PSVIII-40 Late-Breaking Abstract: Variability in body composition is associated with insulin sensitivity in growing-finishing pigs

Abstract Growing pigs’ body composition variation can be associated with differences in insulin sensitivity given the insulin anabolic effect on protein and lipid synthesis. The objective of this study was to elucidate this association by relating the individual insulin response to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with the body composition of growing pigs. Thirty 95 kg jugular vein catheterized pigs received an oral dose of 1.75 g of glucose/kg of BW after 18 hours of fasting. Blood samples were collected at -20, -10, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 300 and 360 min following glucose ingestion. Insulin sensitivity indexes were calculated and analyzed. Body lipids (LB, %) and protein (PB, %) composition were estimated by dual X-ray densitometry. Association between body composition and insulin sensitivity were studied by using partial least squares and correlations. Average LB and PB were 19.7% (CV = 7.6 %) and 16.2% (CV = 2.2%), respectively. Basal insulin blood concentration and area-under-the-curve (AUC) CV (51.9 % and 26.9 %, respectively) were larger than those for basal glucose and AUC (5.52 and 5.48 %, respectively). Additionally, insulin sensitivity (%S), steady-state beta cell function (%B), and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) estimated with the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA 2) and whole-body insulin sensitivity index (ISI) were highly variable between pigs which CV ranged from 30.1 % to 54.5 %. These results can indicate an early stage of insulin resistance in an important part of the studied pig population. LB and PB were affected by insulin sensitivity indexes (P < 0.05) which accounted, respectively, for 48% and 44% of the observed variation. In conclusion, lower insulin sensitivity was associated with higher body fat in growing pigs raised under similar conditions.