The Obese Göttingen Minipig as a Model of the Metabolic Syndrome: Dietary Effects on Obesity, Insulin Sensitivity, and Growth Hormone Profile

The objective of the study reported here was to induce obesity in the female Göttingen minipig to establish a model of the human metabolic syndrome. Nine- to ten-month-old female Göttingen minipigs received a high-fat high-energy (HFE) diet or a low-fat, low-energy (LFE) diet. The energy contents derived from fat were 55 and 13 %, respectively. After 5 weeks, animals were subjected to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning, intravenous glucose tolerance testing (IVGTT), and 6-h growth hormone profile recording. After treatment, mean body weight of pigs of the LFE group was 21.0 ± 0.4 kg, and was 26.8 ± 0.2 kg in pigs of the HFE group (P < 0.0001). The DEXA scanning indicated that the fat content of the LFE group was 10.0 ± 1.2 % versus 15.2 ± 0.7 % in the HFE group (P < 0.003). Triglycerides concentration was significantly (P < 0.05) increased in pigs of the HFE group (0.24 ± 0.03 m M), compared with that in pigs of the LFE group (0.13 ± 0.04 m M). Preprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were not affected, but insulin area under the curve during IVGTT was significantly high in the obese animals. Growth hormone (GH) secretion was low in both groups of pigs. The obese minipig shares some of the metabolic impairments seen in obese humans, and may thus serve as a model of the metabolic syndrome.