Heat-stressed
pigs decrease feed intake in order to reduce metabolic
heat production and maintain homeothermy, and this
results in slower growth. Moreover, this decreased
growth is associated with changes in the distribution
of adipose tissues with an increase in abdominal fat
(review of Le Dividich et al., 1998). In addition, recent
results obtained in our laboratory (Kouba et al., 1999)
provide evidence that environmental temperature has
a direct effect on the activities of some enzymes implicated
in fatty acid synthesis. In warmth-exposed pigs