Sex-based differences and similarities in locomotor performance, thermal preferences, and escape behaviour in the lizard Platysaurus intermedius wilhelmi

Differences between sexes in physiological performance have received little attention in animals. We tested for sex differences in maximum sprint speed and maximal exertion over a range of temperatures in a population of Platysaurus intermedius wilhelmi lizards. We also examined sex-based differences in selected temperature range, mean field body temperatures (T(b)), and thermal activity limits. Finally, we conducted field studies to quantify male and female responses to a potential predator, which may be affected by their respective performance capabilities. Males were faster than females at all temperatures, and body size had no significant effect on sprint speeds. Males and females also selected similar T(b)'s when placed in a thermal gradient, but in the field, male lizards' T(b)'s were different from those of the females. However, predicted sprint speeds for males and females at their field T(b)'s are similar. No significant differences were found between males and females with regard to maximal exertion. When approached in the field, adult male lizards took refuge significantly earlier than did adult females and also fled over shorter distances, suggesting that females rely on crypsis as an escape strategy.     

Postprandial thermophily in the Danube crested newt, Triturus dobrogicus

(1) Preferred temperatures were compared between fed and fasted newts with respect to their locomotor activity (LA) in an aquatic thermal gradient (5–32.5°C). (2) Locations and LA of 17 newts in postabsorptive phase were recorded over 24 h. (3) Nine randomly chosen newts were fed (10% of their body mass) and behaviour of all newts was recorded over the next 24 h. (4) Fasted newts preferred similar water temperatures during periods of both LA and inactivity. (5) Newts preferred 2–3°C higher water temperatures after feeding irrespective of the behavioural state.     

Metabolism and thermoregulation during fasting in king penguins, Aptenodytes patagonicus, in air and water

We measured oxygen consumption rate (Vo(2)) and body temperatures in 10 king penguins in air and water. Vo(2) was measured during rest and at submaximal and maximal exercise before (fed) and after (fasted) an average fasting duration of 14.4 +/- 2.3 days (mean +/- 1 SD, range 10-19 days) in air and water. Concurrently, we measured subcutaneous temperature and temperature of the upper (heart and liver), middle (stomach) and lower (intestine) abdomen. The mean body mass (M(b)) was 13.8 +/- 1.2 kg in fed and 11.0 +/- 0.6 kg in fasted birds. After fasting, resting Vo(2) was 93% higher in water than in air (air: 86.9 +/- 8.8 ml/min; water: 167.3 +/- 36.7 ml/min, P < 0.01), while there was no difference in resting Vo(2) between air and water in fed animals (air: 117.1 +/- 20.0 ml O(2)/min; water: 114.8 +/- 32.7 ml O(2)/min, P > 0.6). In air, Vo(2) decreased with M(b), while it increased with M(b) in water. Body temperature did not change with fasting in air, whereas in water, there were complex changes in the peripheral body temperatures. These latter changes may, therefore, be indicative of a loss in body insulation and of variations in peripheral perfusion. Four animals were given a single meal after fasting and the temperature changes were partly reversed 24 h after refeeding in all body regions except the subcutaneous, indicating a rapid reversal to a prefasting state where body heat loss is minimal. The data emphasize the importance in considering nutritional status when studying king penguins and that the fasting-related physiological changes diverge in air and water.     

Ingested energy differs between populations of the toad Bufo bankorensis from different altitudes

We measured ingested energy (E(i)) and apparent digestibility efficiency (ADE) in two populations of Bufo bankorensis from different altitudes at three temperatures and during two seasons to test the hypothesis that the optimal temperature range (T(opt)) for E(i) and ADE has shifted to the lower range in highland toads and winter toads. The T(opt) for E(i) was 22 degrees C for the lowland and highland toads and did not vary between seasons, thus falsifying the hypothesis. ADE of the toads was 96%-99% at 15 degrees -30 degrees C, and there was no difference between populations or seasons. Furthermore, when fed with fast-moving prey, the toads from both altitudes had similarly low E(i) at 15 degrees C; when fed with slow-moving prey, the highland toads increased E(i) at 15 degrees C, but the lowland toads did not. These results suggest that the toads from different altitudes had different appetites, even though their feeding locomotion was hampered in both populations at low temperatures.     

