STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF 20-HYDROXYECDYSONE ON CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM IN PIGLETS

The effect of 20-hydroxyecdysone on carbohydrate metabolism indices was studied in crossbred piglets (♂ Danish Yorkshire ×♀ Danish Landrace) during the postnatal period of ontogenesis. At the age of 60 days, 2 groups of animals were formed: 1 (control, n=3) and 2 (experiment, n=4), which received compound feed con- taining (g/kg) crude protein 158.7; lysine 7.7; threonine 4.8; methionine 4.6 and metabolizable energy (MJ/kg) 12.7. 20-hydroxyecdysone was introduced into the diet of piglets in the experimental group at the rate of 30 mg/kg of feed. The parameters of carbohydrate metabolism (glucose, pyruvate, lactate concentrations, alpha-amylase and lactate dehydrogenase activity in the blood, glycogen content in the longissimus dorsi muscle and liver) were studied. Statistical processing of the obtained results was performed using the STATISTICA v.12.5 software package. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to identify differences between animal samples. Differences be- tween groups were considered statistically significant at p≤0.05. The use of 20-hydroxyecdysone in animals dur- ing the postnatal period of ontogenesis for 2 months leads to a decrease in the lactate level in the blood serum (by 17.1%; p<0.05). In animals of the experimental group, compared to the control, an increase in the pyruvate con- tent (by 15.8%; p<0.05), the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and alpha-amylase enzymes in the blood serum was found against the background of a low glucose level in whole blood (by 22.8%; p<0.05). At the same time, in an- imals receiving 20-hydroxyecdysone, compared to the control, an increase in the glycogen level in the liver and longissimus dorsi muscle was found (by 23.0% and 20.7%, respectively; p<0.05). It was concluded that 20-hydroxyecdysone activates the intracellular signaling pathway of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and protein kinase B, which leads to an increase in the intensity and direction of carbohydrate metabolism, accompanied by complete oxidation of glucose to pyruvate with a large formation of adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP) and ef- fective utilization of glucose for glycogen synthesis in the liver and longissimus dorsi muscle.