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Avian Research 2018, 9(1): 39 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-018-0131-8
Research | Open Access | Issue | Published: 21 November 2018

Food restriction decreases BMR, body and organ mass, and cellular energetics, in the Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis)

Show Author's Information Yiying Zhang1,†,  Ke Yang Yang1,†,  Peipei Yang1,  Yingshi Su1,  Weihong Zheng1,2( ),  Jinsong Liu1,2( )
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou's Chashan University Town, Wenzhou 325035, China
Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou 325035, China

†Yiying Zhang and Ke Yang contributed equally to this work

Keywords:
Basal metabolic rate, Avian uncoupling protein, Cytochrome c oxidase, Food restriction, Pycnonotus sinensis, State-4 respiration
Cite this article:
Zhang Y, Yang KY, Yang P, et al. Food restriction decreases BMR, body and organ mass, and cellular energetics, in the Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis). Avian Research, 2018, 9(1): 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-018-0131-8
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Abstract Full text About this article
Background

Food is an important environmental factor that affects animals' energy metabolism and food shortage has significant effects on animals' behavior, physiology and biochemistry. However, to date few studies have focused on the thermogenesis and its effects on the body condition of birds. In this study, we examined the effects of food restriction on the body mass, basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body composition, and several physiological, biochemical and molecular markers potentially related to thermogenesis, in the Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis).

Methods

Birds in the control group were provided with food ad libitum whereas those in the food restriction group were provided with one-half of the usual quantity of food for 12 days. Oxygen consumption was measured using an open-circuit respirometry system. Mitochondrial state 4 respiration and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity in the liver and pectoral muscle were measured with a Clark electrode. Avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) mRNA expression was determined in pectorals muscle with quantitative Real-time PCR.

Results

Chinese Bulbuls in food restriction group decreased in body mass, BMR and internal organ (heart, kidneys, small intestine and total digestive tract) mass compared with the control group over the 12-day period of food restriction. Bulbuls in the food restriction group also had lower levels of state-4 respiration, COX activity in the liver and muscle, and mitochondrial avUCP gene expression in muscle compared to the control group. BMR was positively correlated with body mass, state 4 respiration in the liver and COX activity in the muscle.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that Chinese Bulbuls not only sustain food shortage through simple passive mechanisms, such as reducing body and organ mass and energy expenditure, but also by reducing energetic metabolism in the liver and muscle.


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About this article

Food restriction decreases BMR, body and organ mass, and cellular energetics, in the Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis)

Show Author's information Yiying Zhang1,†, Ke Yang Yang1,†, Peipei Yang1, Yingshi Su1, Weihong Zheng1,2( ), Jinsong Liu1,2( )
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou's Chashan University Town, Wenzhou 325035, China
Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou 325035, China

†Yiying Zhang and Ke Yang contributed equally to this work

Abstract

Background

Food is an important environmental factor that affects animals' energy metabolism and food shortage has significant effects on animals' behavior, physiology and biochemistry. However, to date few studies have focused on the thermogenesis and its effects on the body condition of birds. In this study, we examined the effects of food restriction on the body mass, basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body composition, and several physiological, biochemical and molecular markers potentially related to thermogenesis, in the Chinese Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis).

Methods

Birds in the control group were provided with food ad libitum whereas those in the food restriction group were provided with one-half of the usual quantity of food for 12 days. Oxygen consumption was measured using an open-circuit respirometry system. Mitochondrial state 4 respiration and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity in the liver and pectoral muscle were measured with a Clark electrode. Avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) mRNA expression was determined in pectorals muscle with quantitative Real-time PCR.

Results

Chinese Bulbuls in food restriction group decreased in body mass, BMR and internal organ (heart, kidneys, small intestine and total digestive tract) mass compared with the control group over the 12-day period of food restriction. Bulbuls in the food restriction group also had lower levels of state-4 respiration, COX activity in the liver and muscle, and mitochondrial avUCP gene expression in muscle compared to the control group. BMR was positively correlated with body mass, state 4 respiration in the liver and COX activity in the muscle.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that Chinese Bulbuls not only sustain food shortage through simple passive mechanisms, such as reducing body and organ mass and energy expenditure, but also by reducing energetic metabolism in the liver and muscle.

Keywords: Basal metabolic rate, Avian uncoupling protein, Cytochrome c oxidase, Food restriction, Pycnonotus sinensis, State-4 respiration

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Publication history

Received: 22 March 2018
Accepted: 15 November 2018
Published: 21 November 2018
Issue date: January 2018

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© The Author(s) 2018.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Ron Moorhouse revising the English. Thanks to all the members of Animal Physiological Ecology Group, and the Wenzhou University Institute of Applied Ecology, for their helpful suggestions, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

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