Daily rhythms of lipogenesis in fat and lean white-throated sparrows Zonotrichia albicollis.

Lipogenesis was assayed at 6 times a day in the migratory white-throated sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis by measuring the incorporation of label in liver and body lipid 4 h after injection of [3H] acetate. There were daily rhythms of 3H incorporation by liver lipid both in fat birds in the vernal migratory condition and in lean birds in the summer photorefractory condition. Most of the liver lipid incorporation of 3H was restricted to the late afternoon and early evening in both the fat and lean birds. In addition, the total liver incorporation was similar for both groups. On the other hand, nearly twice as much 3H was incorporated in the body lipid of fat birds as in that of lean birds, and a daily rhythm was present only in fat sparrows. Injections of prolactin given simultaneously with [3H] acetate early during the day (at a time when daily injections of the hormone can cause severe losses in body fat stores) drastically reduces liver and body lipid incorporation of 3H. However, injections of prolactin during the afternoon (when daily injections of the hormone produce large increases in body fat stores) have no apparent influence on the incorporation of label. Our results indicate that a principal difference between lean and fat birds resides in a greater capacity in fat birds to transport triglycerides from the liver, in which they are produced, to the body storage depots. The daily rhythm of prolactin in some temporal relations may cause fattening by increasing the transport capacity or cause loss in fat stores in other temporal relations by directly inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis.