Effect of ACTH and glucocorticoids on lipid metabolism in the Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica.

1. Immature male Japanese quail received repeated (chronic) injections of 0.8 I.U. corticotrophin (ACTH), 0.1 mg or 1.0 mg corticosterone (B), or 0.02 mg dexamethasone (DXM) and were fasted then refed at the end of the treatment period. A subgroup of the DXM group were given a single (acute) injection of 0.8 I.U. ACTH or saline before refeeding. A further group that had been given repeated injections of saline were fasted at the end of the treatment period. 2. All chronic hormone treatments decreased the rate of body weight gain and increased food consumption. Only the higher dose of B increased the lipid content of the carcass. This treatment and DXM also decreased the non-fat content of the carcass. 3. Plasma glucose and free fatty acids (FFA) were not altered by the chronic hormone treatments except DXM which increased plasma FFA. Acute injections of ACTH increased levels of plasma FFA and glucose in both controls and DXM-treated quails. Plasma glucose, but not FFA, was decreased by fasting. 4. De novo hepatic fatty acid synthesis in vitro was unaffected by the chronic treatments, whilst acute injections of ACTH or fasting decreased it.