The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of waterborne zinc (control, 0.85, 2.20, 3.10 mg/l, respectively) exposure on lipid deposition and metabolism in the hepatopancreas and muscle of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. The lipid content, Zn accumulation, and the activities and expression levels of several enzymes involved in lipid metabolism were determined in hepatopancreas and muscle. Waterborne Zn exposure reduced growth performance and increased Zn accumulation in both tested tissues. In hepatopancreas, Zn exposure increased lipid content, the activities of lipogenic enzymes, such as 6PGD, G6PD, ME, ICDH and FAS, as well as the mRNA expression level of G6PD, 6PGD, ICDH, FAS and SREBP-1. But the activity of CPT I and the mRNA expression of HSL, CPT Iα1a, CPT Iα2a and PPARα were down-regulated by Zn exposure. In contrast, in muscle, waterborne Zn exposure decreased lipid deposition, activities of 6GPD, ICDH and ME, as well as the mRNA expression level of G6PD, ICDH, ME, FAS and SREBP-1. However, the activity of CPT I as well as the mRNA expression level of PPARα, HSL, CPT Iα2a, CPT Iα1b and CPT Iβ were up-regulated by Zn exposure. Our results indicate that waterborne Zn increases lipid content by up-regulating lipogenesis and down-regulating lipolysis in hepatopancreas. But, in muscle, waterborne Zn reduces lipid accumulation by up-regulating lipolysis and down-regulating lipogenesis. Differential patterns of lipid deposition, enzymatic activities and genes' expression indicate the tissue-specific regulatory mechanism in fish.
Keywords: Ctenopharyngodon idella; Lipid deposition; Lipid metabolism; Waterborne Zn exposure.