The effect of short-term fasting and a single meal on protein synthesis and oxygen consumption in cod, Gadus morhua

Rates of protein synthesis and oxygen con- sumption (3;/02) in cod were compared in both fasted and refed animals. During a 14-day fast both protein synthesis and respiration rates fell to stable values after 6 days. When a meal of whole sandeel at 6% body weight was fed to fish fasted for 6 days, protein synthesis and -~/O2 increased to a maximum at between 12 and 18 h after feeding. Peak _~/Oz was about twice the pre-feeding values, while whole animal protein synthesis increased four-fold. There were differences between tissues in the timing of maximum protein synthesis; the liver and sto- mach responded faster than the remainder of the body. Maximum protein synthesis rates in the liver and sto- mach occurred at 6 h after feedin.g, at which time their calculated contribution to total MO2 was 11%. Similar calculations suggested that the integrated increment in whole animal protein synthesis contributed between 23% and 44% of the post-prandial increase in ~/O2. It was concluded that protein synthesis is an important contrib- utor to increased MO2 after feeding in cod.