The effects of protein and fiber content on gut structure and function in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Chemical reactor theory (CRT) suggests that the digestive tract functions as a chemical reactor for processing food. Presumably, gut structure and function should match diet to ensure adequate nutrient and energy uptake to maintain performance. Within CRT, dietary biochemical composition is the most important factor affecting gut structure and function in vertebrates. We fed Danio rerio (zebrafish) diets ranging from high- to moderate- to low-quality (i.e., ranging from high-protein, low-fiber to low-protein, high-fiber), and observed how gut length and surface area, as well as the activity levels of digestive enzymes (amylase, maltase, trypsin, aminopeptidase, and lipase) shifted in response to these dietary changes. Fish on the low-quality diet had the longest guts with the largest intestinal epithelial surface area and enterocyte cellular volumes. Fish on the moderate-quality diet had intermediate values of most of these parameters, and fish on the high-quality diet, the lowest. These data largely support CRT. Digestive enzyme activity levels were generally elevated in fish fed the moderate- and low-quality diets, but were highest in the fish fed the moderate-quality diet, suggesting that a diet with protein levels closest to that of the natural diet of D. rerio (they are omnivorous in nature) may elicit the best gut performance. However, fish fed the carnivore diet reached the largest terminal body size. Our results support CRT in terms of gut structure; however, our enzyme results do not necessarily agree with CRT and largely depend on which enzyme is discussed. In particular, the evidence for lipase activities being elevated in the fish fed the low-protein, high-fiber diet perhaps reflects a lipid-scavenging mechanism in fish consuming high-fiber foods rather than CRT.