On the fringe of the invasion: the ecology of cane toads in marginally-suitable habitats

Understanding how invasive species flourish under climatic conditions outside those found within their native range can inform management. In southeastern Australia, cane toads (Rhinella marina) are spreading into montane areas cooler than have been predicted to be suitable. We monitored the presence of active toads in two high-elevation sites (750–1010 m above sea level [asl]) and two adjacent low-elevation sites (150–210 m asl) in northeastern New South Wales over spring and summer. We radio-tracked 28 field-collected adult toads (n = 5–9 toads per site) and quantified their thermoregulatory opportunities and body temperatures. Toads were active at low-elevation sites in spring, but were not seen in high-elevation sites until late summer. At low elevations, toads had access to a wide range of temperatures and selected cool diurnal refugia. In montane sites, toads had less control over their temperatures, because thermal differentials between exposed and sheltered microhabitats were smaller. Overall though, body temperatures of toads at high-elevation sites in summer were not different to those of conspecifics at lower elevations in spring. As a result, toads at high elevations moved as far (mean daily displacement around 50 m) as did low-elevation conspecifics. Toads in high elevations spent the day in superficial shelter, often partly exposed. Thus, although toads only appear in high-elevation sites seasonally, their behaviour at those sites (spending the day exposed; moving extensively at night) likely exacerbates their ecological impact by bringing them to the attention of vulnerable native predators.     

Ontogeny and nutritional status influence oxidative kinetics of nutrients and whole-animal bioenergetics in zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata: new applications for (13)C breath testing

Rapidly growing animals or those that are recovering from nutritional stress may use exogenous nutrients differently from well fed adults. To test this possibility, we compared the rates of exogenous nutrient oxidation among fledgling, fasted adult, and refed adult zebra finches using a technique called breath testing, where animals are fed (13)C-labeled nutrients and (13)C in the exhaled breath is collected and quantified. In order to identify the possible mechanisms responsible for differences in oxidative kinetics of ingested nutrients, we also compared body mass (m(b)), organ mass, core body temperature (T(b)), and metabolic rate (MR). We found that fasted birds had lower T(b), relative liver and intestine masses, MR, and respiratory exchange ratios (RERs) than fed adults. Adult birds recovering from nutritional stress had much lower rates of exogenous nutrient oxidation than fed birds; this difference was particularly evident for fatty acids. Differences in oxidative kinetics were correlated with reduced RER, m(b), and liver mass, suggesting that previously fasted birds were using recently assimilated nutrients to replenish exhausted fuel stores. Rapidly growing fledglings oxidized exogenous nutrients as quickly as fed adults, despite their significantly lower m(b) and T(b). We suggest that fledglings had higher mass-specific rates of exogenous nutrient oxidation because they must compensate for the relatively low conversion efficiency of feather production and other lean tissue growth, which was not taking place in the adults. Although this study demonstrates that ontogeny and nutritional status influence the way that birds oxidize exogenous nutrients, it also underscores the likelihood that environmental and endogenous factors shape how other types of animals spend the nutrients they ingest.     

