Integrative Analysis of Energy Partition Patterns and Plasma Metabolomics Profiles of Modern Growing Pigs Raised at Different Ambient Temperatures

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Most of the studies focusing on energy partition patterns of growing pigs and the related mechanisms raised at different ambient temperatures were carried out during the 1970s to the early 2000s. With the rapid developments in pig breeding, research updates on such topics concerning modern growing pigs have been absent in the last decade. Therefore, this study focused on the energy partition patterns of modern growing pigs with different bodyweights at gradient-ambient temperatures and investigated the underlying changes in plasma metabolites under such conditions. Modern growing pigs at heavier bodyweight were more sensitive to high temperatures on energy intake and partition. At high ambient temperatures, most of the identified metabolites altered are associated with decreased fatty acid oxidation, increased lipid formation, and increased protein degradation. The findings of this study will provide possible solutions to precisely formulate diets for modern growing pigs raised at different ambient temperatures, and can help to improve our knowledge on potential mechanisms of thermoregulation in modern pig breeds. ABSTRACT: This study explores the energy partition patterns of modern growing pigs at 25 kg and 65 kg raised at gradient-ambient temperatures. It also investigates the underlying changes in plasma under such conditions, based on the integrative analysis of indirect calorimetry and non-target metabolomics profiling. Thirty-six barrows with initial BW of 26.4 ± 1.9 kg and 24 barrows with initial BW of 64.2 ± 3.1 kg were successively allotted to six respiration chambers with ambient temperatures set as 18 °C, 21 °C, 23 °C, 27 °C, 30 °C, and 32 °C, and four respiration chambers with ambient temperatures set as 18 °C, 23 °C, 27 °C, and 32 °C, respectively. Each pig was kept in an individual metabolic crate and consumed feed ad libitum, then transferred into the respiration chamber after a 7-day adaptation period for 5-day indirect calorimetry assay and 1-day fasting. As the ambient temperature increased from 18 °C to 32 °C, the voluntary feed intake, metabolizable energy intake, nitrogen intake, and retention, total heat production, and energy retention as a protein of growing pigs at 25 kg and 65 kg all linearly decreased (p < 0.05), with greater coefficients of variation for pigs at 65 kg when temperatures changed from 18 °C to 32 °C. The cortisol and thyroid hormone levels in the plasma of 25 kg pigs linearly decreased as the ambient temperature increased from 18 °C to 32 °C (p < 0.05), and 13 compounds were identified through metabolomics analysis, including up-regulated metabolites involved in fatty acid metabolism, such as adrenic acid and down-regulated metabolites involved in amino acid metabolism, such as spermidine at 32 °C. These results suggested that modern growing pigs at heavier bodyweight were more sensitive to high temperatures on energy intake and partition. Most of the identified metabolites altered at high ambient temperatures are associated with suppressed fatty acid oxidation and elevated lipogenesis and protein degradation.