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A Pilot Study Comparing the Diabetogenic Effects of Dexamethasone and Prednisolone in Cats

From the Departments of Veterinary Clinical Medicine (Lowe, Graves, Campbell) and Veterinary Biosciences (Schaeffer), University of Illinois, 1008 West Hazelwood Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61834.

Fourteen cats received either daily prednisolone (4.4 mg/kg per os [PO]) or dexamethasone (0.55 mg/kg PO) for 56 days. These doses were clinically equipotent. Serum fructosamine and urine glucose were measured on days 0, 28, and 56. Insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and peak insulin secretion were measured in each group prior to and at the end of the courses of glucocorticoid administration. On day 56, the prevalence of glucosuria was significantly greater (P=0.027), and a trend was seen toward greater fructosamine concentrations (P=0.083) in dexamethasone-treated cats compared to prednisolone-treated cats. The results of this pilot study also showed a trend toward a greater decrease in insulin sensitivity (P=0.061) and a significantly lower compensatory increase in insulin secretion (P=0.081) in the dexamethasone-treated cats than in cats administered prednisolone. These preliminary data suggest that dexamethasone exhibits greater diabetogenic effects in cats than equipotent doses of prednisolone. Further study is justified to support this hypothesis.