The metabolic response to prolonged walking in fed and fasted men

Six healthy men walked 37 km (23 miles) per day over a 3-lap course for each of 4 consecutive days. Subjects were allowed breakfast and an unrestricted diet was consumed after completion of the walk, but no food was consumed during or between laps. At a later date the same subjects walked over the same course after an overnight fast and without breakfast. Completion time for each lap was 139 +/- 1 min (mean +/- SE) and exercise intensity was equivalent to 17 +/- 1% VO2max. Mean 24h energy intake was 14.5 +/- 0.8 MJ during the fed walk. Estimated daily energy expenditure was 12.0 MJ. Blood glucose concentration fell significantly on the first, third and fourth days of the fed walk, but no subject became hypoglycaemic. Glucose concentration did not fall during the fasted walk and was significantly higher pre-exercise and at the end of laps one and three when compared to the first day of the fed walk. Blood alanine concentration fell significantly after the end of the first lap of each day of the fed walk but not during the fasted walk. Blood lactate levels did not change during the course of either walk. Plasma free fatty acid, glycerol and blood 3-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were unchanged during the passage of the first lap on each day of the fed walk, but all three had increased significantly by the end of the first lap of the fasted walk.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The influence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide on the thermoregulation of the box turtle Terrapene carolina

Ectotherms can adjust their thermoregulatory set points in response to bacterial infection; the result may be similar to endothermic fever. We examined the influence of dose on the set point of body temperature (T(b)) in Terrapene carolina. After acclimating postprandial turtles to 20 degrees C, we injected them with two doses of bacterial endotoxin (LPS; lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli), 0.0025 or 0.025 mg LPS/g nonshell body mass, or with reptilian saline (control group). We placed the animals singly in linear thigmothermal gradients and recorded their T(b)'s for 48 h. The turtles showed dose-influenced thermal selection. Turtles injected with the high dose had T(b)'s significantly higher than control turtles, whereas low-dose turtles had T(b)'s significantly lower than control turtles. Also, there was a low daily effect on the T(b) of the turtles injected with the high dose. High-dose turtles had significantly higher T(b)'s than the control turtles during the first day but not during the second. Our results support the prediction of Romanovsky and Székely that an infectious agent may elicit opposite thermoregulatory responses depending on quality and quantity of the agent and the host health status.     

Effects of body temperature and hydration state on organismal performance of toads,Bufo americanus

Temperature and humidity are dominant environmental variables affecting performance of nocturnal, terrestrial amphibians. Toads are frequently active at body temperatures (T(b)) and hydration states (HS) that yield suboptimal performance. We investigated the combined effects of T(b) and HS on feeding, locomotion, and metabolism of Bufo americanus. More toads responded to the presence of prey when fully hydrated than when dehydrated, and times to orient to prey, maneuver around a barrier, and reach prey were less in hydrated than in dehydrated animals. Time to capture prey decreased with increasing T(b) in fully hydrated, but not dehydrated, toads, and hydrated animals caught prey more rapidly than did dehydrated animals. Distance traveled in 5 min and aerobic scope were affected by T(b). Generally, individuals that performed well in the feeding experiments at a particular T(b) and HS also performed well at a different T(b) and HS. The same was true for distance traveled and aerobic scope. However, within combinations of T(b) and HS, correlations between performance variables were minimal. Specialization of a particular variable resulting in high performance at a certain T(b) and HS does not appear to exact a cost in terms of performance at a different T(b) and HS.     

Effect of insulin and glucagon on the uptake of carnitine by perfused rat liver

The possible direct effects of insulin and glucagon on carnitine uptake by perfused rat liver were studied with L-[3H]carnitine of an initial concentration of 50 microM in the perfusate. Insulin (10 nM) did not significantly affect the uptake by livers from fed animals. However, insulin could reverse the stimulated transport by livers from 24-h fasted animals, reducing the uptake rate from 852 +/- 54.1 to 480 +/- 39.9 (mean +/- S.E.), P less than 0.01 (rates are expressed as nmol per h per 100 g body wt). Glucagon (50 nM) stimulated the uptake rate when livers were either from fed (551 +/- 40.1 vs. 915 +/- 55.3, P less than 0.01) or from fasted animals (852 +/- 54.1 vs. 1142 +/- 88.1, P less than 0.02). Based on these and earlier observations, we propose that the carnitine concentration in rat liver is controlled by insulin and glucagon via cellular transport processes.     

