Metabolism in two breeds of geese with moderate or large overfeeding induced liver-steatosis

Biochemical mechanisms which may control fat deposition in liver and/or peripheral tissues have been studied in Poland and Landes geese. Post-prandial plasma substrates and post-heparin lipoprotein-lipase (LPL) activity were measured in 10-week-old animals. At 23 weeks of age, geese were overfed for 14 days then slaughtered. Hepatic steatosis was more important in Landes geese, while muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue were less developed. In this breed, fatty liver weight negatively scaled to LPL activity, suggesting that a low LPL activity is a limiting factor of peripheral fat deposition. Consequently, non-catabolized VLDL may return to liver and increase hepatic steatosis. In Poland geese, such a mechanism does not exist. On the other hand, fatty liver weight was positively correlated to very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and triacylglycerols measured in overfed Poland geese, suggesting that lipids synthetized by liver are better transferred from liver to extrahepatic tissues. Kinetics of post-prandial plasma glucose, triacylglycerols, phospholipids and uric acid were similar in the two breeds. However, the marked decrease in post-prandial plasma glycerol in Poland geese suggests that an extrahepatic tissue lipolysis inhibition could contribute to the higher peripheral fattening in overfed Poland geese and could be a limiting factor of hepatic steatosis in this breed.