The effect of hepatic passage on postprandial plasma lipid profile of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) after a single meal

For the first time, pre‐ and post‐hepatic plasma lipid profiles were monitored following a single meal in a free‐swimming, non‐anaesthetized fish. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; 700–1500 g; 10 °C) were equipped with cannulae in the dorsal aorta (DA) and hepatic portal vein (HPV). Simultaneous blood samples, taken from both cannulae at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h postprandial, revealed the time course of the plasma lipid profiles following a single meal (1% of body mass). Primarily monounsaturated fatty acids with the exception of 18:1n ? 9, increased significantly from baseline by 12 h postprandial without greatly affecting total plasma lipid concentrations. Total plasma lipids then showed a small peak at 24 h postprandial, coinciding with a peak in triacylglycerols. We conclude that assimilation of lipids from the digest into the plasma is slower than reported for proteins and carbohydrates in the same species. Furthermore, as there were no significant differences between the HPV and DA, no measurable effect of hepatic passage on plasma lipid levels was resolved. Therefore, we also conclude that, in contrast to that in higher vertebrates, hepatic passage does not seem to have a major role in rainbow trout for modulating the postprandial plasma profile of lipids.