchase organic poultry products, driving sales of organic poultry meat and eggs, which increased 151% over a 1-year period (1999 to 2000) and which have continued to increase since 2000. In response to this consumer demand, large conventional poultry-producing companies have launched "raised-without-antibiotics" lines of products. This review aims to discuss organic poultry-production and the impact of antibiotic use in conventional production systems on consumer perception and purchase of organic poultry products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Blood glucose and serum insulin levels were measured in two groups of preterm infants that had been matched for gestational age. Both groups were fed parenterally during the first 72 hours of life and were mechanically ventilated because of respiratory distress syndrome. Group A infants (n = 11) received 10% glucose (infusion rate 5 mg/kg/min) and group B infants (n = 12) received amino acid solution (1.2 g/kg/d) in addition to 10% glucose at the same rate as those in group A. Infants in both groups received 90 mL/kg of fluid per day. There was no difference in blood glucose or serum insulin levels between the two groups 24 hours after beginning the infusion; however, at 48 hours there was a significantly (P < .01) higher insulin level in infants receiving amino acid and glucose infusion compared with those receiving only glucose. Blood glucose level remained stable in both groups. We conclude that, in the stable preterm infant, the higher insulin level associated with continuous amino acid infusion does not result in hypoglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic beta-cell function was evaluated in uraemic patients by measuring beta-cell peptides in the peripheral blood after intravenous glucagon (1 mg) stimulation. Patients in chronic renal failure, patients on haemodialysis, and both new and established subjects on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)(10 in each group) were studied and compared to 8 healthy controls. Fasting glucose (3.6–4.4 mmol/1) and insulin concentrations (9.5–11.7 mU/1) were normal and did not differ between the uraemic groups, but c-peptide concentrations were markedly increased in uraemia (1.84–2.38 nmol/1) compared to controls (0.48 nmol/1). Following glucagon stimulation an exaggerated blood glucose response with delayed glucose peak was observed, while the peak insulin response to glucagon was normal; however, the return to basal concentrations was delayed in uraemia. The c-peptide response was also exaggerated and peak concentrations in uraemic subjects (3.0–4.3 nmol/1) were significantly greater than controls (1.5 nmol/1). The response of CAPD patients was similar to those on haemodialysis and non-dialysed uraemic patients. The abnormalities seen were due to uraemia, and CAPD treatment had no specific adverse effect on beta-cell function. Thus, from this data there was no evidence that CAPD per se is detrimental to beta-cell integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]