Prolonged enteral leucine supplementation improves lean growth in neonatal pigs fed a restricted protein diet (258.6)

Abstract

Many low birth weight infants experience growth failure due to feeding intolerance resulting in reduced nutrient intake. The branched‐chain amino acid, leucine, has been shown to have anabolic effects on skeletal muscle. The objective of the study was to determine if prolonged enteral leucine supplementation improves lean growth in neonatal pigs fed a restricted protein diet. Five‐day‐old pigs (N = 22; 1.9 ± 0.3 kg initial BW) were fed by gastric catheter either a control protein (CP; 22.5% protein, 0.98% leucine) or restricted protein (RP; 11.2% protein, 0.49% leucine) milk replacement diet or RP supplemented with leucine to the same level as in the CP diet (RP+L). Pigs were fed 40 ml/kg BW per meal every 4 h for 21 d. Body composition was determined by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry on d 0 and 20. Feeding the CP diet resulted in greater total body weight and lean body mass after 21 d compared to RP fed pigs (P < 0.05). Mass of the longissimus dorsi muscle, heart, and kidney were also greater in the CP than RP fed pigs (P < 0.05). Body weight, lean body mass, and mass of the longissimus dorsi, heart, and kidney in pigs fed the RP+L diet were intermediate to the RP and CP fed pigs. Fat content and gain were similar for all groups. Prolonged leucine supplementation of a marginal protein diet has the potential to improve overall growth in neonatal pigs and infants with restricted protein intake through an increase in lean tissue growth.Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH HD072891 and USDA/ARS 6250‐51000‐055