ARS | Publication request: Protein deposition in the hindquarters of neonatal pigs is enhanced by intermittent bolus compared to continuous feeding

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 21, 2011
Publication Date: March 17, 2011
Citation: El-Kadi, S.W., Suryawan, A., Gazzaneo, M.C., Orellana, R.A., Srivastava, N., Nguyen, H.V., Lobley, G.E., Davis, T.A. 2011. Protein deposition in the hindquarters of neonatal pigs is enhanced by intermittent bolus compared to continuous feeding [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference, Session: Animal research models for macronutrient metabolism, April 07-13, 2011, Washington, D.C. 25:109.4.

Technical Abstract: Orogastric tube feeding is indicated in neonates with impaired ability to feed, and can be administered by an intermittent bolus or continuous schedule. The aim of this study was to determine how these feeding modalities affect protein turnover. Neonatal pigs (n=6/group, 9-d-old) were overnight fasted (FA) or fed continuously (CO) or intermittently (IN; 7 x 4h meals) for 28h. During the last 8h, pigs were infused with [(2) H [5]] phenylalanine and [(2) H [2]] tyrosine, and amino acid (AA) net balances were measured across the hindquarters (HQ) for the last 4h. Glucose, insulin, branched-chain AA (BCAA), phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr) arterial levels, and whole body (WB) Phe and Tyr rates of appearance were greater (P<0.05) in IN after the meal than in CO or FA. WB Tyr hydroxylation was greatest for IN (P<0.05). Across the HQ, BCAA, Phe, and Tyr were net removed (P<0.05 from zero) for IN and CO but not for FA. HQ net protein deposition was stimulated following the meal for IN as compared to CO (P<0.001). This was because protein synthesis increased following feeding for IN (P<0.001), but remained unchanged for CO and FA, while no temporal changes in protein degradation were observed across any of the diet treatments. These results suggest that muscle protein accretion is enhanced with IN to a greater extent than CO feeding, mainly by increasing protein synthesis.