The present study was conducted in a one-factorial arrangement to determine the effects of dl-2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyrate (dl-HMTB) on the first-pass intestinal metabolism of dietary
methionine and its extra-intestinal availability. Barrows (n 6; aged 35 d; weight 8.6 kg), implanted with arterial, portal, mesenteric and gastric
catheters, were fed a diet containing dl-
methionine (dl-MET) or dl-HMTB once hourly and infused intramesenterically with 1 %
p-aminohippurate and intragastrically with [1-13C]
methionine at 7.0 mumol/kg
body weight per h. Arterial and portal blood samples were taken at hourly intervals until 6 h of tracer infusion and pigs was then killed for collection of muscle, intestine, liver and kidney samples. The net portal appearance of
methionine, expressed as the fraction of ingested directly available
l-methionine, was higher (P < 0.05) in the dl-HMTB than in the dl-MET diet, and there was no difference (P = 0.26) in the fractional portal balance of [1-13C]
methionine between the diets. [1-13C]
methionine enrichment (tracer:tracee ratio; mol/100 mol
amino acid) in the jejunum, arterial and portal plasma, liver, kidney and muscle was also not different (P>0.05) between the groups. Over the 6 h period after the start of feeding, the average concentration of
citrulline both in the arterial and portal plasma was higher (P < 0.05) in the dl-HMTB than in the dl-MET group, and arterial plasma
ornithine and
taurine concentration was also higher (P < 0.05) in the dl-HMTB than in the dl-MET group. However, plasma
urea concentration both in the arterial and portal vein was lower (P < 0.05) in the dl-HMTB than in the dl-MET group. These results suggested that the potential difference in the first-pass use of
methionine by the intestine between the dl-HMTB and dl-MET diets might affect intestinal and systemic metabolism of other
amino acids, which may provide new important insights into nutritional efficiency of different
methionine sources.