The young Gattingen minipig as a model of childhood and adolescent obesity: influence of diet and gender

Gender and sex hormones influence the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome in humans and Gattingen minipigs. The aim of this study was to investigate possible gender differences in the metabolic response to a high energy diet in young Gattingen minipigs as a model of childhood/adolescent obesity.Nine weeks old male and female Gattingen minipigs were fed restrictedly on either a low energy (LED) or a high energy diet (HED) for 4 months (n=5-7). Parameters of interest were fat percentage, visceral fat mass, plasma lipids and glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and beta cell function measured by oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests.At 11-12 weeks of age, after 2 weeks diet feeding, both genders on HED had increased fat percentage, glucose intolerance, decreased insulin sensitivity and increased plasma levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. There was no gender difference in body weight or fat percentage, but males had lower glucose tolerance than females.After 31/2-4 months on the diets, the pigs on HED had increased BW, fat percentage and visceral fat mass and were more glucose intolerant and insulin resistant than pigs on LED. Also increases in plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were observed in the pigs on HED. Females had higher fat percentage and more visceral fat, were more insulin resistant and had a more unfavorable lipid profile compared to males independent of diet.In conclusion, the young Gattingen minipig, and especially the female gender, seems to be a potential model for diet induced childhood/adolescent obesity and metabolic syndrome.