Effect of administration of glucose on body length and body weight of the chick embryos.

Objective: To assess the effect of glucose on body length and body weight of chick embryos.

Methods: This experimental study was carried out at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, Islamabad, from January 2013 to January 2014, and comprised chicken eggs. Fertilised eggs of Egyptian Fayyumi breed were injected with glucose (5% weight/volume solution) into egg albumen. The eggs were put in the incubator under standard conditions of temperature and humidity. Eggs were divided in two groups; control group A and experimental group B. Each group was subdivided in three subgroups. Eggs were opened on day 12 (A1, B1), day 15(A2, B2), and day 18(A3, B3) of incubation and the dissected-out embryos were compared with age-matched control subgroups. Effects of glucose were assessed by measuring the body weight and body length of embryos.

Results: Of the 180 eggs, there were 30(16.67%) in each of the 6 subgroups. The mean body length was 6.527±0.086cm in A1 and 5.287±0.035 in B1 (p=0.001); 9.560±0.095 in A2 and 9.237±0.114 in B2 (p=0.033); and 13.919±0.093 in A3 and 16.117±0.103 in B3 (p=0.000). Similarly, the mean body weight was 4.374±0.071 in A1 and 3.676±0.007 in B1 (p=0.001); 10.814±0.214 in A2 and 11.009±0.339 in B2 (p=0.619); and 18.142±0.123 in A3 and 22.87±0.067 in B3 (p=0.000)..

CONCLUSIONS: Administration of glucose resulted in initial growth retardation of developing embryos but later on there was significant growth acceleration as the age advanced.