ADAPTATION OF GASTRIC LIPASE IN MINIPIGS FED A HIGH-FAT DIET

This report describes the changes in two lipolytic enzyme activities in mini-pigs, i.e. gastric lipase and colipase-dependant pancreatic lipase, in response to diets with different fat contents. The animals were divided into two groups, one consuming a diet containing 2 % fat, the other 34 % fat. In fasted animals, gastric lipase was essentially only found in the fundic mucosa. When compared to the low-fat fed animals, the tissue activity and specific activity of the gastric lipase was significantly increased (by 88.7 and 85.2 %, respectively). Pancreatic lipase activity exhibited a rise generally observed under fat feeding. The ratio of gastric to pancreatic lipase activity was low in the mini-pig and was not altered by dietary fat. In conclusion, as observed in the rat and the rabbit, the pre-duodenal lipase of the mini-pig adapts to the level of dietary fat.