Food availability affects metabolism and reproduction in higher vertebrates including birds. This study tested the idea of adaptive homeostasis to time-restricted feeding (TRF) in diurnal zebra finches by using multiple (behavioral, physiological and molecular) assays. Adult birds were subjected for 1 week or 3 weeks to food restriction for 4 h in the evening (hour 8–12) of the 12 h light-on period, with controls on ad lib feeding. Birds on TRF showed enhanced exploratory behavior and plasma triglycerides levels, but did not show differences from ad lib birds in the overall food intake, body mass, and plasma corticosterone and thyroxine levels. As compared to ad lib feeding, testis size and circulation testosterone were reduced after first but not after third week of TRF. The concomitant change in the mRNA expression of metabolic and reproductive genes was also found after week 1 of TRF. Particularly, TRF birds showed increased expression of genes coding for gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in hypothalamus, and for receptors of androgen (AR) and estrogen (ER-alpha) in both hypothalamus and testes. However, genes coding for the deiodinases (Dio2, Dio3) and gonadotropin inhibiting hormone (GnIH) showed no difference between feeding conditions in both hypothalamus and testes. Further, increased Sirt1, Fgf10 and Ppar-alpha, and decreased Egr1 expression in the liver suggested TRF-effects on the overall metabolism. Importantly, TRF-effects on gene expressions by week 1 seemed alleviated to a considerable extent by week 3. These results on TRF-induced reproductive and metabolic effects suggest homeostatic adaptation to food-restriction in diurnal vertebrates.

食物的供应量会影响包括鸟类在内的高级脊椎动物的代谢和繁殖。这项研究通过使用多种（行为，生理和分子）分析方法测试了昼夜斑马雀对时间限制喂养（TRF）的适应性稳态。成年鸡在光照12小时的晚上（8-12小时）进行4小时的禁食1周或3周，并控制随意进食。TRF禽类的探究行为和血浆甘油三酯水平提高，但在总体食物摄入量，体重以及血浆皮质类固醇和甲状腺素水平上与自由禽类没有差异。与自由进食相比，TRF的第一周但第三周后睾丸大小和循环睾丸激素减少。TRF第1周后，还发现了代谢和生殖基因的mRNA表达的伴随变化。特别是TRF鸟类显示出促性腺激素释放激素（下丘脑中的GnRH），下丘脑和睾丸中的雄激素（AR）和雌激素（ER-alpha）受体。然而，编码基因的脱碘酶（DIO2，DIO3）和促性腺激素抑制激素（GnIH）显示在两个下丘脑和睾丸喂养条件之间没有区别。此外，增加Sirt1，Fgf10和Ppar -alpha并降低Egr1肝脏中的表达提示TRF对整体代谢有影响。重要的是，第1周时TRF对基因表达的影响似乎在第3周时得到了相当大程度的缓解。有关TRF诱导的生殖和代谢作用的这些结果表明，稳态动物适应了昼夜脊椎动物的食物限制。