The relationship between basal metabolic rate (BMR) and concentrations of plasma thyroid hormones in fasting cockerels

A correlation between the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and the level of rT3, and occasionally between BMR and T3 or T4 was found in 12 month fasting cockerels. The birds were fasted for 48 hrs and BMR was measured eight times (before fasting, at 6, 12, 24, 30, 36, and 48 hrs of fasting, and 4 hours after fasting). Blood samples for plasma collection were taken immediately after measuring the BMR. During starvation a decrease in BMR was observed. After refeeding BMR returned to the starting level. The decrease in BMR was accompanied by an increase in rT3 and T4 plasma levels. Between BMR and levels of T4 and rT3 negative coefficients of correlation were observed (r = -0.20 and r = -0.42, respectively). Contrary to this, the T3 level declined and was correlated with BMR (r = 0.62). After refeeding, the T3 level rapidly increased against the control value. Moreover, a high coefficient of correlation (r = -0.39) was found between the level of T3 and rT3. The data show that the reduction in plasma T3 level and increase in the rT3 one during starvation may be due to inhibition of deiodination of T4 to T3, since rT3 is a competitive inhibitor of this reaction. The presented results support the suggestion that in birds T3 is the metabolically active thyroid hormone, and rT3 antagonizes this effect.     

The effect of fasting on activity and resting metabolism in the sand cricket, Gryllus firmus: a multivariate approach

Heat increment of feeding (HIF) is a ubiquitous feature of animals, and corresponds to a conspicuous rise in metabolism after a meal, induced by the release of energy due to digestion and absorption of foodstuffs. However, there exists great variation both in the duration and magnitude of HIF. In insects, HIF is well known, and it appears to be dramatic, especially in immature stages. However, little is known about the effect of HIF on different aspects of metabolism. We determined metabolic rate as CO2 production in fasted and non-fasted nymphs of the sand cricket (Gryllus firmus). A number of metabolic variables were computed from the simultaneous activity record: activity, resting, minimum, maximum and average metabolic rate. Our results suggest that there is a general effect of fasting in metabolic rate but with a graded response: the larger the influence of activity on the metabolic variable, the less is the effect of fasting that was detected.     

Neuropeptide Y gene expression around meal time in the Brazilian flounder Paralichthys orbignyanus

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is considered the major stimulant for food intake in mammals and fish. Previous results indicate that NPY is involved in the feeding behaviour of the Brazilian flounder, Paralichthys orbignyanus. In this study, we evaluated hypothalamic NPY expression before (-2 h), during (0 h) and after feeding (+2 h) in two independent experiments: (1) during a normal feeding schedule and (2) in fish fasted for 2 weeks. During normal feeding, changes in the levels of NPY mRNA were periprandial, with expression levels being significantly elevated at meal time (P less than 0.05) and significantly reduced 2 h later (P less than 0.05). Comparing the fasting and unfasted groups, NPY mRNA levels were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) at -2 h and +2 h in the fasting group, but there was no difference at 0 h. In addition, the higher NPY mRNA levels that were observed in the fasting group were maintained throughout the sampling period. In summary, our results show that NPY expression was associated with meal time (0 h) in food intake regulation.     

摄食和饥饿对大口黑鲈游泳运动能力和低氧耐受的影响

为了研究摄食和饥饿对鱼类游泳运动能力和低氧耐受的影响; 以大口黑鲈(Micropterus salmoides)为对象, 在25℃下, 测定对照组(禁食2d)、摄食组(摄食后3h)和饥饿组(禁食16d)实验鱼的日常代谢率(RMR)、活跃代谢率(AMR)、代谢范围(MS)、临界游泳速度(U_crit)、临界氧压(P_crit)和失去平衡点(LOE)。研究显示摄食后实验鱼RMR显著提升, AMR没有显著变化, 而MS和U_crit显著下降(P<0.05); 饥饿后实验鱼RMR、AMR和MS均没有显著变化, 而U_crit显著下降(P<0.05); 摄食后实验鱼P_crit显著上升, 溶解氧(DO)高于P_crit时的代谢率(MR)与DO之间的关系的斜率显著大于对照组所对应的斜率, 而LOE没有变化(P<0.05); 饥饿后实验鱼P_crit和LOE均没有显著变化, 而DO 低于P_crit时的MR与DO之间的关系的斜率显著小于对照组所对应的斜率(P<0.05)。结果表明, 摄食削弱大口黑鲈游泳运动能力是因为“心鳃”系统对其有氧代谢能力的限制; 饥饿后大口黑鲈游泳运动能力下降可能与其无氧代谢能力下降相关; 摄食削弱大口黑鲈的低氧耐受, 而饥饿后其低氧耐受有所增强, 但大口黑鲈低氧耐受总体趋于保守。     

