Effect of somatotropin on nonesterified fatty acid and glycerol metabolism in growing pigs

Nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) and glycerol kinetics in pigs administered with porcine somatotropin (pST) were evaluated to find out the effect of the hormone on fatty acid metabolism. Analysis of the uptake of infused tritium-marked glycerol and oleic acid revealed that a growing pig's lipid catabolism is very low indicating that the pig is in a lipogenic stage. Lipolysis and NEFA kinetics increased with the administration of pST, but not by a considerble amount. Other mechanisms beside lipolysis and NEFA kinetics may be responsible for the reduction of fat accumulation during pST treatment.