Lipid, ketone body and oxidative metabolism in the African lungfish, Protopterus dolloi following 60 days of fasting and aestivation.

The potential importance of lipids and ketone bodies as fuels in the African lungfish, Protopterus dolloi, and the role of oxidative metabolism, were examined under control, fasted and aestivated conditions. In aestivating but not fasting lungfish, the activities of citrate synthase (CS) and cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) (enzymes of oxidative metabolism) showed tissue-specific changes. Significant reductions in CS activity occurred in the kidney, heart, gill and muscle, and in CCO in the liver and kidney tissues.

Carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in fasting and aestivating African lungfish (Protopterus dolloi).

The potential importance of carbohydrates and amino acids as fuels during periods of fasting and aestivation in the African lungfish, Protopterus dolloi, were examined. No significant decreases in tissue glycogen levels were observed following 60 days of fasting or aestivation, suggesting lungfish may undergo 'glycogen sparing'. Yet glycogenolysis may be important during aestivation based on the differing responses of two flux-generating enzymes of the glycolytic pathway, hexokinase (HK) and pyruvate kinase (PK).

The metabolic organization of a primitive air-breathing fish, the Florida gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus).

The metabolic organization of the air-breathing Florida gar, Lepisosteus platyrhincus, was assessed by measuring the maximal activities of key enzymes in several metabolic pathways in selected tissues, concentrations of plasma metabolites including nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), free amino acids (FAA) and glucose as well as tissue FAA levels. In general, L. platyrhincus has an enhanced capacity for carbohydrate metabolism as indicated by elevated plasma glucose levels and high activities of gluconeogenic and glycolytic enzymes.