Daily energy expenditure of singing great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus

According to honest signalling theory, signals must be costly to produce to retain information about the signaller's quality. The song produced by male birds during breeding is a vocal "ornament" used for intra- and inter-sexual purposes. The energetic cost of this vocal signal remains a contentious issue. We used the doubly labelled water method to measure field metabolic rate by estimating CO₂ production and then convert this to daily energy expenditure (DEE) in great reed warbler males singing under natural conditions (10 at low to moderate intensity and 7 at very high intensity from dawn to dusk). There was a significant positive relationship between singing intensity and DEE. From this relationship we extrapolated the average DEE for intensely singing males (i.e., males producing song sounds 50% of the time and hence sitting at their elevated song post in the top of a reed stem more or less continuously throughout the ∼20 h of daylight) to 3.3×BMR (basal metabolic rate) and for non-singing males to 2.2×BMR. The mean DEE measured for the seven males singing with very high intensity was 3.1×BMR. The maximum measured DEE for a single male was 3.9×BMR, i.e. close to the maximum sustainable DEE (4×BMR), and the minimum DEE was 2.1×BMR for a male singing at very low intensity. These results imply that producing intensive advertising song in birds may incur a substantial cost in terms of increased energy expenditure.     

Metabolism of threonine in newborn infants

Threonine kinetics, threonine oxidative pathway, and the relationship between threonine and whole body protein turnover were quantified in 10 healthy term infants during the first 48 h after birth. The kinetic data were obtained 6 h after the last feed (fasting) and in response to formula feeding, using [U-(13)C(4),(15)N]threonine, [(2)H(5)]phenylalanine, and [(15)N]glycine tracers. The rate of carbon dioxide production (Vco(2)) and (13)C enrichment of the expired CO(2) were measured to quantify the rate of oxidation of threonine. The rate of appearance (R(a)) of threonine (136 +/- 37 micromol.kg(-1).h(-1)) was higher in newborn infants than that reported in adults. Formula feeding resulted in a significant decrease in threonine R(a) (P < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was seen between phenylalanine R(a) and threonine R(a), both during fasting and after formula feeding (r(2) = 0.65). In contrast to a 1:1 ratio of threonine and phenylalanine in mixed muscle protein, threonine R(a) relative to phenylalanine R(a) was 2.2 +/- 0.4. The fractional rate of threonine flux oxidized was 20% during fasting and 26% (P < 0.05) in response to nutrient administration. There was a significant correlation between plasma threonine concentration and threonine oxidation (r(2) = 0.75). No measurable incorporation of threonine in plasma glycine was seen. These data suggest that threonine is exclusively degraded by the glycine-independent serine/threonine dehydratase pathway. A higher flux of threonine relative to phenylalanine indicates higher turnover of threonine enriched proteins.     

Fasting-induced suppression of pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion is related to body energy status in ovariectomized goats

