Muscle growth and plasma concentrations of amino acids, insulin-like growth factor-I, and insulin in growing pigs fed reduced-protein diets.

Twenty barrows were used to determine if partial replacement of protein-bound AA with crystalline AA (CAA) reduces AA use for muscle tissue and whole-body growth. Barrows (44.2 +/- 1.3 kg of BW) were assigned to 4 diets in a randomized complete block design. Diets consisted of 16.1% CP with no CAA, and 12.8, 10.1, and 7.8% CP containing CAA. As the CP concentration decreased, CAA were gradually increased to meet requirements on a true ileal digestibility basis. Barrows were weighed on d 0 and 13. Blood samples were collected before the morning feeding on d 0, 6, and 12 (prefeeding), and 2 h after the morning feeding on d 13 (postfeeding). Pigs were euthanized on d 13, and liver and right LM were removed and weighed. The reduction in the dietary CP concentration linearly decreased (P < 0.01) ADG, G:F, LM weight, and the CP content of LM. Reducing the CP concentration decreased pre- and postfeeding plasma concentrations of IGF-I (linear, P < 0.01) and insulin (linear, P < 0.10). The reduction in the dietary CP concentration increased prefeeding plasma concentrations of Ala, Gln, Gly, and total AA but decreased Arg, Asn, His, Ile, Phe, Trp, and Tyr (linear, P < 0.05). Plasma concentration of total indispensable AA decreased initially and increased thereafter as the dietary CP concentration decreased from 16.1 to 7.8% (quadratic, P < 0.01). The reduction in the dietary CP concentration increased postfeeding plasma concentrations of Ala, Lys, Met (linear, P < 0.01), and Gly (linear, P = 0.073) and decreased Asn, Ser, Tyr, Arg, His, and Leu (linear, P < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of Ile, Phe, Thr, Trp, and Val decreased initially and increased thereafter as the dietary CP concentration decreased from 16.1 to 7.8% (quadratic, P < 0.05). In muscle tissue, concentrations of free Ala, Asp, Glu, Gln, Gly, and Lys increased (linear, P < 0.05) as the dietary CP concentration decreased. Concentrations of free His, Ile, Phe, Thr, Trp, and Val in muscle tissue decreased initially and increased thereafter as the dietary CP concentration decreased from 16.1 to 7.8% (quadratic, P < 0.05). In summary, the reduction in the dietary protein-bound AA decreased whole-body and LM growth, altered the free AA pool profile in muscle tissue, and decreased plasma insulin and IGF-I. As the replacement of protein-bound AA with CAA increased, 1) free Ala and Gln in muscle tissue increased, indicating an increase of muscle tissue protein breakdown; and 2) utilization of indispensable AA in muscle tissue decreased.