As we all know Insulinomae produce insulin steadily at too high levels.

Knowing that there can be natural rhythms (which may be different in
those whose ancestors were burrow dwelling crepuscular animals like
ferrets from diurnal ones like humans) might in the long run be handy
for making sure that ferrets eat at certain times and so forth since
the fluctuating healthy cells might add more to the burden on and off.

<http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348560/description/Insulin_levels_wax_and_wane_daily>

QUOTE

Many body systems follow a daily clock known as a circadian rhythm.
Body temperature, blood pressure and the release of many hormones are
on circadian timers. But until now, no one had shown that insulin -- a
hormone that helps control how the body uses sugars for energy -- also
has a daily cycle. Working with mice, researchers at Vanderbilt
University in Nashville have found that rodents are more sensitive to
insulin's effects at certain times of day. Disrupting the animals'
circadian timers interferes with the hormone's daily rise and fall...

END QUOTE

The existing concept has been that it might be best for the body to
maintain insulin at a relatively constant level, BUT the environment
cycles through light and dark and body processes often coordinate on
that score, which may vary with whether the animals are diural like
us, noctural, or crepuscular (dawn and dusk major activity for wild
relatives like ferrets).

Johnson and team used "insulin clamp" procedure on mice which infuses
glucose or insulin around the clock into mice that are moving freely
in their cages. Then they measured how much insulin or glucose (sugar)
was needed to keep a steady blood sugar level. That way they knew how
responsive the animals were to the hormone at different times.

Mice are naturally less sensitive to insulin during the day, when the
nocturnal animals normally sleep, the team found.

This makes sense. Better control is needed when most active since
demand changes a lot then. It also means that if this happens also in
ferrets then it may be possible to know when they are most sensitive
to insulin and perhaps most likely to crash from insulinoma. Maybe the
meds need to cycle.

Perhaps it means that departing from a normal cycle of light and dark
might impose pressures upon the pancreas or perhaps may create an
unnatural need for more insulin, too (That is purposely couched in
maybes.):

QUOTE

 ...mice whose circadian clocks have been disrupted by living in
constant light. Both groups of animals are more resistant to insulin
than normal mice are...

END QUOTE

This also may play into obesity and perhaps also into dietary choices
for fat content (because we are used to thinking of meat in relation
to high fat but WILD meat sources most of the year are much less fatty
than market meats and poultry so maybe diets could be too high in fat
for ferrets on this regard, too):

BEGIN QUOTE

Mice with broken clocks also became obese despite eating the same
amount... feeding normal mice a high-fat diet could throw off their
circadian rhythms.

END QUOTE

After dark you may want to have only amber or red lights for ferrets
when possible IF lights have to be on at all.

Does insulin resistance play any part in the development of insulinoma
as it can in diabetes for those species that are more prone to that
problem? It's a big question.

When wild polecats and wild BFFs were watched by infrared camera and
had access to food around the clock what were the preferred eating
times? How does this change with pregnancy and with kits? That data
may be hidden already in some films done for other reasons.

Research study article summary:

http://www.cell.com/current-biology/retrieve/pii/S0960982213000833

Sukie (not a vet)  Ferrets make the world a game.

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html

"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)

A nation is as free as the least within it.

[Posted in FML 7713]