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First published online December 3, 2004
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 4525-4533 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01307

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Metabolism of normothermic woodchucks during prolonged fasting

Shannon P. Reidy^* and Jean-Michel Weber

Biology Department, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

View larger version (26K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Changes in body mass of adult woodchucks and rabbits during prolonged fasting. (A) Body mass expressed as % of initial mass measured in fed animals (the value for day 0), and (B) rate of absolute mass loss in g kg-1 day-1. Values are means ± S.E.M. for summer woodchucks (N=4), spring woodchucks (N=4) and rabbits (N=9).

View larger version (31K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Mean rate of oxygen consumption over a 24 h period of adult woodchucks and rabbits during prolonged fasting. Values are means ± S.E.M. (A) Absolute rates in µmol O2 kg-1 min-1 and (B) values expressed as % of initial metabolic rate measured on day 0 in fed animals. Summer woodchucks (N=4), spring woodchucks (N=4) and rabbits (N=9).

View larger version (23K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Body temperature of woodchucks and rabbits before and during a prolonged fast. Values are means ± S.E.M. for summer woodchucks (N=4), spring woodchucks (N=4) and rabbits (N=9). * indicates significant differences from the fed values (day 0) within each group.

View larger version (19K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Fuel selection in woodchucks and rabbits before and during a prolonged fast. The % contributions of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins to total oxygen consumption are given for fed animals (A), for animals fasted for 1 day (B) and for animals fasted for 2-7 days (C). Values are means ± S.E.M. for summer woodchucks (N=4), spring woodchucks (N=4) and rabbits (N=9). Values of the same fuel type marked with the same symbol are significantly different from each other.

View larger version (21K): [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Urinary excretion rates of woodchucks and rabbits before and during prolonged fasting. (A) Absolute rates of N excretion (N=4 for spring and summer woochucks, N=9 for rabbits). (B-E) The relative contributions of urea (B), ammonia (C), creatinine (D) and uric acid (E) to total N excretion. For relative contributions (% of total N excretion), the values for spring and summer woodchucks were pooled (N=8 for woodchucks and 9 for rabbits). Values are means ± S.E.M. *Significant differences from fed values measured on day 0 within each group.

View larger version (27K): [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Rates of water consumption and urine production in woodchucks and rabbits before and during prolonged fasting (N=4 for spring and summer woochucks, N=9 for rabbits).