The effect of energy status on the response of luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency to acute short-term energy deficiency created by fasting in estradiol-treated ovariectomized Shiba goats was studied in two experiments. In experiment 1, eight goats whose mean body weight (BW) was 25.6 +/- 5.8 (mean +/- S.D.)kg were fed 500 g hay cubes daily for 1 week. Then they were fasted for 3 days. Blood samples were collected for 4 h at 6 min intervals on the last day of feeding, first, second and third day of fasting for LH analysis. The goats were divided into light (<24 kg, n = 4) and heavy (> or =24 kg, n = 4) groups for data analysis. There was no difference in LH pulse frequency between the last day of feeding and each day of fasting in the heavy group. LH pulse frequency was significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed on the second day (3.3 +/- 1.3 pulses/4 h) and on the third day (2.3 +/- 1.9 pulses/4 h) relative to the day prior to fasting (4.8 +/- 1.5 pulses/4 h) in the light group. In experiment 2, BW plus a body mass index (gBMI: (body weight (kg)/withers height (m)/body length (m)) x 10) were measured to define energy status. Nine goats (BW, 25.6 +/- 5.8 kg) were fed 500 g hay cubes daily for a week and then fasted for 3 days. Then they were divided into two groups offered either a maintenance (n = 4) or a restricted (n = 5) level of feeding for 4 weeks. The restricted level of feeding was 30% of maintenance requirement based on the BW recorded weekly. The feeding level was then adjusted to maintain BW for a further week followed by 3 day fasting for restricted animals. Blood samples were collected for 6 h at 10 min intervals on the day prior to fasting and on third day of fasting before and after the dietary manipulation. BW (26.6 +/- 2.2 to 26.8 +/- 3.8 kg) and gBMI (8.4 +/- 0.4 to 7.8 +/- 0.3) remained constant over the period prior to fasting for the maintenance animals but were significantly lower (P < 0.05) after 4 weeks for the restricted goats (BW, 26.3 +/- 2.1 to 21.5 +/- 2.4 kg; gBMI, 8.4 +/- 0.9 to 6.9 +/- 0.7). There was no significant difference in the LH pulse frequency between feeding and fasting day in both sampling periods in the maintenance group. In the restricted group, LH pulse frequency was not suppressed by fasting in the first sampling period (6.8 +/- 2.9 to 5.2 +/- 2.5 pulses/6 h), whereas it tended to be suppressed (4.8 +/- 3.1 to 1.6 +/- 2.3 pulses/6 h; P < 0.06) and was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated to body weight (r = 0.70) and gBMI (r = 0.81) after the dietary manipulation. These results suggest that the suppressive effect of short-term energy restriction (fasting) on pulsatile LH secretion is related to body energy status.     

Peripheral ghrelin injections stimulate food intake, foraging, and food hoarding in Siberian hamsters

Fasting triggers many effects, including increases in circulating concentrations of ghrelin, a primarily stomach-derived orexigenic hormone. Exogenous ghrelin treatment stimulates food intake, implicating it in fasting-induced increases in feeding, a consummatory ingestive behavior. In Siberian hamsters, fasting also stimulates appetitive ingestive behaviors such as foraging and food hoarding. Therefore, we tested whether systemic ghrelin injections (3, 30, and 200 mg/kg) would stimulate these appetitive behaviors using a running wheel-based food delivery system coupled with simulated burrow housing. We also measured active ghrelin plasma concentrations after exogenous ghrelin treatment and compared them to those associated with fasting. Hamsters had the following: 1) no running wheel access, free food; 2) running wheel access, free food; or 3) foraging requirement (10 revolutions/pellet), no free food. Ghrelin stimulated foraging at 0-1, 2-4, and 4-24 h postinjection but failed to affect wheel running activity not coupled to food. Ghrelin stimulated food intake initially (200-350%, first 4 h) across all groups; however, in hamsters with a foraging requirement, ghrelin also stimulated food intake 4-24 h postinjection (200-250%). Ghrelin stimulated food hoarding 2-72 h postinjection (100-300%), most markedly 2-4 h postinjection in animals lacking a foraging requirement (635%). Fasting increased plasma active ghrelin concentrations in a time-dependent fashion, with the 3- and 30-mg/kg dose creating concentrations of the peptide comparable to those induced by 24-48 h of fasting. Collectively, these data suggest that exogenous ghrelin, similar to fasting, increases appetitive behaviors (foraging, hoarding) by Siberian hamsters, but dissimilar to fasting in this species, stimulates food intake.     

