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Splanchnic Infusions of Short Chain Fatty Acids Do Not Change Insulin Sensitivity of Pigs^1,2,3,

Michael I. McBurney^*,4, Karena V. J. Apps^* and Diane T. Finegood^,5

^* Departments of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5, Canada

Long-term ingestion of high fiber diets is associated with reduced glucose concentrations during fasting and improved glucose tolerance (K_G) in humans. Our objective was to determine if the beneficial effects of fiber were attributable to increased production of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) in the large intestine. Effects of SCFA on insulin sensitivity (S_i), glucose effectiveness (S_G), K_G and baseline concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon and free fatty acids were examined in unfed 20–50 kg pigs (n = 6). Animals randomly received separate portal infusions (0.32 mL·min^-1) of saline, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid solutions (0.01 mmol SCFA kg body weight^-1·min^-1) for 7-d periods. On d 7, somatostatin and tolbutamide modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed. S_i and S_G were calculated using Bergman's Minimal-Model. K_G was determined by regression of log glucose curve versus time. S_i, S_G and K_G values did not differ among the treatments (P > 0.05). Baseline concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon and free fatty acids were unaffected by infusion treatment (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that SCFA delivery is not directly responsible for improvements in glucose metabolism observed with long-term ingestion of high fiber diets.

KEY WORDS: • frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test • glucose tolerance • dietary fiber • diabetes mellitus • swine

¹ Presented in part at the Canadian Federation of Biological Sciences, June 17–19, 1993, [Apps, K. V. J., Finegood, D. T. & McBurney, M. I. (1993) Short chain fatty acids do not affect glucose regulation in pigs. Can. Fed. Biol. Soc. 36:114 (abs.)].

² Supported by the Muttart Diabetes Research and Training Centre and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Tolbutamide was donated by the Upjohn Company.

³ The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

⁴ To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed.

⁵ Scholar of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

Manuscript received 30 September 1994. Revision accepted 25 April 1995.