Browsing by Author "Sabat, P"

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    Coping with salt without salt glands
    (2004) Sabat, P; Maldonado, K; Rivera-Hutinel, A; Farfan, G
    We investigated the phenotypic plasticity of renal function in three South American coastal passerine Cinclodes (ovenbirds) differing in the proportion of marine prey they consume. Individuals were acclimated to two regimes of salinity for 15 days, and then the maximal urine-concentrating ability (U-max), hematological parameters and kidney morphology of each species were determined. The proportion of kidney mass occupied by medullary tissue, the number of medullary cones in the kidneys, plasma osmolality and U-max differed among the three species, supporting the hypothesis of an adaptation for excretion of the high salt load in the strictly marine C. nigrofumosus. Our results indicate that species of Cinclodes are able to modify the proportion of medullary tissue and the U-max. In addition, we found interspecific differences in the magnitude to which these osmoregulatory parameters can be modified. The greater ability to modify the osmoregulatory features in the migrant species C. oustaleti may enable it to cope with seasonal changes in salt load imposed by the winter consumption of hypertonic prey.
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    Digestive morphology and enzyme activity in the Andean toad, Bufo spinulosus
    (2005) Naya, DE; Farfán, G; Sabat, P; Méndez, MA; Bozinovic, F
    Gut plasticity is a trait with implications on animal performance. However, and despite their importance as study models in physiology, research on gut flexibility in amphibians is scarce. In the present work, we analyse digestive adjustments of Bufo spinulosus adult individuals to cope with changes in diet quality and quantity at two organizational levels (i.e., digestive morphology and enzymes). We found that changes in gut:size are related to the amount of food ingested, but not to diet composition. This is in agreement with "the gut seasonal change" hypothesis and offers a proximal explanation for this change. Digestive enzymatic activity (maltase and aminopeptidase-N) did not change with diet quality or quantity, which agrees with the hypothesis of "bard-wired physiology in adult amphibians". Both hypotheses are in agreement with the general theoretical framework of gut phenotypic flexibility when interpreted in light of amphibian natural history. In addition, our results indicate that the correlation between feeding frequency and the level of gut up-regulation proposed for interspecific comparisons may also be found at the intraspecific level. (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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    Digestive plasticity and the cost of acclimation to dietary chemistry in the omnivorous leaf-eared mouse Phyllotis darwini
    (2000) Sabat, P; Bozinovic, F
    We examined the costs associated with acclimation in an omnivorous mouse (Phyllotis darwini) fed two contrasting diets (carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich). We studied the response of gut morphology and digestive performance in animals shifted to a novel diet at different developmental stages. When acclimated adult animals were shifted to the alternative diet, energy digestibility decreased. We also found long-term consequences to diet acclimation. Animals reacclimated for 15 days to an alternative diet did not increase digestive performance. Although no effects of diet on gut morphology were noted, a significant positive correlation between energy digestibility and small intestinal length was found, explaining most of the variability observed in energy digestibility. These results suggest that caution should be used when defining adaptive changes if the possible cost of acclimation is neglected.
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    Environmental signaling and evolutionary change: can exposure of pregnant mammals to environmental estrogens lead to epigenetically induced evolutionary changes in embryos?
    (2005) Guerrero-Bosagna, C; Sabat, P; Valladares, L
    DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic and hereditary mechanisms regulating genetic expression in mammalian cells. In this review, we propose how certain natural agents, through their dietary consumption, could induce changes in physiological aspects in mammalian mothers, leading to alterations in DNA methylation patterns of the developing fetus and to the emergence of new phenotypes and evolutionary change. Nevertheless, we hypothesize that this process would require (i) certain key periods in the ontogeny of the organism where the environmental stimuli could produce effects, (ii) particular environmental agents as such stimuli, and (iii) that a genomic persistent change be consequently produced in a population. Depending on the persistence of the environmental stimuli and on whether the affected genes are imprinted genes, induced changes in DNA methylation patterns could become persistent. Moreover, some fragments could be more frequently methylated than others over several generations, leading to biased base change and evolutionary consequences.
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    Interplay among energy metabolism, organ mass and digestive enzyme activity in the mouse-opossum Thylamys elegans
    (2002) Nespolo, RF; Bacigalupe, LD; Sabat, P; Bozinovic, F
    The potential for thermal acclimation in marsupials is controversial. Initial studies suggest that the thermoregulatory maximum metabolic rate (MMR) in metatherians; cannot be changed by thermal acclimation. Nevertheless, recent studies reported conspicuous seasonality in both MMR and in basal metabolic rate (BMR). We studied the role of thermal acclimation in the Chilean mouse-opossum, Thylamys elegans, by measuring MMR and BMR before and after acclimation to cold or warm conditions. Following acclimation we also measured the mass of metabolically active organs, and the activity of a key digestive enzyme, aminopeptidase-N. No significant effect of thermal acclimation (i.e. between cold- and warm-acclimated animals) was observed for body mass, MMR, body temperature or factorial aerobic scope. However, the BMR of cold-acclimated animals was 30% higher than for warm-acclimated individuals. For organ mass, acclimation had a significant effect on the dry mass of caecum, liver and kidneys only. Stepwise multiple regression using pooled data showed that 71% of the variation in BMR is explained by the digestive organs. Overall, these results suggest that MMR is a rather rigid variable, while BMR shows plasticity. It seems that T. elegans cannot respond to thermal acclimation by adjusting its processes of energy expenditure (i.e. thermogenic capacity and mass of metabolically active organs). The lack of any significant difference in aminopeptidase-N specific activity between warm- and cold-acclimated animals suggests that this response is mainly quantitative (i.e. cell proliferation) rather than qualitative (i.e. differential enzyme expression). Finally, as far as we know, this study is the first to report the effects of thermal acclimation on energy metabolism, organ mass and digestive enzyme activity in a marsupial.
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    Intestinal disaccharidases and aminopeptidase-N in two species of Cinclodes (Passerine: Furnaridae)
    (2000) Sabat, P
    It has been postulated that both digestive capacity and intestinal biochemical features are correlated to dietary habits in birds. Therefore, it would be expected to find biochemical constraint to hydrolyze sugars in those species, which predate exclusively on marine invertebrates. In vitro intestinal activities of these enzymes were studied in Cinclodes nigrofumosus (d' Orbigny) and Cinclodes patagonicus (Gmelling). Due to differences in dietary habits between species I predicted the lack of sucrase activity in C, nigrofumosus but not in C. patagonicus. Also, low activities of maltase would be expected in both species. On the other hand due to the considerable amount of proteins and trehalose present in preys, high activities of both trehalase and aminopeptidase-N were also expected. Contrary to previous reports in birds, significant activity of trehalase was found. Also lack of sucrase and small amounts of maltase were observed as well as a significant aminopeptidase-N activity in both species. Although the digestive enzyme activities of C. nigrofumosus and C. patagonicus appear to be correlated with their natural diet, the similarities between species in all enzymes activities suggest an strong effect of phylogenetic inertia.
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    Intraspecific differences in metabolic rate of Chroeomys olivaceus (Rodentia: Muridae)
    (2005) Novoa, FF; Rivera-Hutinel, A; Rosenmann, M; Sabat, P
    Studies of metabolic capacities in rodents have been largely Studied at an inter-specific levels, but physiological capacities of populations belonging to the same species have received lesser attention. Here we studied the maximum and basal metabolic rates Of two Populations of the rodent Chroeomys olivaceus dwelling in habitats with contrasting temperature and rainfall regimes, and to test if differences ill metabolic capacities are due to local adaptation or acclimatization effect. After four weeks of acclimation to 25 and 10 degrees C, the BMR arid MMR were determined in individuals from the northern population of Caleta Loa, and the southern population of La Picada. Individuals front 'La Picada' Population were heavier than those from Caleta Loa. MMR and BMR exhibited higher values in cold acclimated animals compared with warm-acclimated animals. Besides, BMR, but not MMR, was lower in Caleta Loa individuals, in spite of the acclimation treatment. Hence, the differences in the metabolic capacities and the response to acclimation of C. olivaceus populations appear to be an evolutionary response to the environmental cues.
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    Phenotypic flexibility in the intestinal enzymes of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis
    (2005) Sabat, P; Riverosa, JM; López-Pinto, C
    The intestinal plasticity of digestive enzymes of amphibian species is poorly known. The goal of this study was to characterize digestive enzyme profiles along the small intestine of adult frogs, Xenopus laevis, in response to an experimental diet. We acclimated adult X. laevis for 30 days either to carbohydrate-rich or protein-rich diets, and determined the morphology and digestive enzymes of the small intestine. We found a significant difference of aminopeptidase-N activity between carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich acclimated animals. We also found a little variation in the expression of maltase activity, which contrast with the proposed hypothesis about the existence of digestive tradeoff in vertebrates. This finding supports the adaptive modulation hypothesis and suggests that caution is called for when analyzing physiological data regarding assumed discrete trophic category of species. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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    Physiological and biochemical responses to dietary protein in the omnivore passerine Zonotrichia capensis (Emberizidae)
    (2004) Sabat, P; Sepúlveda-Kattan, E; Maldonado, K
    We studied the physiological, biochemical and morphological responses of the omnivore sparrow Zonotrichia capensis, a small opportunistic passerine from Central Chile acclimated to high- and low-protein diets. After 4 weeks of acclimation to 30% (high-protein group) or 7% (low-protein group) dietary casein, we collected urine and plasma for nitrogen waste production and osmometry analysis, and measured gross renal morphology. Plasma osmolality and hematocrit were not significantly affected by dietary treatment, but urine osmolality was higher in the high-protein group than in the low-protein group. Kidney and heart masses were higher in animals acclimated to the high-protein diet. Mean total nitrogen waste was significantly higher in the high-protein group, but the proportions of nitrogen excreted as uric acid, urea and ammonia were unaffected by diet. Our data suggest that the response of Z. capensis to an increase in dietary protein content is through greater amounts of total nitrogen excretion and hypertrophy of kidney structures, without any modification of the proportion of excretory compounds. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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    Water economy of three Cinclodes (Furnariidae) species inhabiting marine and freshwater ecosystems
    (2004) Sabat, P; Nespolo, RF; Bozinovic, F
    Birds living in desert environments have been the preferred models for the study of physiological adaptations to water scarcity. Passerine birds living in marine coastal habitats face similar problems, yet physiological adaptations to water conservation in such species have been poorly documented. We measured total evaporative water loss (TEWL) and rates of oxygen consumption (VO2) in three species of passerine birds dwelling in marine and fresh water habitats. Mass specific total evaporative water loss was significantly lower in the marine species, Cinclodes nigrofumosus, than in species inhabiting areas near freshwater sources. We found a positive relationship between TEWL and VO2. The ratio of TEWL to VO2 (relative evaporative water loss, RTEWL) showed significant variation among Cinclodes species, and was highest for the fresh-water living species, C. oustaleti and C. fuscus. The variation in TEWL found in Cinclodes is likely a consequence of differential exploitation of marine prey with high osmotic loads, which, in turn, may impose the need for water conservation.