Short communication: Regulation of milk fat yield and fatty acid composition by insulin

Diet-induced milk fat depression in dairy cows has been known for many years and several theories have been proposed. One that continues to receive support is the glucogenic-insulin theory. Previous studies testing this theory using a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp have had variable results attributable to variability in the use of body fat reserves as a source of milk fatty acids. Our objective was to test the glucogenic-insulin theory using cows immediately postpartum, a period when the use of body fat for milk fat synthesis is greatest. During wk 2 postpartum, 5 cows were given a 2-d baseline period and then clamped for 4 d. Insulin was increased more than 2-fold during the clamp while the blood glucose concentration was maintained. Milk yield was not altered by administration of the clamp (38.7 vs. 39.0 ± 1.4 kg/d); however, the milk fat percentage and yield were reduced by 27% and plasma nonesterified fatty acids were reduced by 68%. Analysis of the milk fatty acid composition revealed that the decrease in milk fat yield during use of the clamp was almost exclusively due to reductions in preformed fatty acids; this is the exact opposite of what is observed with diet-induced milk fat depression. Therefore, our results do not support the glucogenic-insulin theory of diet-induced milk fat depression. The results further indicated that reductions in milk fat observed previously with hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps or with glucose or propionate infusions were most likely consequences of the ability of insulin to inhibit lipolysis, thereby limiting the mammary availability of preformed fatty acids mobilized from body reserves.