Low birth weight causes insulin resistance and aberrant intestinal lipid metabolism independent of microbiota abundance in Landrace–Large White pigs

Low birth weight (LBW) and postnatal nutrition are risk factors for adult metabolic diseases. However, the interactions between LBW, diet, and intestinal lipid absorption and secretion leading to adult metabolic disease remain unclear. The current study determined the impact of LBW on intestinal lipid and carbohydrate metabolism under both control and Western diet (high fat, high fructose, and cholesterol) conditions in 5-wk-old LBW and normal birth weight (NBW) Landrace–Large White × Duroc pigs. A 2-step modified oral glucose and fat challenge test was performed. Mesenteric lymph, jejunal mucosal scrapings, and cecal digesta samples were also collected. LBW offspring were lower in weight and gained less weight per day. LBW pigs on either control or Western diets displayed increased triglyceride (TG) secretion into lymph (P = 0.0135). Western diet–fed LBW pigs developed fasting (P = 0.03) and postprandial (P < 0.05) hypertriglyceridemia, muscle steatosis (P = 0.0072), had higher insulin excursion (P < 0.0...