Data from: Feeding effects on liver mitochondrial bioenergetics of Boa constrictor (Serpentes: Boidae)

Snakes are interesting examples of overcoming energy metabolism challenges
as many species can endure long periods without feeding, and their
eventual meals are of reasonably large sizes, thus exhibiting dual extreme
adaptations. Consequently, metabolic rate increases considerably to attend
to the energetic demand of digestion, absorption and, protein synthesis.
These animals should be adapted to transition from these two opposite
states of energy fairly quickly, and therefore we investigated
mitochondrial function plasticity in these states. Herein we compared
liver mitochondrial bioenergetics of the boid snake Boa constrictor during
fasting and after meal intake. We fasted the snakes for 60 days, then we
fed a subgroup with 30% of their body size and evaluated their maximum
postprandial response. We measured liver respiration rates from
permeabilized tissue and isolated mitochondria, and from isolated
mitochondria, we also measured Ca2+ retention capacity, the release of
H2O2, and NAD(P) redox state. Mitochondrial respiration rates were
maximized after feeding, reaching until 60% increase from fasting levels
when energized with complex I-linked substrates. Interestingly, fasting
and fed snakes exhibited similar respiratory control ratios and citrate
synthase activity. Furthermore, we found no differences in Ca2+ retention
capacity, indicating no increase in susceptibility to mitochondrial
permeability transition pore (PTP), or redox state of NAD(P), although fed
animals exhibited increases in the release of H2O2. Thus, we conclude that
liver mitochondria from B. constrictor snakes increase the maintenance
costs during the postprandial period and quickly improve the mitochondrial
bioenergetics capacity without compromising the redox balance.