Daily and fasting variation in blood parameters and H/L ratio in house sparrows (Passer domesticus).

CHEDIACK, JUAN GABRIEL; PADRONES, MARCELO NICOLÁS; RONCHI, GERMÁN DARÍO; ARIAS, RODOLFO JOSÉ; CID, FABRICIO DAMIÁN

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS

Lugar: Otawa; Año: 2022

0008-4301

Fluctuations in food supply are frequent in nature during seasons, in different stages of annual cycle of animals and lately, climate change is a strong driving force that could affect food supply. An animal´s capacity to resist fasting is, therefore, determined by its ability to store energy and control its allocation during periods of food restriction. Daily variations of metabolic substrates and their fluctuation during fasting are relevant to understand the acclimation to fasting. Since fasting is an ecological stressor, we investigated the daily variation of corticosterone levels in feeding and fasting in Passer domesticus Linnaeus, 1758 and its short-term effect on some biochemical parameters. We found daily variations in body mass, glucose, triglycerides, plasma total protein, uric acid and corticosterone. However, we did not find diurnal variations of hematocrit and the Heterophil:Lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio). Moreover, we did not find sex-related differences in any parameter. Throughout fasting we found variations of glucose, triglycerides, total protein, uric acid, H/L ratio and corticosterone. During the photophase, biochemical and physiological responses to food deprivation contribute to the efficient use of resources in this small bird. In the course of fasting period corticosterone could be responsible of alterations of some blood parameters such as glucose.