[Effect of fasting on the main blood and liver metabolites of gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis in the adult domestic quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)].

The changes in the main plasma and liver metabolites of gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis have been studied in quails during 72-hr starvation. In those conditions, glycaemia barely decreased, whereas liver glycogen and plasma and liver lactate dropped, suggesting that lactate was utilized extensively for gluconeogenesis. In contrast, plasma alanine decreased only slightly. During starvation, plasma free fatty acids and cholesterol were significantly enhanced, whereas plasma triglycerides decreased. Ketogenesis seemed very active. Hydroxybutyrate concentrations were markedly higher in the plasma than in the liver, indicating that mechanisms other than simple diffusion processes should be considered for hepatic ketone body release. The present results suggest that metabolic response to prolonged starvation in the quail does not differ markedly from that observed in other birds. However, the utilization of glucose and ketone bodies by peripheral tissue and of some substrates, such as alanine or pyruvate, for gluconeogenesis must be further investigated.