Secretion of trophic gut peptides is not different in bolus- and continuously fed piglets

In neonates, bolus feeding is associated with greater rates of intestinal g rowth than is continuous feeding. We tested whether the concentrations and secretion rates of trophic gut peptides are higher in bolus-fed than in con tinuously fed piglets. Five 21-d-old piglets were surgically implanted with gastric, arterial and portal catheters and a portal blood flow probe. At p ostnatal d 30 and 31, pigs received an equal amount of primed continuous or bolus feeding of a cow's milk formula in a randomized, crossover design. D uring a 6-h period, portal blood flow and arterial and portal concentration s of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), peptide YY (PYY) and gastric inhibito ry polypeptide (GIP) were measured. All hormone levels were significantly i ncreased within 1 h of the start of the experiment, independent of the feed ing modality. There were no differences between bolus and continuous feedin g in either the arterial concentrations or secretion rates of GLP-2, PW and GIP. In both treatment groups, the increases in the plasma concentrations of GLP-2 and GIP after feeding were substantially greater than those for PW . We conclude that the production or circulating concentrations of GLP-2, P YY and GIP are not significantly different in bolus- and primed continuousl y fed piglets.