禁食和复投喂对大口黑鲈胆囊收缩素及其受体基因表达的影响

为研究大口黑鲈(Micropterus salmoides) 胆囊收缩素(Cholecystokinin, CCK)和其受体(Cholecystokinin receptor, CCKR)基因在摄食活动中的功能, 研究通过克隆得到CCK1、CCK2、CCK1R和CCK2R基因的编码区序列, 其长度分别为414、387、1368和1359 bp, 分别编码137、128、455和452个氨基酸。荧光定量结果表明CCK1和CCK2基因均在脑组织中高表达, 其次为肠道组织, 而CCK1R和CCK2R基因分别在胆囊和脑组织中高表达。在摄食后24h内, CCK1、CCK2、CCK1R和CCK2R基因的相对表达量呈先升高后下降趋势, 其中CCK1、CCK1R和CCK2R基因在摄食后3h相对表达量达到最高值, 而CCK2基因在摄食后12h相对表达量达到最高值(P<0.05)。禁食过程中CCK1、CCK1R和CCK2R基因相对表达量在禁食14d时显著升高(P<0.05)。复投喂后CCK1、CCK1R和CCK2R基因的相对表达趋势与餐后表达趋势相似, 呈先升高后降低趋势。但在禁食和复投喂过程中CCK2基因相对表达量并无显著变化。综上所述, 研究结果推测CCK1基因可能与CCK1R、CCK2R基因结合, 作为饱腹信号因子, 通过抑制食欲调控大口黑鲈摄食、消化等生理过程; 而CCK2基因可能作为短期食欲因子调节摄食活动。研究结果可为大口黑鲈摄食活动调节提供理论依据。     

Effects of body mass and reproduction on the basal metabolic rate of brown long-eared bats (Plecotus auritus)

We measured basal metabolic rate (BMR) of nonreproductive and of breeding (pregnant and lactating) female brown long-eared bats (Plecotus auritus) to investigate the effects of intra- and interindividual variation in body mass and of reproduction on metabolism. The BMR of six nonreproductive females was measured between five and seven times at approximately 2-wk intervals over a period of 2.5 mo. There was a highly significant effect (P<0.001) of body mass on BMR of these nonreproductive females. The pooled within-individual scaling exponent (1.88) significantly exceeded the established mammalian interspecific exponent (0.75). In addition, we made single observations on 14 nonreproductive females to establish the effects of differences in mass between individuals. The mean BMR across all 14 individuals was 82 mW (+/-24 SD). There was a significant positive relationship between BMR and body mass across these individuals (r2=0.39), with a between-individual scaling exponent of 0.75. Inter- and intraindividual effects of mass on BMR were combined in a regression analysis that included mean body mass and deviation from mean mass on any given day as predictors. This regression model explained 55% of the variation in BMR. We made longitudinal measurements of BMR throughout reproduction and compared these with the predicted BMR of nonreproductive bats of the same body mass. Reproductive females exhibited temporal flexibility in BMR. BMR during pregnancy increased on a whole-animal basis but was significantly lower (by, on average, 15%) than BMR predicted for nonreproductive females of the same mass. Over a period of 1-75 d following birth, whole-animal BMR was greater than that during pregnancy, even though body mass declined after parturition. Hence, postbirth BMR was greater than the level predicted for nonreproductive females of the same mass. This study indicates that the scaling of BMR with body mass differs significantly within and between individuals and that there is a reduction of BMR in pregnancy and an elevation of BMR during lactation.     

Trace gases in breath of healthy volunteers when fasting and after a protein-calorie meal: a preliminary study.

The selected ion flow tube technique was used to quantify in breath the trace gases acetone, ammonia, ethanol, isoprene, and methanol during single exhalations while fasting and in response to feeding. Six normal volunteers were fasted for 12 h, and, after baseline breath samples were obtained, were fed a liquid protein-calorie meal to provide 0.47 g/kg of protein (Fortisip). Further breath samples were obtained at 20, 40, and 60 min, and then hourly for a further 5 h. Breath acetone concentrations fell from a maximum during fasting, reaching their nadir between 4 and 5 h. Breath ammonia concentrations fell immediately to one-half their fasting levels before a steady increase to two or three times baseline values at 5 h. There was a brief increase in breath ethanol concentrations after feeding, reflecting detectable ethanol contamination of the food. Subsequently, breath ethanol levels remained low throughout the experimental protocol. Isoprene concentrations did not change significantly, whereas changes in methanol concentrations reflected those in the ambient air. This preliminary study indicates that the selected ion flow tube technique may be used to detect changes in the trace gases present in breath and define their concentrations in the fasting and replete state. Of particular interest is the biphasic response of the breath ammonia concentration after feeding.     

