Te. Gillis et Js. Ballantyne, THE EFFECTS OF STARVATION ON PLASMA-FREE AMINO-ACID AND GLUCOSE-CONCENTRATIONS IN LAKE STURGEON, Journal of Fish Biology, 49(6), 1996, pp. 1306-1316
The effect of starvation on the metabolism of the lake sturgeon Acipen
ser fulvescens was examined by measuring haematocrit, plasma glucose c
oncentrations, and plasma free amino acids. Plasma was sampled on day
0, 10, 20, 45 and 60 of a 60-day starvation period. Haematocrit was ob
served to decrease with starvation indicating a decreased oxygen carry
ing capacity of the blood. Plasma glucose levels differed only at day
10, with a decrease in blood glucose level in the starved group. No di
fferences were detected between groups for alanine, aspartate, and ser
ine, while elevated levels were observed for glutamine throughout the
experiment. An increase in arginine, tyrosine, valine, methionine, try
ptophan, phenylalanine, glutamate, glycine, isoleucine, histidine and
leucine, concentrations were observed after 45 days of starvation. The
maintenance, or increased plasma levels, of glucogenic amino acids in
combination with the maintenance of blood glucose concentrations indi
cates active gluconeogenic processes in the liver supported by muscle
proteolysis. (C) 1996 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles