Periprandial changes and effects of short- and long-term fasting on ghrelin, GOAT, and ghrelin receptors in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Abstract

The periprandial profile and effects of short- (7 days) and long-term (30 days) fasting on the ghrelinergic system were studied in goldfish (Carassius auratus). Plasma levels of acyl-ghrelin, desacyl-ghrelin, and ghrelin O-acyl transferase (GOAT) were analyzed by enzymoimmunoassays, and expression of preproghrelin, goat and growth hormone secretagogue receptors (ghs-r) was quantified by real-time PCR. Circulating levels of acyl-ghrelin and GOAT rise preprandially, supporting the role of acyl-ghrelin as a meal initiator in this teleost. Consistently, preproghrelin and ghs-r1a1 expression increases 1 h before feeding time in intestinal bulb, suggesting that this receptor subtype might be involved in the preprandial action of ghrelin in this tissue. Significant postfeeding variations are detected for preproghrelin in telencephalon, goat in telencephalon and hypothalamus, ghs-r1a1 in vagal lobe, ghs-r1a2 and ghs-r2a1 in hypothalamus and ghs-r2a2 in telencephalon and vagal lobe, especially in unfed fish. Short- and long-term fasting significantly increase preproghrelin expression in telencephalon and gut. Goat expression is upregulated by short-term fasting in telencephalon and hypothalamus, and by both short- and long-term fasting in gut. Expression of ghs-r increases by fasting in telencephalon, while an upregulation of type 2, but not type 1, receptors is observed in vagal lobe. In intestinal bulb, ghs-r1a2 transcripts increase after both short- and long-term fasting. These results show a high dependence of the ghrelinergic system on feeding and nutritional status in fish, and demonstrate for the first time a differential implication of the various components of this system suggesting different roles for the four ghrelinergic receptor subtypes.