Metabolic responses to acute handling by fingerling inland and anadromous striped bass

Fed and 3-day fasted inland (average mass: 6.97 g) and anadromous (average mass: 6.54 g) striped bass Morone saxatilis fingerlings were held in dipnets above water for 5 min in groups of six. Severity of the response to this handling was measured by whole-body glucose, glycogen, and lactic acid in non-handled bass (considered control level), and then at 30 min, 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h recovery. At resting levels, both fed and fasted inland bass showed significantly higher concentrations of the whole body variables than anadromous bass. All four groups of bass showed an increase in lactic acid and glucose immediately after handling, with a concomitant decrease in glycogen. Peak levels of glucose and lactic acid were similar in the four groups. Fasting did not have an effect on the glucose and lactic acid responses, but did affect the glycogen response. The two fasted groups did not return to control glycogen concentrations during the 48-h recovery period. By 48 h, both glucose and lactic acid had returned to control levels. It is concluded that inland and anadromous strains of fingerling striped bass do not differ in their sensitivity to an acute handling stress. Recovery of glycogen energy stores following handling is much better if fish are not fasted before handling.     

Insulinotropic and gastrin-releasing action of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP)

The effect of intravenous administration of gastrin-releasing peptide ( GRP ) on serum gastrin and insulin levels was studied in ad libitum fed and 24-h fasted rats. Administration of GRP (55 micrograms/kg body weight) caused a significant (P less than 0.05) elevation in serum gastrin levels at 10, 30, 60, and 120 min in the rats fed ad libitum, whereas in the fasted rats, gastrin levels rose significantly only at 10 min. GRP did not cause insulin release in fasted rats, but in the fed rats, it led to a significant elevation in serum insulin levels at 10 and 30 min, in comparison to controls. GRP appears to have an insulinotropic action in addition to a gastrin-releasing effect.     

Hyperthermia and increased physical activity in the fasting American mink Mustela Vison

The aim of this study was to investigate the thermoregulatory adaptations to fasting in a medium-sized mustelid with a high metabolic rate and energetic requirements. Sixteen farm-bred female American minks, Mustela vison, were divided into a fed control group and an experimental group fasted for 5 days. The deep body temperature (T(b)) of the minks was registered at 10 min intervals with intraabdominal thermosensitive loggers and the locomotor activity was videotaped continuously for 5 days during the fasting procedure. The T(b) of the fasted animals increased during the first day of fasting and decreased during the second day. After 3-4 days of fasting, the levels of physical activity and T(b) of the fasted minks increased above the levels of the fed animals. Significant increases in these parameters were observed at the beginning of the working day on the farm, during the feeding of the fed animals and around midnight. It is concluded that the mink differs from previously studied homeotherms in thermoregulatory and behavioral responses to fasting probably due to its high energy requirements and predatory success.     

Thermoregulatory adaptations of the overwintering captive raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in boreal climate

The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is a nocturnal canid thought to utilise passive wintering strategy in the boreal climate. To record the deep body temperature (T(b)), 12 farmed raccoon dogs were implanted with intra-abdominal T(b) loggers on November 26, 2003. Between December 3, 2003 and January 27, 2004 half of the animals were fasted for 8 weeks. The amplitude of the diurnal T(b) oscillations increased due to fasting. However, the mean diurnal T(b) was lower in the fasted animals only during two occasions. Unlike observed previously in other species, not only did the raccoon dogs experience hypothermia between 0600 and 1000 hr but also hyperthermia between noon and 1800 hr. The fasted animals were as active as the fed animals measured after 42-43 days of fasting and there was a significant cross-correlation between physical activity and T(b). The nocturnal period of hypothermia is probably an adaptation to save energy during food deprivation. The diurnal hyperthermia could be explained by the opportunistic foraging behaviour of the species. Opposite to the established assumptions, the raccoon dog does not seem to enter winter sleep on fur farms. In the future it is important to determine if true winter sleep occurs in nature in the species.     

