Regulation of lipid metabolism by fatty acids in swine - a functional genomic approach

Fatty acids (FA) have been shown to promote their own reduction and deposition mainly through activating key transcription factors (PPARs) that modulate lipid metabolism in mammals. PPARs control the transcription of several genes encoding key enzymes and proteins involved in regulation of the -oxidation pathway, as well as in differentiation and storage of fatty acids in the major metabolic tissues of liver, muscle and adipose tissue. The aim of this study is to elucidate how selective natural, as well as synthetic fatty acids, will affect key regulatory factors in lipid metabolism in swine, particularly in relation to development, accumulation and breakdown of lipids in muscle and adipose tissue. By increasing the basic understanding of how fatty acids regulate lipid metabolism and especially regulators of ?-oxidation and adipose tissue development, diets can hopefully be designed for optimal utilisation of lipid and muscle growth. Further, it is of crucial importance to understand how the dietary manipulations affect lipid metabolism, and thereby meat quality. This study also intends to investigate the use of swine as a model organism for human biomedical and nutrition research, particularly rela ted to the widespread use of PPAR agonist to treat cardiovascular disease.