COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF IN-VITRO LIPOGENESIS IN VARIOUS ADIPOSE TISSUES IN THE GROWING MEISHAN PIG - COMPARISON WITH THE LARGE WHITE-PIG (SUS DOMESTICUS)

Activities oi acetyl CoA-carboxylase, malic enzyme and glucose-6-phusp hate-dehydrogenase were measured at six anatomical sites in Meishan pi gs (20-10() kg weight). Results were compared with data previously obt ained in our laboratory in Large White pigs. In Meishan pigs, the enzy me activities generally decreased with weight. Both malic enzyme and g lucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase activities were higher in Meishan pig s than in Large White. Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase was the main producer of NADPH in Meishan pigs. Acetyl-CoA-carboxylase activity in lighter Meishan animals (<40 kg) was higher than in Large White, where as the reverse was observed in heavier pigs. As the rate of adipose ti ssue lipogenesis is closely correlated with acetyl-CoA-carboxylase act ivity, this latter result indicates that adipose tissue development oc curs much earlier in Meishan animals than in lean pigs. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.