Anticipatory changes in liver metabolism and entrainment of insulin, glucagon, and corticosterone in food-restricted rats

Restricted feeding schedules entrain behavioral and physiological circadian rhythms, which depend on a food-entrainable oscillator (FEO). The mechanism of the FEO might depend on digestive and endocrine processes regulating energy balance. The present study characterizes the dynamics of circulating corticosterone, insulin, and glucagon and regulatory parameters of liver metabolism in rats under restricted feeding schedules. With respect to ad libitum controls, food-restricted rats showed 1) an increase in corticosterone and glucagon and a decrease in insulin before food access, indicating a predominant catabolic state; and 2) a reduction in lactate-to-pyruvate and β-hydroxybutyrate-to-acetoacetate ratios, indicating an oxidized cytoplasmic and mitochondrial redox state in the liver metabolism. All these changes were reversed after feeding. Moreover, liver energy charge in food-restricted rats did not show a significant modification before feeding, despite an increase in adenine nucleotides, but showed an important decrease after food intake. Variations detected in the liver of food-restricted rats are different from those prevailing under 24-h fasting. These observations suggest “anticipatory activity” of the liver metabolism to optimize the processing of nutrients to daily feeding. Data also suggest a possible relationship of the liver and endocrine signals with the FEO.