Genetic selection of rats with high and low body temperatures

Body (core) temperature (T(c)) directly affects all biological processes, including sensitivity to toxic chemicals, development, aging, and drug metabolism. To understand how T(c) affects these processes it is necessary to alter T(c) independently of other physiological processes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether selective breeding techniques can be used to develop lines of rats with hyperthermic and hypothermic T(c)'s. T(c) and motor activity of 24 female and 23 male rats (parental line) of the NIH heterogenous stock were monitored by telemetry for 96h at a T(a) of 22 degrees C. The mean 24h T(c) of the male and female rats was 37.3 degrees C with a range of 37-38.2 degrees C. T(c) was not correlated with motor activity or body weight. Pairs with the lowest and highest T(c)'s were selected for breeding. The F1 generation consisted of 10 offspring from the hyperthermic group and 20 from the hypothermic group. They were implanted with transmitters at 60d of age. T(c) of rats derived from the hyperthermic parental line had a significantly warmer T(c) than the rats derived from the hypothermic parental line. Motor activity was significantly higher in the hyperthermic F1 males and hypothermic F1 females. Breeding of hyperthermic and hypothermic rats has shown that adult offspring of the fourth generation maintain significantly different core temperatures but have similar patterns of motor activity. The results demonstrate that T(c) is heritable and that it should be feasible to develop lines of rats that regulate T(c) above or below normal.     

Demonstration of a quiescent period for feeding controls in the developing rat

Feeding behaviour of rats during development was assessed by weighing pups before and after a 4 h feeding session. During the first postnatal week, fasted pups gained significantly more weight than fed pups. This difference disappeared during the second week, but reappeared during the third week and persisted through the fourth week. In another series, pups were weighed at 2 and 4 h after beginning feeding. This showed that fasted pups aged 6 days compensate by suckling longer than fed pups. At 10 and 14 days of age there were no differences between fed and fasted pups at either 2 or 4 h, but from 16 days onward, fasted pups had eaten significantly more than fed pups at both times. A control experiment showed that the lack of compensation by fasted pups aged 10-14 days did not reflect lack of availability of milk. Video-analysis of suckling behaviour at ages 6, 10 and 15 days provided further evidence for lack of feeding controls during the second postnatal week: at 6 and 15 days fasted pups spent more time actively sucking than did fed pups. Whereas at 10 days, there were no differences between fed and fasted pups. It is concluded that feeding controls are present during the first postnatal week, become quiescent during the second week and reappear during the third week.     

Effect of fasting on nychthemeral concentrations of plasma growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and cortisol in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

This experiment was conducted to characterize the effect of fasting versus satiety feeding on plasma concentrations of GH, IGF-I, and cortisol over a nychthemeron. Channel catfish fingerlings were acclimated for two weeks under a 12L:12D photoperiod, then fed or fasted for 21 d. On day 21, blood samples were collected every 2 h for 24 h. Weight of fed fish increased an average of 66.2% and fasted fish lost 21.7% of body weight on average. Average nychthemeral concentrations of plasma GH were not significantly different between fed (24.7 ng/mL) and fasted (26.8 ng/mL) fish, but average nychthemeral IGF-I concentrations were higher in fed (23.4 ng/mL) versus fasted (17.8 ng/mL) fish. An increase in plasma IGF-I concentrations was observed in fasted fish 2 h after a peak in plasma GH, but not in fed fish. Average nychthemeral plasma cortisol concentrations were higher in fed (14.5 ng/mL) versus fasted (11.0 ng/mL) fish after 21 d. Significant fluctuations and a postprandial increase in plasma cortisol were observed in fed fish and there was an overall increase in plasma cortisol of both fasted and fed fish during the scotophase. The present experiment indicates little or no effect of 21-d fasting on plasma GH levels but demonstrates fasting-induced suppression of plasma IGF-I and cortisol levels in channel catfish.     

