241 Changes in fatty acid pattern of depot fat tissue in young pancreatic duct ligated pigs – used as a model for humans with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency

Abstract

Objectives Most CF patients suffer from pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) causing maldigestion and malabsorption of fat. PEI patients are prone to deficiency in essential fatty acids. This study aimed to test whether fatty acid (FA) pattern of fat tissue is affected in pigs with PEI induced by pancreatic duct ligation (PL). Methods 9 piglets underwent surgery at the age of 7 weeks [n = 5 sham OP = controls; n = 4 PL (PL7)], 3 pigs underwent PL when aged 16 weeks (PL16). No pancreatic enzyme therapy was given to PL-pigs. A complete diet was fed containing soy oil and linseed oil (total 115 g crude fat/kg diet dm). All pigs were euthanized at the age of 26 weeks and neck fat tissue was sampled. FA were analysed by GC (ATI Unicam 610, SP-2560 column, Supelco; carrier gas: N). Results Total tract crude fat digestibility (%) was reduced in PL7 (33.4) and PL16 (38.4) compared to controls (80.1). Although diet fed and age at euthanasia were identical, FA pattern of fat tissue showed significantly changes in PL7. Saturated FA (C16:0 and C18:0) increased, while C18:3n3 decreased. Conclusion The increased C16:0 and C18:0 content of fat tissue in PL7 is supposed to be an effect of the relatively higher rate of de novo fat synthesis (Wood et al. 2008) in PL pigs. The fact that in PL16 pigs FA pattern did not differ from controls (except for an increase of C18:0) indicates that these changes need some time or are related to the age when PEI is induced. Whether the finding of the changes in FA pattern of the neck fat tissue in PL7 is a result of affected digestion of different FA or impaired metabolism after absorption is yet unclear.