Effects of helium/oxygen and temperature on aerobic metabolism in the marsupial sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps

Helox (79% helium and 21% oxygen) has often been used for thermobiological studies, primarily because helium is thought to be metabolically inert and to produce no adverse effects other than increasing heat loss. However, these assumptions have been questioned. As basal metabolic rate (BMR) represents maintenance energy requirements for vital body functions, potential physiological effects of helox should be reflected in changes of BMR. In this study, sugar gliders were subjected to both air and helox atmospheres over a wide range of T(a)'s, including the thermoneutral zone (TNZ), to determine (1) whether helox has any influence other than on heat loss and (2) the maximum heat production (HP(max)) and thermal limits of this species. Although thermal conductance in the TNZ increased in helox, BMR was similar in air and helox (0.55+/-0.07 and 0.57+/-0.06 mL g(-1) h(-1), respectively). The TNZ in helox, however, was shifted upwards by about 3 degrees C. Below the TNZ, sugar gliders were able to withstand an effective temperature of -24.7+/-7.3 degrees C with an HP(max) of 3.14+/-0.36 mL g(-1) h(-1). The low effective temperature tolerated by sugar gliders shows that they are competent thermoregulators despite their apparent lack of functional brown fat. Similarities of BMRs in air and helox suggest that the effect of helox is restricted to an increase of heat loss, and, consequently, helox represents a useful tool for thermal physiologists. Moreover, the lack of increase of BMR in helox despite an increase in thermal conductance of sugar gliders suggests that BMR is not a function of body surface.     

Exercise metabolism at different time intervals after a meal

To determine how long a meal will affect the metabolic response to exercise, nine endurance-trained and nine untrained subjects cycled for 30 min at 70% of peak O2 consumption (VO2 peak) 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after eating 2 g carbohydrate/kg body wt. In addition, each subject completed 30 min of cycling 4 h after the meal at an intensity that elicited a respiratory exchange ratio (RER) of 0.94-0.95. During exercise after 2 and 4 h of fasting, carbohydrate oxidation was elevated 13-15% compared with the response to exercise after an 8- and 12-h fast (P less than 0.01). The increase in blood glycerol concentration during exercise (30 to 0 min) was linearly related to the length of fasting (r = 0.99; P less than 0.01). In all subjects, plasma glucose concentration declined 17-21% during exercise after 2 h of fasting (P less than 0.01). Plasma glucose concentration also declined (15-25%) during exercise in the trained subjects after 4 and 6 h of fasting (P less than 0.05) but did not change in the untrained subjects. However, the decline in plasma glucose concentration was similar (14%) in the two groups when the exercise intensity was increased in the trained subjects (i.e., 78 +/- 1% VO2 peak) and decreased in the untrained subjects (i.e., 65 +/- 3% VO2 peak) to elicit a similar RER.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Positive net movements of amino acids in the hindlimb after overnight food deprivation contribute to sustaining the elevated anabolism of neonatal pigs