Seasonal changes in the preferred body temperature, cardiovascular, and respiratory responses to hypoxia in the toad, Bufo paracnemis

Estivation is accompanied by a reduction of oxygen consumption in amphibians during drought. We tested the hypothesis that, during the dry season, the toad Bufo paracnemis selects a lower preferred body temperature (T(b)), and would be less sensitive to hypoxia, than during its active period. Therefore, during winter (dry season in S?o Paulo state, Brazil) and summer, we measured the effects of hypoxia (7% inspired O(2)) on preferred T(b). Additionally, pulmonary ventilation, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption were also measured in toads at 15 and 25 degrees C. Blood gases were measured at 25 degrees C. Oxygen consumption was significantly higher during summer in toads at 25 degrees C. Under normoxia, preferred T(b) was higher during summer than during winter, and hypoxia caused a drop in preferred T(b) during both seasons. In both seasons, toads at 15 degrees C showed reduced pulmonary ventilation, heart rate, and blood pressure, and hypoxia had no effect. At 25 degrees C during summer only, hypoxia caused an increase in ventilation. Season had no effect on blood gases. We conclude that B. paracnemis displays an endogenous seasonal pattern of thermoregulation and control of ventilation. The decreased preferred T(b) and the physiological responses to hypoxia may be beneficial to toads encountering drought and when food is not available.     

Fasting and refeeding modulate neutral amino acid transport activity in the basolateral membrane of the rat exocrine pancreatic epithelium: fasting-induced insulin insensitivity

The effects of fasting and refeeding on amino acid transport in the perfused rat exocrine pancreas were investigated using a rapid dual tracer dilution technique. Unidirectional amino acid influx (15 s) was quantified (relative to the extracellular tracer d-mannitol) over a wide range of perfusate concentrations in pancreata isolated frm fed and 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h fasted and 72 h fasted and refed (24 h) animals. In fed animals transport of phenylalamine (1–24 mM) and l-serine (1–50 mM) was saturable and weighted non-linear regression analyses of the overall transport indicated an apparent K_t=10±3mM and V_max=7.0±1.0 μmol/min per g (n = 7) for phenylalanine and K_t=16±3 mM and V_max=20.6±2.1 μmol/min per g (n = 5) for serine. Fasting animals for 24 h or 48 h did not change the kinetics of either phenylalanine or serine transport. After a 72 h fast the rate of phenylalanine transport (V_max=15.9±2.9 μmol/min per g, (n = 5) was enhanced whereas the transport affinity (K_t=11±3 mM) remained unaltered. l-Serine transport was essentially unaltered. When 72 h fasted animals were refed for 24 h the V_max for the phenylalanine transport was reduced to values observed in fed animals. In parallel experiments refeeding had no significant effect on serine transport. Perfusion of pancreata isolated from 72 h fasted animals with bovine insulin (1 mU/ml or 1 μU/ml) did not stimulate either phenylalanine or serine transport. The fasting-induced stimulation of transport may provide a mechanism by which the extracellular supply of essential amino acids as phenylalanine is increased to meet the demands of continued proteolytic and lipolytic enzyme synthesis.     

Circadian oscillations of thyroid hormones and insulin in the serum of fasting rats

Adult male Wistar rats adapted to a 12:12 h light:dark regimen, fed or after a 24- or 48-h fast, were decapitated at 3-h intervals during a single day. They were deprived of food at day-time intervals ensuring that on decapitation they had fasted for the same length of time, i.e. 24 or 48 h. Thyroid hormones, insulin and glucose concentrations were determined in their serum. Fasting did not significantly affect circadian thyroxine, triiodothyronine and reverse triiodothyronine rhythms compared with the findings in fed animals; 24, but not 48 hours' fasting led to a shift in the acrophase of circadian insulin and glucose oscillations compared with fed rats. The maintenance of original circadian thyroid hormones and insulin rhythm in rats which fasted for short lengths of time testifies to a dependence of the stimulus on the time of day.