Research

Bile constituents in hibernating golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis)

Julie A Baker and Frank van Breukelen

School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas Nevada 89154 USA

author email corresponding author email

Comparative Hepatology 2009, 8:2doi:10.1186/1476-5926-8-2

Published:	26 May 2009

Abstract

Background

Golden-mantled ground squirrels (S. lateralis) are anorexic during the winter and survive by exploiting hibernation to reduce energetic demands. The liver normally plays a critical role in fueling and regulating metabolism and one might expect significant changes in hepatobiliary function with hibernation. We analyzed bile collected from animals in summer, animals in winter that were either torpid, active between bouts of torpor, or which failed to enter hibernation in order to characterize the effects of hibernation on hepatobiliary function per se.

Results

Surprisingly, hibernator bile did not differ from summer squirrel bile in key characteristics including [bile acids], [cholesterol], [free fatty acids], [lecithin], and osmolality. One major distinction between summer and winter squirrels was that winter squirrels experience >5 fold increases in [bilirubin]. Such an increase may have significant physiological consequences that could aid in survivorship of torpor. Animals that failed to hibernate, despite being anorexic, were very similar to summer squirrels in all measured parameters except they had lower bile acid and lecithin concentrations.

Conclusion

The data indicate that despite extended anorexia, differences in metabolic fuel privation, and bouts of reduced body temperatures, hibernators normally do not experience broad changes in hepatobiliary function.