During the neonatal period, high protein breakdown rate is a metabolic process inherent to elevated rates of protein accretion in skeletal muscle. To determine the relationship between hindlimb net movements of essential and nonessential amino acids in the regulation of hindlimb protein breakdown during an overnight fasting-feeding cycle, we infused overnight-food-deprived 10- and 28-day-old piglets with [1-(13)C]phenylalanine and [ring-(2)H(4)]tyrosine over 7 h (during 3 h of fasting and then during 4 h of feeding). Extraction rates for aspartate and glutamate after an overnight fast were 15% and 51% in the 10-day-old compared with 6% and 25% in the 28-day-old (P < 0.05) piglets, suggesting an altered requirement for precursors of amino acids to shuttle nitrogen to the liver as early life progresses. This occurred simultaneously with marginal positive hindlimb net balance of essential amino acids after an overnight fast, with negative net release of many nonessential amino acids, such as alanine, asparagine, glutamine, glycine, and proline. This suggests that newborn muscle does not undergo significant protein mobilization after a short period of fasting in support of an elevated rate of protein accretion. Furthermore, tyrosine efflux from hindlimb breakdown between overnight fasting and feeding periods was not different in the 10-day-old piglets, for which tyrosine was limiting, but when tyrosine supply balanced requirements in the 28-day-old piglet, hindlimb efflux was increased (P = 0.01). The results of the present study indicate that proteolysis and net movements of amino acids are coordinated mechanisms that sustain the elevated rate of net protein accretion during overnight feeding-fasting cycles in the neonate.     

Sex-related dimorphic response of HIF-1 alpha expression in myocardial ischemia

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) plays a role in a number of cell-protective pathways after ischemia. There are clear sex-related differences in the remodeling process, and hearts from males tend to dilate in response to pathological loads and ischemia to a greater degree than do hearts from females. Thus we hypothesized that there would be a sex-related dimorphic response of HIF-1 alpha to an ischemic event. Male and female rats were euthanized 5 and 24 h after coronary ligation (M-MI and F-MI; MI, myocardial ischemia), and HIF-1 alpha expression was determined by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and quantitative RT-PCR. Sham-operated male and female animals served as controls (M-SH and F-SH). In the ischemic area, histochemical analysis at 5 h showed that HIF was expressed in 33% of cell nuclei in M-MI and in 55% in F-MI. At 24 h, HIF expression increased to 49% in M-MI and to 82% in F-MI (P < 0.05 vs. SH and also M-MI vs. F-MI). This difference was not only statistically significant between the two sexes at 24 h but also within each sex at 5 and 24 h after ligation. Western blots confirmed that, at 24 h after ischemia, HIF protein increased significantly in both male and female hearts relative to sham-operated animals but that the increase in females was 60% greater than that seen in males. mRNA expression of HIF was significantly increased at 24 h in F-MI versus M-MI and sham-operated animals. Expression of downstream HIF target genes (heme oxygenase and brain natriuretic peptide) was increased in proportion to the levels of HIF expression. These data suggest a novel cellular mechanism to explain the sex-related dimorphic response to ischemia and also the possibility that exogenous modulation of HIF might represent a new therapeutic approach to preventing left ventricular remodeling.     

Effects of fasting and feeding on the fast‐start swimming performance of southern catfish Silurus meridionalis

This study investigated the effects of fasting and feeding on the fast‐start escape swimming performance of juvenile southern catfish Silurus meridionalis, a sit‐and‐wait forager that encounters extreme fasting and famine frequently during its lifespan. Ten to 30 days of fasting resulted in no significant change in most of the variables measured in the fast‐start response except a 20–30% decrease in the escape distance during the first 120 ms (D_120ms) relative to the control group (48 h after feeding). The ratio of the single‐bend (SB) response (lower energetic expenditure) to the double‐bend (DB) response increased significantly from 0% in the control group to 75 and 82·5% in the 20 and 30 day fasting groups, respectively. Satiated feeding (25% of body mass) resulted in a significantly lower (36·6%) maximum linear velocity (V_max) and a significantly lower (43·3%) D_120ms than in non‐fed fish (control group, 48 h after feeding). Half‐satiated feeding (12·5% of body mass), however, showed no significant effects on any of the measured variables of the fast‐start response relative to control fish. It is suggested that the increase in the ratio of SB:DB responses with fasting in S. meridionalis may reflect a trade‐off between energy conservation and maintaining high V_max, while variables of fast‐start performance were more sensitive to feeding than fasting might be an adaptive strategy to their foraging mode and food availability in their habitat.     

