Gluconeogenesis in frogs during cooling and dehydration exposure: new insights into tissue plasticity of the gluconeogenic pathway dependent on abiotic factors

Abstract

Anurans undergo significant physiological changes when exposed to environmental stressors, such as low temperatures and humidity. Energy metabolism and substrate management play a crucial role in their survival success. Therefore, understanding the role of the gluconeogenic pathway and demonstrating its existence in amphibians becomes essential. In this study, we exposed the subtropical frog Boana pulchella to cooling (- 2.5°C for 24 h) and dehydration conditions (40% of body water loss), followed by recovery (24 h), and assessed gluconeogenesis activity from alanine, lactate, glycerol, and glutamine in the liver, muscle, and kidney. We reported for the first time that gluconeogenesis activity by 14C-alanine and 14C-lactate converted to glucose occurs in the muscle tissue of frogs, and this tissue activity is influenced by environmental conditions. Against the control group, liver gluconeogenesis from 14C-lactate and 14C-glycerol was lower during cooling and recovery (P < 0.01), and gluconeogenesis from 14C-glutamine in the kidneys was also lower during cooling (P < 0.05). In dehydration exposure, gluconeogenesis from 14C-lactate in the liver was lower during recovery, and 14C-alanine in the muscle was lower during dehydration (P < 0.05). Moreover, we observed that gluconeogenesis activity and substrate preference respond differently to cold and dehydration. These findings highlight tissue-specific plasticity dependent on the nature of the encountered stressor, offering valuable insights for future studies exploring this plasticity, elucidating the importance of the gluconeogenic pathway, and characterizing it in anuran physiology.