Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
PeerJ. 2022 Jun 15;10:e13584. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13584. eCollection 2022.
Migratory flights by birds are among the most energetically demanding forms of animal movement, and are primarily fueled by fat as an energy source. Leptin is a critical fat-regulation hormone associated with energy balance in non-avian species but its function in birds is highly controversial. Prior research indicated the effects of leptin differed between birds in migratory condition or not, but no research has assessed the effect of leptin on migratory behaviour itself. In this study, our objective was to determine if leptin affects migratory restlessness and fat deposition in migratory songbirds. We used photoperiod manipulation to induce spring migratory condition, and measured migratory restlessness in leptin-injected and saline-injected white-throated sparrows (). Leptin treatment had no effect on migratory restlessness nor fat deposition, providing evidence that leptin does not influence avian migratory motivation or behaviour. Our results also further support the idea that birds in a hyperphagic migratory condition may be insensitive to leptin.
鸟类的迁徙飞行是动物运动中能量需求最高的形式之一，主要以脂肪作为能量来源。瘦素是一种与非鸟类物种能量平衡相关的关键脂肪调节激素，但它在鸟类中的功能存在很大争议。先前的研究表明，瘦素对处于迁徙状态或不处于迁徙状态的鸟类的影响不同，但没有研究评估瘦素对迁徙行为本身的影响。在这项研究中，我们的目的是确定瘦素是否会影响迁徙鸣禽的迁徙不安和脂肪沉积。我们使用光周期操纵来诱导春季迁徙状态，并测量注射瘦素和生理盐水的白喉雀（）的迁徙不安。瘦素处理对迁徙不安或脂肪沉积没有影响，这表明瘦素不会影响鸟类的迁徙动机或行为。我们的结果还进一步支持了这样一种观点，即在暴食迁徙状态下的鸟类可能对瘦素不敏感。