Characterization,tissue distribution and regulation of agouti-related protein (AgRP) in a cyprinid fish (Schizothorax prenanti)

Agouti-related protein (AgRP) is an important neuropeptide involved in the regulation of feeding in both mammals and fish. In this study, we have cloned the full-length cDNA sequence for AgRP in a cyprinid fish (Schizothorax prenanti). The AgRP gene, encoding 126-amino acids, was strongly expressed in the brain. The AgRP gene was detected in embryos at developmental stages. Further, its mRNA was detectable in unfertilized eggs. An experiment was conducted to determine the expression profile of AgRP during short-term and long-term fasting of the hypothalamus. The expression level of AgRP in unfed fish was significantly increased at 3 and 4 h post-fasting than in fed fish but did not affect AgRP mRNA expression after 14 days fasting. Overall, our results suggest that AgRP is a conserved peptide that might be involved in the regulation of short-term feeding and other physiological function in Schizothorax prenanti.     

有氧运动训练和摄食对中华倒刺鲃幼鱼力竭运动后代谢特征的影响

为了探讨有氧运动训练和摄食对中华倒刺鲃（Spinibarbus sinensis）幼鱼力竭运动后代谢特征的影响,在（25±0.5）℃条件下,将120尾实验鱼[体重（21.35±0.05）g,体长（10.21±0.03）cm]随机分成4组,即:对照组、1、2和4 BL/s（体长/秒,body length/s）训练组,分别放置于不同流速下处理8周。随后测定各实验组心脏和鳃指数以及禁食或摄食（轻度麻醉灌喂体重1.5%的饵料）状态下的力竭运动后过量耗氧。结果发现:4 BL/s训练组的心脏和鳃指数都显著高于其他实验组（P < 0.05）;无论摄食与否,3个训练组运动前代谢率都显著高于对照组（P=0.001）,而各实验组过量耗氧均没有显著差异;在禁食状态下,仅4 BL/s训练组的运动代谢峰值和代谢率增量显著高于对照组,而在摄食状态下,3个训练组的运动代谢峰值和代谢率增量均显著高于对照组（P < 0.005）。与禁食组相比,摄食导致各处理组的运动前代谢率显著上升（P < 0.001）,但对运动代谢峰值没有显著影响;另外,摄食对照组代谢率增量和力竭运动后过量耗氧显著低于禁食对照组（P < 0.05）。研究表明:（1）有氧运动训练显著提高了中华倒刺鲃幼鱼的有氧代谢能力,这可能与其呼吸和循环系统功能的改善有关;（2）力竭运动能够诱导出中华倒刺鲃幼鱼的最大有氧代谢率;（3）摄食削弱了中华倒刺鲃幼鱼无氧代谢能力。     

Fasting stress exacerbates classical conditioned histamine release in guinea pigs

To clarify the contribution of stress to classical conditioning-associated asthmatic responses, the effect of fasting stress on conditioned histamine release was investigated in a guinea pig model of asthma. The animals were randomly divided into 2 groups for Experiment 1 and 2, and received a conditioning procedure in which ovalbumin (OA) as an unconditioned stimulus (US) and dimethylsulfide (DMS, sulfur smelling) as a conditioned stimulus (CS) were simultaneously inhaled after fasting for 16 h. Then, one group was given food as a reward for respiratory distress, and the other group was denied it for more than 3 h, while being placed in front of the feeding group. After this procedure was repeated 5 times, the plasma histamine levels in response to the CS were measured in half of each group in Experiment 1, and the respiratory resistance (Rrs) was assessed similarly in the other half of each group in Experiment 2. The same experiments were again performed after exchanging assignments of feeding group or fasting group in both experiments. The control groups in both experiments received the CS and the US 10 times separately in a random order under 16 h fasting conditions and were provided food after the exposures. After these pseudo-conditioning presentations, the plasma histamine levels or the Rrs in response to the CS were measured. In Experiment 1, the plasma histamine levels in the fasting stress group after the first conditioning sessions were significantly higher than those of the other groups. This difference was not observed when the groups were exchanged. In Experiment 2, the fasting stress group showed higher values in the Rrs compared to the other groups, irrespective of the first or second conditionings; however, they were not significant. The present study indicates that fasting stress after the conditioning procedures exacerbates the following conditioned histamine release, although the stress effect on bronchoconstriction was not confirmed.