Meeting Abstract
Boa constrictors (Boa constrictor), native to Central and South America, are sit-and-wait foragers that feed relatively infrequently. Characteristic of infrequently feeding pythons and rattlesnakes is the rapid upregulation of digestive performance and remodeling of tissues with feeding, followed by downregulation of organ performance and tissue atrophy once digestion has completed. In this project, we examined the capacity for changes in organ mass and the remodeling of the intestine with feeding and fasting for the boa constrictor. Organs were removed and weighed from snakes fasted (30 days since last meal) and at 12 hours, 1 day, 3 days, and 6 days after feeding. Sections of proximal small intestine were also prepared for light microscopy. Boas experience significant increases in the mass of the esophagus, liver, and kidney within 1 day and of the stomach, pancreas and small intestine within 3 days after eating. Most noted are the respected increases of 74%, 87%, and 112% for the pancreas, liver, and small intestine. In contrast, the gall bladder lost mass due to the secretion of bile used for digestion. Feeding also induced a remodeling of the small intestine, highlighted by a near doubling in the thickness of the mucosa layer, a 30% increase in enterocyte width, and a 75% increase in enterocyte volume. Similar to infrequently feeding pythons and rattlesnakes, boa constrictors experience the characteristic rapid remodeling of their organs and tissues with feeding that ensure the efficient digestion and assimilate of their large meals.
