Ractopamine increases glucose turnover without affecting lipogenesis in the pig

Abstract

The β-agonist ractopamine (RAC) promotes protein deposition with little effect on fat deposition in the pig. The present study was conducted to assess whether the lack of effect on fat deposition was due to a lack of effect of ractopamine on lipogenesis. Twenty crossbred pigs (initial liveweight 80 kg) surgically prepared with cephalic vein catheters were used in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment with the respective factors being sex (boar or gilt) and dietary RAC (0 or 20 mg/kg of ractopamine.HCl). Pigs were offered 3.0 kg/day of their respective diets for 24 days. On Day 4 and 23 of the experiment, pigs were injected with [U-14C]-glucose and serial blood samples taken to determine glucose turno..