Gluconeogenesis during starvation and refeeding phase is affected by previous dietary carbohydrates levels and a glucose stimuli during early life in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)

Xiaofang Liang; Jia Wang; Guan Gong; Min Xue; Yingchao Dong; Xiufeng Wu; Xin Wang; Chunshan Chen; Xufang Liang; Yuchang Qin

doi:10.1016/j.aninu.2017.06.001

Gluconeogenesis during starvation and refeeding phase is affected by previous dietary carbohydrates levels and a glucose stimuli during early life in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)

Anim Nutr. 2017 Sep;3(3):284-294. doi: 10.1016/j.aninu.2017.06.001. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Authors

Xiaofang Liang¹, Jia Wang^{1

2}, Guan Gong¹, Min Xue^{1

2}, Yingchao Dong¹, Xiufeng Wu¹, Xin Wang¹, Chunshan Chen³, Xufang Liang⁴, Yuchang Qin⁵

Affiliations

¹ National Aquafeed Safety Assessment Station, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
² Key Laboratory of Feed Biotechnology of Ministry of Agriculture, Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
³ Beijing Aquatic Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, Beijing 102100, China.
⁴ College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
⁵ Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.

Abstract

Gluconeogenesis responses was assessed during a short starvation period and subsequent refeeding in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) previously fed different dietary carbohydrates levels and experienced to a glucose stimuli during early life. The sturgeon larvae were previously fed either a high glucose diet (G) or a low glucose diet (F) from the first feeding to yolk absorption (8 to 12 d post-hatching [dph]). Each group of fish was sub-divided into 2 treatments at 13 dph and was fed either a high-carbohydrate diet (H) or a low carbohydrate diet (L) until 20 wk. In the current study, the fish in 4 groups (GL, FL, GH and FH) were experienced to starvation for 21 d following by re-feeding of their corresponding diets for 21 d. Fish were sampled at postprandial 6 and 24 h before starvation (P6h and P24h), starvation 7, 14 and 21 d (S7, S14 and S21) and 1, 7, 14 and 21 d during refeeding (R1, R7, R14 and R21). Plasma samples during refeeding were taken at P6h at each time point. Glycaemia levels, liver and muscle glycogen contents, activities and mRNA levels of hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes were examined. We found that both dietary carbohydrate levels and early glucose stimuli significantly affected the metabolic responses to starvation and refeeding in Siberian sturgeon (P < 0.05). During prolonged starvation, Siberian sturgeon firstly mobilized the liver glycogen and then improved gluconeogenesis when the dietary carbohydrates were abundant, whereas preserved the liver glycogen stores at a stable level and more effectively promoted gluconeogenesis when the dietary carbohydrates are absent to maintain glucose homoeostasis. During refeeding, as most teleostean, Siberian sturgeon failed controlling the activities and mRNA levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase cytosolic forms (PEPCK-C), fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), but particularly controlled phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mitochondrial forms (PEPCK-M) activities and mRNA expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase, except in GL group). Siberian sturgeon has a full compensatory ability on growth, but this ability would be obstructed by early glucose stimuli when refeeding the low carbohydrate diet after S21.

Keywords: Acipenser baeri; Early nutritional programming; Fasting; Gluconeogenesis; Refeeding.