Effects of Diet-Induced Early-Stage Obesity on a Low-Testosterone Gottingen Minipig

Abstract Gottingen minipig (GM) might represent an interesting alternative for the study of metabolic disorders because its similarities to human energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to assess the initial state of obesity development in a GM. In this study, 14 male GM became obese after a 9-month period of experimental diet. Registered parameters during the basal and model period included: biometric variables; abdominal adipose tissue quantification and distribution; lipid profile; plasma leptin, adiponectin, TNF-α, and GLP-1; and variables for assessing glucose metabolism. At model period, biometric parameters, abdominal adipose tissue, and lipid profile showed a significant increase. No difference in fasting plasma glucose occurred, whereas fasting insulin significantly increased. The histopathology study showed microscopic finding consistent with glucose metabolism derangement. We can conclude that the factors involved in the development of early insulin resistance appear to be changes in fat distribution in GM.